I'll preface this review by saying that I absolutely loved the author's previous book, "In Deeper Waters." I devoured that book in one sitting and gushed about it multiple people so when I say I was excited for "So This is Ever After" I'm not exaggerating. I was positively brimming with excitement.

And then I got the ARC, and it just...fell short.

I ended up finally giving up by chapter three, after struggling to get through it. It felt like I walked in on a story that was already in development. The fight was over, and I was supposed to care? There was a new King and I was supposed to think it's funny that he doesn't want to be? Okay? I know there's romance in the book and characters being in love but not saying they're in love because of the description but I just couldn't bring myself to finish it.

And I think the book was written more for the younger audience, which obviously it was because it's YA but it felt even more juvenile than their last book. I'm really sorry that I couldn't get into it because the idea just seemed so amazing and I loved the author's last book but I just couldn't do it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'm just sorry it wasn't a better one.

This is a rare case where I am so happy to say this book is EXACTLY what it's billed as- a YA fantasy romcom set almost entirely in a castle.

SO THIS IS EVER AFTER is a quick, fun, and inclusive read that you can zip through without a ton of mental energy. I promise I mean that in a good way. As long as you are a fan of the miscommunication trope (personally, I am not- but I am not holding that against this book), then I am pretty sure you will enjoy this story. There is a lot of zippy dialogue and sarcasm, and a large-ish but follow-able cast of fun characters. "Found family" is a big theme, and I am always here for that.

My only quibble is that the tone of the book is a bit all over the place audience-wise. There's gore, foul language, and multiple references to boners- all things I am in full support of! But then there is a lot of pure silliness that skews middle-grade in my opinion- such as calling the kingdom "The Land of Chickpea" and some juvenile humor that I think anyone over the age of 14 (which is the recommended age- I know this is an arbitrarily chosen and largely ignored number) would roll their eyes at- and not in a hilarious ironic way.

BUT! I'd definitely would put this in the hands of someone looking for a light-hearted, fun YA book with some good rep and a heavy dose of sarcasm.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!

This was a very interesting book. I gave it a chance knowing I would need to fight my bias against the “friends to lovers” and that it was geared towards a teen audience. I will start out by saying the book had great characters, a unique storyline, and perfect comedic timing. However, it was confusing to get into at first. I felt like I was missing a lot of information or a prequel. Also, the transitions were very rushed and confusing. It felt like I was in a teenage boy’s brain and honestly, it is not a place I would like to be. The humor also was geared towards a younger generation that I felt got missed by myself. With that in mind, I would recommend this book to teens of all genders as a good story with great adventures and fun adventures.

"So This Is Ever After" by F.T. Lukens is a classic case of me not being the target audience for a book. I wanted to enjoy this, but I found a few elements of the story lacking. The romance suffered from a lot of miscommunication (not a trope I particularly enjoy) and I think I need to admit to myself that Arthurian fantasy is not my thing. That being said, THIS IS NOT THE BOOK'S FAULT. I've seen many people that really enjoy this book, and I am so happy for them! It was just not my thing.

I was only able to get through about 20% of this book before putting it down. I'm not in the habit of DNFing books, especially ARCs that I so kindly and gratefully received, but this book was so difficult for me to follow. There were so many prominent characters introduced in the first chapter alone and I felt as though I was missing so much context and backstory. The world building was barely there, the character work and character building both absolutely abysmal, and I had such a hard time understanding what was going on.

I think that there were better ways to write a book like this, starting at the end of a battle were a Dark Lord character is bested by the prophesized hero and this book did not follow through well at all.

A romcom set in a fantasy world is the perfect way to describe this book! I am in love with this cast of characters and their group dynamic. They are all so unique and bring their own charm and charisma to the book. Arek as a main character was so fun to follow and I was so sad to say goodbye to him upon turning the final page. The plot had the perfect amount of fantasy while not being super high stakes. I am absolutely in love with this book and will continue to read anything this author writes.

In Deeper Waters really enchanted me and So This Is Ever After very quickly joined it. I think Lukens is such an important author to have in classrooms right now, and so are their works. They're relevant and unique, the characters are endearing and quirky, and the storylines are so easy to get pulled into and swept away. This will 100% live on my classroom shelf!

Loved this queer fantasy from author F.T. Lukens!

If you've ever wondered what happens after the chosen one kills the big bad, this book is for you! I absolutely adored all the characters, they were so dorky and silly, and the found family was strong.

The pacing was a bit slow in the middle, but the chemistry between the two leads was so fun to read!

Definitely recommend!

I don't think I've ever read a book that's so thoroughly eviscerated a reading slump than this one. It was just <i>easy</i>. Arek and Matt being adorably stupid in all the best ways, the setting of this book being that of a fantastical Chosen One universe but the actual plot of the story taking place after the Chosen One prophecy is completed, the HUMOR... I could go on and on.

I had such a fun time reading this book. My only real complaints are that the characterization of the secondary cast of characters fell a little flat, and that some of the situations the main characters found themselves in were a bit <i>too</i> ridiculous and contrived, but at the end of the day? That was the whole point. I wanted an adorable, tropey, cute book to read, and I got it in spades with SO THIS IS EVER AFTER. I'm once again convinced that F.T. Lukens is an insta-buy from me from now on.

Goodbye reading slump!

(Thanks to the moat monsters at Simon and Schuster for the NetGalley ARC!)

*4.5/5*
Reading the synopsis, I knew this was going to be a book that I would enjoy. However, I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. This story is marketed as ‘Carry On meets Arthurian legends’ and let me tell you, I love both of those. As much as I love enemies to lovers, friends to lovers hold a special place in my heart. Arek secretly pining after Matt long before the quest. Matt obviously returns his feelings, but Arek is too oblivious to notice. Honestly, they were both oblivious. There were misunderstandings, but it wasn’t to the point where it infuriated me (I normally hate miscommunication and misunderstandings, unless it feels somewhat natural).

This character group was chaotic from the beginning. I loved it. Arek, the Chosen One, who is oblivious, very lovable, and responds to tense situations with humor. He is kind and would do anything for his friends. Matt, Arek’s best friend and mage. Lila, the rogue, loves to steal things and is very clever. Rion, the knight, incredibly witty and stoic. Bethany, the bard, clears up the messes everyone made. Sionna, the general and warrior, funny and sometimes stoic. This is not only a love story between Arek and Matt, it is also one of finding a family within a group of friends.

After ending the Vile One’s reign, Arek must take the crown. Being king was not something Arek had in mind, but in order to save the kingdom, he would. However, Arek must now find someone to soul bond with or fade away. Arek begins to plan ways to woo his friends and Matt assists him. These plans were incredibly hilarious and went wrong in every way. The way all these plans ended, it would seem like the universe wanted him with Matt, but they were both so obviously oblivious. I would consider this a very slow burn, but done very well. Normally slow burns feel unnecessarily drawn out, but this felt almost natural. It made sense that they both didn't want to risk their friendship for the chance that they could be more.

Overall this book was a fun and easy read. It was fast-paced and had lovely, enjoyable characters. Starting the book with the ending of the quest to end the Vile One’s reign was interesting and I think it worked very well. It left me wondering “So, what happens now?” and did not disappoint. This book is worth reading. Lila and Matt were definitely my favorite characters.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the digital ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

F.T. Lukens delivers another heartwarming and hilarious fantasy romance that asks the question, what happens to the heroes after they save the world? Using whip smart dialogue that will have readers laughing out loud, these two would-be lovers bumble obliviously into a happily ever after. Worth a sequel and a re-read for extra heartfelt swoons.

After defeated the Vile One as the prophecy foretold, Arek has somehow ended up as king - and now he must find someone to wed if he is to survive his eighteenth birthday. And his first choice, his best friend and mage Matt, obviously doesn't like him back.

I was very excited by the idea of this book - the Chosen One having to settle down after fulfilling his prophecy and now actually getting on with the business of governing his newfound kingdom. However, though this has a fantasy setting, the vibe is definitely that of a rom-com, as Arek and Matt hopelessly pine for each other while remaining totally oblivious to the other's feelings.

And oh my goodness - that pining! It is the highlight of the book, how utterly head-over-heels the two are, and I really enjoyed being frustrated about how everything could be solved with just a little communication. I also enjoyed the found family aspect of the story, and how well the characters mesh together.

However, I did feel that the other members of the quest were not super well-developed, which was disappointing because they are quite important people to Arek and to the story. I also wished that the author would have pared back the fantasy or let it show more fully in the story, because as things stood it felt a little like window dressing.

Loved, loved, loved! I adored In Deeper Waters and knew I needed this one immediately. I ended up purchasing this book for my persona library because I loved it so much!

This was such a fun book! We start at what would be the end of another book. The Vile One has finally been defeated, and the Chosen One, Arek, and his group of friends are ready to relax. Arek takes the crown and declares himself king until he locates the true ruler. But the princess is already dead and there is no one else to rule. Being thrust into running a kingdom is no easy task, but at least he has his friends to help him. When he finds out he must soulbond to another or he will die, he looks to his friends once more. He wishes his best friend and crush Matt reciprocated his feelings, but at least he has a few more options. As Arek schemes to woo his friends, hijinks ensue, and you'll be rooting for Arek to finally see what is right in front of him. This is a thoroughly fun LGBTQ romp.

This is the perfect kind of fantasy for me because it's basically a YA contemporary romance packaged in a fantasy world. This book takes place after the complete of a King Arthur-esque quest to defeat the dark ruler of a land and shows us the aftermath/consequences of those actions; it's basically what Wayward Son could've/should've been. The shenanigans of Arek having to find a lover on a ticking clock were funny and tropey. The romance that develops throughout had me yelling at the audiobook in anticipation. This is one of my favorites of the year for me, and no one's more shocked than me that it's a fantasy.

Well-written and -paced, the story has a solid, compelling mystery and particularly shines when focusing on the bond between the two characters.. However, the world-building felt fairly shoddy, only seeming to exist as far as necessary to continue the narrative without a sense of being rooted in a complete universe, and the romance (or romances, such that they were) didn't quite spark for me. Also, although it was evident that care was put into the descriptions of these characters.

I loved this book so much. That's it, that's the feedback.

Ok, not really. I have a lot of things to say about this book, starting with the fact that I didn't expect to love it this much. This book has a lot of elements that are new and very different from what I'm used to read, starting with the fact that this book starts with what usually would be the ending of the story. Our characters have already finished their quest, the prophecy has been completed and the evil one is death. The thing is, now what? And that's a question I usually make when I finish a fantasy book is, what happens now? Are these characters really ready for leading a country or ruling a kingdom? And that is something that this book answers to: no, they aren't, but they will try. And I loved Arek for that, because he grew into the position and became someone who actually cared about the things that came with ruling.

However, the main point of the book is not that, it's this kind of curse that will make the king vanish if he doesn't find someone to bind his soul to before he's 18. Which leads to this book having a searching-for-love quest that is extremely funny and entertaining to read. I expected a lot of romance, but this book is much more than that. It explores so beautifully the friendships too, and it even takes a time to talk about the effects and the PTSD that these characters developed when running from their deaths. They were a group of friends who actually cared about each other, and that were there to support what the others were going through. But I also loved the romances, the couples that started forming were so beautiful. And, while the ending might be predictable, I found it so cute and impossible not to love.

The characters are amazing and are the main element of this story, which is very character driven. And I loved how it represents the LGBT+ community, and how it develops without any restriction for possible love interests. I wish real world would be like that! So yeah, read this book, it's amazing, has a lot of good rep, and I will totally make you laugh.

This one was a hard read, which is really disappointing as I loved “In Deeper Waters”. The characters are not very likable and the world-building felt off. Arek and Matts's relationship just didn't click with me, I didn't feel the chemistry between them. Hopefully F.T. Lukens next book is better than this one, but this one just wasn't for me I guess.

So This Is Ever After is a YA fantasy novel. However, it takes place after the group has saved the world. After Arek and his friends have defeated the evil king, he becomes king. However, it's only temporary. Once they save the princess, she will be the ruler and they can go on their merry way. Except the princess is dead and Arek is now forced to be the king.
I love a book that turns popular tropes and themes around and this was so well done. I also loved the characters in this book. Everyone in the group was a lot of fun to get to know and I especially loved the relationship between Arek and Matt.

DNF @ 5%

Truthfully, I could see why this would be someone else's cup of tea. Personally, however, some of the female character descriptions were...not for me. "Bethany consisted of a soft curves, an ample bosom, and a round face." At face value this might not seem too bad, but... she "consisted" of only her "sexy" physical features?? Maybe it's the word "consisted", maybe it's just the way her physical attributes are described....either way this line stopped me dead and gave me the heebie-jeebies. And to describe another female character as bad ass, but she gives him a lot of boners??? Just, no.

Normally, I would've kept reading in spite of that sort of a flop, but the overall language of the characters stopped me, too. It's Arthurian England and everyone is speaking like a bunch of kids at their kitchen table running a D&D campaign. Which, again, is definitely someone else's cup of tea, but it certainly isn't mine.

On the positive side: the cover art is AMAZING, as is the overall concept!