REVIEW: This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher

In This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher, Ten years ago four people embarked on a journey to rescue a kidnapped princess and stop the Fraternal Order from taking over the realm of Mythria. Three of the four made it out alive. But all four of them went on to become legends and regarded as heroes–even if those who remained couldn’t see themselves as such. Grief, bad blood, and arguments subsequently pushed Beatrice, Clare, and Elowen apart to their own corners of the realm. Now, ten years later, they haven’t spoken to each other since. And they are all still trying to cope with the loss of their quest’s leader, Galwell. So, when they each receive an invitation to attend the wedding of the princess they had once saved, now a queen, the trio are reluctant but ultimately head toward Queendom to do their duty.

‘If she could face the darkness within, she could face the darkness ahead.’

Beatrice and Clare reuniting for the trip is fairly ridiculous considering how strong their attraction remains, even as they bicker and ignore each other on their trek. Elowen is every bit as grumpy as normal. But when her former lover, Vandra, reappears, their past comes back full force. The new Four find out they are in for more than arguments and possible reconciliations of the past when the queen’s groom is taken captive. Sent on a brand-new quest, Elowen, Vandra, Beatrice, and Clare must find a way to work together if they want to make it out alive. Again. And it will take all of their collective magic, wit, and bravery to save Mythria from the darkness threatening to overtake the realm.

‘He could lead them. He could help his friends. He could even, perhaps, find the hero he sought in himself.’

A romantasy with a decidedly modern vibe, THIS WILL BE FUN followed a trio of former friends as they attempted to once again save their realm from evil–all while reconciling their past and staying out of harm’s way.

‘Their reunion wasn’t happy. How could it be when The Four could only ever be The Three? Being together was only a reminder of who they’d lost.’

THIS WILL BE FUN was an interesting mix of romance, fantasy, and an epic quest against dark forces as written by a trio of authors: Bridget Morrissey, and the wife-husband team of Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka. I’m not sure this will be every romantasy or fantasy reader’s cup of tea. There were a lot of elements woven in that were quite contemporary in nature (including the diversity of a F/F romance) so it took me a little bit to wrap my head around the world they created. But in the end, I did enjoy that spin on things and it made this a more unique reading experience than with traditional fantasy.

Told from three POVs: Beatrice, Elowen, and Clare, it was interesting to see their thoughts on what happened at the end of their last quest ten years ago when they all went separate ways. Each of them coped with a shared devastating loss differently. But it wasn’t until Clare, Elowen, and Beatrice were basically forced back together before they truly overcame their past and could move forward in their lives again. It was sad watching former best friends struggle to be in each other’s company again. Thankfully, the danger they fought on their new quest as well as finally talking things out settled the animosity between them all. And while the ending had a surprising twist I didn’t foresee, I loved how things worked out–to the point that I want to see more of the trio’s future.

QOTD: Have you read anything by any of the authors?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: October 29, 2024 | Avon |

The Princess Bride meets People We Meet on Vacation in this cozy romantasy about a group of friends who once saved their magical land together but haven’t spoken in ten years, reuniting to attend a royal wedding then ending up on a new quest to defend the realm, for readers of Legends and Lattes and lovers of Shrek.

Ten years ago, they saved the realm. It ruined their lives.

In the magical realm of Mythria, everyone remembers how best friends Beatrice and Elowen, ex-bandit Clare, and their heroic leader Galwell the Great defended the queendom from darkness. Ten years later, the former heroes have never recovered from what their famous quest cost them—including the life of Galwell. None ever planned on speaking to the others again. Until, that is, they receive an invitation they cannot ignore—the wedding of the Queen of Mythria, whose life they saved when she was princess.

Reunited on the road, retracing their original heroic quest, is no fun whatsoever for Beatrice and Clare—Clare not over the one-night-stand in their past, Beatrice unable to forget the man who once had her heart—nor for Elowen, unprepared for the return of her former flame, the charming and cunning Vandra. While reuniting with ex-friends and ex-lovers is challenging enough, their new journey grows perilous when the kidnapping of the groom reveals the resurgence of the dark forces from the heroes’ past, plotting domination only Mythria’s onetime defenders could maybe—just maybe—defeat.

Dusting off old weapons and old instincts, they face undead nemeses, unquenchable passions, crystal caves, coffee shops, enchanted swords, games of magical Truth or Dare—and hardest of all, their past, rife with wounds never healed and romances never forgotten.

With companions like theirs, every love story is a quest for happily ever after.