3*

I was really taken in by the premise of this book, but I found it took a long time for me to care about what was happening with half of the cast.

Clare and Beatrice had me from the start, especially Beatrice's drunken trip to retrieve her robe. But Vandra felt meh and a little manipulative and Elowen's story felt like a weak reflection of Bea and Clare.

I thought the worldbuilding was a little slap-dash and that there was a lot that could have been done to refine this story and make it more enjoyable.

I appreciated the attempt, but it just missed the cosy fantasy mark for me.

This Will Be Fun was very slow to start, but once it did it was, indeed, fun. I had to read more than half of the book before it caught my interest, and if I hadn’t received it from NetGalley, I wouldn’t have finished it. It takes too long to introduce a major conflict that is hinted at from the beginning, so by the time it actually came I was annoyed with all of the hints and suggestions.

That being said, after 50% and even more so by 70%, the book became really fun and entertaining. I found two of the four main characters enjoyable, and there were some really funny moments with them. If you like endings that are neatly tied up with a bow, this book definitely fits.

I’m giving this 4 stars. It would have been 3 based on the first two-thirds, but the rest made up for it enough to deserve another star. Ultimately, I don’t know if I would recommend this book or not. I think it’s the most extreme example of slow to start that I’ve ever read, and that’s something I just don’t have any patience for.

*Thank you to NetGalley for the digital advance copy of this book.*

This book had so much potential. However, the pacing was uneven and the mix of ye olden times and technology did fit quite fit. The big fight scene was rushed and the end was abrupt.

This book has a great premise and I see what the authors are trying to do here, but unfortunately it really didn’t work for me. The humor didn’t work on page, the characters and the romances were not developed enough for me to care about them - there was just a lot left to be desired. I don’t know if it was because there were 3 authors or they were trying too hard, but it just fell flat. There were some great ideas here so I’m really bummed it didn’t work for me.

Wonderful book with wonderful characters. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced readers copy of this book.

The description of this book gave me high hopes and expectations and it totally lived up to it! It was so cozy and fun and romantic. But still had some good plot twists and wasn’t slow at all - some cozy fantasy’s feel very slow to me but this felt focus and had a real purpose. I lived the characters and the focus on relationships. Will be adding to my own collection and adding to our library.

I feel this book could've used alot more plot. Although I liked the focus on the relationships, I also wanted an insane plot. Good, but not great.

Thank you NetGalley for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

I was so worried to read this book because the description sounded like something I would LOVE and I was worried it wouldn’t live up (comparing it to The Princess Bride meant I went in with HIGH expectations) but this book was just so perfect!

We start out with the prologue which a flashback to the first quest our characters went on which tragically ended in their leader’s death. We get to see them all happy and having fun on their mission and a little bit of how they are as a group from Galwell’s point of view. I feel like this was such a great way to start the book because it really shows how different they are when our story starts 10 years later and how much Galwell’s death affected them all.

This book manages to be both a fun and cozy quest story that had me laughing out loud on multiple occasions, and a really great story about how different people manage grief. I think the authors managed to balance out the comedy and the tragedy really well as well as show a lot of really good character growth.

The world building was simple, but really well done. The authors brought in a lot of recognizable things from our world (coffee shops, elevators, and TV shows to name a few) but used changed them enough and used magic in a way to seamlessly fit them in to this magical world. The magic system itself was straightforward and still interesting with every person being born with a unique type of magic so it was fun to learn what each person could do.

The quest part of the story felt like a perfect D&D game. The end goal of the quest was simple (defeats the bad guy) but the most important parts were the ridiculous situations they got themselves in along the way. The characters were flawed and lovable. They made me laugh and cry countless times throughout the book and their reactions to the insane things going on made me really wish I could just sit down and have a pint of mead with them.

All of our main characters have been drowning in grief for the past decade, and they all dealt with it (or rather didn’t deal with it) in very different and believable (but very unhealthy) ways. Watching them learn to forgive each other as well as themselves and deal with that grief properly was really great. Each character has a few different epiphany moments where they make significant breakthroughs and learn and grow.

Overall I absolutely ADORED this book. I can’t wait to read more from the author and I really wanna go to a Ren Faire now.

I was provided with an advance electronic copy by NetGalley and the publisher.

Other reviewers have provided synopses, and I will not duplicate their efforts here.

A heads-up to those who would rather not read explicit romantic encounters, both man/woman and woman/woman. Also a heads-up to those who do not care for salty language (mostly in the form of rather a lot of f-bombs). In my opinion the story could have done without these elements and lost nothing in the process. But others' mileage can and will vary.

Ten years earlier, a small band of heroes known as The Four saved the magical kingdom from being taken over by the evil order, but one of them lost his life in the process.

Ten years after, danger looms again, and the surviving Three reunite to go on another quest. This time, all three of them (a) are famous, and (b) have serious cases of PTSD.

The story gives a nod to our world's sci-fi and fantasy conventions, including fans who dress up like their heroes. Having attended some such gatherings in the past, I found this somewhat amusing.

This Will Be Fun is described as a cozy romantasy novel and that couldn’t be more correct! This story follows heroes navigating grief and trauma after the loss of a friend. It has real life feelings and tragedies, but it also has humor, romance, LGBTQ rep, spice, and adventure! This story is not high fantasy by any means. I felt like I was reading a cutesy romance novel, but with swords and magic. It was a delight to read and I really enjoyed it! I’ve already preordered a hard copy to add to my collection.

I hope the author(s) continue writing together!

This was a delightful read. I loved the whole getting the crew back together aspect and the romance was done well. I enjoyed the characters and the plot was solid.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

For a premise that had me giddy with excitement, this was in fact not fun.

There was nothing in this book that I didn’t see coming a mile away. Okay, but maybe the journey of getting to the predictable plot points was fun? Nope, not really. It’s not surprising to me that this book had 3 authors. It felt disjointed and like it didn’t really know what it was trying to be. It ended up not doing anything particularly well. Not the setting, not the magic system, not the villains or the threat.

As far as positives, again I will say the premise was a genuinely cool idea and I did care about the main characters.

Super fun! Entertaining major princes bride vibes. I honestly do prefer less povs. But this was a fun romantic fantasy/ rom com.
Light, fluffy, slow burn, spicy. Fun!

This was a cute read that I think will be enjoyed by those who like light fantasy novels a la The Princess Bride or Rainbow Rowell’s Simon Snow series’. That said, I had a hard time connecting with the writing like I wanted to. I found myself skimming to the relatively predictable conclusion, and I worried the ending was a bit of a cop out. But— still enjoyable!

This book has 3 different point of views recounting lives after their big adventure. I did appreciate how this story reflects and follows what happens AFTER these great tales you usually read about. That was a touch I enjoyed and I hope is brought out more in other works.

I will be looking into this author’s future works and recommending! I will say personally I wish the book was written in their first POV for each character rather than 3rd POV, personal preference of mine. The book and characters was still interesting and fun enough to continue reading!

I will say this does have some darker and heavier moments as well which I didn’t initially expect off the cover and description but it all made sense as they deal with the fall outs and life a decade after.

The cover is also beautifully done and makes me want to buy a copy for my shelf!

Thank you to E.B. Asher, HarperCollins, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest book review.

I will definitely be rereading this book in the near future, and will definitely be buying a copy once it comes out in September.

This book was magical, whimsical, and put simply: a fairytale.

I loved this book very much, I finished it in 2 days and could not put it down. It’s a cozy romantasy about how 4 individuals who grew apart 10 years ago learn to love each other, both in friendship and in love.

I simply loved the plot of this book. As for the title, I’ve been walking around my house saying “This will be fun” every time someone tries to do something that may not turn out well.

This book was very fun. It had valiant characters, hilarious banter, and a fairytale setting. It had 4 characters who go on a quest, relive their glory, and reclaim their selves. There were so many confessions, both of love and regret.

I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who grew up loving fairytales or epics. This is a read I’ll be thinking about for a while. This book is also perfect for anyone trying to get into fantasy!

This Will Be Fun releases September 10th, 2024!! Put this on your TBR’s! This will not be a book you regret reading.

I think my problems with this book can be best summarized through a specific example: the messaging tapestry. Early on, there are two important scenes where Elowen has to communicate through a "messaging tapestry," which is, presumably, supposed to fulfill the function of a computer or phone. Except, it is barely described. We don't know what it looks like, how big it is, how it functions. Is it floppy and woven like a real tapestry? If so, how do you send messages on it? Do you type them or write them or think thoughts in its direction? I couldn't picture how this world worked, and it was frustrating me. However, suddenly, a quarter of the way through the book, the messaging tapestry disappears and is never mentioned again, since it is no longer relevant to the plot.

The world, the story, and its stakes all seemed, to me, to lack cohesion. If we exist in a lighthearted, cozy world, why did the villain just kill an entire village of people? Once you introduce this type of violence, why do we then immediately return to wacky Fantasy Vegas antics? The book could have still had a satisfying narrative arc if the characters needed to process their grief to move forward, but, instead, this pivotal character is brought back to life, seemingly fine with it, and everyone can instead continue to employ their questionable coping mechanisms. It did not help that the writing was, at points, incomprehensible. "Beatrice, who'd done exactly what he wished he could not have predicted." Excuse me??? What on earth are you talking about?

I can see how someone would enjoy this book if they loved the characters since their interactions are at the heart of the story. I loved Vandra and ended up liking Clare. However, if you strongly dislike at least one of the protagonists, it can result in a pretty insufferable reading experience. They all have pretty self-serving motives, which isn't helped by the tendency to "tell" rather than "show." What do you MEAN Beatrice is selfless? You can't just tell me that, a third of the chapters are from her perspective and she is obsessed with herself!

I'm mad because the premise sounded interesting, Vandra deserved better, and the ending made everything feel pointless.

Book Stats:

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️(2/5)

Tropes: Second Chance, HAE, found family

Publisher: Avon Books

*Thank you so much to Avon Books for sending me a copy of this book early in exchange for a honest review-it means alot that you trust little old me!*

Summary:

Ever wonder what happens AFTER the heroes win? After the happily ever after? after the curtains close on a quest? Well, after the death of Galwell the leader of the group passes away, Clare, Beatrice and Elowen have retreated to different parts of society. But when the queen's wedding forces them and their past relationship's together, the great heroes must figure out have to save the queen's fiancée, while also having to confront the past.

Review:

Where to even begin? If you like any type of fantasy, I think you will enjoy this book. It's lighthearted, hilariously funny, and have some great character growth. Even if you don't like fantasy but like romance, you may also want to check this book out. I would call it fantasy, but with some major realism.

This is such a interesting concept for a book. What truly happens to the heroes after they finish this epic journey that 90% of the true fantasy book takes place? Where else have you heard of a book picking up 10 years after these heroes complete their great quest?

The worldbuilding in this book was great. The authors pull the reader in and explain exactly where the characters are and why. The authors also do a amazing job of bringing modern technology into this fantasy world. Seriously, they way they handle that stuff is quite literally freaking genius. It didn't break the immersion but pulled me harder into the book.

The character growth in this book is written really well. All 3 of our main characters go thru some real hardships that they still have to face/come to terms with in order to move on. It nice to see those struggles presented especially in the fantasy novel(I feel like we don't always see that).

This book also has great LGBTQ Rep.

The banter and the chemistry these characters have is so good. Like, had me kicking and screaming like the teenage girl I am and throwing my kindle across the room. The found family trope is also so so cute!

This book gives me 80's fantasy movie vibes. It's just a really fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins, and E. B. Asher for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“This Will Be Fun” is quite the appropriate title. This was indeed a fun romp, discovering what happens AFTER the heroes slay the villain and restore order to the realm. What’s life like when you’re, well a bit washed up?

This book moves slowwwww for a quest - not a whole lot of excitement happens, but we get to see our main characters reconnect ten years later and discover who they are outside of their identities from the past.

The climax was a bit, well, anticlimactic, but I loved the redemption of Beatrice in the end, and how they all got to share in the glory equally, without any of the hurt and resentment of the past.