Happily Never After is a quick romance read following Sophie and Max. The two meet at Sophie's wedding. Sophie's friend hires Max to disrupt Sophie's wedding because her fiancé has cheated on her once again and she does not want to go through with the wedding. Sophie and Max come together again when Max asks Sophie to help him disrupt a different wedding. Their work as disruptors brings them closer together and they become very good friends. Both of them are not looking for a relationship but their connection is undeniable.

I really enjoyed Happily Never After. At first I did not get the whole disruptors thing because I was like why would people go through with a wedding if it's not what they want? Once I got over that, this element was a very fun way to get the characters to come together. Both Sophie and Max do not want relationships, Sophie especially as she has stopped believing in love all together. It was nice to see them come together and shift their views on relationships and love. I felt like this was true friends to lovers as Sophie and Max's friendship is built perfectly throughout the novel. I didn't love the conflict of the novel and found it kind of annoying, but romance conflicts are usually like that.

In the end, Happily Never After is a fun and quick romance read with a unique premise and a true friends to lovers trope. If you are looking for a quick romance read, I'd highly recommend Happily Never After! It would also be a great beach read in the summer.

I went into this one skeptical about the plot because it’s pretty hard to imagine these scenarios but I ended up really loving it. The author has created characters that had the best chemistry ever! They were so fun and their banter was hysterical. This was the perfect fake dating, friends to lovers dramcom. I laughed hard at places and even had tears in my eyes during the last third of the book. It was really fun.

One of the best Rom-Coms! Seriously! All the love for this one.

It's the most unexpected meet cute when Max objects to Sophie's wedding. Max is a man hired to call off the nuptials when one party can't do it themselves. Quite the unusual side gig. Max and Sophie form an unlikely friendship, working together saving couples from saying "I Do" while doing some fake dating.

It's so funny, like literally LOL funny. This is my first book by Lynn Painter (I know, I know. What the what?) and I have been missing out. I think audio made this even better. The narration was superb and really added to the comedic effect.

Chemistry is intense, doors are open, but there's not a ton of scenes so I give it
🌶️🌶️/5

And I give it all the stars
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

If you’ve ever wanted to hire someone to ruin your wedding OR a friends wedding then Max and Sophie are your go to’s.

Fake dating wedding cashers (but only for people who really deserve it). This was a quick and fun read. The banter was pretty funny but there definitely was some cringe in the romance to me.

What a unique concept for a book! Characters were well developed and the plot was driven, did not take long to finish. Overall an excellent read.

3.5 stars

When Sophie finds out her fiance is cheating she hires Max to object at the wedding so everyone finds out what happened. When she and Max later work together they have so much chemistry and an unexpected connection. However, are either of them ready for anything more than a fling?

This was an interesting story with a fun set up, and I enjoyed it, but it felt a little long and repetitive at times. Overall a nice read but not my favorite from Lynn.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing company for this Digital Advanced Readers Copy! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Thank you to @netgalley @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Happily Never After by Lynn Painter is an absolute gem! From the moment I read about the concept of “wedding objectors,” I was intrigued. But Painter pulls it off! Max was “hired” to object at Sophie’s wedding, and if that doesn’t hook you, nothing will!

The chemistry between Max and Sophie is electric. Max is laid-back, cynical, and doesn’t believe in love. Sophie is a nonbeliever in love who thrives on bullet-point presentations and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. This dynamic of strong personality and soft heart is rare and refreshing, making Sophie incredibly relatable.

The development of their relationship from genuine friendship to undeniable attraction is beautifully done. The tension is off the charts, and the spicier moments, especially the kissing scenes, are simply amazing 🔥. Painter has a knack for making these moments unforgettable.

Overall, Happily Never After is funny, cute, and delivers a perfect happily ever after. It’s a must-read for anyone who loves a good romance with a unique twist. 💕

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #berkleypub #berkleyromance #berkleybuddyreads #ltbreaderteam #berkelywritesstrongwomen #happilyneverafter #lynnpainter

Absolutely loved the banter!! This whole book was a shiny five stars and I adored the two MC’s so very much!

🌟🌟🌟🌟½

*Happily Never After* by Lynn Painter is a delightful rom-com that expertly blends humor, heart, and a bit of whimsy. Painter’s signature style shines through in this charming tale, where love is as unpredictable as the plot itself. The characters are wonderfully relatable, each grappling with their own insecurities and aspirations, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.

The banter between the protagonists is sharp and entertaining, creating a chemistry that leaps off the page. Painter’s knack for witty dialogue adds a fun layer to the story, keeping the pacing lively. I found myself laughing out loud at several moments while also feeling deeply connected to the characters’ emotional arcs.

While the story is largely a feel-good romance, it also explores themes of self-discovery and the pressures of societal expectations. The balance between humor and more serious moments is executed beautifully, though I would have loved to see a bit more development in some secondary characters.

Overall, *Happily Never After* is a captivating read that left me smiling long after I finished it. It’s a perfect pick for anyone looking for a light-hearted yet meaningful escape. Highly recommended!

This book got me. I was kicking my feet while reading it. I loved the characters and enjoyed watching them change. It was a cute, fast read which was nice. I enjoyed the premise of the book and got through it quickly.

Happily Never After
Rating: 4/5
This book was super cute! I love Lynn Painter and her books give such a cozy feel. I really enjoyed the unique concepts of this book and look forward to reading more of her books. While I give this a 4/5, that has more to do with my enjoyment of the "friends to lovers" trope, rather than the quality or entertainment of the book. Definitely check this one out!

Tropes:
–Dual POV
- Friends to lovers
- Fake Dating
- He falls first

Happily Never After was a fun read. Sophie finds out her future husband is cheating on her, so she and her BFF hire a wedding interrupter. The wedding is called off and she is off the hook for causing the problem. When Max asks her to work with him, to help others expose their cheating partners, Sophie agrees. When they are hired to disrupt the wedding of the women who broke Max's heart, he has second thoughts.

I enjoyed this story and I liked both Max and Sophie. It is a slow burn romance, with Max and Sophie falling for one another eventually. Their chemistry was there from the start, so I was waiting for them to act on it. The banter is great and had me laughing out loud at times. I laughed a lot while reading this one, but I also felt for Sophie who was falling for Max, but he was dealing with feelings for his ex. This is a great job, one I haven't heard of, and don't know if there is such a person out there. There is some language and steamy scenes, but I was able to fast forward through them. This was a well written rom com that I enjoyed and recommend.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

***1/2

I’m pretty sure I’ve read at least one, and seen a few other, professional bridesmaid-themed romance novels, but a professional objector is a first. When Sophie discovers her fiancé has cheated (again), she hires a guy to make a scene and bring the nuptials to a halt by yelling “I object!” at the opportune moment. It’s a clever opportunity to save face and extricate herself and her family from the potential union of her dad’s boss. Max checks on to get his compensation after the wedding and enjoys a drink and a long anti-love rant with Sophie. When Sophie decides she wants to join him in this side gig, Max coaches her and hooks her up… and eventually, they start hooking up, and when Sophie’s job requires a partner for an event, it’s natural that Sophie asks Max to be her fake date. And then she gets a gig to break up the wedding of the ex that Max might still have feelings for, and it all goes to hell when he objects to breaking up this particular wedding.

There’s a mix of fun, sexy, teasing banter, but sometimes into downright cringey banter; I’m finding I’m not such a fan of love interests who speak disrespectfully in a bro-y way to each other, and it’s pervasive. It’s mostly balanced out a little by the sweet snarkiness of Sophie’s elderly roommates and the appearance of Chekov’s table: if a mid-century table appears in the narrative, someone is going to be ravished on it before the end of the story. Their experimentation with greedily taking instead of giving when it comes to kissing and sex is refreshing and pays off. Sophie’s desire for a promotion and struggles working with her ex are a subplot that offers an opportunity for her personal growth. The denouement is a little bit of a 10 Things I Hate About You moment, where instead of a poem, super-organized Sophie makes a presentation grid to detail all the ways she DOESN’T like Max and definitely isn’t in love with him, because, ew, gross.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #HappilyNeverAfter via #NetGalley, courtesy of #Berkley.

This is might be my favorite Lynn Painter book so far, I could NOT stop laughing the whole time I was listening to this book.
But mostly, I have no notes. Okay just one but really it’s tiny. I loved this couple, I love how they communicated and understood each other. The tension was SO THERE. I loved the humor. Rose and Larry were perfect. And all the cats, this was the perfect Rom Com.

2.5 stars. I usually love Lynn Painter’s work (not including Mr. Wrong Number) but this book felt like it was moving way too fast. It was like they were “in love” before they even knew each other’s last names. Also, while this was probably (hopefully) written before October, the near constant mention of Starbucks was just tacky. I already thought that reading about real life brands is never fun in books but this especially is just unnecessary. Not too late to take it out tho 🙈. That being said I did like the characters individually!

2.5 Stars.

I always get so drawn in by Lynn Painter’s premises and then end up being sorely disappointed because 100 pages are just sex. She’s only one step up from the 99cent reads on the Books app in terms of style, I would say.

Any book with more than two explicit sex scenes isn’t “romance”, it’s smut.

It was an easy overnight read because I skipped those 100 pages.

Don’t be fooled—this is NOT an innovative novel about objecting to weddings. It is a textbook fake-dating plot.

Why isn’t it lower than 2.5 stars? Idk I just felt like it. The banter, maybe. The comfort in friendship, maybe. Who knows?

This was such a pleasure to read. It’s filled with cute moments, but the characters weren't as well developed as they should be.

Lynn Painter knows how to write a fun YA romance - this was such a pleasure to read. It’s filled with cute moments but the characters aren’t as well developed as they should be.