Okay, disclaimer, I read this one while I was home sick with Covid, and I loved it… but my brain was also a little scattered so I didn’t retain a lot of critical details like normal to refer back to while reviewing. So let’s see how this goes…

It was a strong start that immediately hooked me. I was all in to binge this book! I loved both the lead characters. Competent adults that were fun and funny with some anti-love drama fueling their MOs. The various relationship stages, from hijinks to friendly to trope-filled fake dating to real friendship to all the feels… it was a great journey. And I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it, Lynn Painter writes great banter and convos. I could read it all day long. I loved the chemistry.

I did think Max’s third act road block was a little puzzling. I’m not sure why he reacted the way he did. But it all played out really well for conflict with Sophie and how her personal growth arc finished. So I didn’t end up minding much.

Overall it was a great book. One I need read again with a clearer head but I also don’t mind that one bit. Good times.

How interesting the premise of this book is.... Being paid to "object" at a wedding when the bride or groom has been caught cheating or other things.
I liked how Max and Sophie hit it off after Max is paid to object at her wedding. They just became good friends and Sophie totally just jumped at the chance to be an objector too.
Their banter, hijinks, and chemistry made for a fun time whenever they were together.

I really enjoyed her two elderly roommates so much! I really laughed at them all the time (especially calling Max anything but his name). Especially Larry- what a wise cracker!

If you are in the mood for just plain fun and some spice, pick up this book soon!

This is the first book I have read by this author and I can say for sure that she’s now an auto-read farther for me. When I first read about the job of being an objector at weddings, come on, I thought it was completely absurd, but seeing the situations that various people encounter due to family, other compulsions, etc, it is definitely a useful profession. So Sophie is trying to get out of her wedding without hurting anyone by hiring an objector Max. This hilarious situation leads her to become an objector in Max‘s company within no time at all.


Sophie and Max, as they go through some hilarious events enjoying themselves falling for each other in spite of being too cynics. I guess one of them is more cynical than the other, and this causes them to mess up their relationship due to their insecurities. As a fan of banter, this one is again pretty high and it was hilarious banter. There is also a fake dating trope so fans of the trope are going to absolutely enjoy this one. At one of their final wedding objections, things get messed up between them in spite of their great chemistry. They’ve not poured their heart to each other completely and that definitely took them some time to reach. Once they communicate their feelings and deal with unresolved issues, they come back together in a true sense. I should say that this is definitely a top romance read this year for me.

This is the first book by Lynn Painter I am reading. Sophie is trying to get out of marrying her fiancee, who has cheated again. With the help of Max "the objector" who was hired by Sophie's bestie, her wish to get the wedding cancelled becomes reality.
A fun rom-com that had me laughing as I watched the relationship and chemistry between Sophie and Max develop.
Loved Sophie's roommates Rose and Larry.
From strangers to friends to actually developing romantic feelings for each other.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

**Review will be published release week on my site and socials!**

HILARIOUS.

This book made me LAUGH and I love when that happens. Lynn Painter hands down writes some of the BEST banter and that was still prevalent here. I really loved the chemistry between Max and Sophie. And the shenanigans they found themselves wrapped up in were charming.

I did think this book had a LOT of language (especially for it being only 300 pages). It started to take me out of the story, as did the extra romance scenes towards the end. I would have rather seen more relationship development other than physical because Sophie made me want to shake her a few times.

I love how fast these books are and that they bring joy to my day. I thought the objector idea was hilarious. And I adored Sophie’s roommates. They were the perfect snarky addition. There were a lot of fantastic swoony moments and the kissing scenes were some of my favorite. There was plenty of goodness here and I will keep waiting to here about Painter’s next book.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: very high
Romance: 3+ open door; moderate explicit
Trigger/Content Warnings: cheating

I really liked the premise of Happily Never After.

Sophie and Max's story is full of heartache, full off snark and (most of the time) smart dialogue. There were times that the way they spoke was direct from the cheese factory, but not so much that it took away from my enjoyment.

Their chemistry is off the charts, their spark flies off the pages.

However, there were also times when I was thinking what is happening? Or, man nothing is happening. It flip flopped between the two.

But it was enjoyable enough for me to keep going to the end

Thank you Berkley Romance for my eARC

"The thing that I feel for you, however, this friendship, undeniable chemistry, kinship, respect, admiration, happiness-or the acronym FUCKRAH, if you will-is outrageously potent and I would like to explore it further"

Well isn’t this an adorable rom com..! I was grinning ear to ear like an idiot , Lynn Painter writes the cutest romance books ever. Happily Never After starts in a classic hollywood rom-com style with our bride Sophie trying to get out of her wedding right at the altar after her finance’s cheating shenanigans comes into light.Not to fear! her knight in a shining armor, Max arrives to object her wedding in a rather dramatic fashion to save her from the unwanted wedding.As the story progresses they become business partners as "objectors" to help people around by saving them from their hapless fates and eventually proceeds to become best of friends.I love loved their friendship dynamics and this book probably has the cutest (fake) date night ideas lol

While you might think the tropes in this are nothing new, the take on them is absolutely refreshing with her “how does it look when two cynics fall in love?” theme at the core. Lynn writes characters that are easy to fall in love with, they are charming, witty and has this out of world chemistry. Sophie and Max's fast friendship and compatibility obviously throws a wrench into their "we were just faking it" plan but I loved how Lynn brought in the conflict without compromising any of her character's integrity.

No body acts out of character or is thrown under the bus just because the story needs a conflict and the author handles conflict resolution with so much maturity that you can't help but root for both of the MC's.The chemistry between them is so palpable, sexy and at times hilarious. I love how the foundation of their relationship is based on their strong friendship , it feels so natural when they finally realize they both fit like a puzzle. I can't end the review without noting how hilarious this book is, Sophie's roommates brings such joy to the plot line, I found myself cry laughing towards the end. Overall I had an absolute blast reading this book!

Lynn can do no wrong. I absolutely loved this adult, strangers to friends to friends with benefits to lovers romance novel. The objectors premise is so funny and unique, and it was such a fun way to throw our two characters together. It is fast paced, I adored the two characters and

On the steam side of things, this was a bit of a slow burn - but the payoff was literally perfection. The chemistry was there, it was believable and the scene itself was a fantastic read. (Definitely open door, but nothing dark or overly explicit.)

Lynn is always so good at banter between her characters - it feels real without being too cheesy. And I will just forever pick up anything she writes.

3.5 stars!

Sophie is getting married, but her fiancé has been cheating on her. How can she end the marriage when Stuart's (the fiancé) dad is Sophie's dad's boss? Hire an objector.

In comes Max to save the day and to announce to those attending that Stuart had been cheating this whole time! Sophie is now out of the relationship and doesn't look like the bad guy.

Drunk Sophie then tells Max that this seems like an interesting gig... a few months later, Max reaches out in search for some help to object to another wedding. The team pairs up, "as friends" to object to weddings to help people struggling to get out of marraiges.

What could ever go wrong?!

Sophie and Max have lovely banter and this book gave major "Friends with Benefits" and "No Strings Attached" vibes.

This one had a few steamy scenes in it, too.

Overall, it was a cute love story and had lots of joking and fun back and forth, but there were too many pet names or "good girl" for me.. just not my speed! It wasn't overly spicy, but that just isn't my thing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Pub for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Happily Never After
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks so much to @berkleyromance for the free ebook! #BerkleyPartner #Berkley

I was in the mood for a true rom-com so when I read the description of this I knew it wouldn’t disappoint.
I’ve read Better Than The Movies, but this was the first adult book that I’ve read by Lynn Painter, and I did enjoy it mostly because this book was laugh-out-loud funny.
Sophie was the FMC and she was so quick with her jokes. The banter between her and the MMC Max was seriously hilarious.
I loved watching them becoming a team, their fast friendship, Sophie’s roommate Larry, and the fact that they are both cat parents. Max is so charming and Sophie is so entertaining.
There is a lot of “we’re just friends” energy and a LOT of tension. This is perfect when you are looking to read a true romantic comedy. This book was fast, upbeat, and fun.
This book will be available on March 12th!

Read If You Like:
💒he falls first
💒partner in crime
💒fake dating
💒hilarious banter
💒strangers to friends to lovers

In the days leading up to Sophie’s wedding, she finds out her fiancé has cheated on her. She wants to call off the wedding but doing so would mean that her dad would likely lose his job working for her fiancés father. Enter Max, a paid wedding objector, to save the day by letting Sophie escape without looking like the bad guy. After saving her from a doomed marriage, Sophie and Max strike up a friendship while she joins him as a wedding objector and the two commiserate about how true love isn’t real. Soon, the two start falling for each other, but can they each get over their fears of having their heart broken in time to save something that could be real?

First of all, I love Lynn Painter. Her YA books are some of my all-time YA favorites and I was a huge fan of The Love Wager. So my expectations were high for this one. The first 100 pages were a miss for me and I almost DNFed. I liked Sophie and Max enough but the wedding objector bit wasn’t for me. Seriously, how many weddings do people object to and how are 4 of them in the same calendar year in one person’s extended social circles? It was all just too contrived.

The second half of the book was better. I liked the banter between the Sophie and Max and they had great chemistry. And I enjoyed Sophie’s roommates and their antics. I always love a dual POV romance and it was fun to see how both Sophie and Max had to balance their previous heartbreaks with their emerging feelings for each other. However, I also was frustrated with the last objection and resulting conflict. I get that it was the last obstacle for them to overcome before coupling up but something about both of their reactions felt inauthentic to me. I did enjoy how their story came together at the end though.

Overall - 3.5/5
Spice - 2/3

Thank you NetGalley, Lynn Painter doesn't seem to disappoint. This is my second read by her and I am now a fan.

Lynn Painter does it again! I'll admit, I had my doubts about this one because it sounded a little too oddball for me. I mean, I was always going to read it as soon as I had a copy because it's written by Lynn Painter, but I was worried I wouldn't connect with the characters and I would find the romance to feel forced due to the way they meet. I should have known Lynn Painter would be able to deliver. This was such a fun read! Very early 2000s rom-com. One of my new favorites from the author. 5 stars!

Full review will be posted closer to pub date.

Thanks for the early copy, Berkley! (partner)

This pains me to say but Happily Never After was a miss for me.

I love Lynn Painter's writing (I've adored all 5 of her other books!!) but I think that is perhaps why this one didn't really work for me. I had high expectations because she is one of my favorites and unfortunately this book feel short. The plot felt familiar to me and some of the language felt juvenile. The plot felt rushed and the tension / stakes were pretty low at any given moment.

That all sounds super harsh so here are some things I loved: formula 1 reference, Pride and Prejudice Darcy hand flex reference, and excellent banter. If you want a fast and entertaining read this is a great option.

I look forward to reading more by LP even though this one wasn't for me <3

Lynn Painter is just the best. In fact, I texted a friend 6 chapters in and called her a genius. She writes banter and sarcasm like no one else and Happily Never After holds true. Sophie's wedding is objected to. You know when the preacher says "does anyone have a reason these two should not be married?" Max says yes. He objects. Come to find out, he is a paid objector. He saves people from feeling stuck in weddings and relationships where they feel like there's no way out.

When he convinces Sophie to help him in objecting, they become friends who don't believe in love. Until they do...it's so smart and fun and easy to binge. It's steamy and sweet and just adorable and I am so glad I got to read it.

Lynn Painter at her best. This book was as great as her best adult works, Mr. Wrong Number and Accidentally Amy. I had a huge smile on my face the entire time. The idea behind the plot that of "the objectors" was original and new.

But what stole the show was the banter. Aww. This book literally was banter perfection, every interactions has me smiling, I loved every second of it. The supporting cast, from cats to unconventional roommates was amazing too.

a 5 star read by one of my fav authors.

Absolutely ate this up! Top notch banter, a unique plot and the perfect amount of steamy bits. Lynn Painter is the 👸

Lynn Painter has another delightful book on her hands. Her stories are just so easily readable that I find myself gobbling them up in very few sittings!

Sophie finds herself in a tight spot on her wedding day-- she's just discovered that her fiance has been cheating on her, but she doesn't feel like she can call off the wedding because of reasons, so her best friend finds this guy, Max, who has a little side gig where he will come to your wedding and object at the right time in the ceremony, taking the pressure off of the wronged partner to do so. A few months later, Max asks Sophie if she'd like to help him break up a wedding. Max discovers that it's easier having two people there, so he asks Sophie to join him in the objecting business.

This was a fun ride with lots of chemistry between Max and Sophie, plus fun geriatric roommates. I loved the premise and the level of spice was good, too!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my thoughts.

3.5⭐️

Quick intro:
After hiring Max to object at her wedding, the two become unlikely friends and even more unlikely co-workers. Self-proclaimed non-believers in true love, Max and Sophie wade through the waters of being attracted to one another, but insisting they don’t want a relationship. Can they remain just friends or will they catch feelings?

Quick thoughts:
The premise of this book is super unique and honestly a riot. I just kept thinking how great this would translate on the big screen - every single objector scene was oozing with tension and had me cracking up. Please somebody make this into a movie!

Read if you like MCs with cats, meddling parents and roommates, banter, texts, chemistry, name calling, and spice.

It’s the classic friends with benefits (ish) story and I giggled along as I watched Max and Sophie insist over and over it was just attraction and that they didn’t want more. Like the whole time you’re yelling at them THIS WILL NOT WORK. ONE character, our lovely Larry, had the brain to tell Sophie she was being a straight up idiot. THANK YOU, Larry!

I think this is the spiciest book Lynn has written, and for me I think went a little over (I’m sure many will eat it up though). Additionally, I wanted more depth from Max and Sophie - I liked them on the surface and would love to hang out with them, but I didn’t really feel like I got to know them. And the main conflict between the two of them doesn’t bubble up until nearly the end of the book. More conflict sooner in the story may have added some complexity to the story. Without it, the meat of the story was mostly attraction and sexual tension.

Lynn Painter is one of my favorite authors, one of the most wonderful people I’ve connected with, and I will read whatever that woman publishes. I’m sad this one didn’t fully work for me, but I have confidence it will work for so many others. I still have it preordered and will support my gal Lynn until the end of time!

this was a fun time! the objector + objectress storyline was so entertaining, and I really enjoyed the friends to lovers trope in this one. friends to lovers is usually boring to me, but this one felt very fun, fast paced, and so full of tension that made this book a real page-turner.

to be completely honest, I did find the fmc somewhat unlikable. her disgust with true love became annoying by the end, but the mmc was just as bad at times. their reluctance to accept the validity of love made for great tension, but it also wasn’t angsty enough to feel super enjoyable or entertaining.

this book definitely could have stood to be longer given how little we see of sophie and max as a legitimate couple, but I feel like this was a great “no thoughts, just vibes” type of read.