This book was full of so much heart! 2 people struggling with the same fear of love not being real and getting their hearts broken again find each other! So funny as well!!

I loved this one! Lynn Painter brings us two fun characters who “object” at weddings to give the bride or groom a “Get Out of Jail Free Pass!” Sophie has sworn off of love and thinks she can put Max in the “friends only” box. However, these two have way too much chemistry and fun to stay in the friend zone! Fun banter and a cute storyline…this is a spicy and fun romance!

Sophie Steinbeck is on the verge of getting married when she finds out her one time cheating fiancé has oops, done it again. But ending things outright is complicated-their lives intertwined in more ways than one.

Then Sophie hears about a service where you can hire a professional objector to show up at your wedding and call out your shady significant other for you. This is how Sophie comes to meet Max, said part time objector, and a man who just so happens to be equally put off by love.

Over post, would be nuptial bonding, the pair come to a mutual understanding. So when Max offers Sophie to be his co-objector in crime, who is she, no pun intended, to object? But the more the two work to break others up, the more they find themselves drawn to one another. Can these two cynics take their sour outlook on love and turn their objections into declarations?

Happily Never After is perfect, rom com escapism for fans of old school movies that have, in recent years, inexplicably fallen out of favor. Putting aside the ridiculous premise there would be THAT MANY weddings to call off, the scenario itself is unique and an ideal setup for fans of jaded romance that no diehard fan can object to.

“I love banter, but I hate witty banter.” Kevin from the Office. If you share his viewpoint, then you’ll want to skip this book because the banter between the two MC is epic! This book was so much fun it gave me a kind of Wedding Crashers vibe with a romance vibe and it was off the charts fun!
Sophie is trying to get out of marrying her cheating fiancé without her father, who works for her fiancés father losing his job after just days before the wedding she found irrefutable evidence of the affair on her fiancés phone. Her best friend brings in Max, who is a college friend of her cousin’s, who had helped out another friend by objecting that the couple should not be wed at their wedding and got her out of her wedding too. Max has become The Objector. I mean, you can’t make this stuff up! But somehow Lynn Painter manages to time and time again!
After Max saves Sophie from marrying Stuart, they hit it off and a few months later he asks her to help him out as an Objector at another wedding and they end up having so much fun and so much chemistry that they agree to continue offering this service. Neither of them believe in love and they go from wedding to wedding and as they spend more and more time together, they try the friends with benefits route but soon realize that maybe love really does exist after all.
This book started with an awesome first line and kept me engaged the entire time. I didn’t want it to end! I loved that Sophie has two geriatric roommates that are more cool than I could ever hope to be as well. They brought such a fun energy ti their scenes!
If you’re in the mood for a light and laugh out loud funny story with a fair amount of steam then pick this one up today!
Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

OMG this book was HILARIOUS! When bride, Sophie finds out her fiance was cheating on her, and her wedding was broken up, she is raging and ends up determined to save others from her humiliation. She joins forces with "Objector" Max, and they object during weddings when there is infidelity happening in the relationship. Determined never to fall in love again, Sophie is adamant that she and Max be friends...with benefits...but only friends. But is that actually possible?

I loved this book! I laughed out loud so many times! Now to go read Lynn Painter's backlist books!

Lynn Painter has done it again! There's truly nobody who does witty banter like her. Within the last year or two, she has become one of my absolute favorite authors.

I read romance books quite frequently, and I loved that this one had a unique concept! Max and Sophie are wedding objectors -- when the attendees are asked if anyone has a reason for the couple to not get married, they say "I do!" It all started at Sophie's wedding, where Max was hired as an objector to expose Sophie's fiance, who was cheating on her. Together, they help expose toxic partners at wedding ceremonies, so that their partner doesn't have to take the heat for calling off the relationship.

HAPPILY NEVER AFTER is a hilariously sweet friends-to-lovers romance. I adored the friendship between Max and Sophie, and their banter made me laugh out loud many times. I was sad when this book ended because I wanted to spend more time with these characters.

Lynn Painter is SO good at what she does and I will never not be counting down the days until next next release!

I'm a huge fan of Lynn Painter's novels and I'm happy to report that I have found a new favorite from her with her latest, Happily Never After!

When we first meet the female main character, Sophie, she is about to walk down the aisle but has just learned that her fiance has cheated on her yet again. She wants to call it off but her dad works for her soon-to-be father-in-law and she’s worried he will pay the price if she does. Not all superheros wear capes though and Sophie’s hero arrives in the form of Max, who has been paid by her besties to come to the ceremony and object to the marriage. Max hangs around for the anti-wedding festivities and he and Sophie get to know each other. He explains what he does as a professional Objector and when Sophie expresses interest in trying it, he calls her up the next time he has a job. A fun partnership soon forms, but what happens when the objectors, neither of whom really believes in love after having been burned too many times, start to have feelings for one another?

I really just loved everything about this book! Both Sophie and Max are so loveable and I just loved the way their friendship grows from such an unlikely scenario. It was also just so fun watching them go out there saving people from marriages destined to fail, one ceremony at a time. That partners-in-crime vibe was such a great time, and I adored their chemistry. It was all too easy to root for them to become more than friends.

Nobody makes me laugh harder than Lynn Painter. Her banter is some of the best I’ve ever read and it’s usually why I pick up her books. Happily Never After has all of that and so much more because there’s some emotional depth as both Sophie and Max have to learn to move beyond what has burned them in the past and re-embrace the possibility of love if they’re going to have a future together.

Lynn Painter does banter like no one else! This was an original romantic comedy that represented everything I love about this genre while still feeling fresh with a story line that hasn't been overdone. Sophie and Max have a meet cute (?) that is unlike anything I've read and I loved it! It was quite funny and the perfect set up for the rest of the book.

Perhaps what I enjoyed most about this book was Sophie's logical disbelief in true love. We've read countless stories where the FMC gets burned then swears off love, but Sophie's approach was so much less... emotional. It was an odd POV for a main character to have in a romcom, and I was really anxious to see how Lynn Painter would navigate it. She made me dis-believe in love so early on (and the MMC, too!) but she broke down the belief expertly and it really added to the story.

Sophie is independent, funny, and put herself first. I really enjoyed her as a FMC and she and Max had excellent chemistry!

Overall, this book is a great read if you're looking for something that will both chill your heart then warm it - - all while being expertly entertaining!

This was my first Lynn Painter and I was really excited to finally try her books! I was enjoying Happily Never After quite a bit, but somewhere around 40% my interest faded and unfortunately didn’t pick up again. I felt a bit bored at the plot toward the end, but the banter had its moments. 2.5 stars (2 for netgalley)

Happily Never After is another 5 star winner from Lynn Painter! I really enjoyed her previous novels but I think this one may just be my new favorite! If you like books that make you LOL, and/or books with wedding themes then grab this one! You won't regret it!

The chemistry was immaculate. The banter was hilarious. The steam was A+. It was fast paced. The was a friends to lovers/kinda fake dating combo was the perfect vibe. Also how the book starts with a wedding objection?! It was everything I didn’t know I needed. So, my only complaints are the third act break up…and the several times Sophie made me want to shake her. However, despite those things…I loved the book anyway.

If you love dual povs, great banter, amazing spicy scenes, friends to lovers/fake dating, and a fun plot line? This is for you!

Overall I thought this book was really fun! I loved the idea of the a professional wedding objector and felt like it was a really unique premise for a book! I thought Sophie and Max were a fun couple and really enjoyed the friendship they built that turned into a relationship.

5 Stars

Every single Lynn Painter book feels like falling in love with your best friend, and this book is LITERALLY FINDING YOUR BEST FRIEND AND FALLING IN LOVE.

Like all of Lynn’s previous romances, the banter is exceptional and I can’t help but smiling throughout the whole story. The premise of this book seems WILD, but it’s so unique that you can’t help but love it. Sophie has, through word of mouth, found someone to object at her nuptials to a cheating cheater, all so she can get out of the wedding unscathed and with fragile business relationships in tact. What she never expected was to befriend the man who objected for her and then want to join him in saving others from a similar fate BECAUSE TRUE LOVE DOESNT EXIST.

Max didn’t expect to be drawn in by Sophie or to do d himself having so much fun with her. LET ALONE CATCH SOME MAJOR FEELS BECAUSE HOLY CRAP THEIR CHEMISTRY IS OFF THE CHARTS. He doesn’t believe in true love, but what they feel for each other is undeniable, no matter how much they try to deny it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this romance and it made my heart so happy. In my opinion, Lynn can’t write a bad romance and I absolutely loved every second of this story. And if you enjoy audio, the dual narrators were PERFECTION.

Thank you Berkley Romance for my gifted physical and digital copies 💕

Happily Never After
Lynn Painter

📖 On Sophie's wedding day, moments before saying "I do", she's saved by an objector. That is, a person who objects at weddings to stop good people from marrying not-so-good people. She and Max the Objector hit it off, and Max talks Sophie into becoming an objector herself. It's perfect really, as both are love cynics, convinced that real love just doesn't exist. The pair go from wedding to wedding, stopping folks from making the biggest mistake of their lives. But when something bubbles between them, they start to wonder if they've had it wrong all along.

💭 This is only my second Lynn Painter novel, and I was sad that her last one didn't really work for me. But this one? WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER. 🏆 This was a blast! Such a clever concept for a romcom. The humor was on point, with multiple laugh-out-loud moments. Sophie is SO quippy and fun, and she and Max have the best banter! The chemistry sizzles, the communication is open and honest, and I love the friends-first component. Definitely recommend!!

4.5 rounded to 5 ⭐

This was such a fun premise! Sophie is at the alter getting ready to marry her fiance who cheated on her repeatedly. She isn't able to call the wedding off because her future father-in-law is her dad's boss so she's in a lose/lose situation. That is until Max yells out I object at her wedding! Max is a professional objector, hired to stop weddings and Sophie is grateful he was there that day.

This was a fun story and premise. It was very light-hearted and a quick read. There was great banter and chemistry in the book and I loved Sophie's roommates.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

Lynn Painter has become an auto-buy author for me. I have to have everyone book in every format 🤣 ie- see the above photo with my @bookofthemonth physical copy! 😏

This book is so fun! I absolutely loved the premise and how Sophie and Max interact in this one. I love the whole “objectors” storyline it brings so much to this book, the banter between these two is perfect I’m still swooning.

This is definitely a favorite of mine and will be one of my comfort rereads.

4 Stars!

"The moment my dad raised my veil, kissed my cheek, and handed me off to Stuart, I wanted to throw up."

I mean, with a first line to the book like this one, who wouldn't be intrigued?!

Super original and fun. This was friends-to-lovers greatness and everything I look for in a rom-com. My first read by this author, and it made me want to dive into her backlist.

Max is an Objector, as a hobby. He gets hired on the DL by brides or grooms who don't want to go through with the big day and gets hired to "object" during their vows. When he objects at Sophie's wedding, Sophie is overjoyed. They strike an instant friendship. Not only that, but Sophie wants to team up with Max in his efforts.

"I don't care about what you want to call this, but I want all of you-every brilliant, beautiful piece of Sophie Steinbeck, with me, in my bed, all night."

Recommend if You Like:
- Friends-to-lovers
- Hilarious side characters (her roommates!)
- Friends with benefits
- Have ever gone paddle boarding
- Stories about people who've been hurt and think they've outsmarted love and figured it all out (Spoiler alert...they haven't!)

I loved the evolution of their friendship. Sophie swears she has a reasonable, platonic explanation for every single thing that elevates her friendship (and her feelings) towards Max.

I listened to the audio and both Helen Laser and Sean Patrick Hopkins did a great job bringing Sophie and Max to life.

And I don't know what I was expecting as far as spice...I should know better by now when it comes to the cutesy covers but HAWT DAMN! Sophie and Max burned up the pages in SEVERAL parts of the book and this girl was here for it!

Super enjoyable, witty and original read. Will definitely be reading more from this author soon!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley who provided me with a free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis in a sentence (or a few):
Sophie Steinbeck is about to marry someone she has just discovered is a cheater. Rather than call it all off on the wedding day, Max, a total stranger, is hired to be “the objector.” Max and Sophie will soon forge an alliance around their mutual cynicism towards romance and concern for idealists.

Characters:
I initially found Lynn Painter through Bookstagram, and I’m so glad I did. This was my third romance by her and, by far, my favorite. Her characters are cute, heartwarming, and always a welcome distraction when I need a lighthearted read.

Pacing/Storyline:
♥️I loved the irony in this one. A romance rarely focuses on ensuring two people do not get married, yet this novel is wholly centered around that premise.
♥️I’d never really thought about the objections in a wedding. Admittedly, I saw them as a custom. I loved the way the plot of this story focused on this tradition as a necessity, and the “objectors” became heroes and heroines.
♥️I love a story where I can laugh aloud at moments I would have found horrifying had I lived them, and there were plenty of those.
♥️Witty banter is my favorite, and Max & Sophie’s chemistry kept me turning pages late into the night

Lowlights:
Max’s ex's backstory was not my favorite

I recommend this one to readers who love:
📚Lynn Painter, Abby Jimenez, Katherine Center, Emily Henry
📚Dual POV romances
📚” Anti-love” love interests
📚fake dating tropes

Rating: 4.25

Disclosure:
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the Digital Review Copy of Happily Never After. All opinions are my own.

I was immediately intrigued by the concept of someone being employed as a wedding objector and that be woven into a love story. Happily Never After is the perfect cheesy romcom in all the best ways possible. The book is written in dual POV which allows the reader to be immersed in the tension and banter of the two main characters. I was hooked by the "will they, won't they" nature of Max and Sophie's relationship. It was a slow-ish burn where Max kinda sorta falls first. It was fun reading about the various weddings that they attended as The Objector and Objectress and wondering what would happen. I adored the ending of the book as well! Lynn Painter's writing style makes for a quick and easy read. Five star read for sure!

This was such a great book. I could see this being made into a movie. And I would absolutely recommend this book to my patrons at the library!