Member Reviews
“I fell in love with you on Valentine’s Day, Emilie, but I need more than just seven minutes.”
Emelie wakes up on Valentine’s Day with the perfect day planned. Get to school, exchange valentines gifts with her boyfriend, drop the L word and have the best day ever. But the day goes up in flames and all her plans go extremely backward, including watching her boyfriend cheat on her. Once she finally escapes and goes home to sleep, she wakes up to experience the same day, over and over again. And she can’t figure out where she went wrong, but every single day, she runs into Nick: who may just be her saving grace.
5/5⭐️
This is the perfect cozy holiday romance. Read this for Valentine’s Day, or for Christmas but just know this book feels like a warm blanket that just wrapped you up. This is a YA romance book that holds so much love and cuteness that’s it’s actually an overload!
Nick isn’t a man ready for love and Emilie is just looking for a Valentine’s Day with no care. But on that one single day, they fall in love and you’re along for the journey every step of the way.
Thank you to netgalley & Simon Teen for this e-arc
4.5/5
The Do-Over is about Emilie Hornby, an overachieving sixteen year old with a summer internship ahead of her, the perfect boyfriend, but most importantly the perfect Valentines Day planned that just happens to fall on her 3 month anniversary with aforementioned boyfriend. The only problem? Everything goes wrong and for some reason, Emilie ends up having to live the horrible day again. And again and again.
What a delightful! story!! Compared to Painters previous novel “Better Than the Movies”, I liked this one muuuuuuch better. The characters had more depth, Emilie was so relatable, the plot was more fun in general. I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this novel. I found myself laughing and giggling throughout the whole thing, I even shed a tear or two.
This novel was a total page-turner. I wasn’t bored once, which is rare for me when reading contemporary books.
Can I just say I’m a sucker for Groundhog Day but YA plots? Happy Death Day? Amazing. Before I Fall? Excellent. The Do-Over? WONDERFUL. Since I have high expectations for repeating type of plots, I was a little hesitant to read this book. But Lynn Painter DELIVERED. It was cute, it was heartfelt, it was romantic, it was fun. I shall be raving about this book for quite a while.
I did end up taking half a star away from my rating only because I wish there was just a bit more depth and insight into the plot involving her parents. I guess I wanted more emotions and general conversation about it. But other than that, I loved this novel.
Thank you Lynn Painter. I look forward to your next novel.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada & NetGalley for the advanced copy!
The Do-Over by Lynn Painter is a solidly written YA-rom-com with a "Groundhog Day" twist where Emilie, the book's main character, keeps re-living her worst Valentine's Day ever (until it isn't). I enjoyed the book but feel that it barely scratched the surface of the underlying emotions of the characters or rather glossed over them quickly. I wasn't expecting a heavy exploration of the issues Emilie and Nick face (as it isn't typical in YA novels) but was hoping for something more that left me a bit dissatisfied. However, it was a very good, quick and enjoyable read with no dull moments so would definitely recommend if you are looking for a quick and easy read.
Read this on a cold, wintery day and it was so enjoyable and comforting that I finished in 24 hours. I could see it playing out so easily in my head, it would make a really great movie.
I think Lynn Painter is a master at a rom-com, with flawed, likable characters and A+ banter. She has quickly become an auto-read (buy) author for me.
Emilie is stuck in a groundhog day-esque Valentines Day, which is less than ideal because her colour coded, extremely organized life is going sideways in all ways possible. As she relives the day, she keeps crossing paths with her surly lab partner, Nick, while trying to stop all of the negative things from happening.
Despite the time loop plot, I was connected to the characters and didn't mind a bit of repetition in the days. I loved Emilie and Nick. The DONC day was a lot of fun.
Highly recommend! Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada for Canada for the digital ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
SUPERRRR cute read!!! I really enjoyed this one!! Enjoyed it so much I will be purchasing a physical copy & will be reading more of Lynn Painters books!
Thank you!
📚Book Review
The Do-Over by @lynnpainterkirkle
2-sentence hook: A teen girl (Emelie) has the worst Valentine’s Day ever—only to relive it over and over again.
As a fan of the author’s adult works, I was interested to read a YA story of hers, and The Do-Over didn’t disappoint. In this Groundhog-Day-esque book, the main character, Emelie, was relatable and sweet as she tackled many of the challenges we all face as teen girls, including divorced parents, mean girls (one of whom, I unfortunately shared my name with), and figuring out our feelings for those we may or may not love.
As Emelie relives each V-Day, I couldn’t help but root for her, and especially root for her and Nick.
Two words about Nick: Jess Mariano. Before I saw the author’s Instagram posts with pictures of the young and adorable #miloventimiglia in his #gilmoregirls days, I was definitely getting #jessmariano vibes. Surly, loner-type who seems sad, but no one knows why. Nick was a charming leading man, and I was rooting for him and Em the whole way through.
Two more words: THE DONC. Beautifully executed, and certainly the best part of time-loop stories, this one really pays off. Happy reading!!
Emilie has had the worst Valentines Day ever. Between the car wreck and seeing her boyfriend kiss another girl, she is done with this nightmare of a day. However, it is not done with her as she relives the same day again and again - can she get out of the time loop if she can force a perfect day?
I loved this book. This book had me wide awake until 2:30am because I absolutely could not put it down. There was hijinx, banter and drama (and never have I seen such a cavalier response to an engine catching on fire as Em’s days in 😂).
I love DONC (and I’ll leave it at that so you can also experience it in its full glory), but more than anything, I loved how Em began to let go of her need to plan and perfect each part of her day as the time loop went on. Seeing her relax as she read ends Nick for the tenth time and not caring what he thinks was freeing and made their burgeoning relationship even better.
I loved that this story dove into family in multiple ways, and how we can cater to other people’s needs without allowing ours to be heard.
If you liked Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter, you will love this one - and if you haven’t picked up either, looks like you’ve got two great new books to pick up! This has solidified my auto-read author stance and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!
This YA timeloop novel was so well done! It was a super quick read and the repeated days weren't repetitive, but were actually interesting! The characters were well developed, however, the ending wasn't my favorite as it felt predictable.
I'll definitely be reading more of Painter's book!
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for proving me with an EArc of this book ahead of it's release. Lynn Painter has become one of my favourite authors over the last year with both her YA and Adult novels. Better Than The Movies is one of my all time favourite YA romances so I was excited to pick this one up!
This book was a lot of fun! I loved the groundhog day concept and thought it was a fun twist that the repeating day just happened to be valentines day (but honestly, having to relive my boyfriend cheating on me day after day would be a literal nightmare). This was a super quick read and I managed to fly through it in just one day.
I loved Emilie and Nick, their banter was top notch and I definitely felt the tension between them throughout the course of the novel. I had fun reliving the day over and over watching how their interactions changed each time. This book is also filled with Taylor Swift references which is a big bonus to me!
I highly recommend this one to all fans of YA romance novels
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to read before the release on November 15, 2022.
Lynn Painter does it again! Another quirky romance that was a quick, fun, and hard-to-put-down read. I enjoyed the aspect of having to do-over a day and the differences that each day presented. I just knew that when she started to stop caring about the consequences that the cycle would break!
Nick was a great character as well and it was interesting how we got to see so much of him, even though Emilie had to re-establish a relationship with him each time. I also enjoyed that complexity of Josh as a person and not just the asshole ex that cheated on her!
Great read! Love the cover!
Another delightful read from Lynn Painter! I dove into this cute YA romcom because I needed something light and fun and that's exactly what I got. Was it kind of predictable? Yes. But it was cute enough that I didn't really care.
It had groundhog day vibes when high school student Em relives the same crappy Valentine's Day over and over again. She tries to find a way to break the time loop but, no matter what, can't seem to get out of it. Then you get some Ferris Bueller vibes when she finally decides to give herself a day with no consequences and skips school with her lab partner Nick. Shouldn't matter anyway right, considering she'll wake up tomorrow and it'll be the same day.
What follows is a fun filled day and a budding romance. It was a super quick read for me that I enjoyed. If you like YA, and especially if you're a fan of the author's other books, I'd pick this one up!
The Do-Over
Thanks for the ARC
Emilie Hornby just lived through her worst Valentine’s Day ever! She hits her car on her way to school, finds out her boyfriend cheated on her, and discovers her father (whom she lives with) is moving away without her. All she wants to do is go to her grandma’s and be comforted by her.
However, when Emilie wakes up the next morning she’s living through the same nightmare of a day, over and over again.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Okay, I would like to start by saying I freaked out when I saw my ARC got approved. I loved “Better Than the Movies” so I was beyond excited for “The Do-Over”.
The book was so wholesome; a nice and chill read. Emilie is a great mc and I love how expressive and full of life she is; even when she’s going through her worst day.
Nick and Emilie keep bumping into each other (sometimes literally). He’s an enigma to Emilie, they are lab partners and he always seems to forget who she is. But Nick’s always down to spend time with Emilie.
Everything is the same for Emilie, she’s reliving her worst day over and over and over again. Until the day of no consequences!
Once again thank you for the ARC
*disclaimer: this was an ARC provided by Netgalley. However, this review is my own, no influence and free.*
I gave this book a 4 stars. If you enjoyed better than the movies, I believe you’ll love this even more. Great character development and cute moments.
Since reading “Mr. Wrong Number” this spring, Lynn Painter has quickly become my favourite author of rom-coms. I have enjoyed both her adult and young adult books, and this one was no exception!
Here is why I love this author 1) Her characters are always interesting, flawed yet likeable 2) the premise of the book is always fun 3) she is amazing at writing witty yet hilarious banter between her two main characters 4) you can feel the chemistry between the two main characters, and it’s totally believable 5) the stories have lightness yet some depth as well
The premise of this book is like Groundhog Day, but on Valentine’s Day. Sixteen year old Emilie has a disatorous Valentine’s Day that ends with her boyfriend kissing another girl. She falls asleep at her grandmas house, after sympathy and ice cream to find that she is back at her own home and it’s Valentine’s Day all over again. And again, and again…
I highly recommend this book, or any other book by this author!
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for providing me with a eARC of this book to read and review!
Reading this book with Taylor Swift playing in the background was a transcendent experience.
Emilie Hornby is having a terrible Valentine's day. She gets in a mini car accident first thing in the morning, finds out she didn't actually get a fellowship she'd been promised, witnesses her boyfriend cheating on her, AND her dad drops the major bombshell that he's getting relocated for work. Any one of these things would be enough to drive someone to curl up in fetal position for the rest of the week, but unluckily for Emilie, she wakes up in a time loop, forced to relive this awful day over and over and over again.
Now I love groundhog day type stories, ESPECIALLY if the MC developes a Ferris Bueller-esque 'screw the consequences, I'm gonna have a fun time' attitude. And I'm happy to say this absolutely delivers. I had such a good time following Emilie as she does everything in her power to A) stop the time loop and B) save her Valentine's Day. Her interactions with the different iterations of Nick were also really fun to read. It's like having a million meet-cutes with your love interest (though does it really count as a meet-cute if you're already lab partners?).
A big problem I tend to have with time loop stories, despite how much I enjoy them as a whole, is when loops start to get repetitive, but this book manages to avoid it by focusing on one significant loop about halfway through.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think if you're looking for a fun, light-hearted read with good romance and just a dash of angst, this will do very nicely!
***I received an arc in exchange for an honest review
This book... eeeee it had such 90s childhood vibes. Ground hog day holds a special place in my heart and although thr concept does seem to be over done, the author brought a fresh twist to it with the concept of valentines day.
4 stars ☆ Since I loved Better than the Movies, I need to read this book as soon as possible.
The blurb got me intrigued since Emilie (h) is stuck on Valentine's Day over and over again while witnessing her ex-boyfriend (Josh) cheat on her and the guy (Nick) who she constantly bumped/crashed into. Now, who doesn’t get curious and want to read more about this 🤭
This was so cute !! I literally can’t stop smiling and it’s the same feeling that I felt in Better than the Movies. I think it’s a sign that I’ll read anything Lynn Painter writes.
Now here are some quotes that I like:
"I felt like he knew me. And I rarely felt that from anyone."
"I fell in love with you on Valentine's Day Emilie, but I need more than just seven minutes."
And also this book reminds me of See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon. So if you have read it, you would like this one as well.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC !!
Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada & NetGalley for the advanced copy!
Lynn Painter is quickly becoming a favourite of mine, and this book is an easy example of why. I’m a fan of character-driven stories, and Lynn has a gift for creating quirky, lovable and surprisingly complex characters.
After living out, and I quote, “a dumpster fire of a Valentine’s Day”, our heroine Emilie Hornby ends up stuck in a loop forced to relive the same day over and over. A-ha! This must be the universe offering her a chance at redemption! Come hell or high water, Emilie WILL have her perfect Valentine’s Day, DAMNIT! But it turns out this “gift” wasn’t an opportunity for her to right all her relationship wrongs. It’s an opportunity for her to say “FUCK IT” and actually live for herself for once, even if it’s for a day. And so begins the DONC - Day Of No Consequences!
She’s spent so much of her life pleasing others to the point of detriment. Surely she deserves one day to do what she wants? Turns out, what she wants is to steal her father’s car, dump her boyfriend over the intercom, and skip school with resident broody boy, Nick Stark. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Read on to find out the shenanigans that ensue on the DONC.
Our love interest, Nick Stark, starts out as an enigma. We know just about as much as Emilie does, which isn’t a lot. In fact, our first introduction to Nick is him pretending not to know Emilie at all (despite being lab partners all year)! But as we keep re-doing the same day, we learn different things about him and start to see him in a new light. From the sarcastic loner, to a boy who reads romance novels, Nick is the gift that keeps on giving.
This book was “Groundhog Day” meets “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” with a hearty dash of romance and I couldn’t be happier! I thoroughly enjoyed the story. My one nitpick (and it’s small), is that I wish we saw or heard more from Roxane. She was a fun addition to any page she was on, and it felt a tad unfair that we heard more from Chris. Overall, 4.5! Highly recommend for a cute and quick romance read <3
My First ARC! Thank you Lynn Painter for letting me read this before it comes out to the public! I feel so special having been given that opportunity and I’m so excited that my first ARC was this gem!
If you don’t know .. ARC stands for Advance Reader Copy. So reviewers apply to get a book a little bit before it is released so that they can post reviews and get people talking!
•
Now for the book! It’s called the Do Over and it’s about a girl who has a really crappy Valentine’s Day only to wake up the next day to do Valentine’s Day ALL OVER AGAIN. The poor girl keeps reliving the bad day over and over hoping to figure out a way to come out on top. This book was funny, it was cute, had some romance (no spice), and definitely dealt with learning to let go of things that in the end.. are not as important as you’d think!
Lynn Painter writes in a way that just makes you wanna keep reading forever and never stop. I read this one quick because I did not wanna put it down. The best part?! It has a playlist at the end. I LOVE BOOK PLAYLISTS!!
4.5 stars from me! This lovely book comes out on November 15th 2022.
Loved this book so much! It was so wholesome i truly enjoyed my time reading it
Thank you so much for keeping me read it!