Mr. Wrong Number is a You've Got Mail-esque story for the 21st century. Olivia does not have the best of luck- she burned down her apartment, found her boyfriend cheating, and is now stuck staying with her brother and his roommate. One night, she flippantly answers a text from a wrong number, who answers back, beginning a fun back and forth. This was the perfect read for me- fun, quirky characters, believable banter. I highly recommend this if you love rom coms!

A fire, a breakup, and a layoff have led Olivia to move back to her hometown and in with her older brother. Her life is a mess until a wrong number texts her, "what are you wearing?" Obviously, that line is the beginning of a beautiful romance, right?

I love texting in books so I knew I needed this one. I also couldn't get over a rom com starting with, essentially, a "u up?" text. I love a good meet cute and this one is up there!

Olivia is the biggest hot mess and incredibly clumsy but she's also hilarious and loveable and has a zest for life. Enter Colin Beck. He's Olivia's brother's roommate and now hers too. He is everything Olivia isn't. He's a successful numbers guy and likes the finer things in life, aka not people that will dent expensive colanders and endless leave messes in their wake. These two, since childhood, have never gotten along.

Ugh this book is just SO much fun and I couldn't get enough. The mishaps are laugh-out-loud funny, the banter is next level, it's sexy, it's witty. It's everything I wanted. The texting, as expected, is hilarious. I think I just want to be Olivia but maybe just a bit less messy. Lynn Painter, you have a new fan.

Thank you so much to Berkley and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is on shelves everywhere 3.1.22!

4.5 stars

he accidentally sent her a text. she took the bait.

fast-paced, laugh-out-loud, steamy, adorable, cozy, and a bittersweet romcom in all the accidental places. if “bad luck” is what you mean, let’s start with our female lead.

she’s a disaster, in the beginning. okay, until the 85% of the story. but she was so…lovable because she proudly wears her flaws, a testament that she’s a genuine soul. she’s the “go get it” kind of girl but with just a little…mishaps on the side.

then enters the guy, who appeared like an “old money” type on the surface. but the truth was, he got everything he owns because he worked hard for them. until the middleman (aka big brother) bridge the gap between them (I personally think our middleman is that one apartment *winks)

it has the feels of coho’s ugly love, but with less emotional damage. same big brother, one apartment, no strings attached rules, more banters, and less bed scenes. it also reminded me of the hating game and the elevator scene - well, if you know, you know.

there’s so much scenes packed inside one book. mysterious wrong number was revealed, but what? you’re only in 20%?! so you’ll keep wondering what will happen next since what you were expecting happened already, right? now there’s mr. wrong number and there’s her roommate and there are other guys too. there’s also her bad lucks (overflowing) in one day. how come our female lead still made it?

simple: she stayed true to herself.

I cried at the conclusion because it feels so warm but I cried some more in the middle of the night laughing at her unfortunate luck. that nail clipping gone wrong was the absolute winner!

overall, it was a beautiful book. I wanted a light, funny, steamy, and romantic read when I started this — that’s what I just devoured. *whispers: and more!

ps. one question still lingers in my mind: where did he get her number? did he get it from her brother or he typed one digit wrong? (if you read this, please let me know your answers, I desperately need it, thanks)

I absolutely LOVED this book. LOVED! Olivia is the best character!! She is such an amazing disaster and it makes for such an entertaining read! She comes home after some wild events happen and is going to be living with her brother and his roommate for the next month. She starts texting with a wrong number and it becomes a source of joy in her mess of a life. I’m a sucker for an online banter so this really sealed the deal for me. Colin is literally the complete opposite. He is driven, organized, and a man who likes the finer things in life. Olivia is his best friend/roommate’s little sister. They have known each other forever and have always gone head to head. The hate these two have for each other brings out some A-game banter! Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review. I can’t wait for this read to be in bookstores!

If you like the messy millennial vibes of Trainwreck, clumsy heroines like Bridget Jones, and anonymous electronic correspondence a la You've Got Mail, you'll love this absurdly comical book!

This book has it all. It's laugh out loud funny, has crazy shenanigans going on and just enough sexual tension to keep it interesting. Everyone thinks Olivia is a mess and a perfect foil for uptight Colin, who's not really as uptight as people think he is. The writing was great with lovable characters and it started with a bang (or fire) and just kept rolling when Colin accidently texts Olivia and neither one know who the other is, but know each other & have for years. I cannot wait to read more by this author.

I received this advance review copy from from NetGalley & this is my honest review.

❝ You aren't a hot mess at all, Livvie. You're just this human tornado who is so alive, so filled with the energy of the moment, that there occasionally is a little collateral damage. But all the damages are worth it. They're but a small price. I wish I lived in the moment like you do. You have no idea how much I admire that about you.❞
- Lynn Painter, Mr. Wrong Number

Rating: 4.5⭐️

This book had me right from the start. There was never a dull moment reading this one. I love how the events were laid apart evenly throughout the story. Another thing that I would also like to point out is how the author was so good in transitioning Olivia and Colin’s relationship from enemies to lovers. It was very smooth and unnoticeable that she made it seem natural.

For the characters, Olivia is such a vibrant and relatable character that you cannot help but be charmed by her. Colin, on the other hand, seems arrogant and indifferent at first. But as the story progresses, you will get to see the sweet and observant side of this grumpy hero. Although both have polar opposite personalities, the chemistry between Olivia and Colin is undeniable; the romance is sweet and swoon-worthy. I laughed and snorted a lot, especially with their witty and spicy exchange of banters. Apart from these two, I also admire Jack Marshall. Though he is a protective brother to Olivia, I love how he handled the news of his sister and best friend dating maturely.

Overall, this was a humorous, steamy, and entertaining book.

This book was everything that my hopeless romantic heart wanted and needed. From the moment I started this book I knew I was going to fall in love with the plot and I am glad it did not disappoint. This book had everything: from dual pov, to tension, to all the tropes like forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and slow burn. It was absolutely magnificent. Also all the characters were so lovable. I adored Colin & Olivia and I loved how relatable Olivia was.

If you are a hopeless romantic and love an amazing rom-com like me, do yourself a favor and read this book. You won’t regret it. I will be now hoping that I can find my own Mr. Wrong Number (if you are out there please accidentally text me).

When Colin Beck accidentally sends a dirty text to the wrong number, he has no idea his best friend's little sister would be at the receiving end.

Olivia Marshall is notorious for her bad luck. From cheating boyfriends to burning down her apartment building, she can't seem to catch a break. Now, she is forced to temporarily move into her older brother and his best friend/her nemesis' place until she can find a stable job and a new place to live. With her nemesis, Colin, turning out to be nicer than she first expected and Mr. Wrong Number becoming an increasingly more prominent figure in her life, things get interesting.

I'm not ashamed to say I finished this book in one sitting. After first reading Better Than the Movies, I needed to read more from Lynn Painter, and Mr. Wrong Number was the perfect follow-up. Filled with tropes of brother's best friend, enemies to lovers, and grumpy-sunshine, this was one book I couldn't put down. I loved the banter between Olivia and Colin and couldn't wait to see what would happen next for them.

I can't wait to read more from Lynn Painter! Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this arc with me!

Thank you so much Penguin Random House, Berkley and NetGalley for my e-ARC in exchange for the honest review.

Olivia and Mr. Wrong Number has been texting every night without knowing each other’s identity. They’s so funny when they’re texting. Olivia’s brother and Colin are roommates until Olivia move with them because of how bad luck she was gotten like getting fired to her job.

When Colin realize who’s the Misdial he was shock. He was thinking if he’s going to continue texting her or start ghosting before everything get messy. I loved how Colin get jealous he’s so cute.

Overall, I loved they’re relationship. It was a mess at first but everything go back to normal and love each other.

I feel so bad for Olivia. She has so many cringey moments. It's absolutely the epitome of "if anything can go wrong, it will." But then she gets a text from a wrong number asking what she's wearing. And rather than ignore it, she texts back. This starts a hilarious conversation.

This book made me laugh out loud and also commiserate. I disagreed with a number of Olivia's choices, but I kept rooting for good things to happen to her. She was such a genuinely nice person with such bad luck. She is so full of life and love and deserves much more respect from her friends and family. Her text conversations were fabulous, and I loved the banter throughout.

I recommend reading this without knowing too much. It's funniest without spoilers. (Don't even read the entire synopsis.) This is a true rom-com with all of the fun that entails.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars!!

“You’re aren’t a hot mess at all, Livie. You’re just this…this…human tornado who is so alive, so filled with the energy of the moment, that there occasionally is a little collateral damage.”

Mr. Wrong Number was an absolute joy to read! This book was smart, funny, and kept this reader hooked from start to finish.

Bad luck follows Olivia everywhere she goes. She is the definition of a hot mess and is pretty much labeled the family screw-up. But, when Olivia receives a random text from a wrong number, her luck might just be starting to change…To Colin, he’s only ever seen Olivia as his best friend’s annoying little sister. But when Olivia has to crash with Colin and her brother, he suddenly starts seeing her in a different light. He’s trying his best to keep things status quo, but that all goes out the window when he discovers the identity of his misdialed text….

Mr. Wrong Number is a fun read from beginning to end. Olivia is a total hot mess, but I found her so relatable. She doesn’t have her stuff all together and is doing her best to figure it all out. I loved how she owned the mistakes she made and remained true to herself. And then there is Colin. Colin is the complete opposite of Olivia. He’s successful and has all of his ducks in a row. Colin and Olivia couldn’t be more opposite if they tried, but once you get these two together, the sparks are unable to be denied.

Olivia and Colin’s story hit so many of my favorite tropes: romantic comedy, enemies to lovers, and older brother’s best friend. I loved the banter between Olivia and Colin. They both dished it out as well as they took it. They were real with one another and the chemistry between them was off the charts. I loved all of the slow-burning moments, wrong number texts, and of course, the will they/won’t they moments. I honestly couldn’t get enough of Olivia and Colin and never wanted their story to end.

Mr. Wrong Number is my first book by Lynn Painter and it certainly won’t be my last. This book knocked it out of the park and checked off each one of this romance lover’s boxes. I hope you’ll pick up Mr. Wrong Number and fall head over heels for Colin and Olivia as I have.

An interesting take on the usual they-like-each-other-virtually-but-not-in-person plot line, with some fun twists and turns. Kudos to the emotional growth of the characters over the course of the story.

“A number I didn’t know texted: So tell me exactly what you’re wearing.”

“A number I didn’t know texted: So tell me exactly what you’re wearing.”

And with one wrong number text, Olivia Marshall, who is constantly stuck in a spiral of bad luck, has a new sexy and anonymous text friend she dubs Mr. Wrong Number. And then there’s Colin Beck, her brother’s sexy, successful best friend who realizes the Miss Misdial he’s been texting is Olivia. Mr. Wrong Number is funny and cute and steamy and sexy. I read this in one day because I just could not put it down. I was addicted to the witty banter throughout. Colin and Olivia are so good and their chemistry just sizzled. I also loved all of Olivia’s misadventures. She’s so full of life and experiences things so fully, but she’s also clumsy and it was just such a treat watching her grow. She is so charming and kind and I just really enjoyed her. think there could’ve been a little more growth in her—she has recently been broken up with and was scared to dive into something new and I think that shifted a little quick. Her family also felt really frustrating to me and I wish there had been a little more resolution on that front. But Colin really stole my heart. First I love this has his POV scattered throughout, it adds a lot to the story and I just adored how sweet and romantic he got. I’ve always loved sibling’s best friend as a trope and this did not disappoint! Such a fun read! It had me smiling and laughing and it’s just a wonderful, sexy rom com!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

She lost her job, her boyfriend, and her home. But, things were at least a little brighter every time Mr. Wrong Number texted.

I am sure everyone has heard me aver my love for Better Than the Movies, and I was extremely excited to hear that Painter would be writing an adult rom-com. Let’s just say lightning did strike twice for me because once again, Painter delivered the trifecta of laugh, smile, and swoon for me.

LAUGH

Books that elicit laughter are always welcome. Each giggle brings me great joy and great release, and therefore, I am constantly seeking those types of stories. I can confirm that this was a rom-com with a capital R and C. The clumsy, hot-mess heroine was reminiscent of many from the rom-coms of my heart, but there was also snappy and witty banter mixed in with lots of hijinks. The wrong number premise supplied lots of humorous interactions on its own, but family, friends, and Olivia were also steady sources of laughs.

SMILE

Yes, I do usually smile when I laugh, but I am thinking more along the lines of the type of smile I make because something made me really happy. This book had tons of smile-worthy moments. There were Olivia’s adorable nephews, her amusing articles, those times when Olivia seemed to be winning at life. There was the satisfaction of watching Olivia and Colin grow closer to each other, and the way they reflected on their past. Just many moments which put an ear-to-ear grin on my face and warmth in my heart.

SWOON

I feel as though there was some overlap with smile and swoon, but I can solidly attribute most of the swoon to Colin. There were these little thoughtful things he did, the way he tried to resist his growing affection for Olivia, and his efforts to win her heart. Sweet and tender moments or acts of utter thoughtfulness always have me seeing rainbows and waling on sunshine, and I was glad there were numerous moments like this in Mr. Wrong Number.

In the end, this book made me happy. Mr. Wrong Number and Miss Misdial were a fantastic pair. Their sparks and chemistry were evident in both via the texts and in real life, and their story had me smiling almost continuously, from beginning to end.

This one may be on me because I don’t think I realized from the synopsis just how quickly the MMC realizes it is the FMC he is texting. I have a difficult time getting to a swoony moment when cat-fishing or a situation where one person has unfair information of the other through this level of deception (see, My Favorite Half Night Stand, Wall Matcher, Spoiler Alert). I will say, while it was a definite drawback for me it didn’t feel quite as slimy here as it did from the other books I listed. So if you have a similar drawback, I don’t think that is necessarily a reason for dismissal.

I overall liked the IDEA. Olivia is an overall chaotic character (maybe a sub-genre on the manic pixie dream girl? But more hazardous?) that I enjoyed. Colin was type-A orderly and calm. Throw them into a forced apartment-sharing environment? Amazing. They inherently won’t get along which sets up nicely to build these bridges through an accidental wrong number text.

But ultimately, I find this one to be forgettable. I read it not four hours ago and actually forgot the MMC name when writing it above. Not a lot seemed to happen throughout, I felt like I was told rather than shown the growing sexual tension and feelings between Olivia and Colin. I love a good dual POV romance but felt like Colin’s sections were an like an afterthought - very short and usually just reactivity to his feelings with Olivia rather than treating him as his own character. Like, we never even got a chapter of his POV about the text exchange without him realizing it was Olivia.

I did enjoy Colin’s development of understanding and becoming appreciative of Olivia’s chaotic-ness. And Olivia was always just a very funny, entertaining person. I actually enjoyed the text exchange between her and “Mr. Wrong Number” that I truly wish their anonymity lasted longer. There was definitely some gems in here but not enough to balance out the rest.

Listen, Colin could text me at 2am and I'd respond at 1:59am 😏

What happens when guy texts the wrong woman and they begin an anonymous texting relationship? And said woman turns out to be your best friend's little sister and also happens to be your temporary roomie? *cackles like a maniac* I love it when characters text each other, especially when it's anonymous and flirty. I had such a silly grin on my face! The characters' dynamics and dialogue were great and so entertaining. Even though they couldn’t stand each other, Olivia and Colin had undeniable chemistry. I enjoyed it all and loved seeing the shift between them as they spent more time together.

So many parts of this book had me laughing out loud, shaking my head, and swooning!

What to expect:
• dual pov
• brother’s best friend
• close proximity
• opposites attract
• accidental texting
• will make you laugh & grin
• angst, snark, swooning, & the little things
• heroine is a walking, talking, chaotic mess full of energy & life
• a cocky, insufferable hero with overdeveloped abs who has the audacity to flex his hand like Mr. Darcy 😤
• closed door, but sometimes it's best to let your imagination run wild 🥵

Reviewed for Shelf Awareness
*
Lynn Painter's trope-filled romantic comedy, Mr. Wrong Number, is perfect for readers looking for a semi-epistolary escape. Advice columnist Olivia isn't the average comedic disaster heroine--she just accidentally burned down an entire apartment building after her boyfriend cheated on her. With only a gym bag and cell phone to her name, she leaves Chicago for her brother's apartment in her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. When she arrives, however, she finds that her brother's irritating lifelong best friend owns the apartment--and still lives there. The hits just keep coming, so when she engages in a bit of surprisingly fun banter with a wrong number texter, Olivia clings to this new anonymous, no-pressure exchange like a lifeline.
Financial analyst Colin's never allowed himself to consider his best friend's little sister anything more than an entertaining annoyance, but when he realizes that the woman he's been sparking with in his apartment is the same woman who's been heating up his phone, he has to decide how--or if--to come clean.
Painter employs several classic rom-com tropes: best friend's sibling, antagonists-to-lovers, secret identity, incredibly unlucky heroine, roommates and more, but the plot doesn't feel derivative. She cleverly subverts the clumsy heroine trope and while the banter is charming and funny, the characters bond in a deeper way as well. Pair that with just enough steam and conflict and Painter's written a rom-com sure to please.

Discover: Mr. Wrong Number is a tropey, funny contemporary romance with banter-filled texting and a steamy opposites-attract roommates premise, an especially good fit for fans of The Hating Game or New Girl.

You know the feeling you get when you finish a book and you want to shout it out to the world how much you loved it? This is me shouting. I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!!

I laughed, I swooned, I cheered, I teared up a bit, and I may have blushed a time or two from the perfectly palpable steam. Phew! Is it hot in here or just me?

There are so many things I loved about this book. I loved that it's based in Omaha, NE. It was so cool to see the characters coming and going to places I live near and frequent every day. I loved getting to know Olivia and Colin. Olivia is one of those special characters that you immediately identify with and see pieces of yourself inside. She's the hot mess inside all of us. I want to be her bestie and go on regular coffee dates.

Get this book on your must read list. I loved it with my whole heart.

Colin and Olivia are such lovely characters! They both had their own quirks and I love their bond. Their banter with each other was lovely to read. Their sarcasm on point.
This was such a lovely rom-com. The chemistry between Olivia and Colin is amazing.
I had to laugh nearly every chapter and surprisingly, I also had to cry (I’m just too sensitive don’t mind me). I don’t cry very easily so I’m surprised I did!
This was such a lovely book. Lynn Painter is definitely one of my favorite authors.
Thank you to PRH International and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc. This in no way affects my opinion.