I knew going into this it was going to be rom com vibes. With a premise of a MMC who has a side gig as someone who objects to weddings like okay we’re opening up for shenanigans. And we started off great! The set up for Max meeting Sophie after he objects her wedding as a favor connected through mutuals was super sweet and I was excited for the rest. This is my first book by Lynn Painter and I was excited because I’ve seen her lauded pretty much everywhere. And I will say she manages the humor of a rom com really well. I wasn’t eye rolling at any attempts at humor, I legitimately found certain joke setups to be actually funny and enjoyable to read. The way Sophie is at work and her roommates, etc (I don’t want to reveal too much).

My only issue with this book is that it’s relatively short and while I understand these love interests may not have a spark when they first meet under the circumstances (you know the whole her wedding just got broken up technically by him) but even when they reconnect months later when she’s in just the right place for something new I just didn’t see a romantic connection with them. I don’t really like getting 1/3 into a romance and not really seeing the couple together. They were kind to each other and friendly but just no real attraction.

Sophie the FMC also veers close to “not like other girls” territory with her anti-love and relationship feels when I desperately wanted her to mature and be open to a functioning relationship. It just was coming on a little strong.

At least the rom com shenanigans were fun and not contrived and I really loved the MMC as a person! Thank you to Berkley for the free book/ARC.

Thank you PRH Audio and Berkley Romance for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own. I alternated between the audiobook and the ebook. I loved the narration with Helen Laser and Sean Patrick Hopkins.

As far as I’m concerned, Lynn Painter can do no wrong! This was such a unique concept. Max is an objector and breaks up Sophie’s wedding since her ex was cheating. They end up hanging out after the wedding and get along well.

Later, Max reaches out when he needs a female objector to break up a wedding. They start hanging out and quickly become friends. In typical Lynn Painter fashion, Max and Sophie have great chemistry and their banter is hilarious. After her wedding broke up, Sophie is very anti-love and romance, but can’t seem to stay away from Max. They both decide to lean into their friendship to benefit Sophie’s career prospects and Max’s family relationship.

This was just delightful. It had me laughing and swooning. I just adore everything Lynn Painter writes and can’t wait for more books!

I loved this cute lil romance so dang much! This was my first book by this author and definitely won’t be my last! The witty banter had me hooked and the swoon made me stay!

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice level: 2.5 🌶️

Read if you like:
▫️strangers to friends to lovers
▫️dual POV
▫️opposites attract
▫️great banter

This premise was so fun! I’ve read books about runaway brides before, but never about a wedding objector. It was such a creative idea and it was completely adorable.

Sophie doesn’t believe in love, so when she and Max start to catch feelings, he is the one to recognize his feelings first, leading to the most delicious “he falls first” scenario ever. There’s also a “fake relationship” aspect which lends itself to a great slow burn. The buildup to them getting together was perfect.

My favorite part of the book was the banter. It was top tier stuff. There is a specific scene where they ride a bike together that had me kicking my feet and squealing like a teenager. I just love Max so much, and getting chapters full of his POV was a delight.

In summary, this book was so fun to read, and I devoured it. If you want a feel good book that will give you the warm fuzzies, pick this one up.

Thank you to Berkley, NetGalley, and Lynn Painter for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Apparently in the time between Lynn Painter reads, I forget how much I love Lynn Painter reads. There are no slow starts. They are immediately fun. And the banter?! The banter! I love it so much. I CRUSHED this. Sat down and busted this out in like two hours while smiling my goofy a$$ off. This is the fun, easy, good time read I hope for every time I pick up a rom com. The premise of this was new and fun as well. Wedding crashers that help members of the wedding break up the relationship without being part of the drama?! Hilarious. Plus a little toss in of fake dating and this was like my own personal kryptonite. I am blind to any flaws. I had a great time and that's that LOL

This was such a fast, fun read. It felt like a classic rom com movie. I read this in one sitting in close to 2 1/2 hours. It's definitely a book that you could pick up and binge cause you get sucked in and won't want to put it down.

Sophie and Max meet at her wedding where Max is hired to be an objector after Sophie finds out that her groom had cheated on her. They have a pretty instant connection and end up becoming objectors together. Spending more time together, they realize they have physical chemistry but since they both were burned in the past they don't want to get into a relationship. Especially Sophie since she says she doesn't believe in love.

I kinda struggled to determine topes on this one despite it feeling like a classic rom com. These two go from strangers to lovers and it was cute how he fell first. I liked Max a lot more than Sophie. She was really pushing the not believing in love thing and when it was pretty obvious she was in love with Max, she still was blatantly ignoring it. Meanwhile he was an absolute sweetie and knew he had feelings for her but was hesitant to say so given how against relationships she was. All of this caused some tension, which I like in a romance, yet this overall was pretty light and low stakes.

🤭 strangers to lovers
💕 he falls first

dual POV
4/5 stars ⭐️
1/5 spice level 🌶️

This was a really fun romcom. The fake dating trope can be so funny and this one made me laugh. Sophie and Max are professional wedding objectors! Doesn't that sound hilarious. Well it is!! And the banter between these two characters was fantastic. This was light hearted, and entertaining. The side characters are great too. I just really enjoyed this one. It was the perfect timing for me to read this and I'm happy I did. I'll definitely be picking up more by this author in the future. 

Out March 12.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. My review will be posted on Instagram, Bookbub, Goodreads, and Amazon once it publishes.

Painter’s premise intrigued me from the back cover copy and the execution did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the banter between the characters and their love story was believable. A fun read as we lead into wedding season.

Lynn Painter is truly the queen of banter, y’all. I just adore her books so much! They make for fun and flirty reads. This one in particular broke me out of a reading slump and it was such a joy to get lost in this love story. Sophie finds herself in a challenging situation when she learns her fiancé is cheating on her. She wants to call off their wedding but fears her future father in law might seek retribution against her dad (one of his employees). So she hires a professional wedding objector to interrupt their wedding…Max stumbled into this profession after his own heartbreak and the two begin a friendship built on their similar experiences. Their chemistry and attraction practically sizzles off the page and I love how their relationship evolves. It has the signature charm and steam readers have come to expect from Lynn Painter. I had a big smile on my face the entire time I was reading! I definitely recommend you check out for a fun romance! Thanks Berkley Romance for my copy.

I really liked this book! The concept was unique and fun. I liked how the writer used this idea to make an interesting story. I was never bored.
I also liked how the relationship between the main characters developed. It was well paced and they had great chemistry.
A fun book readers won’t want to put down!

Happily Never After by Lynn Painter
Narrators: Helen Laser, Sean Patrick Hopkins
Rating: 5 stars
Steam: 2 chilis
Pub date: 3/12

Thank you to PRH Audio for my free audiobook and to Berkley and Netgalley for my digital copy.

Lynn Painter has done it again! I can already tell that this book will be on my favorites list this year. I have loved everything I’ve read by this author, but Sophie and Max are on another level.
Sophie Steinbeck finds herself in a wedding nightmare when she finds out her fiancé has cheated on her…again. Enter Max, the Objector, whose job is to crash weddings and object to the union. What follows is a hilarious and heartwarming story as Sophie and Max team up to save others from almost making the same marital mistake.
What starts off as a sweet friendship slowly turns into more as Sophie and Max spend time together. They’re both anti-love, so there’s no chance of anyone catching feelings. Except their chemistry is off the charts, and it’s getting harder to deny their feelings.
The banter in this book is pure gold. I mostly listened to it on audio, and I cackled during the scenes with Sophie and Max. The narrators were perfect for their roles, and listening to them really enhanced my reading experience.
Painter crafts Sophie and Max’s relationship with skill and humor, making every interaction a joy to read. From their awkward hookups to their heartfelt conversations, you'll find yourself rooting for this unlikely pair every step of the way.
But it's not just Sophie and Max who shine in this story. The side characters, like Sophie’s quirky roommates Rose and Larry and Max’s parents, add even more humor and depth to an already incredible story.
With short, snappy chapters and a fast-paced plot, "Happily Never After" is the perfect escape for anyone needing a good laugh and a dose of romance. Painter's writing is exceptional, as always, effortlessly blending comedy and heartfelt moments to create a truly unforgettable read.
Overall, "Happily Never After" is a must-read for fans of romantic comedies.

Read if you like:
*weddings
*hilarious banter
*he falls first
*fake dating
*dual POV
*slow burn
*open door spice

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for my complimentary eARC and to Libro.fm for my complimentary audio book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Happy Never After has made my love Lynn Painter even more than I already did! I listened to the audio book during a lazy Saturday afternoon while watching sports.

The witty banter between Sophie and Max is top notch. You could tell they really enjoyed their slow steamy road to romance.
While I enjoyed the slow burn of their romance, I wish there had been more wedding objecting scenes. I found these to be highly entertaining. Sophie and Max have such huge hearts and helping wronged brides/grooms avoid a huge mistake was heartwarming.
Sophie's roommates were hilarious and only helped to cement her altruistic heart.

The audio book narrators; Helen Laser and Sean Patrick Hopkins, did a phenomenal job. Their voices were pleasant and made me laugh as they talked around "eating pizza".

-thought premise of “wedding objector” was unique and fun. Had some laugh out loud moments at beginning
-enjoyed beginning of book, but tbh got bored middle and end
-thought the main character was a bit hard to connect with? I know that’s a personal thing but 🤷🏼‍♀️ She just kept being described as this gorgeous blonde who was super motivated/confident at work and in her decisions elsewhere and it was hard to find any faults? So yeah. Trouble connecting.
-This is my second book by this author and I plan to read more. I loved one of the YA books I read by her last year. This one just started to fall a little flat for me once I hit halfway.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the free book!

Sophie needs a way out of her wedding to a cheating fiance without repercussions for her dad, who works for her future father-in-law. Her friend hires Max, a professional wedding objector. Sophie and Max strike up a friendship, and eventually, she joins him as an objector to help rescue others. They've sworn off love but sparks fly.

I loved this! The premise is hilarious, and the execution was excellent! Engaging writing, great characters, steamy romance, lots of humor and heart, and some fun tropes swept me up, and I enjoyed every minute I spent reading this!

Sophie and Max were a couple I rooted for. They were both so endearing. They met in such a unique way and truly built a friendship first. Painter's transformation of them from friends, who start off as partners in crime, to lovers was pure fun. Max was swoony, and Sophie was a breath of fresh air. Together, they had fantastic chemistry. Their banter sparkled with wit, and I appreciated the open communication between the two. Then there were Sophie's two unforgettable, unfiltered septuagenarian roommates, Larry and Rose. They were scene-stealing delights!

I hated putting this book down, and any time I had to, I couldn't wait to return to it and immerse myself in the fun again. It was escapist, sexy, hilarious, and thoroughly entertaining! This was my first Lynn Painter book but will not be my last. I understand now why rom-com fans love her books so much. I am a fan now, too, and cannot wait to explore her backlist!

“It’s hard to make the decision to walk away, even when it’s the right thing.”

Their name? The objectors.
Their job? To break off weddings as hired.
Their dilemma? They might just be in love with each other.

Holy hell March is just KILLING it with the new releases. Another five star, laugh out loud, root for the characters read! The audiobook was everythinggg. The book has dual narrators and is absolute gold! I highly highly recommend this listen. The sassiness and heat between Max and Sophie crackles off the pages.

I also very much appreciated the shoutout to the #backwardshat. Douchey? Probably. Sexy?? Hell yes!

“‘It’s fucking five forty-two on a Sunday, you psychopath,’ he said, his gravelly voice full of irritation. ‘Is this an emergency?’” At 5:42am it had better be 🤣.

Thank you for the free #audiobook @PRHAudio #PRHAudioPartner and to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing, and the author for ARC.

I absolutely loved this book!! This was my first Lynn Painter book and it definitely won’t be my last! Sophie and Max were so cute…I loved their banter, their chemistry, and how they actually communicated with each other! That was such a breath of fresh air to have characters communicate like adults….even as they tried to sort through their feelings. Such a wonderful read!!

This was such a fun concept! This was also my first book from the author, so that was exciting.

I really enjoyed the banter between Max & Sophie! The whole premise of being objectors was also so different and added a lot of lightheartedness to the book. I liked how different their personalities were. While neither wanted a relationship, you could see how easy it was between them and that their chemistry was definitely there.

For a second, I thought that this book wasn't going to have a third-act breakup, and it was set up so nicely to not have one!! But of course - it did and I did not like it at all... I felt like it was just a cop-out to force the characters to speak about their feelings. I also felt like the third-act conflict made the ending seem rushed because there wasn't a whole lot left in the book, so the resolution came so quickly that the conflict seemed pointless to me.

Overall, I did enjoy the book and am interested in reading more from the author!

3.5 Stars
This was my first book by Lynn Painter and it was cute! Rom-comy with a really good romance!
Thank you to Libro Fm for the audiobook ALC and Netgalley for the eARC.

Lynn Painter strikes again. I adore her books so much and this one was no exception. Such a cool concept for a rom-com where the characters help brides and grooms break up their weddings. The banter in Lynn's books are unmatched. I loved these characters so much!

Firstly, huge thanks to Berkley for providing me with both the digital and paperback copies of "Happily Never After" in exchange for an honest review.

Let me just start by saying, if Lynn Painter writes it, I will read it. Whether it's her adult romances or her YA novels, I'm all in. My first experience with her work was "Mr. Wrong Number," and I've been hooked ever since. "Happily Never After" feels like a delightful throwback to those fun rom-coms of the 2000s.

The premise is as quirky as it gets: Sophie Steinbeck discovers her fiancé's infidelity just before their wedding, but she's hesitant to call it off because of her father-in-law's intimidating influence. Enter Max, who was paid to crash her wedding and declare an objection with the proof of the cheating. After the doomed wedding Sophie convinces Max to make this a job for them on the side, where they go as dates to weddings to be Objectors. The dynamic between Sophie and Max is electric as they go to more and more wedding with objections and proof if reasons why people should NOT get married. They're both love cynics, but as they work together, their chemistry becomes undeniable.

I was completely swept away by the swoon-worthy moments, the hilarious banter, the crazy post objection interactions and the steamy sex scenes. Every page had me laughing out loud and rooting for Sophie and Max to find their happily ever after, even if they were determined to avoid it.

"Happily Never After" was an absolute joy to read, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to dive into this delightful rom-com. If you're looking for a fun, feel-good romance with plenty of heart and humor, look no further. This book has it all!