Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

"This Will Be Fun" by E.B. Asher was exactly as the title suggests...a lot of fun to read. If you were a fan of "Shrek", the show "Galavant," or Monty Python, you will really enjoy this novel. The authors bill it as a romantic quest and that is completely accurate; it's also hilarious and sweet. I had a great time reading this book, found many of the characters and their friendships to be endearing, and the quest plotline was compelling enough to keep me wanting to turn the pages. 4.25/5

E.B. Asher’s novel, "This Will Be Fun," offers readers an enchanting journey that marries the whimsical charm of "The Princess Bride" with the modern relational dynamics found in "People We Meet on Vacation." At its core, the story is a cozy quest romantasy that delves into the complexities of friendship, love, and the enduring impact of past traumas. Set in the magical land of Mythria, the novel brings together a group of former heroes for a royal wedding that spirals into an unexpected adventure, ultimately forcing them to confront their unresolved issues and rekindle their bonds.

The narrative begins with an intriguing premise: ten years after their legendary quest to save the realm, the once inseparable group of friends—Beatrice, Elowen, Clare, and the late leader Galwell the Great—have gone their separate ways, each bearing the scars of their past heroism. The story gains momentum as they receive an invitation to the queen's wedding, a summons that none can refuse. This reunion sets the stage for a richly layered exploration of their individual and collective journeys.

Asher’s characterization is one of the novel’s greatest strengths. Beatrice, the recently divorced and guilt-ridden mind-mage, and Clare, the charming ex-bandit still carrying a torch for her, present a compelling "will-they-won’t-they" dynamic. Their interactions are laden with unresolved tension and past grievances, making their path to reconciliation both poignant and relatable. Elowen, who has retreated into isolation, must face her former lover, Vandra, a character whose moral ambiguity adds depth and intrigue to the narrative. The interplay between these characters, with their distinct personalities and shared history, creates a tapestry of emotional richness that drives the story forward.

The world-building in "This Will Be Fun" is both imaginative and playful. Asher skillfully blends medieval elements with modern conveniences, creating a setting that is as whimsical as it is unique. The kingdom of Mythria features enchanted coffee shops, magical message boards, and even wagon shares, infusing the traditional fantasy landscape with contemporary touches. This fusion, while requiring a degree of suspension of disbelief, adds a layer of charm that enhances the novel’s overall appeal. The magical elements—ranging from crystal caves to enchanted swords—are seamlessly integrated, enriching the narrative without overwhelming it.

However, the novel is not without its flaws. The pacing, at times, can feel uneven. The focus on character development and relational dynamics occasionally overshadows the action and adventure, which some readers may find lacking. The initial setup promises a high-stakes quest, but the journey to the wedding and the subsequent adventure often take a backseat to the protagonists’ internal struggles and romantic entanglements. This can lead to moments where the narrative momentum slows, potentially frustrating readers seeking a more action-driven plot.

Despite these pacing issues, the thematic depth of "This Will Be Fun" adds significant weight to the story. Asher deftly explores themes of friendship, redemption, and the long-lasting effects of trauma. The heroes’ journey is as much about healing old wounds and mending broken relationships as it is about saving the realm from darkness. This emotional resonance lends a sense of realism to the fantastical setting, making the characters’ struggles and triumphs all the more compelling.

In conclusion, "This Will Be Fun" by E.B. Asher is a heartwarming and humorous addition to the fantasy genre. Its blend of classic quest elements with modern relational dynamics offers a refreshing take on familiar tropes. While the pacing may occasionally falter, the novel’s rich character development, inventive world-building, and thematic depth make it a thoroughly enjoyable read. Fans of cozy fantasy and romantasy will find much to appreciate in this tale of friendship, adventure, and second chances. Asher’s work reminds us that even in the most fantastical of settings, the greatest battles are often fought within the heart.

Unfortunately, “This Will Be Fun” was not fun. The premise certainly seemed so: three estranged former heroes, ten years after saving the kingdom, are reunited at the wedding of the queen, all of them still grieving the loss of their leader. First of all, it’s pretty unclear to me what they even did in the first place. Galwell, the fearless leader who perished on their quest, gets a brief POV in the very beginning in which he is ENTIRELY too good - I really needed him to have some flaws. The remaining members of the band include his sister Elowen, who is now a hermit living in the trees, thrown back into working with her former flame Vandra (this backstory, again, was incredibly confusing). Beatrice is recently divorced and destitute, now traveling with Clare, the former mercenary recruited by the gang who has been happily enjoying the perks of herodom. Unsurprisingly, they were once a thing but now seem to hate each other, in the third set of confusing backstory. The worldbuilding is very sparse and everyone is just pretty much running around making terrible romantic choices. The friendship chemistry doesn’t work for me, neither does the romance. A big swing and a miss all around.

This is such a sentimental, hilarious read! Like the description says, total Princess Bride vibes. I was laughing constantly at the jokes, setup, and references. But it is also very emotional, older heroes dealing with trauma and relationships. I really had fun with this book.


Thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.


I think some folks might be thrown off by the setting of the book. It is medieval-ish, but with a lot of modern additions, like message boards are tapestry boards or ride-shares are wagon shares. Personally, as long as the reader is down for the ride, all of that flows with the setup of the story and did not detract or distract me.


The main cast are in their 30s and dealing with that age and all the pains, both physical and emotional, that can build up over the years, especially after completing such a public quest 10 years prior. The main cast is a good set-up for this, with the grumpy figure, the kind of a golden retriever figure, etc. All of them fit into the narrative and the two main plotlines are harmonious.

All in all, a super funny and emotional quest romantasy.

I was intrigued by the description of The Princess Bride and People We Meet on Vacation. The story starts off strong with friends who had experienced a great tragedy and triumph, coming together for a royal wedding. However, as they journeyed to the wedding the pace of the story slows down quite a bit and I began losing interest in the story.

I like the multi POV and I enjoyed learning how their previous experience affected each person and how they were dealing with it in the present day. Each person was affected by the tragedy and this journey gave them an opportunity to address those issues. There was a lot of mental dialogue and a lot of will they get together or won't they get together? I would have enjoyed more action and adventure in the story.

I did find it interesting that the book was written by multiple authors, which explains the differences in the POV voices.

Thank you Netgalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the #gifted ARC.

This book was such a breath of fresh air! We get the differing viewpoints of 4 (but mostly 3) main characters throughout the story, and the was done very well! Clare, Beatrice and Elowen were best friends/heroes of the realm (this is definitely a dungeons and dragons kind of world, minus the dragons, which was super fun) until a tragedy caused the troop to break apart. The story officially starts 10 years later and none of our friends are doing very well. Luckily an urgent quest reunites the group and we get to see them slowly piece their relationships back together (along with guy scenes and quest-y escapades)! Clare was my absolute favorite character as the cinnamon roll/rogue of the story but I also really really liked Beatrice and Elowen (and Hugh and Vandra!). This book definitely delivers what it's title promises!

Thank you to Avon for review consideration via Netgalley! This was an absolute joy to read!

Not my favorite. I felt like a lot of things were unsaid or unexplained. Also really repetitive. But I loved the idea of the book.

This was such a good and quick read that i devoured this book literally in two days. The writing was amazing and the pace was well maintained throughout the whole book.
The characters were well penned and drafted, I had a great time reading this book. This was my first read from the author's work and now I am definitely looking forward to read more works by the same author.

I very rarely DNF books, but I gave this one an honest effort and just couldn't finish it. I do think that the world-building could use a little more work and there was just a lot going on so my brain struggled with this one a little. I'm sure some readers will really love this one, but I don't think I was in the right mindset for this one to fully appreciate it like others will.

"This Will Be Fun" by E.B. Asher is written by three authors. This character-driven cozy fantasy offers a delightful escape into a whimsical world filled with quirky characters and charming settings. While I appreciated the depth and development of the characters, the plot felt a bit slow at times, making it hard to stay fully engaged. However, the authors’ talents for creating a warm and inviting atmosphere kept me turning the pages. It's a sweet, light-hearted read that's perfect for those looking to immerse themselves in a gentle fantasy without too much drama or high stakes and features LGBTQIA+ characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for giving me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a little different from the fantasy books I have read before, but in a good way. The magic was believable and, thank God, the names weren’t unpronounceable. I truly enjoyed the characters. The quest the group embarked on was expected, but not. The challenges they faced were exciting and the outcome was a plot twist for sure. The final battle was so good and again, the outcome was totally unexpected, including the ending. This book reminded me a lot of the Shannara Chronicles.

If you're in the mood for a fun adventure with a feel of nostalgia and a lot of humor, This Will Be Fun will be right up your alley! As the description says, this novel definitely has The Princess Bride and People We Meet on Vacation vibes, and I kept thinking of how much fun this would be as a movie someday! There were SO many moments I was laughing out loud, and it truly was just a fun adventure.

The story picks up ten years after the heroes of Mythria—Beatrice, Elowen, Clare, and Galwell—saved their realm and went their separate ways. Now, they're reluctantly brought back together for a royal wedding that turns into a quest to save their world yet again, but this time they don't have their leader, Galwell, with them. Each of our heroes has their own internal battles they've been dealing with over the last 10 years, and the book shines in its character development. The humor between the characters is top-notch, but there is still a lot of "realness" to what they experience as well.

However, the book does leave a bit of a gap in explaining the specifics of how these heroes originally saved the realm and what their skills are, and the focus of the book is heavily character-focused versus worldbuilding or action focused. I enjoyed the character focus, but there were moments that I was wishing for more detail on certain aspects of these characters' pasts and what makes them so legendary. What the book lacks in world building, it makes up for it in giving us characters that are so lovable and clever. I loved the nostalgic feel of classic fantasy with a lot of modern twists thrown in as well.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the eARC of this fun read!

Reader: this WAS fun! 3.5 ⭐

This Will Be Fun follows a group of former questmates a decade after they saved the realm. With one of their group lost in the final battle ten years prior, they fell apart as teammates and friends, reuniting for the first time for their Queen's wedding. Things don't stay that simple—there's a new plot to arise evil again, and the Queen's betrothed is missing. Oh, yeah—and there's some awkward feelings between former romances in the questing party and their acquaintances.

First, we have Clare, the hero working to live up to their dead leader's image, and Beatrice, a mind-mage who can't stop reliving her guilt over said leader's death. Their decade old one-night-stand was a typical "emotionally difficult, stubborn duo", where their banter overlaid their continued feelings for one another. Of the two main romances, this one felt more cookie cutter, though I still had fun.

The other duo is Elowen, the younger sister of the deceased leader who had isolated herself in the trees for a decade, and Vandra, a former rogue who caused the team trouble a decade ago between trysts with Elowen. Their dynamic was a ton of fun, exploring the idea of the more morally grey character years after falling for someone and how that might have changed her.

As a whole, my two major issues with the book came in 1: some of the surface level exploration of the character's issues after ten years—references to isolation, drinking habits and other unhealthy coping mechanisms seemed to heal themselves a bit quickly, only boiling down to communication issues towards the back half of the book. And 2: the tone of the world. This book fully embraces a more quirky, modern take on a fantasy world, with allusions to this world's version of 21st century trends and habits. Sometimes this worked—in particular with the idea of the group being famous in their world, with people asking for autographs or in one notable instance, having a festival where hundreds of people were dressed like them. Sometimes it felt like it was trying too hard, though; for example, with a shadow play that a character watches weekly having fandoms and cosplay forums, or the gossip columns and "sexiest man alive" magazines. There are ways I think these concepts could exist in a fantasy world but it didn't work for me in this book, and sometimes just felt awkward.

As a whole, This Will Be Fun was a bubbly read with an interesting band of characters in a very typical fantasy world. Don't go into it expecting anything too deep—take it for what it is on the tin. Fun!

This was a good read!
It started out a bit slow, but getting to know each character was really fun. I think everyone will find a character they can relate to in this story.
Overall, the story was a fun romp in a quirky fantasy setting. It had the feeling of a really good DnD campaign with your friends.
Unfortunately, I was not a fan of the ending. It didn't fit the story for me.
Otherwise, it was a great read, and I'd like to see more in the setting.

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for the e-ARC.

Cute, occasionally great, and pretty low-impact. I can't say for a second that I ever disliked reading it, but aside from the immaculate vibes, I don't think I'm gonna remember much here. I know quite a few people who this is really gonna land for, though.

A decade ago, four comrades saved Princess Thessia and her realm, Mythria. Tragically, it cost them the life of their noble leader, Galwell. In response, Elowen became a hermit, Beatrice threw herself into a loveless marriage, and Clare became a parody of roguish charm. Forcibly reunited for Thessia's wedding, the trio (plus Elowen's old flame, Vandra, for good measure), bicker and snipe until a new quest forces them to work together and deal with their issues. Two vituperative second chance romances and a fantasy world with everything from teletherapy to pumpkin spice lattes is far less charming than it thinks it is. Thanks, Netgalley.

This book was cozy and fun, but there was too much angst to really enjoy the characters to their full potential. It wasn't bad, just didn't love!

This is more a romance than fantasy. A lot of character dialogue and bickering with a slow moving plot. Not what I was expecting and felt underwhelmed. .

Nice romantasy take on several tropes, including friends-to-lovers and second-chance romance (I'm a sucker for these). Great premise but I struggled a little with the execution and pacing, although in general this was overall a quick read. I liked the chemistry between the characters, and I actually liked the characters quite a bit but I did find some of their interactions frustrating. There were a lot of modern parallels here, especially with the kingdom's "technology," almost to the point where it felt a bit over-done. Can you call it world-building if they're really just analogs of our own world? That said, it did make the fantasy structure a bit easier to digest since there were so many "real-world" touchpoints. I gave this 3 stars but it was closer to 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for an Ebook ARC of this story, all opinions are my own.

2.5⭐️

I knew This Will Be Fun was a must read when I saw it marketed as The Princess Bride meets PWMOV - these are two of my most favorite things - and I can definitely see the comparisons. I’m feral for friends to lovers and a second chance (and we get two!) and was looking forward to these seeing these tropes woven in with a quest. Unfortunately, for me, the pacing of this story was very uneven and the quest storyline was muddled with the “will they or won’t they” drama.

I love a fantasy that is brimming with quirky and whimsical elements, but I was a bit confused by this world, especially since the world building was nonexistent. The magic embraced all things whimsical, but the inclusion of more modern technology and speech felt very out of place - think Ella Enchanted the film. The tv shows, magical message tapestries, elevators, and holograms, to name a few, left me baffled. It was a bit odd and I struggled with the marrying of medieval and modern.

It’s always fascinating to read stories with multiple authors and this book has three. I was intrigued how multiple voices would translate on the page with the characters and overall story. Beatrice and Clare’s POVs felt similar in tone, but their voices overshadowed Elowen and the story became heavily focused on their fighting and relationship drama. I was very invested in Elowen’s and wanted more of her and Vandra, the sexy assassin.

I think the authors had an excellent premise and I really enjoyed the beginning of the story and seeing the characters heal and mend their friendship, but ultimately, I think there were too many competing storylines which led to the uneven pacing - and said quest didn’t even start until well over the halfway mark and then the drama of the defeating the villain was over in the blink of an eye.