Sophie stood at the altar of the church, knowing she did not want to marry Stuart. He’d been cheating on her, and he lied, and she was done. But she couldn’t call the wedding off herself. There would be repercussions for her family. There would be embarrassment. She needed help. She needed Max.

It was Sophie’s best friend who had found him, the guy who comes to weddings and objects when the pastor asks. He makes the bad behavior public and then leaves. The wedding is canceled, the bride or groom who hired him is off the hook, and better yet, they are free of a bad relationship that could have gone on and on.

After Sophie’s wedding was called off, Max had gone to her hotel room to collect his fee (merely a technicality—he donates most of it), and he ended up having pizza and shots with Sophie and her friend. She was clearly relieved not to be marrying Stuart, and they had a great time hanging out together.

So a couple of weeks later, when Max has another wedding to object to, he thinks of Sophie. For this one, she would be perfect as The Objector, if he can just convince her that she can do it. For her part, Sophie is reluctant to stand up in front of a wedding and call out objections. But when she gets the whole story from Max about what the bride has done to his friend, she is all in. Even if it means going to a wedding in cowboy boots and putting the angry bride in a headlock.

From there, Sophie is all in. And the extra money doesn’t hurt either, since she took Stuart’s apartment out of spite even though she can’t really afford it. She has a couple of roommates to help her make rent, but she’d rather live by herself. And when her boss sees a picture of her with Max, sees that Sophie is moving on from her heartbreak, her boss considers her for a big promotion, and Sophie leans even more into her friendship with Max.

For Max, he’s enjoying spending time with Sophie. And when his parents see pictures of them together, they start thinking that maybe they’ll be able to retire and leave him in good hands. He’s ready for his father to retire, so he can take over the family contracting business. But there is also a chemistry between Sophie and himself that is getting more and more difficult to deny. Sophie is a strong believer in love being a myth. But when Max finds himself having to face the heartbreak of his past, The Objectors may have to admit that true love is possible, even probable, and that they can no longer object to what they themselves are feeling.

Happily Never After is the latest rom com from Lynn Painter, and it’s an instant classic. These characters sparkle, both smart and funny and bringing lots of conflict to the story. The idea of objecting at weddings is a lot of fun. And the writing is so smooth that it feels effortless to read. Every page of this book is a joy, and I think all rom com fans should dive in as soon as they can.

Clearly, I loved Happily Never After. I could have spent another 200 pages with these characters and not noticed anything but being entertained the entire time. Painter writes like a dream, and I want more. I also adore this story. It reminds me of everything I love about those perfect 1980s and 1990s films while still being modern and stylish. This is the best rom com I’ve read in quite some time, and I am already waiting for her next book to come out.

Egalleys for Happily Never After were provided by Berkley through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Full of great laughs, sweet friendships, and simmering romance, Happily Never After is a fun and quirky rom-com that will keep you smiling from beginning to end.

When Sophie finds out her fiancé cheated on her right before her wedding, she is desperate to call off the big day. Her friend finds a professional objector to come to her rescue and help stop the wedding. Afterward, Sophie is drawn into the idea of helping out others like her and starts working together with her objector, Max. As they spend more time together, an undeniable chemistry sparks, and they find themselves continually being drawn together.

Painter’s love stories are always so warm and cozy, and this one delivers on all the laughs and off-the-charts romance. It was a fun ride seeing these two connect and become a type of partners in crime helping others. It melted my heart!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

This book has me quite literally LMAO so many different times. This was a quick read and I was hooked from the start. Max and Sophie were great characters and so believable. Larry and Rose were interesting roommates....and their age made their characters even better. The spice factor started out slow. A kiss or two for most of the book, and then a few spicier scenes later on.

"Happily Never After" by Lynn Painter follows 2 "professional" objectors for weddings who have sworn off their own relationships. Sophie meets Max under unlikely circumstances when her friend hires him to object to Sophie's marriage with his cheating fiancé. From there, a friendship and partnership form as they team up to object at other weddings together. Max and Sophie have an undeniable chemistry, but they agree it is best to stay platonic or is it? And when Max's ex is the next target for their services, will it break the bond the Max and Sophie have developed?

I enjoyed this book. I like Lynn Painter's novels. They are always cute and funny. I loved Max and Sophie as characters and the side characters were also enjoyable. I do wish we got to see them a bit more. I thought the premise was very interesting and I wish we saw more objecting, but I liked the bond Max and Sophie shared from the work. Overall, I would recommend this book to any rom-com fans.

Happily Never After was such a fun read - a delightful and adorable romantic comedy. Max and Sophie are both jaded from previous relationship experiences but they manage to form an amazing friendship after Max is hired as a professional objector at Sophie's doomed wedding. This was just the book that I needed to read right now - incredibly fun with amazing banter and characters.

Here's your warning...

This is a book you are going to be so upset about when you finish.

I should have never raced through...

I really miss Sophie...

As an avid "thriller/suspense" reader, I am extremely particular when it comes to stepping outside my preferred genre. Lynn Painter, is what I like to call a "no brainer". I know if Lynn Painter is writing it, I will be reading it and never once has she failed me.

Happily Never After, is a book that needs to be purchased by all, never mind your "preferred" genre. This book is literary gold. I hung on Painter's every word. I fell in love with ALL of the characters, especially Sophie, and this book brought me to my knees, bellied over laughing!!!

This is by far one of the best rom-com's I have ever read.

Check out this teaser :

Their name? The objectors.

Their job? To break off weddings as hired.

Their dilemma? They might just be in love with each other.

When Sophie Steinbeck finds out just before her nuptials that her fiancé has cheated yet again, she desperately wants to call it off. But because her future father-in-law is her dad’s cutthroat boss, she doesn’t want to be the one to do it. Her savior comes in the form of a professional objector, whose purpose is to show up at weddings and proclaim the words no couple (usually) wants to hear at their ceremony: “I object!”

During anti-wedding festivities that night, Sophie learns more about Max the Objector’s job. It makes perfect sense to her: he saves people from wasting their lives, from hurting each other. He’s a modern-day hero. And Sophie wants in.

The two love cynics start working together, going from wedding to wedding, and Sophie’s having more fun than she’s had in ages. She looks forward to every nerve-racking ceremony saving the lovesick souls of the betrothed masses. As Sophie and Max spend more time together, however, they realize that their physical chemistry is off the charts, leading them to dabble in a little hookup session or two—but it’s totally fine, because they definitely do not have feelings for each other. Love doesn’t exist, after all.

And then everything changes. A groom-to-be hires Sophie to object, but his fiancée is the woman who broke Max’s heart. As Max wrestles with whether he can be a party to his ex’s getting hurt, Sophie grapples with the sudden realization that she may have fallen hard for her partner in crime

Sophie Steinbeck is about to get married to Stuart Lauren and has realized that he has cheated on her AGAIN! Sophie would love to call off the wedding, but her dad works for Stuart's dad and that would be bad. In walks Max Parks, aka The Objector, a guy who will go to a wedding and state he objects at just the right time for money. Thankfully Sophie's friend Asha hired him to stop her wedding to Stuart. The wedding never happens and Sophie is with Asha getting drunk in the bridal suite. When Max heads to the hotel room to get his money, he is shocked to see the fun Sophie is having.....she is throwing Twinkies at Stuart's car from the balcony. It seems Sophie and Asha are celebrating. He reluctantly agrees to celebrate with them and realizes that Sophie is a lot of fun. She doesn't believe in love, just believes that people get together for companionship. By the end of their time together, Max realizes that he is attracted to Sophie.

Four months later Sophie finds herself with two new roommates....senior citizens Larry and Rose. It sure makes life interesting. All of a sudden Sophie gets a text from of all people, Max. Seems he would like her help in stopping a wedding. Sophie reluctantly agrees and then all of the fun really starts to happen. The more time these two spend together whether it's to stop a wedding or just hanging out, it becomes more clear that these two have feelings for each other. Everything is going great until Sophie gets a lead on a wedding to stop and it ends up being the woman that broke Max's heart. Max doesn't want to do the wedding, but won't explain to Sophie why. When everything blows up around them, the past comes back and feelings get hurt. It will take a huge leap of faith for these two to really get together, but once they do, everything falls into place perfectly.

I just adored this funny, couldn't put down romance. Both Sophie and Max were just all around fun people. I loved how they were together and you just couldn't help buy root for them. Overall this was wonderful story, with perfect characters and the best banter I have read in a long time.

I enjoy Painter's books and this one was another fun read! Gotta love a good wedding objection and to do it as a side hustle? So fun! Enter Max our wedding Objector who meets Sophie because she needs his help as a bride! Thus begins their journey together as Objectors and friends and....more?? Gotta read to find out! I'll just say the banter and chemistry between Max and Sophie was great. It definitely helped me get out of a reading slump I was in. Romance books often can take me out of a slump. This was great on audio and the two narrators just made this such a wonderfully fun listen.

Happily Never After is another perfectly written rom-com by Lynn Painter.


Well, Lynn Painter did not disappoint me with this book! It was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. If you are new to Lynn’s writing and storytelling, get ready to fall in love with her stories and characters.

Happily Never After is pure Lynn Painter charm and humour, and I loved every moment of this book. Lynn's books always bring me so much joy and happiness. I always say that if you are looking for a feel-good rom-com with some spice, you should pick up one of her books. Happily Never After is one of those books you can just sink into, and the world around you disappears. It's a nice, easy, quick read.

Let's talk about the plot first. There is a slight Wedding Crashers vibe to this story. However, instead of the MCs crashing weddings to hook up with people, Max and Sophie are crashing weddings to stop them from happening. They are hired by either the groom or bride to object to the wedding. I love this plot; it's fun and unique, and it creates lots of opportunities for crazy shenanigans to occur. It was great getting to crash all these different weddings and watch the drama unfold on the pages. The story has a slightly faster pace, and I loved how everything unfolded. Outside of Max and Sophie crashing weddings, we get to watch this unconventional partnership become a fun friendship, and then finally become something much more. This story is jammed back with fun and romantic moments. There really isn't a dull moment in this story.

Sophie and Max are interesting characters. Neither is looking for a relationship, but it's definitely hard for them to ignore the explosive chemistry between them. Sophie doesn't believe in true love and spends the majority of the book denying that she has any feelings for Max. Max, on the other hand, doesn't want to be in a relationship but realizes pretty quickly that he could easily fall in love with Sophie, but doesn't want to pursue anything with her if she isn't willing to admit that she has feelings for her. Both characters are great together and on their own. I loved Sophie's character; she is a fun spitfire and really keeps Max on his toes. Her growth in this book is around matters of the heart. It's a big challenge for her to believe that romantic love exists in the world. She battles to the bitter end when it comes to accepting that she loves Max. Max's character was everything I wanted him to be. He is dashing, charming, and funny. I just loved watching him interact with everyone around him. He just has one of those personalities that just draws you in. Both characters felt real and relatable and so easy to connect with. You can't help but want good things for them.

The romance was oh-so-nice and full of spice. Lynn really knows how to build up that delicious tension between characters. The banter between Max and Sophie is sharp, witty, and very spicy. It was just so good. The chemistry between these two was off the chart. Everything just clicks. It didn't matter if they were interacting with each other as friends, lovers, or something more you couldn't help but get sucked into what was going on between them. If you are a fan of friends to lovers, fake relationships, and insta lust, then you will devour the romance in this book. It was wonderful watching these two broken-hearted characters fall in love.

Happily Never After is another unputdownable rom-com by Lynn Painter.

I’m late to the Lynn Painter club, but I am thankful to Berkley Romance for the opportunity to read an eARC of Happily Never After!

Sophie desperately wanted to call off her wedding to a cheating fiancé, but doing so would have cost her father his job. Enter Max, a wedding objector for hire to save people from cheating spouse-to-bes and show the cheater’s true colors in front of their friends and family.

Max recruits Sophie to assist him as he breaks up weddings for just causes, and the love cynics are unable to deny their crazy chemistry. But since love doesn’t exist, it’s just physical, right?

When one of the weddings they’re hired to object at strikes too close to home for Max, they both must confront their feelings about love and their feelings for each other.

Read for:
- Cats and a hilarious reason for their names
- Zany, geriatric roommates
- Banter
- “We’re just friends”
- Dual POV

OH MY CUTENESS OVERLOADED HEART!!!!!! Happily Never After written by Lynn Painter was oh so very cute, fluffy, and hilarious. I have never read a book by Lynn Painter before, and I've heard not so many nice things about her books, so i'm glad I started off with this book as my first one by this author because I loved and adored every single minute of it. The banter was top tier hilarious, it had me giggling nonstop, it is a open door romance, the spice was there a little bit, but it didn't go into too much detail, which sometimes we all need a fluffy romance palette cleanser with a little bit of spice. I fell in love with this gorgeous cover, but after reading this book, I fell in love with the entire story and the characters. With every turning page, I was either screaming, laughing, or swooning, but at times my heart was broken. My cheeks literally hurt so much from smiling and laughing too much. The only minor issue I had with this book is when the female main character would shut down the male main character when he would try and confess his feelings for her, but other than that I love and devoured this book. I can't recommend this book enough, if you want to laugh so much, smile, and swoon, then don't let this book slip through your fingers.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND BERKLEY PUBLISHING FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!

What would you do if someone came to your wedding, and during your vows they said "I object!" because they knew your significant other was cheating on you?
-I would thank them for the rest of my life and breakout scream singing My Hero by the Foo Fighters because they basically are my hero for saving me from being miserable in a marriage with a dirt bag cheater.

"Fuck love and relationships, I just want to be with you because you are my goddamn favorite person."

"I'm not in love but also kind of in love with you, Soph."
"I'm not in love but also kind of in love with you too, Max."


When Sophie Steinbeck finds out just before her nuptials that her fiancé has cheated yet again, Sophie desperately wants to call the wedding off, but because her future father in law is her dad's cutthroat boss, Sophie doesn't want to be the one who calls off their marriage. Sophie ha caught her fiance cheating before, but she believes in second chances and decided to give her fiance another chance, but yet he goes and cheats again? This man deserves to be thrown into a dumpster. Sophie's savior comes in the form of a professional objector, whose purpose is to show up at weddings and proclaim the words no couple usually wants to hear at their wedding ceremony: "I OBJECT!" During anti wedding festivities that night, Max Parks catches Sophie in her drunken Twinkie throwing tantrum. Sophie and Max start talking and Sophie learns more about Max The Objector's job, it makes perfect sense what Max does, he saves people from wasting their lives, he saves people from hurting each other, so basically Max is a modern day hero and Sophie wants in. The only problem is that after being cheated on, Sophie doesn't believe in relationships and love, and neither does Max after his ex broke his heart. Instead of throwing twinkie's off her hotel balcony, Sophie should have put glitter in her ex fiancé's air vents in his car. Cheating is just NOT okay, it's absolutely heart breaking.

After that night, Sophie and Max part ways, but a few weeks later Max decides to call Sophie and together they have a plan to crash a wedding and says the words I object at someone else's wedding. Sophie and Max hit it off pretty well, so they become love cynics and start working together, going from wedding to wedding to save people from marrying the wrong person, during this time, Sophie is having the most fun she's had in ages. As Sophie and Max start spending more time together, they realize that their physical chemistry is off the charts, leading them to have a little hookup or two, but it's totally fine because they definitely know they do not have feelings for each other because love does not exist at all, but secretly as Sophie and Max keep crashing weddings, Max realizes Sophie is a firecracker who deserves the world, and Sophie realizes that Max is a sweetheart who deserves to be loved. Sophie and Max had the best banter, they were absolutely hilarious, I just couldn't stop laughing at their comebacks they fired off at each other. Max knew that Sophie was a beautiful bride, but he wanted to save her from marrying a lying cheating dirt bag. Max and Sophie are officially my new favorite book couple. I just wanted to reach into my kindle and hug Max and Sophie after they shared their stories of having their hearts broken by someone they thought they would spend the rest of their lives with.

🅑🅞🅞🅚 🅡🅔🅥🅘🅔🅦
💒 𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙉𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝘼𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 💒
𝖫𝗒𝗇𝗇 𝖯𝖺𝗂𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋
#BerkleyPartner

I ADORED this book and since it releases today you can to! Unless of course you got your copy early from Book of the Month! I was also able to read it as an eARC from @berkleyromance so definitely a win-win, but if you love a good rom-com with witty banter, undeniable chemistry and some pretty good steam then you will definitely love this one. Also I think we all need a 77 year old roommate like Larry in our lives!

Sophie Steinbeck, facing a cheating fiancé, stumbles upon Max, a professional objector hired to break off weddings including hers. Intrigued by Max's unconventional job, Sophie joins him in disrupting ceremonies. As they navigate their anti-wedding adventures, the two initially love-resistant individuals discover a growing physical attraction. However, complications arise when Sophie is hired to object at a wedding involving Max's ex-love, forcing them to confront unexpected emotions.

Read if you enjoy:
💞 Strangers to Friends to Lovers
❣️ He Falls First
🗣️ Witty Banter
👫 Partners in Crime
🧪 Hot Chemistry
🌶️ Spice
😹 Hilarious Roommates
🐈 Cats

Lynn Painter is absolutely one of my favorite writers out there! I've been thoroughly obsessed and impressed by her romance books ever since I read The Love Wager last year. Like the books before it, Happily Never After finds a way to combine some well-timed humor with romantic moments that kept me turning the pages as fast as I could.

To start, I loved the concept of the book. Right away from the description I knew this was going to be up my alley. It had a Wedding Crashers vibe to it, but the fact that the opening chapters focused on how Sophie's own wedding had been part of this objector scheme was brilliant. I felt like Sophie was such a unique romance book heroine. More often than not, you get a FMC that is super romantic at heart. Even if they've been hurt and gone through rough relationships, you still tend to read about women who still are looking for that long-lost love. It was refreshing that Sophie is jaded even if it's sometimes hard to read at times. I felt that her conversations with Max early on really set up a lot of the growth we were hoping to see from her character as the story progressed and for the most part I think we got that.

Max, like many of Lynn Painter's book men, was to die for. I absolutely loved how we kind these subtle hints at how sweet he was deep down. This kind and caring man who was trying to help other people by making sure they didn't have to go through an awful wedding... like sir please my heart can't take it!

Overall, I loved this story just like I thought I would. And I will continue to be a Lynn Painter super-stan!

It was cute! The premise had me really interested, but it lost me about 50% in and it was hard to get back into it. I also had a hard time connecting to either of the main characters. It's still a super enjoyable read, just not a highlight or really stellar for me personally. Lynn's writing is always fun and light, so I do recommend for romcom lovers!

Thank you @prhaudio and @berkleyromance for the free audiobook and free finished copy, thank you also to Berkley and NetGalley for the eARC.

Happily Never After had such a fun, romcom premise: a man (Max) and woman (Sophie) meet after Max is hired to object at Sophie’s wedding, a get-out-of-jail free card (or get out of conflict card) after Sophie’s soon to be groom is unfaithful.

Sophie and Max then take on objection jobs together and become closer. The banter was great and the tension between Sophie and Max was divine. I absolutely adored Sophie’s elderly roommates (particularly Larry) as well and felt like they were a fun addition to the story. This was a fast paced read with dual POV and short chapters - one of my favorite format pairings! I absolutely loved this and can’t wait to read more by Lynn Painter!

✨Release Day Review✨

Happily Never After
Lynn Painter

Thank you @librofm @netgalley and @berkleypub for the advanced copies of this book.
________________________________________________
How do you get out of marrying your cheating soon to be husband? You hire an objector that’s how.
________________________________________________
I’m convinced Lynn Painter will never let me down. I thought this was such a fun book!

The way Max and Sophie met was so unique that it immediately drew me in. I couldn’t get enough of their chemistry, even when they were fighting the idea of a relationship.

Sophie’s unfiltered speech had me giggling. If you’re looking for a good book with a fun premise than you should definitely check this one out. Oh and I can’t forget to mention Sophie’s roommates. 🤣

🎧Narration done by Helen Laser and Sean Patrick Hopkins. This dual narration was performed so well and kept me engaged the entire time.

Read if you like:
🍾Strangers to Lovers
🍾He Falls First
🍾Fake Dating
🍾Dual POV

If you are looking for a book that will leave the most goofy smile on your face, you must pick up a copy of Happily Never After. I honestly can’t think of the last time a book made me both giggle and outright laugh this much, repeatedly. The banter between Sophie and Max is top notch, from their flirty texts to their ridiculous adventures. Huge shoutout to Larry and Rose for being hilarious roommates.

The narration by Helen Laser and Sean Patrick Hopkins is so well done. They both bring heart, heat, and hilarity to this swoony and quirky story. I loved it from start to finish- Lynn Painter, you have made a huge fan out of this reader.

What is it about?: Sophie wants out of her wedding, Max is the objector to do the job. After being hired to stop the wedding, Max and Sophie partner up to help others end their nuptials. Could their wedding crashing partnership lead to more?

What worked?: EVERYTHING... The banter between the main characters was the best. I actually laughed out loud multiple times, not something I do often. The chemistry is believable and works. A bit steamy, open door but non x- rated details. Sophie's roommates are the best side characters. I wish I knew this cast of characters in real life.
Full of sass, fun, steam, and heartwarming moments. I also enjoyed the bluntness and maturity of the main characters.

What didn't work?: I really don't have anything to talk about here. The premise of hired wedding objectors was kind of outlandish but easily overlooked. The biggest issue was that the book had to end. 😊

Who I recommend read?: Anyone who loves a fun and fast rom-com novel. If you're looking for a twist to the fake dating trope, this is the book for you. It's a great novel to get yourself out of a reading slump and is hard to put down. I do give it a medium language warning if that is a concern of yours. I don't mind it but some readers prefer clean language books.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher. I was provided an advanced digital copy to read and honestly review. All opinions are my own.

FIVE STARS.

I enjoyed every single word of this book. Two characters who have decided that love isn’t for them fall for each other despite their fears about love. Max absolutely stole my heart in this book. He realized he was falling hard & fast for Soph and worked to contain his feelings so he wouldn’t scare her off. Max will undoubtedly go down as one of the internet’s favorite book boyfriends.

Sophie & Max’s chemistry was undeniable and I had a blast watching their story unfold. Lynn’s writing gripped me from the first line and didn’t let up. I simultaneously couldn’t read fast enough and never wanted it to end.

Huge thank you to Berkley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

Happily Never After" by Lynn Painter presents a unique journey of two main characters navigating an unexpected romance. I thought some spicy scenes felt forced and out of place, and the chemistry between the protagonists could have been better executed. However, the novel does offer moments of levity, getting a few chuckles out of me. Overall, while I think that Painter writes better in the YA genre, "Happily Never After" still provides a lighthearted romantic read with unexpected humor.