Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other: A Love Story by Bethany Turner

Thank you to @netgalley, @thomasnelson, and @seebethanywrite for the opportunity to read this #advancedlistenercopy in exchange for my #honestbookreview! This book is currently available for preorder and will be published on September 5.

Brynn Cornell is known as the bright and cheery morning show host of Sunup. That is until one massive on-air negative slip-up lands her in hot water. To fix her colossal screw up, she finds herself back in her hometown of Adelaide Springs, Colorado to mend her reputation amongst viewers. Sebastian Sudworth was a reporter whose star was rapidly rising and destined for journalistic success and recognition until he snapped and disappeared off the grid without a trace. Sebastian has been working under the radar in Adelaide Springs trying to blend in. When Sebastian is assigned to escort Brynn around during her stay in Adelaide Springs they immediately clash, neither impressed by the other. Will Brynn be able to make it through her stay in Adelaide Springs and repair her reputation or will Sebastian prove to be a challenge she can’t overcome?

This was such a fun story! I loved the sassy banter between Brynn and Sebastian. The storyline was bizarre and fun. This was definitely a slow build but the character development is well worth it. I am a sucker for a grumpy and sunshine story and this was like sunshine pretending to be grumpy meets grumpy masquerading as sunshine. I recommend for those looking for a fun and cozy romance.

TW: loss of a parent, rescue mission

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4/5

Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other tells the story of Brynn Cornell, sunny morning show host who destroys her persona with one bad comment about the small town she grew up in while live on air. To fix her image she travels back to the town to do damage control. Enter Sebastian Sudworth, an ex reporter who now works for the town of Adelaide Springs and is tasked with working with Brynn while she is visiting. I think this was supposed to be a grumpy/ sunshine book but I had a difficult time trying to figure out which character was which. Brynn seemed like such a spoiled brat and that the town that she grew up in was so beneath her that it honestly made her unlikable for a lot of the book. At one point her cameraman even tells her instead of trying to act nice to these people you could ACTUALLY be nice, like it was such a foreign concept to just be kind to people. I feel like there was more to her backstory with her mom that could have been explored instead it was left at a very surface level. Sebastian was a great character and once we learn his story he really became my favorite in the book. I think it was also confusing how it seems like this is going to be an enemies-to-lovers book but it was more of an insta-love plot. I would have loved to see more situations in the book with them being true enemies instead of them just not knowing each other. Then all of a sudden they love each other and Brynn wants to stay in this town she thought was terrible days before. DAYS. Even Hallmark movies span longer than one week! Overall, the audiobook was good I just feel like characters and plot lines weren’t well developed enough but it was an easy and enjoyable read nonetheless. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of the book.

“Maybe rather than trying to make it seem like you are a good person, you could just be one.”

If you’re a fan of the enemies to lovers trope, this book definitely has that vibe in spades. No wonder Sebastian butts heads with Brynn, she was a bit difficult to like at the start. I know it’s part of the plot, but her personality was slightly off-putting in the beginning. Thankfully, just like Sebastian, I came to like her a lot more by the end and her character experiences some humbling and epiphanies that I liked to see.

On the other hand, Sebastian was like-able from the start. I really liked his backstory and the growth that brought him to where he was. When the two weren’t clashing (well maybe even when they were) the sparks definitely flew.

I really enjoyed the ending and all the news media stuff was interesting. I listened to an advance listening copy of this book through Netgalley. The narrator was easy to listen to and did a good job with the characterization of both MCs and the side characters. I recommend this book and audiobook version. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really liked this. A fun romcom that I flew through.
Brynn was wildly annoying at first but definitely loved her by the end.
Seb however, loved him the whole time haha

What you’ll find in Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other:
- Dual POV
- Enemies-to-Lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Redemption arc
- Mountain Vibes

The ending was so good. Solid haters to lovers. Good and earned character development. Adorable not irrelevant doggy.

When Brynn crucifies her home town on national breakfast TV, she sees her career flash before her eyes, and she will do anything, anything to make it better. This includes going back to her home town. A home town that has no happy memories for her, or so she thinks. When she goes back to Adelaide Springs to right her wrong, Brynn realises that maybe it's not them, and maybe it is her.

Sebastian loves Adelaide Springs and hates everything TV, or so he thinks. When Sebastian is burdened with having to take care of Brynn while she is in Adelaide Springs, he thinks that she is a typical self absorbed TV celebrity. What he is not ready for is a deeply hurt woman who is just trying to prove herself without sleeping her way up the ladder.

What will happen when Brynn's barriers start to be broken down by the unending love from the people of Adelaide Springs? What will Sebastian see and will this have an impact on the barriers around his heart?

This story was funny and deeply heart felt. Both Brynn and Sebastian are floored characters who are still coming to terms with who they are, what has already happened to them and what they want out of life. I listened to this as an audiobook narrated by Talon David, who made the book even more fun. The pop culture references were amazing! I wish there had been some spice, but it was still great to listen to. I would both read/listen to another book by Bethany Taylor, and listen to another book narrated by Talon David.

Big thanks to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson and Bethany Taylor for this early release copy of the audiobook.

Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other was such a fun book (consumed in audio format). I loved the Hallmark movie vibe that it had. The mean girl goes home to redeem her image and finds herself along the way. I enjoyed the male main character and his back story too. This is the second Bethany Turner book I've read and it won't be the last!!

Brynn has just landed cohost of the morning show, Sunup. Just one week in and she is now stuck in a nightmare. After a series of technical issues, Brynn is caught bashing her hometown and her audience to her personality-lacking cohost. The entire rant is broadcasted, and Brynn must find a way to save her career. Brynn finds herself in Adelaide Springs, Colorado. A place she hasn’t been to in twenty years. She has no idea what to expect upon her arrival. She was surprised to be chauffeured around town by the cynical ex-reporter, Sebastian. Sebastian has sought refuge in Adelaide for the last several years and has made it his home now. The two do not start off on the right foot and Brynn finds herself struggling to make a good impression on the town and make amends for her on-air comments. As the two deal with their professional mess-ups and try to get along, they get to know each other and learn there may be more to both their stories than they originally thought. Can the two find a way to make amends and fix the mistakes made? This is a sweet, charming novel that will leave readers with all the warm, fuzzy feels.

Unfortunately this one didn’t do it for me. I love a good enemies to lovers, sunshine vs grump tropes, but the relationship between Brynn and Sebastian just felt disappointing. I did enjoy Sebastian’s character, but Brynn did not have many redeeming qualities. She was kind of a brat, and the ultimate romance between Sebastian and brynn felt forced. Although I appreciated the concept of going home to face your demons, and a small community filled with lovely people, the main plot escaped me.

Thank you Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for audio ARC of the book.

America's Ray of Sunshine Bryan Cornell is a co-host of popular morning show. Her snarky comment about her hometown accidentally was shown on air and Brynn's image is compromised. To save her reputation she goes back to her hometown to apologize to everyone. It all sounds like an easy and perfect plan until she encounters Sebastian who makes things difficult.

I love that type of books, everything was perfect for me - small town, some drama in the past, characters you want to be friends with.

Talon David is one of my favorite narrators. She can portray different characters and their moods. It is always pleasant to listen to her.

I am a firm believer that enemies to lovers doesn’t work outside the fantasy genre. Or at least I was. Brynn and Sebastian make enemies to lovers work in a RomCom world. I spent the majority of this book BEGGING for any semblance of yearning or longing or simply wanting to kiss, it was painfully perfect. Sebastian had me giggling at the bare minimum of complements.

This story is a slow burn worth waiting for. It’s a clean romance with no real spice but plenty of action to distract you from that fact, if that’s something you’re looking for. As an avid reader of all things spicy and hot, I didn’t even realize there was nothing more than a few perfectly placed kisses until the story was over and done.

I have no complaints, complements to the chef (or Bethany Turner). Now if if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to read every book Bethany Turner has ever written.

4.5 stars
This is an interesting, entertaining, good read. Sebastian and Brynn are interesting, relatable, intriguing, entertaining characters. I enjoyed this book and these characters. They grew on me, the more the read, the more I loved them. Their exchanges are entertaining. I enjoyed the growth and self-discovery that both characters went through – it was very well done. The secondary characters, including the town are quirky and add so much to the story. The ending was fitting for these characters, I just wish we had gotten more information about where these characters ended up.

I enjoyed the audio version of this book and the narrator.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

So the beginning sounded promising with Brynn's mess-up on live TV and the introduction of Sebastian, but I found as they came together, I thought Brynn's character became snobbish and annoying and was never able to redeem herself and Sebastian just fell a little flat. I also found that the whole storyline of her coming back to her town didn't really reveal anything. Overall, I could not get invested in them as individuals or together, or even the town. I was happy when it was over and already can't remember what it was even about.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

Listened. 2.5 (rounding up to 3) stars. Overall, I found the majority of this book to be tough to get through, largely in part to the FMC. Brynn is cast as the perfect, perky news anchor on a prime time morning show in NYC. She accidentally bad mouth's her small hometown, Adelaide Springs, Colorado, and the American public on a hot-mic and the whole nation hears it. Thus, she's sent back to her hometown to grovel and show America that she really is Miss Perfect.

Sebastian is an ex-superstar reporter who left his beat abruptly and found himself in Adelaide Springs. Although new to the town, he quickly made himself part of the community picking up odd jobs. When Brynn is sent back home, Seb is assigned "babysitting" duties and can see straight through her facade. Enter grumpy-sunshine (except its more grumpy-grumpy), enemies-to-lovers tropes.

For 75% of the book, Brynn is unbearable. She reads as the worst kind of Hollywood celeb who thinks she can do no wrong and believes her hometown is beneath her. Even her background and upbringing didn't make me feel bad enough for her to cover for her actions. Also, their love connection happens as soon as they're alone and it just didn't read as believable to me. The back 25% of the book goes quickly and gives the cute, small-town vibes I typically love, but overall, not a huge fan.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio for this audiobook in exchange of a honest review.

After a mishap that led to the country listening in on Brynn trash talking her hometown, the network she worked at advised that she take time off. She thought to film a homecoming at her hometown and publicly apologize to the residents of Adelaide Springs. Sebastian, former Pulitzer prize-winning journalist and resident of Adelaide Springs, knew that Brynn was just all talk.

From the moment she stepped into the scene at her hometown, Brynn and Sebastian were at odds. Sebastian wasn't falling for her charm, and Brynn thought he was sabotaging her efforts to salvage her career and reputation. It didn't help that Sebastian had to show her around, as per the town council's vote 😂

It's difficult to pinpoint when the tide turned and hate became love between these two, but with all the tension brewing, it figures they so effortlessly acknowledged their chemistry. I loved seeing them let down their guard around each other and become each other's safe space.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did an awesome job. Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book SO MUCH. It was such a fun small town feel, I love a mountain town, and the romance felt so genuine! For some reason it gave me Gilmore Girls vibes in the BEST way. I truly think I will read this one again!

I listed to about half on audio and read half on my kindle and the narrator was wonderful.

5 stars!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy to read.

This audiobook was good to listen to at work.

It is narrated in one voice and that was what I liked least, but the narrator is super understandable and her voice is very good to listen to.

I liked the story, an enemies to lovers to the point, the grumpy x sunshine not to say, although here I can say that sometimes the grumpy went too far. Brynn and Sebastian gave me a good feeling, although some actions were a bit questionable for me, I liked the whole world around them.

A light story, with charming characters and a very nice town!

Thanks to Thomas Nelson/Zondervan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review 🫶🏻

I was really hopeful for Brynn and Sebastian Hate Eachother but it just missed the mark for me. I love the enemies to lovers trope and grumpy x sunshine but in this case it just didn't work. The sunshine character was annoying and selfish. Her character development was really slow. I missed out on the banter I enjoy in an enemies to lovers romance. These things aside this was still a decent romance. The writing style was easy to follow and I really enjoyed the ending. So overall it was pretty decent.

Thank you to the author, the publishers, and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Brynn reminded me of a Hallmark character at the beginning of a story. A grumpy city girl who thinks everyone should love her and knows how to “turn it on” for her public persona. I know the point of the story was to paint her as a dislikable person but I wish she was a little less dislikeable. Maybe if she at least liked dogs, I wouldn’t have been so annoyed with her. I definitely struggled though the first 50% of the book but I loved the second half of this book!!! You start to see her heart and see she might not be as selfish as you think.
It was a super sweet ending and I loved everyone in the small Colorado town!!

This book is like a Hallmark rom com in the BEST way. Brynn is a news anchor on the most popular morning news show in the country, but after a slip up on air, she is forced to go back home to a small town in Colorado where everyone knows everyone, and the town itself is smaller than 1 square mile. Now a city girl, Brynn is confronted with how much she’s changed, not all of it for the better. Sebastian was a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, but he’s been off the grid for the last six years. Now he serves on the town council for Adelaide Springs, Colorado - Brynn’s home town. Sebastian is tasked with being Brynn’s “host” while she’s visiting. While the two initially butt heads, they grow to respect each other as Brynn slowly rediscovers who she used to be and Sebastian opens up about his journalistic past.

A classic rom com with an HEA, Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other is a sweet small town romance. It’s a quick, enjoyable read sure to delight romance lovers. 0/5 spice level (kissing only).

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook.