After the death of their leader and friend Galwell, while saving their realm a decade ago, three friends are torn apart by guilt and grief. Beatrice, Elowen, and Clare are then reunited for the wedding of the queen of Mythria. As they battle their memories of the past and their negative feelings towards each other, the force that took the life of their friend returns with a vengeance, once again threatening the survival of the realm. They are forced to work together or face death alone.

This story reads like a fantasy / romance novel hybrid. It's has some of the best of both worlds, but overall, there was not enough of either to hold me. It didn't have enough world building for fantasy, and its explanation of magic was vague and inconsistent. The romance side threatened on romantic comedy in places but fell a bit short.

Even though this book wasn't my favorite, I do feel like there is potential. I would read this authors next book, hoping for growth in the storyline, world building, and flow of the story. I do like the idea of a romantasy comedy, so I have my fingers crossed!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an advanced copy of This Will be Fun in exchange for an honest review.

Sweet and .. guess what , it was fun. A little something for everyone with the heros and the lovers and villians and living up to past expectations.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I was hoping this would be good since its been compared to The Princess Bride but I kept getting lost with the multiple povs but the concept of the plot was a great one. I did like the romance and it felt relaxed at most points.

So much fun-- for anyone reading!

This Will Be Fun is an utterly unique and wonderful multi-POV adventure romance novel. I enjoyed the pining, the second chance romance, the character growth, and the storyline. Perfect for fans of The Princess Bride, adventure romances, and second chances. Sparkles from the first page to the last and I hope this isn't the last we see of E.B. Asher.

Well, this book certainly did not live up to its title! I admit, though, that it follows loosely, vaguely "The Princess Bride," and those parts were interesting to figure out. (I loved the movie!). I have to say that adding a modern twist to this sort of novel was intriguing and kept me on my toes. For instance, having an ancient type of Uber or Lyft, using a tapestry as a cell phone, and various other technological/magical instances of modern meets magic.

Now comes the complaining part - If you don't mind that over 50% of the book is the three main characters bemoaning about how they hate themselves or angsting about their love lives or lack thereof, then jump right in. Even when a couple of them do finally get together for some nookie, they are still miserable. And that "quest" that the Queen asks them to go on seemed to be just haphazardly thrown in to keep us reading. Although, in the end, the fighting and the magic bits were quite interesting.

I would have given up on this very frustrating and, dare I say, sometimes boring novel if it wasn't for a hint I got in another reviewer's spoiler.

It is interesting to note that E.B. Asher is really three different author's, and it does show.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Avon/HarperCollins, the author, and NetGalley. My thanks to all.

With the multiple POVs, time jumps, and modern language this book kind of lost me at times. I can see why people are enjoying it so maybe it's the wrong time for me to read this. But I do think the marketing was off as this wasn't what I expected.

ok SO i did not like this book. HOWEVER i do think there were many redeeming qualities to it. i will try to explain without giving spoilers because this is in fact an arc. i think that the narration on this was awkward. i know it was written by three separate people and it read like it. i almost wish that it had been one pov or that there had been one or two more pots, whether that was adding in vandra/hugh or making a whole other og quest member. the plot felt disjointed at parts, like it couldn’t decide to be cozy or a low stakes adventure, and that dissonance began to irk me towards the end. the enemies to lovers felt a bit contrived, there was a lot more telling than showing, and the end completely lost me.

SPOILERY STUFF AHEAD:
i think this was cruising to a solid 3 star rating for me until they brought galwell back. it felt so unnecessary and against what the narrative was trying to teach (aka moving on and learning) and it really threw me. everything else just really came down to i think the different writers understood the different characters differently and it was just a little hard for me to reconcile it. i loved hugh and thessia though. that’s a story i would have LOVED to read and if there was a sequel focused on them i would tune back in!

What happens to the heroes *after* they save the world? This fun, fast-paced adventure follows the story of a band of adventurers who saved the world, lost their leader in the process, and were thoroughly broken by the aftermath. When a new threat arises, they reluctantly reunite (along with a previously wild card assassin) to face the threat and once again try to save everything. But will their new adventure help them finally heal or break them beyond repair?

The characters are what make this book - they are fully-fleshed out and struggling with a variety of genuine traumas that they are forced to confront and overcome while facing ridiculous fantasy adventures. The book is a campy adventure with just enough seriousness to make a point about what happens after the world is saved... again...

This Will Be Fun is a multi-tale of heroes after the tale of glory has ended. They've been wined and dined and had songs written about them, and then continue to live. Ten years later, they find themselves reluctantly reunited on a new quest. Will they be able to find their happily ever after this time?

This will Be Fun lives up to its promise. With the humor of Robbin Hood Men in Tights, Shrek, and The Princess Bride, this book kept me smiling. Read if you like:
-Second Chance Romance
-Rogues becoming the hero
-Quests

This was a fluffy read. It didn't take itself too seriously and I could tell the authors had a lot of fun writing it. It read a bit like watching a movie. There were two couples vying for a second chance at love, but I found myself invested in only one relationship. The other didn't really have a good backstory built up, where the other had so much tension.

I would definitely read a second book set in this world. Maybe the romance of the queen and the guard.

I feel like this book had so much potential. Dangerous Quests! Lovers-turned-enemies-back-to-lovers! Unique Magic System! Unfortunately though, the book just fell flat for me, and I really struggled to get through it.

First, the worldbuilding was insufficient. Discussions of head magic, heart magic, and hand magic were prevalent throughout, but there was very limited discussion of where those powers came from, why some individuals had them and others didn't, why Galwell had been chosen as a hero of a prophecy (what was the prophesy??) and how his hand magic played into that, etc. Also, even though this book was set 10 years after the Four's original quest, the circumstances of the first quest were not explained until well into the book, making it challenging for me to empathize with how the second quest (and its connection to the first) was upsetting for the characters. This left me frustrated while reading. Also. normally I don't mind shifting perspectives in each chapter but the difference in the writing styles between each character really threw me. For example, the spicy scene between Vanna and Elowen was very, very detailed, and seemed steeped in unspoken tension and emotion. However, the spicy scene between Clare and Beatrice was a totally different vibe, much more "throw her against the wall" and lacked that detail and the emotional depth and intimacy that colored the exchange between V&E. While that emotion did come later, the difference between the two scenes was a bit jarring. (Once I learned this book was written by three different people, the disjointed voices of each character in their own chapter made a lot more sense - maybe each author wrote one character's perspective?). Overall this book was entertaining at times, but I feel like it missed the mark.

I wanted to love this one... but I only managed to make it 20% through before I decided to shelve it. The magic, language, and multiple POVs were just confusing, and I found myself reading the same paragraph over and over to try and decipher what was being said. It seemed like the author was trying to fit too much into the story too quickly. It's a good idea for a book, but the execution was a little lacking. And while I appreciate the opportunity to review this book before it was published, it just wasn't for me.

I love a good fantasy quest. I love a good romance. I love witty stories and in-depth world building. I love a little magic. I love fun. So, overall, I loved this book!

The vibes of This Will Be Fun were immaculate. All of the genres of this book played together so well, I haven’t read anything so engaging in a while. I laughed out loud at points. The writing was genuine and humorous. I smiled so much!

The characters had a lot of depth and I felt like the character development of all of our leads was the best part of the book. Each had their own journey that led to them becoming their best selves, and they all intertwined with one another which made it even more memorable. Not to mention how fun the actual quest was.

I won’t lie, the ending wasn’t my favorite but that didn’t make my reading experience any less enjoyable. This would make a great palette cleanser or an “in between” break book. I definitely recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager- Avon for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was, indeed, a lot of fun!

*Received as a free ARC*
As a former teen fantasy (current, who am I kidding) teen, I have been developing a fascination for this kind of genre. The quest is over, we're all fucked up, what now? While this was an ultimately light hearted answer to that question, it was nonetheless deeply enjoyable. Beatrice, Clare, and Elowen are all very different characters, but I enjoyed them more for it. The fantasy versions of things (horseball caps and brews instead of baseball caps and coffee) were extremely corny but delightful. I'd absolutely recommend if you enjoyed or enjoy high fantasy.

This was such fun book! I just loved Beatrice, Elowen, Vandra, and Clare (all of them!). The quest was exciting, the characters enticing, and the story one I didn’t want to put down. I enjoyed every minute of it and found myself laughing repeatedly at their crazy antics and jokes. Fantastic read!

"This Will Be Fun" by E.B. Asher shows that group projects don't always suck. The three writers that come together to form Asher's writing have a blend of sharp wit, emotional depth, and a keen understanding of what makes a story fun while also tapping into some deeper emotions as well.

We follow Beatrice, Elowen, and Clare work through the complications of trying to save the realm without their leader, 10 years older, and all the other complicated feelings that go along with that. Hearing from all three perspectives keeps the pace moving quickly without rehashing each moment.

E.B. Asher has crafted a story that is not only entertaining but also emotional, making it a must-read for anyone who appreciates a romantasy with wit and adventure.

First my thanks to Avon Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity for an ARC copy of this novel 🫶

If you’re looking for a great, low stakes-high reward read, this is it! This book was fun with moments of seriousness without being too heavy about it. My best way to describe it is that it strongly has the vibes of the new(ish) Dungeons and Dragons movie (the one with Chris Pine). I go back to that movie when I need a fun palette cleanse and I can totally see myself doing that with This Will Be Fun.

Go into this read with a light hearted spirit and you won’t be disappointed 5⭐️/5⭐️

*spoilers*

I think one of the prime examples of the authors being able to switch from lighthearted humor to serious topics is when Clare is talking about his Hangover toast.

Almost a whole page is spent describing Hangover Corn Toast, its history, how it’s made, and how badly the character wants it. And within the next 2 pages you have the quote, “high spirits could mask low moods….he just knew happiness was sometimes harder, for no one expected you ever to hurt”. And I really feel this was a perfect example of the danger covered by this book.

No notes ✨

Sigh. This very much reads like someone (or three someones in this instance, I guess) who doesn't read fantasy thought it'd be easy to pull off. The twee references to modern things with medieval trappings really didn't work for me. I'm sure it will work for other people, but not for me at ALL.

This Will Be Fun is everything that was promised, and then some. I had so much fun with this read, I am so thankful to have received this chance to read in exchange for an honest review.

The structure of the book was set up in a way that had me diving in immediately - starting with a prequel of sorts was perfect in this case, giving us just enough background from an outside view to connect each of the POVs going forward. On top of that, E. B. Asher's collective writing style was such a fun breath of fresh air. It's been a while since I've read a collaborative work like this one, and I enjoyed it so much. I'm not always a fan of stories that swap POVs throughout, but with more than one author's voice adding to the tale here, I really think this story thrived from it.

I loved the way conflict was formed from the characters' individual personalities and handling of trauma in contrast to the comedic high fantasy-esque realm that they lived in - the balance was perfect. While the comp of The Princess Bride was accurate, it also gave me strong Galavant and Legend of Vox Machina vibes. Overall it felt like a comfy world to escape to in the way I might dive into a Dungeons and Dragons one-shot with my best friends - full of sarcastic quips, humor, modern parallels with Ye Olde branding, and heartwarming character relationships. I appreciated that this world had lore and depth while also keeping it light enough for me to casually carry on with my reading whenever I had to put it down and pick it back up. Overall, I had a blast. 4-4.5/5 stars for me.

Thank you again to Avon and Harper Voyager, as well as Netgalley, for the eARC!

This was a quick, fun read featuring a magical quest reuniting a group of friends with a complicated shared past. Rekindling of old flames. Learning how to work together with friends that were once family before betrayals ruined those friendships.

🌟magic
🌟found family
🌟second chance (romantic & platonic)
🌟forced proximity

This Will be Fun follows a group of estranged friends who haven’t spoken in the 10 years since together they saved the realm from an evil foe—at great cost. On the eve of a royal wedding, a new plot is uncovered and once again they must work together to save the world and maybe put their differences behind them once and for all.

I really liked the premise of this one, namely the opportunity to revisit heroes of an epic quest years later to see how things ended up after the mostly happy resolution. And as a person who loves a friends who haven’t seen each other in a long time and must now confront their history trope, this definitely was up my alley. I wanted to like the book overall but I think what didn’t quite work for me were all the modern day things that were built into this ostensibly high fantasy world (coffee shop culture, the soap opera/telenovela equivalents, the communications akin to texting). What I think was supposed to be funny and whimsical felt almost anachronistic and took me out of the story a bit. I think the authors understand character and dialogue but may be not in a fantasy context. I also felt like the ending was a bit of a cheat. That said, it was still a fast and mostly enjoyable read. This Will Be Fun is out October 29th!

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the e-ARC; all thoughts and opinions are my own.