Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of So This Is Ever After. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Okay, I shall admit it - the cover art on this book is what initially drew me in. That, and the comparisons to Arthurian legends and Carry On. However, So This Is Ever After isn't exactly those things. Instead, it's a queer, gender-bending take on the "find your prince charming or perish" trope, except instead of awaiting for love's true kiss, accidental King Arek needs to find someone to bond his soul to—or risk dying by his 18th birthday. Trouble is, he's sorta kinda in love with his best friend, Matt the Mage, who is dead set on helping Arek find a partner that is decidedly not him. No pressure!

This was a great story about what happens after you vanquish the monster—how do a bunch of kids run a court, a kingdom, or fall in love? The characters here certainly make for an entertaining court, and their queerness is something that is a given rather than treated as anything less than normal.

At times, Arek's first person narration was a bit annoying—but he is a 17-year-old in danger of dying, after all—and some of the kids' missteps are a bit drawn out. However, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this fun book to a reader who was looking for a quirky adventures with queer characters.

I absolutely loved F.T. Lukens' last release , In Deeper Waters, so I was really excited for this one. I mean LOOK at that cover 😍 Unfortunately I didn't love this one and I won't be surprised if I turn out to be in the minority. To me this was a PG version of TJ Klune's Tales From Verania series and for many that will be a win, but for me not so much.

Arek with his best friend and mage Matt at his side along with a faithful crew save a kingdom from an evil ruler. Arek though his quest was finally over but now finds himself King and with three months to bound his soul to another. Find his soulmate or fade away to nothing. He's in love with Matt, but is under the impression that if he was to ask him, he would only say yes out of obligation. Therefore, he decides to woo his friend in order to find someone to bond with. In the end, will he have to sacrifice his happiness in order to save his own life and rule a kingdom.

My biggest problem with the story was that I simply did not care for Arek. He was immature and eye roll inducing. I can't stand the miscommunication trope and this relies heavily on it. The whole thing could have been avoiding by TALKING instead of assuming. We all know what assuming does. The missed opportunities between Arek and Matt were frustrating and took away my enjoyment. This is also single POV so there was very little bonding on my end to Matt. Yes, he was adorable at times but Arek could have ended up with G*** for all I cared.

While this wasn't a home run for me , there were endearing aspects to the story. I loved the found family. This mismatched group has strong individuals who are all interesting in unique ways. I found it cheeky that every time our hero Arek tries to woo one of his friends, he found himself in a "meet cute" type situation with his best friend Matt.

ok I can't really think of anything else I love BUT I can see so many readers absoutely loving this one, just not me 🤷‍♂️

This falls into the "embarrassing guilty pleasure" for me, in that I'm not going to go out of my way to tell teens that I loved this book, but I'll definitely put it out on display all summer and let the cover sell itself. It's a ridiculously cute and breezy fantasy romance read.

This book was just what I was looking for without really knowing it. Fantasy, queer romance, D&D party like setup, BI-SEXUAL ROMANCE!!! The queer represenation was superb and more imporatantly normalized it was not some big reveal or secret or scandal. It was just people loving other people no matter their gender. Fans of the Simon Snow trilogy by Rainbow Rowell would enjoy this book too! This was such a cute romatic story and had me going ahhhh out loud so many times. The different types of romatic scenarios were just so adorably and perfectly cute. And there was a happily ever after ending. I will be recommending this to everyone I know it was just so cute!

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Okay so first of all. THIS COVER ART. I’m SO in love with it. This is like. A More Adult version of CARRY ON by Rainbow Rowell? It’s a slow-burn friends-to-loves romance. The vibes are HORNY. Is it written well? NO. Is it written fun? YES. It’s basically like if you were reading someone else’s D&D adventure, which is GREAT.

Four stars. Great read.

Take a cinnamon roll prince who has just fulfilled his prophecy to save his kingdom from an evil King, expecting to go onto his HEA, only to find a magical loophole that states he must marry by his 18th birthday or else die. Talk about DRAMA. He could potentially lose the crown he worked so hard to win AND his life, and now he’s on a time crunch to find the perfect spouse and soulmate. I loved how this story picked up where another ended and was steeped in Arthurian legend. I found the plot to be absolutely delightful and the writing whimsical and hilarious. The Queer representation was so well done and covered a wide spectrum of the Community and even included Polyamory. The love story was absolutely adorable and I really enjoyed it when the characters realized they were meant for each other. Overall, this book was a truly rewarding reading experience and I highly recommend it!
*I received an ARC from NetGalley but all views are my own*

When the phrase, "artistic arterial spray" is in the first 2 pages of the book, you know it's gonna be an entertaining one,

So This Is Ever After is a FAST, wild, chaotic ride through an Arthurian-adjacent legend. Arek and his band have just completed their quest, and ruling a kingdom is thrust upon them when they learn that the previous ruler that had been held in captivity has died. Due to magic, Arek becomes the ruler and has to choose a spouse before his 18th birthday. Hijinks ensue, secrets are revealed, and there's plenty of teenage angst and longing.

If you're into legends, quests, magic, teens having unwanted power thrust upon them, and a group of found family that supports each other through everything, then you ought to pick this book up!

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the e-ARC.

Sweet, silly, and charming, I loved this story! A fun and fast read full of friends who are your family, pining, and good humor.

This such a fun spin on Arthurian legend meets a chaotic dnd group. I had so much fun the entire time reading this. You just were rooting for King Arek the whole time. I throughly enjoyed the found family dynamics in their group, the banter, all of it just leaves you smiling by the end of the book. I loved the ending, I think I squealed during the epilogue.

Tropes
Found Family
Idiots to Lovers
Arthurian

cw/tw
ptsd &trauma from past adventures

Although I initially struggled to get into the story, I ended up really enjoying it! For the first third of the book I felt like I was trying to get a handle on all the characters and everything was so chaotic that I felt like I'd been thrown into the deep end. However, things started coming together for me and I got invested in Arek's plight as the consequences of his kingship began to unfold. While most of the supporting characters seemed more tropey than actual people, I did like Arek. He's been through a lot and he's masked his trauma with humor, sarcasm, and flippancy. Once his facade began to splinter and more of his longing and heartache shown through, that's when I started speed reading. This book really piled on the suffering (which I love) to balance out the chaotic antics of Arek and his court. I think fans of idiots in love, mutual pining, miscommunication, and hurt/comfort will love this book.

F.T. Lukens' So This Is Ever After is a fun and slightly silly fantasy romance about what happens after your D&D party successfully completes their quest, featuring the epitome of the "Two Idiots In Love" trope. The world has already been saved, so readers can relax as they watch an oblivious king and his equally oblivious best friend fumble around like absolute dimwits. Lovely.

”Matt smiled, his real one, and my world righted.”- So This is Ever After by F.T Lukens.
•
So This is Ever After is a feel good fantasy take on what happens next. Arek is the chosen one and after a completing a gruelling prophecy (with the help of his best friend and their new found friends) he’s ready to head on home. But Chickpea(yes that is the name) needs a king, and since Arek has just beheaded the last one- tag HE’S it. The responsibility brings some consequences and Arek must find his true love and soon!
•
Arek does what any stressed teenager would do in his situation- he freak the fucks out!! Then comes up with the funniest solution ever, all the while missing- what us as readers and like EVERYONE- even faith- knows. It was DELIGHTFUL. I laughed so many times. As someone who is quite oblivious herself, I always feel a kingship to oblivious tools and Arek owns my heart. I also loved the growth his character undergoes throughout the story.
•
The plot was so fun. It’s lighthearted but has just the right amount of relationship angst to make you yearn for Arek to understand. Without spoiling let’s just say that faith has other ideas when it comes to Arek’s master plan. The side characters were just as entertaining as Arek ( Lila I am looking at you) and I loved their friendship.
•
The world wasn’t the most advanced but I did like that it was a queer norm world. We have multiple sapphic characters (including servants and subjects), and towards the end we have non binary and polyamorous representation. It made my little queer heart happy.
•
Overall I do have one or two criticisms- mainly the use of a trope I’m not a fan of, and sometimes Arek’s inner monologues went on for an age and became a little repetitive as the book continued. However, I adored the majority of this book and I do recommend.

This book is a fun-filled, tropey, coming-of-age love story romp. I was immediately hooked in the first 5 pages, and could not put it down till I was finished. If you like high fantasy, D&D, quests, and flipping every trope on its head, then this is certainly the book for you. Especially fun for those readers who both love those tropes AND are tired of them, since you can delight in finding each one & attempting to predict how this one will be subverted.

There were just SO MANY things I loved about this book. The tone and voice of our narrator Arek comes through so strongly. He is young, impulsive, sarcastic, and cares much more deeply than he is willing to admit. His adventuring troupe are classic embodiments of your D&D adventuring party (the rogue, knight, mage, fighter, and bard), and yet each adds something special to the mix.

The queer rep is just... god. I really hope one day we no longer praise books for creating a queer universe where being queer is just a fact of life without needing to be talked about, but until that day arrives, I will shout loudly about all the books that DO IT, and this is one of them. Pretty much everyone is queer and it's very normal and not a Big Deal and I loved it.

Also? Should we talk about the pining? Because, oh god, the pining in this book was personally damaging and I'm still recovering. I'm not sure how, but every single stolen glance and touch between Arek and his love interest literally sent a shard of angst through me. Every. Single. Time. How, you ask? Must be witchcraft. Or just excellent writing. Take your pick.

The only thing that didn't quite work for me what just how much of the main conflict relied on the "oh no, we just aren't going to communicate about it" trope. Which wasn't really subverted at all. It still worked for the book, but at around the 60-70% mark I was about ready to lock these boys in a room until they figured their shit out (oh wait... they already tried that).

Highly recommend for a fun, quick read that still gives you some deeper dives.

This book is unexpectedly bold in the best way possible. It is definitely a bit weird, it never takes itself too seriously, but it manages to be everything it claims (as per the legally binding claims that are the synopsis) to be and more. As I’m sure you picked up based on my dramatics above, the book picks up after the quest, after the prophecy, and after your typical YA plotline shenanigans. Which is a choice. A fabulous choice.

Because the story starts where it does, you end up with pre-established relationships and history that feels so familiar already, allowing the story to just go. There's no sitting around waiting for bucketfuls of infodumping or worldbuilding to fall into your lap, instead the story starts with a bang and it never slows down for a minute.

Also helping with the fast pace is the light writing and humor harnessed throughout the book. There’s personality, style, and, dare I say, zazz in every single line. F.T. Lukens manages to take everything that I personally love about contemporary writing and incorporate it into an action-packed, romantic fantasy that is just so. much. fun.

—
And yes, I would definitely categorize this one more as a romantic fantasy than just plain ole fantasy because the plot is very centered around romance. Even still, that’s not to say that there is no magic or sword fighting with a giant octopus along the way. There’s a healthy mix of both adventure and romance that works so seamlessly.

Even with romance at the helm of this one, it never feels overtly slow or winding. That might also be due to the whole oops-you-fade-into-dust-if-you-don’t-bind-souls-or-whatever thing going on as well. Turns out, the everlooming promise of death sure does keep the plot a’ moving. The whole death thing acts as one of the driving factors throughout the book, so while there are lots of fun romantic antics, they never feel slow or without purpose or stakes.

—
Okey doke, it is officially time to talk about the romance itself. Seriously, I wouldn’t be doing this review justice if I didn't talk about the romance. First up, there is so much mutual pining going on it makes me physically want to throw something. In a good way. Of course, with this mutual pining comes oh-so-much mutual obliviousness that makes you wanna take both the characters, shake them and scream at them, “We know you like each other. Just talk about your feelings, you giant idiots.”

Ah yes, this is friends-to-lovers romance at its finest. Oh! And did I mention there is banter? Yep. There is lots of that as well.

—
The fun banter and dynamics between characters isn’t solely concentrated on romance, no, it exists between the whole group of characters. From the get-go it is established that this sorta ragtag group of questers had really grown to care about each other throughout their journey. As the book progresses, we see each of the characters get their moment of development, which honestly is quite the feat given that we only get one perspective throughout the entirety of the book. The entire group is fun and a bit weird, but it makes for the perfect found family.

—
I literally do not have any complaints about this novel. So This Is Ever After is weird and fun and unlike any books I’ve read this year. It contains so many fun romance tropes, lots of casual queer repersentation, and a take on Aurthurian legend that you most certainly haven’t seen before. It is a great story that accomplishes everything it set out to do, but above all it is just a blast to read.

So This is Ever After (coming out on the 29th, is one of the cutest and most clever YA fiction stories I have read in a very long time! King Aarik the Kind so named after killing the vile one, an evil monarch who ruled for forty years, doesn't want to be king. Especially after finding out that if he doesn't find a spouse by his 18th birthday he will fade from existence. However magical law forces him to begin a new quest to find love in three months. However the answer may be closer than he thinks.

I am not usually a fan of the miscommunication/bad communication trope, but I found this story to be wholly charming and addicting. The characters are varied and interesting, the setting is fun, and the story is comical. The authors style makes me feel more like a spectator at a Dungeons and Dragons game than a person reading in bed. I could not put this book down and loved every word. I will be buying a physical copy to add to my shelf!

[netgalley arc] 3.5

arek is just like me fr.. this was a funny and relatively quick read😁 the characters weren't super interesting (they didn't stand out to me) but the writing style def made up for it and it was enjoyable overall (also this was my first time reading a book from this author !! will definitely be reading their other book) (less)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4608088011?book_show_action=false

This book was not the best book I'd ever read, but it was a fun time. Everything from the worldbuilding to just how often sexual and sex related things were mentioned was a let down. However, the relationship and the buildup alone was worth it. This is not something I would recommend for everyone, but if you're only here for a fun time, and not expecting a literary masterpiece, this might just be the book for you.

(I only provided a rating because Netgalley wouldn't accept my review without one.)

When I saw "Carry On meets" I was so excited to read this. Unfortunately I was disappointed and ended up DNF'ing the book at 26%. I love YA but this comes off a bit too juvenile for me (word choice, humor, etc).

I'm sure So This Is Ever After will be a hit with a younger audience.

I liked the overall storyline. The writing could use some maturity, but overall a fun, quick read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

At first glance, this book seemed right up my alley: a queer Arthurian tale of what happens after the hero defeats the monster (or, in this case, the evil king known as The Vile One), all while trying to figure out how to be a person as well as a king … oh, and being in love with their best friend.

And there were definitely aspects of this story that I enjoyed. Arek and his group of adventurers (which sort of reminded me of a D&D, with everyone playing a particular role), were a bunch of teenage/young adult disasters, and there were some delightful moments of them just being young.

But I encountered this in F.T. Lukens’ last book I tried to read (and ended up DNFing) - everything seemed to happen so easily. The first five or so chapters was just like … oh, we defeated the bad guy; oh, now I’m king and that is that; oh, I have a counsel now, everything is okay. And yeah, I understand that this was part of the build-up to the rest of the story - but I just kept finding myself annoyed at how SIMPLE everything was. Granted, the main crux of the story - King Arek needs to find someone to bond his soul to for all eternity or he can’t be king (it’s a magical law, duh) - ended up NOT being simple, but this was frustrating to me as well, because it took like 90% of the book to figure out who his soulmate was. Literally, the whole book was “easy easy easy angst angst angst oh no I almost died okay I’m good now.”

I don’t know, I really wanted to like this story. I think maybe this author and I don’t jive, and I learned my lesson. But yay for queer fantasy, and the freaking GORGEOUS cover (which almost makes up for not liking the book’s contents).

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Releasing March 29, 2022.