A review by lastblossom
This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher

adventurous emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
A cozy romantasy that spotlights two second chance romances. World building flounders a bit.

Thoughts
Dang. Gonna have to file this one under "not for me." The world is tongue-in-cheek modern: there are cell phones, video calls, web boards, streaming TV, Uber, and fandom conventions, all painted over with the thinnest veneer of magic explanation. (Other reviewers liken it to Shrek.) And while I don't mind a playful nod, it mostly made me wonder why there weren't magical analogs for other modern things. In a world with internet, why is everyone still fighting with swords? Why are they still riding horses and camping in a forest instead of using a magical flying "not airplane?" Why can't they track down the villain after ten years? Shouldn't they also have magical satellite imaging or CC TV by now? Am I overthinking this? Of course I am! But I prefer world building in a fantasy story to hold a certain amount of consistency, and no amount of coy winking at the camera about fantasy Amazon deliveries is going to make me stop wondering why the queen didn't kit out our heroes with a fantasy GPS tracker they could stick on the bad guy. I'm well aware I'm the curmudgeon here, and I am sorry. But the flippant approach to the world sure did make it feel like the part about the world ending doesn't matter that much. Fight scenes feel perfunctory compared to the time and energy spent on lovemaking scenes. One of the biggest wins happens off screen and is summarized in a single sentence later. And perhaps that's the point. Sure the world may end tomorrow, but what about the relationships? What about the people? What about the LOVE? We've got two second chance pairings here, with plenty of history, drama and a quick hit of spice. They're all likable characters, so your enjoyment will hang entirely on how you feel about second chance romance. Unfortunately, I am ambivalent, so it's another miss. But if you love firey anger that melts into firey passion, or pages upon pages of sexy yearning, there's plenty in here for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

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