Member Reviews

I FLEW through this one! Enemies to lovers story with tv journalists (and a green chile appearance)…it’s like this story was made for me haha.
The story follows morning show host Brynn as she works to recover her rep after a hot mic situation. When she returns to her small hometown Adelaide Springs, Colorado for damage control, she finds herself unwillingly in close proximity to Sebastian, a serious ex-reporter and former hot shot used to the front lines who stepped away from the networks. Personalities understandably clash but both realize their early assumptions of the other may not be right…and naturally, a romance sparks.
This was a fun story that was hard to put down. The narrators were dynamic and enthusiastic and I found it so easy to keep listening to them.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This comes out 9/5!

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Bryan and Sebastian hate each other was a wonderful book. so sweet and cute, loved the two main characters and all the side characters too. the banter between Bryan and Sebastian was great and had me laughing at some points. I wound definitely recommending this book to all my book friends

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RATING: 3.5 stars

This was a quick and enjoyable read. This book has the small-town romance trope/grumpy-sunshine trope, so if you enjoy those you may like this book. I felt that the character development of Brynn was rather slow, and she was pretty unlikeable for the first half of the book. The second half of this book was much better, and Brynn became a much more likeable character. The romance between Brynn and Sebastian also felt a little rushed at times, but overall was pretty cute.

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This audiobook grabbed me right from the beginning! An on-air mishap had Brynn going back to her small town to make amends with her past in hopes to buy back americas love. Cue Sebastian, an ex-journalist who seems to be passive aggressive (much like Brynn) and not interested in Brynn trying to rectify her wrongs by using the town. The whole book gave me hallmark movie vibes. There was also a lot of pop culture references (saved by the bell, etc) which normally, I don’t like. However, they worked in this book. The book did get a bit dull at the mid point and I was over Brynn’s negative attitude towards basically everything (especially since returning to her hometown was her idea). There could have been more depth to the characters and the author could have done more with the relationship build. It was still a good read and I enjoyed it, overall. I also really liked the narrator! She did an excellent job with the characters.

Thank you to @NetGalley, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio for this courtesy audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

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Overall I would give this a solid 3.75/4⭐!

It's a really good plot with great character building! We follow Brynn who at first is a little grumpy about her situation but we grow with her seeing her work through things and fall in love in the process! Like who doesn't love enemies to lovers?? The romance is so cute. Every single character was great, it was easy to remember who everyone was! There's something so great about a small town vibe in romance books that just adds to the cuteness.

if you're looking for a cute grumpy x sunshine, enemies to lovers, clean romance I would totally recommend this!!

Thank you NetGalley, Bethany Turner and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

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This book was phenomenal. I really enjoyed the relationship between Brynn and Sebastian. I appreciate it when I read/listen to a book and the relationships feel realistic. I think the author did a great job explaining the scenery and the side characters were portrayed well.

Thank you #NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC in exchange for a review. All opinions above are my own.

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I really enjoyed Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other! However, I do love most enemy-to-lovers books. At first I didn’t like Brynn. I was so worried because I didn’t think she deserved Sebastian to fall for her. She became more likable as the story continued and the ending was perfect. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great romance story! Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

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The narrator, Talon David, does an excellent job! I appreciated the voice and tone of the characters she was able to portray perfectly throughout the dual point-of-view novel. Quite impressive! Easy, pleasant, and wonderful to listen to and comprehend – even while multi-tasking! Her style of reading brought the text to life very effectively!

This romcom, Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other, was fun! It kept me smiling throughout the story. It was easy for me to connect with Brynn and Sebastian. I appreciate the flow of the story, how clean the story is, and how fun it is!

The flow of the story was so easy to understand while listening to the superb rendition of the audiobook! It is a wonderful listening experience! I highly recommend finding out about this entertaining duo, Brynn and Sebastian, by listening to this audiobook version!

Thank you: Thomas Nelson, Zondervan Audio, and NetGalley for giving me permission to listen to the advance copy of this Bethany Turner novel. I am not required to write a positive review nor am I paid to do so. The words above are my honest review of Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other.

Within 30 days of Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other’s publication date of September 5, 2023, I will post this review to Goodreads, Amazon, Christianbook.com, Scribd, Barnes & Noble, BookBub, my social media platform (@DevotedToHope), and my blog (https://luannabubbles.wixsite.com/devotedhope).

#BrynnandSebatianHateEachOther #NetGalley #ThomasNelsonFiction #ThomasNelson #Zondervan #ZondervanAudio #BethanyTurner

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This book was cute! Excuse me for loving Sebastian!

Look. I studied journalism in college, so I immediately laughed when he said his dogs name was Murrow, BECAUSE OF FUCKING COURSE IT WAS SEB. And yeah him being a war journalist was wildly hot. I'm sorry.
Bb share your emotional trauma w me. Be so smart and also so physically competent, it's sexy.
Here's what I liked:

listened to the audiobook, and enjoyed the narration. I liked that even though it was dual pov, there was only a female narrator.
Sebastian. Dear lord that man could get it. Unfortunately everything about him was sexy as hell, letting me live out my fantasies of being with a straight Ronan Farrow type. I also thought his trauma was well done. I was wondering what it could possibly be, since he keeps a moral high ground over brynn for so long, but his explanation and how that would impact him made sense. It's a very specific issue that journalists face, where to draw the line between recording history and interfering.

Love that he has a service dog. LOVED that his fuckin service dog was a little havanese. I had to google it to make sure I was thinking of the correct dog, be those fluffy little swiffer dusters who use olaplex are not who I would imagine as a service dog. It made him very charming, even when he was antagonizing Brynn a bit too much in the beginning. Like dude we get it, you don't like her or what she stands for, but you created your own mess, deal with it like an adult. And then he pulled lil Murrow out of the backseat and all was forgiven.

That being said, he did act immature in the beginning, but when they started to like each other, appreciated that there was no childish "I can't like you" or "we shouldn't be together." They kissed, realized how right it felt, and went
"okay. I like this and don't want to lose it. What is my path forward after adjusting for this new variable."
I also like that he didn't try to get her to quit her job or work in a more "serious" area of broadcast journalism like him. He recognized that she was intelligent and competent, and encouraged her to do the work that fulfilled her.
Brynn is SO damn lucky to have the community she left behind. She comes into town acting like a spoiled brat.
Truly. She's rude to everyone she speaks to, even when she thinks she is being nice, so for all of her old friends and community to see through that and help her get out of that toxic headspace? They're braver than I am.
There was a moment when Brynn was starting to come back to herself, when Sebastian tried to warn Layla and Cole that it might not last, and she might go back to her bitchy persona. Both friends had such a loving and mature response, that it literally warmed my heart.
T really liked that you could see the emotional maturity and ability to communicate in this book. There were none of the childish traps that younger characters would get caught in. Even when the characters were acting childish, you could understand because strong feelings were involved, and once they could regulate their feelings and look at it in perspective, they responded better.

What I didn't like:
understand brynn is supposed to be unlikeable, but dear god she was insufferable. It made it a little difficult to believe she would pendulum swing back to a real person so quickly.
Her gaff was bashing her hometown when she didn't think she was on the air, calling them idiots for liking a civil war era festival they used to put on. She keeps apologizing that she didn't know she was on air, but she cannot IMAGINE that the people might be pissed for the sentiment of her statement, and the sense of betrayal they felt. There's a part where she mentions she had seen a therapist, and I find it hard to believe that someone who went to therapy regularly would be so wildly incompetent at understanding these emotional responses.
She had a rough childhood, so at 18 she up and leaves, and doesn't come back for 20 years until she has to to rehab her image. Totally fair for her to be hurt and want to leave, but to completely disappear from her life and cut all contact with the people who raised her and held her up when she was down? I didn't like that. I feel like there has to be some in between option where she can hate and resent her hometown (correctly or not), and remember the people who looked after her enough to not call the whole town idiots.
Overall:
It was an enjoyable read. I see why other people rated it a
3. I think the flaws were less apparent to me because I was listening while doing other work, so any time she became insufferable, I could just tune out.

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oh my god it was so so exhausting, almost every single word in that book was forced, it felt like 900 pages not 330. sorry just not my read.

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Thank you NetGalley, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio for this audiobook in exchange of a honest review. Brynn, a sunny morning-show host, messes up on live TV and the only way to fix it is to go back to her small hometown in Colorado. Once there, she has to work alongside Sebastian, a grumpy ex-reporter, in order to fix the damage she caused. I enjoyed the small town charm in this enemies to lovers rom com. It reminded me a bit of Emily Henry's Book Lovers. Overall, I don't think this one was for me. But if you're looking for a cozy enemies to lovers romance novel maybe consider picking this one up, it just might be for you. It comes out September 5th!

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This was such a good read! I feel like this was a much more naturally occurring enemies to lovers romance. This one has good reasons for the tension between the love interests. I like that this was mostly set in Colorado. I also like that it draws attention to smaller news outlets and their need for support in order for there not to be news deserts.

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this was okay, but read very juvenile and i didn't feel connected to the characters or what happens to them at all. i can see other reader enjoying this a lot tho!

— thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the free digital ARC.

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I had the pleasure of delving into a captivating romance set in a charming small town, and I must say, it left a lasting impression on me. The story is centered around the main character, who seems to be faced with some sort of punishment, but as the plot unfolds, it takes an unexpected turn towards a heartwarming direction.

One of the aspects that truly stood out to me were the beautifully crafted scenes of romance. They were so well-written and evocative, making it easy for me to immerse myself in the emotions and connections between the characters. Each interaction felt genuine and heartfelt, drawing me further into the story's allure.

One intriguing and unique aspect of the book was its use of different points of view. While it might initially seem strange to blend both first and third-person perspectives, I found myself adjusting to it surprisingly well. This narrative choice added an interesting layer to the storytelling, offering various insights into the characters' minds and emotions.

As the story unfolded, it skillfully navigated through the challenges and obstacles that the main character faced, keeping me engrossed throughout. It was gratifying to witness the character's growth and see how the seemingly unfavorable circumstances ultimately led to positive outcomes.

Overall, this romance novel set in a small town left me with a heartwarming feeling and a smile on my face. The skillful writing and character development, along with the clever use of different points of view, made for an engaging and memorable reading experience. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a tender and emotionally satisfying love story.

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I listened to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't find this to be an overly romantic book. It was probably a general women's fiction. The author made it very difficult to like Brynn in the beginning. Like Sebastian, we had to get to know her past to understand why, she was the way she was.
The narrator was very good. Normally within the first few minutes I can tell whether I will listen to a whole audiobook or not. I was happy to discover the voice was pleasant to listen to.
Orly and the additional characters were lovely.
3.5 stars

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Bethany Turner is one of my favorite romcom authors. I was very entertained with this book. I know what it is like to get wrapped up in what is expected of you rather than being yourself. This story was relatable because of that.

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This was a sweet romance in a small mountain town which can be some of my favorite. I loved the town setting and a lot of the people and friends in the town but this fell short for me because I never really felt a connection to Brynn. I know she went through some trying times in her past but she really wasn’t that likable to me and the growth she had happened so quickly that I didn’t find it believable. Sebastian was nice enough but I really didn’t feel like there was any chemistry between him and Brynn. I really liked the friends that Brynn had grown up with in Adelaide Springs, Laila and Cole, and also her camera man, Orly. I really loved how caring and down to earth they all were.

Overall this was a decent read for me. The audiobook helped me to fly through it and I thought the narrator did a really good job for the dual POV.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

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Brynn and Sebastian Hate Eachother by Bethany Turner is an enemies to lovers romantic comedy that is exactly what I needed this week.
Think of The Morning Show turned romantic comedy meets the Hallmark channel.

❤️ enemies to lovers
💙 small town
💚 slow burn
💜 light spice

Morning entertainment show anchor, Brynn, unintentionally made some unkind comments about her small hometown, unaware that she was live on air. To salvage her career, she ends up taking a one man camera crew to her hometown that she had long left behind with the goal to win them over and hopefully if they could forgive her, so can her viewers.
Let me tell you, it was pretty easy to dislike Brynn's character early in this book. Her blatant dislike for her home town made it easy to write her off. That changes after she meets Sebastian. Their banter and instant dislike for eachother is so entertaining. Their passionate animosity brings out the worst in them. I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and observing their mutual dislike transition to respect and then love. I have rated this book 3.5/5.
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGallery for the Audiobook of this book.

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Brynn Cornell is becoming America's Ray of Sunshine on the news network she works for, Sunup. When she thinks she's off air, she rips her hometown, Adelaide Springs, a new asshole - saying that they're poor, uneducated, and nothing special. She realizes her mistake when all the cameramen, prompters, and higher-ups come rushing around the stage and stopping her broadcast. Her career is ruined. To save her skin she recommends that she be sent back to Adeline Springs and film her homecoming and apologies to the townspeople.

Sebastian Sudworth was a Pulitzer-winning journalist before he snapped and, after a lot of NDAs, moves to Adelaide Springs to live a quieter life. While in a city council meeting, he is voted as Brynn's chaperone during her time back in town.

They have a horrible meet cute and things just get worse for Brynn as the days follow. Nobody wants her around, and Sebastian is not making anything easier. Things change when she gets stuck in a tree she climbed as a kid and called Sebastian for help. They started talking and getting to know each other. Sebastian started to see the real Brynn and not the Sunup TV version.

I found it incredibly challenging to connect with Brynn as a character. While we all encounter individuals who present themselves as something they're not, Brynn's portrayal lacked believability. I just didn't believe her apology filmed journey, and the town needed to remain upset with her.

What I did enjoy with this book were the side characters. All the townspeople in Adelaide Springs were lovely and reminded me of the small towns that I live in and by in Iowa. I also really liked the narrator's voice. It was soothing and easy to listen to.

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This was super sweet! The banter was witty and fun (there were some great quotes like, “Not even Gollum overused the word “Precious” as much as she did!” Ha!). The chemistry was believable and completely clean (yay!).

Huge Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan audio for the opportunity to listen to this book!

And Thank you to NetGalley for providing this option!

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