I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a honest review. This book was cute, and what is expected from a romance. The character development was a little forced but still a cute story.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher of this for allowing me to read this book. I did like the book. However it was a true slow burn. I enjoyed the banter between Sebastian and Brynn. I do think the next reader will appreciate all the popular references.

This is my favorite book I’ve read in a while! It’s cute, funny, and a wonderful feel good story. I finished it in a day and can’t recommend it highly enough. The characters are both likable and relatable, and the author uses the dual POV perfectly to accomplish this.

The narration is also fantastic, I’m immediately going in search of other books by this author.

Oh, golly. Bethany has written on of the worst female main characters I’ve ever read! Truly, I disliked Brynn SO MUCH that I almost didn’t want to keep reading! BUT, of course, there was redemption for Brynn! While I understood a lot of her personality was developed as trauma response, it didn’t make her less unlikable. Thankfully, around chapter 15, she decided to face her past, instead of hiding from it. In doing so, she became so much less confrontational, and more likable! (Just ask Sebastian! He totally agrees.) Being in her hometown, Brynn was reminded of the amazing place it could be, and the people who loved her for WHO SHE WAS, not who she pretended to be. Sebastian had his own traumatic past, and brought that into their relationship. And although he DID seem to like to bait Brynn, he actually appeared to be a good human.
I’m glad I didn’t quit on this book! I really did ultimately like it a lot! This was my first audiobook, so it was a bit of an adjustment for me; I usually like to “read” read, not listen-read, but the narrator did a great job of differentiating the voices of the characters!

3.5⭐️

overall I loved and enjoyed this book, it had a similar vibe to the movie sweet home Alabama which I love.
Also, the narration was so good.

in terms of romance I loved the build up and the bickering between Brynn and Sebastian, but in terms of characters I feel like something was missing especially with brynn I would’ve loved to see a more detailed character development but overall it was a fun read.

𝗕𝗿𝘆𝗻𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗯𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 by Bethany Turner
Publishing: September 1, 2023 by @harpercollins
Reviewed by: Mel
Format: Audiobook ALC [thank you @netgalley]

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆
✽ Grumpy x Sunshine
✽ Enemies to Lovers
✽ Small town romance
✽ The Morning Show


𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
Let me start out by saying that my rating for this book ebbed and flowed throughout the entire thing. I actually wanted to give it 4 stars once I finished, but after I slept on it and realized some of the missing pieces, I knocked it down to 3 stars. It was an entertaining and enjoyable audiobook listen, but certainly had some gaps.

First off, the “sunshine” FMC is actually a cranky stuck-up b***h off the air. That upset me right off the bat. She changes her name after moving away from Adelaide Springs, CO, and gets caught on-air bad-mouthing the small town which shows the cracks in her facade that she’s not actually a sunshine character in real life. The premise of her winning over the town’s residents again works, but the transition to just winning over Sebastian (and it actually working) happens so freakin’ quickly, I got whiplash.

The romance between Brynn and Sebastian happens in a blink of an eye - I mean literally, I had to rewind and re-listen to make sure I didn’t miss something because one minute they’re still “enemies” and the next they’re swooning over each other. I definitely think it would have been more believable if one of them developed feelings for the other first, and the second person was much slower to come around. The zero-to-sixty love story would have been much more believable if it was one person falling that quickly instead of both.

I did really enjoy the last 20% or so when the story happens with the avalanche and they jump into action as field journalists. Maybe it’s the journalist in me (I went to graduate school for journalism) or maybe I just needed something more than the back-and-forth between Brynn and the townies.

Overall, I was entertained by this audiobook, but it didn’t wow me.

Overall this was short, sweet, and simple.
I am a sucker for the grumpy sunshine trope. But honestly it was more fake sunshine who is actually super self obsessed and poor traumatized grumpy. I loved the MMC and the whole premise. I just could not find Brynn to be at all likeable and then everyone just forgave her and she suddenly became likeable as if the “true” her had been likeable all along.
I was also a bit sad that at the end he ends up leaving Colorado.

As for the writing itself. The author overused the phrase “truth be told” so much that everytime it was used it completely pulled me out of the story.

Brynn Cornell messes up big time by accidentally disparaging her hometown live on the morning show she hosts. Suddenly, the nation’s ray of sunshine isn’t as sunny as she appears. To save face, she travels back to her isolated hometown in Colorado to save face and beg for forgiveness. Without her career, who is she?

This was just OK for me. It was a sweet love story but didn’t really offer anything fresh or new. Brynn was not a likeable character at all, and I have no idea how she ever convinced anyone she was a ray of sunshine. I almost wish this was just a story about Seb – I enjoyed learning about his backstory and life in Adelaide Springs. In fact, a story about him and Orly would be better.

The second half of the book was a lot better but there was something quite sluggish about the first half. Also with the promise of “hate each other” it seemed that the two characters fell for each other pretty fast and there wasn’t enough fuel for an “enemies to loves” scenario. I found myself not really caring until the end.

Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other was a cute read that I enjoyed more than I was expecting to honestly. I'm not a huge fan of enemies to lovers but this one caught my attention. I enjoyed the premise (hot shot reporter messes up and has to return to her small home town she left behind) and thought there were a lot of sweet moments in the book.

That being said, I realized at one point that the book was essentially the plot from the movie Cars--hot shot famous & arrogant character messes up and ends up in a small town where they have to make amends with the locals. Big city once successful transplant has found a home in the quaint town and loves it more than reason, even though its past its prime and could definitely use a fix up. They despise the famous character for all their big city-ness and that they couldnt possibly love the town they love now. ---annnd after that all I could think of was Brynn and Sebastian kachoogaing around Radiator Springs haha.

Despite that, it really was an enjoyable read. 4.5*

I received a copy of the audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I got a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review though my opinions are my own. This book is a hate to love story with a heroine that needs a lot of redemption at the beginning of the book. It is a romcom that covers some heavier topics but due to the format of the book, it doesn’t go in depth. It creates sexual tension between the main characters but there is nothing more than kisses and brief touches described. I want to briefly address the flawed heroine. As female readers, we tend to be harder on our flawed heroines than flawed heroes which is far from fair. I love a good redemption of a flawed heroine because who hasn’t ever been so frustrated by their life circumstances that you lash out to others? It is true to life and these heroines deserve their happily ever after.

Brynn who has been typecast in her role on a popular morning show has said something on air disparaging the town where she grew up. Sebastian is a former news correspondent who has found haven in the town. When Brynn returns home for redemption, the two of them immediately hate each other, until they don’t.

This was a great summer listen. I laughed out loud several times, and really enjoyed meeting all the residents of Adelaide Springs. I am really hoping the author covers the stories of certain other residents. Sebastian was easy to root for. He is such an honest, earnest self aware character who has spent 6 years putting himself back together. Brynn is hard to listen to in the beginning. I was cringing and wanting to fast forward at bits. As her walls fall away and her real personality emerges, you get to watch her discover who she actually is. This book has a romcom feel with chick lit vibes. If you like that and strong secondary characters, give this a go. If a cringey heroine who needs deep redemption in the beginning will ruin the book for you, I would pass.

Super cute enemies to lovers grumpy sunshine trope. The main character played into the rude character a bit more than I thought necessary. But overall, it was a very cute, enjoyable listen. The narrator did a great job!

This book was very hard to get into. Neither Brynn or Sebastian appealed to me. The first half was very slow and there was so much bickering that I almost DNF'd it. The ending was rushed and I didn't believe that they would have feelings for one another.

It took me 9 days to complete this book. It didn’t capture my attention. I will usually finish a book in a couple of days. Brynn and Sebastian was very predictable. The same story I’ve read a dozen times. Dripping sweet and not a whole lot of depth. The narrator did a good job but Lacked emotion.

this one was super cute. I really love the enemies to lovers aspect of it. however this was such a slow burn that I got a little bored with it. zero spice which I don't love but I know a ton of people like books like that so I thought I would mention it.

This book is NOT an enemies-to-lovers or a Grumpy/Sunshine book. It is, however, a book written by an author that I suspect deeply loathes women and people of color.

Brynn, a cartoonishly "unlikeable" woman, is the host of a morning show and is beloved for her "sunny" personality. Except, she's an unmarried, ambitious career woman, so she must be fake and bitter. She gets caught on a hot mic bashing her hometown, Adelaide Springs, a small town in Lauren Boebert's district where the author explicitly states that only white people live. Her public image plummets and to save her career, she has to return to the town where only white people live to make amends.

When Brynn begrudgingly returns to the town where only white people live, she meets her host Sebastian, a cardboard man you can project anything you'd like onto (save for his republican parents and past as a Pulitzer Prize winner until he settled in the town where only white people live). She's supposed to be the sunshine one and he's supposed to be the grumpy one. She's so bitter that I almost thought she was supposed to be the grumpy one, but no, the author reminds us several times that Brynn has a "sunny" personality and he's so bland that it doesn't give grumpy vibes. Brynn is rude to him and is overall entitled and selfish (she's career-focused, so obviously she must be selfish-it's the law). The two instantly hate each other, at which point I thought ahh here we are -- enemies! But then the first half drags and repeats a lot of the same scenes until bam--insta-love! Then we find out more about Sebastian because obviously, he has to have a tragic backstory in that he was so career-focused it cost him his marriage. But it's fine because the author said God forgave him. The important question, though, is will I forgive the author for the Anderson Cooper slander?

Anyway, after Brynn falls in insta-love with Sebastian and learns to appreciate the town where only white people live, she morphs into the traditionally "likable" woman and has a grand realization she's not actually career-driven! She hates her job! She only got it because someone thought she was pretty!

It's been a while since I've hated a book this much. Usually, I can manage to find something I like about it, but this one was irredeemable. Well, except for the dog. I liked the dog.

Also, in Brynn's defense, her hot mic comment about the town where only white people live was pretty spot on. I don't even find it believable that people would hate her for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for giving me an early copy. All thoughts are my own.

I loved the idea of this book. As someone who went to school for journalism, I was excited about the premise of a big shot news anchor (I was picturing Reese Witherspoon in the Morning Show) returning to her small town. But oof, it fell completely flat for me. Brynn (the female main character) was completely unlikeable. Like completely. I thought some of the supporting characters were cute - it gave some sweet Gilmore Girl/Virgin River vibes - but not enough to support the awful FMC and lackluster love story. Also, maybe it was just my lack of connection with the characters and story, but the chapters felt SO LONG.

The audiobook quality was good. I found the narration decent, but not amazing.

Overall a great big “meh” from me.

This book follows Brynn as she attempts to save her job and reputation after accidentally saying the wrong thing on air. She goes back to her hometown of Adelaide Springs, Colorado where she never thought she'd go back to in order to make amends.

As the story unfolds, certain members are easy to forgive her while others are not so easily convinced.

This is such a cute love story. I felt for Brynn even though they were trying to paint her as a brat. She clearly had her reasons for putting on such a hard exterior.

Sebastian on the other hand is a newer resident of her small hometown and isn't too happy with someone down talking his place of inhabitance. His new home. His escape from his old life. A life that may bring Brynn and him closer in unexpected ways.

This audiobook moves at a fairly steady pace after the initial drama. It never gets too exciting but when I thought back on the entire book and the characters - I found that although it may not have been the most exuberant story, it was a lovely story nonetheless. Recommended for anyone looking for a light and sweet love story.

This review has been hard for me to write. I wanted so bad to LOVE this book and it just fell flat for me. When I read the blurb and plot I was so excited as I love a good rom-com hallmark type feel, and though there is the feeling of that throughout it just didn't quite hit the mark. There is pacing problems and the character development was so slow. I am a huge fan of grumpyxsunshine and enemies to lovers but the evolution of Brynn and Seb's relationship is just really lacking, which was so disappointing. It feels way to sudden, forced, and strange. I have never read a book where I disliked the main character so much, though I do love her redemption by the end, it just wasn't enough to turn around the negative feelings the author gives you through most of the book towards her. The last quarter of the book is the best as you finally get to see Brynn in some sweet scenes with the people who helped her become who she is today. But again, it just wasn't enough to redeem my dislike for her.

I am thankful for the opportunity to have read an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley.

I truly really enjoyed this romance! I waited so long to dive into it, and i wish i wouldn’t have!

Our characters are both battling so troubled pasts that cause them to be a level of fake to deal with the pain they’re harboring. The character development for both Brynn & Sebastian was top tier. I didn’t much like Brynn at the beginning but by the end i was her biggest cheerleader.

Sebastian truly was such a big teddy bear. I was LOLing at his banter with Brynn specially when she was stuck in the tree.

The author does an excellent job at holding your attention throughout the entire novel and really makes you fall in love with the setting and characters throughout the story.

It’s giving enemies to lovers and small town romance!

I will definitely read more by this author and really enjoyed this book!

When sunny morning-show host Brynn accidentally slams the small town she is from on live television, her reputation goes down in flames. To make good with the people in her small town that she scrutinized, the TV network sends her back there with a cameraman to apologize and earn forgiveness, all so she can return to her morning show. Sebastian doesn’t expect to be babysitting the star but he’ll do what he has to in order to bring some positive attention to the small town he loves.

The fighting between the characters was great and necessary. Sebastian was good at reading Brynn and calling her out on her bullshit, which she definitely needed. He was really smart and caring, and I’m a bit surprised as to how he fell for Brynn.

For a woman in her late thirties, Brynn was a bit too immature and whiny for my taste. She came off as bratty and spoiled, which was kind of annoying. It really bothered me when she compared Sebastian’s war zone journalism to her being at Macy’s on a Black Friday and saying she knew about war zones too. Overall her character development lacked growth.

It also seemed really strange that Brynn’s POV was in the first person but Sebastian’s POV was in the third person.

If you can look past that, you may enjoy this book. I for one, didn’t. I was really excited about this enemies-to-lovers book, but ultimately it just fell flat.

Tropes:

📺 Enemies to lovers
📺 Banter
📺 Small town

The narrator did a wonderful job differentiating between characters and made the audiobook very pleasant to listen to.

Thank you, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley, for providing an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.