Member Reviews

Happily Never After follows Sophie Steinbeck and Max, the man who she hires to call off her wedding. Sophie teams with with Max to become a wedding objector duo to save people from entering ill fated marriages by saying “I object” at just the right moment.

I loved the premise of this book and felt like it was perfectly rom-com-esque. Starting right at the scene of Sophie’s doomed wedding was such a strong place to begin and the chemistry between Sophie and Max was delicious and carried super well throughout the entire story. In true Lynn Painter fashion, there was no shortage of cute banter and moments to make you blush. I loved how quick this book read and how dynamic the pacing was.

It did start to lose me a little bit when the plot diverged from being wedding objectors to almost a fake dating trope, I didn’t feel like that was the strong suit of this book and it left me feeling like that aspect of the book was a little lackluster. The first half and conclusion were both great for me, but I wasn’t crazy about the post-half way buildup. I never felt exceptionally connected to either of the main characters, but I think they did their job to make this an enjoyable read. Not my favorite romance ever, but I would recommend for something short and sweet! Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC!

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Happily Never After is hands down, without a doubt one of the cutest rom-coms I’ve come across!

When Sophie finds out that her fiancee has cheated on her yet again, she’s desperate to call off her wedding. That’s where professional objector, Max comes into play. Max objects to her wedding and takes the pressure off of Sophie. Later that night, during anti-wedding festivities, Sophie learns more about Max and his unique job. To Sophie, Max is a modern-day hero and she decides she wants to help too…

I adored Happily Never After! From the moment I met Sophie and Max, I knew their story was going to be a ton of fun. I mean, imagine your “meet cute” is objecting to a wedding! It doesn’t get better than that. From that crazy moment, you get to see Sophie and Max’s relationship grow.

Sophie is the perfect partner in crime for Max and I loved all the shenanigans they got into helping people call off their weddings. The tension between Sophie and Max is palpable and intense. Despite neither one of them wanting to have feelings or fall in love, they can’t fight the pull they feel for each other.

All in all, I had the best time getting swept up in Max and Sophie’s story. Happily Never After has a great storyline with relatable characters and has just the right amount of steam and swoon. If you’re looking for an entertaining rom-com with a unique and refreshing plot, you won’t want to miss Happily Never After!

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Cute quick romance read where the main characters have a meet cute and then go on trying to only be friends but fail and end up failing for each other?? Then one of them messes it all up and it appears all hope is lost but a tragedy brings them back together?

Yep this is the book for you. Nothing too fancy or extra with this book. But it’s cute and a fast read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

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First of all, thank you Berkley for allowing me to read and review this book early!

Overall, this was a very solid romcom and it had all of the iconic Lynn Painter humor and banter that we all love. Max and Sophie were so fun together and I think their mutual distaste for relationships added to that because we got all of the mutual pining with some very delusional lovesick characters.

This book immediately jumps into the action which I loved so I wasn't dragging myself through the beginning of the book. The pacing throughout the entire book was good as well, and is definitely the kind of read I could see many finishing in the span of a couple hours.

Now, the ONLYYY thing that I have to critique about this one is that I finished this book feeling kind of unfulfilled? if that's the right word. Something felt missing, and I think it was just me wanting to see more of these character in a setting other than work or objecting. The plot was so cute but I do wish that there were more scenes that take place with the characters that didn't involve some sort of job they were doing at that moment.

All in all, I really liked this book and everyone should be marking their calendars for MARCH 12!!

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Sophie and Max have the absolute best banter. I lost count of how many times I laughed.

I wasn’t sure I would love the Objector aspect of the book, but it was so well done. They both have their own reasons for being anti-relationship but it was fun to see their love blossom on the page while neither is willing to admit it.

Larry and Rose also stole the show- hilarious!

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3.75/5
This was the perfect cheesy romcom and lynn painter as usual delivered on characters with banter and chemistry.

The start of this book was amazing, the setup and the idea of crashing weddings together was so much fun and it’s very easy to see these characters have chemistry.

The story reads very quickly, I couldn’t put it down. I will say that I lost steam at one point towards the end when I felt the story kind of lost the plot for a minute.

I did enjoy the ending, it felt so quickly resolved and almost a bit rushed, but this came with the plus of being such a digestible easy read, and hello the chemistry these two characters had?? Loved it.

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for the arc.

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Fun and quick read by Lynn Painter. I think the idea of wedding objectors is a good one. Lol. Main characters were fun and loved the "older" supporting ones too. Thanks for the advanced copy NetGalley. #NetGalley #HappilyNeverAfter

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I'm a fan of the author and really was looking for a nice easy going fun read and this book was mostly that. However, at times the characters really didn't pull it in for me and the storyline was fine and kind of fun, but it wasn't one that I'll go back to. Usually I just fly through these books and can't wait to read more, but this one just seemed to drag for me. The main characters were nice, but to be honest, sometimes the perfectness of the characters is unrelatable and that their "flaws" are them just being so amazing just doesn't make them likable. The side characters were enjoyable, the plot was there, but overall it was just an ok read for me. Still a fan of the author, but this one didn't land for me.

Thanks to NetGalley & Edelweiss for the ARCs!

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This was such a cute, fun read. It was also quick. I loved the banter and slow friendship buildup over the course of the book.

I will say I wish there had been more weddings sprinkled into the story. There were chuncks of time that felt drawn out without it.

Best of all, there was no BIG third act breakup. The conflict was resolved pretty quickly.

Larry and Rose were the best side characters. They kept me highly entertained. They need their own book of shenanigans. I would definitely read that.

4 🌟 stars.

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Super cute read about finding true love in the most unexpected places. This one grabbed me from page one and held on until the end. I loved the characters and plot progression. Nothing felt forced. Predictable? Yes. Enjoyable? Most definitely!

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Quick and predictable romance between two non-committal characters both burned by previous heartbreak. The wedding objector stints and Sophie’s room mates, Larry and Rose, added depth and comedy to the story. Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Lynn Painter's sexy, hilarious banter always makes for a too-quick read! I wish I could slow down and take in very detail, but her dialogue is so funny and her characters so compelling, I can't help but swallow scenes whole. I loved how refreshingly professional Sophie was - we love a corporate baddie - and how easily she matched Max at everything: in work, in life...in bed. And the wedding vow objector "hook" was a delightful romp through the insanity of the wedding industry while also being a strategic and charming way to explore the characters’ feelings—past, present, and future!

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I love Lynn Painter's writing with my whole heart, so I was very excited to read an advanced copy of her newest adult romance. However, while I really enjoyed it, it fell flat in some areas for me. I had also read her newest YA romance the week prior and that book had so much more longing and just better chemistry between the love interests than this one. The concept was really interesting and I still had a fun time reading it, but when you read one book that does similar things way better than this one, by the same author, it's hard to ignore that.

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What a sweet read, quick paced, full of flawed and quick witted characters that are easy to root for!

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I've had really mixed feelings on this authors books in the past, but this one was a dnf for me. The beginning was cute, but then it got so boring I couldn't continue on (even though the guy looked like Henry cavill). I'm sure others will enjoy it though!

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Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the free ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Happily Never After by Lynn Painter was an absolute page-turner! The rom-com vibes were spot-on, even if the storyline felt familiar. Painter’s fresh take on it made all the difference.

Sophie and Max were so relatable and ridiculously funny! There were moments I just burst out laughing. It’s rare to find characters that real in a book. Max’s patience, understanding and his sense of self-respect and restraint were truly commendable. Sophie’s guardedness rang true and was utterly believable. The way she misconstrued her own feelings to match her beliefs was relatable - we’ve all been there.

I could totally see this as a movie; it played out so vividly in my mind! This was my first Painter read, and now I’m hooked. Her writing’s just so effortlessly engaging.

Rom-com fans, this one’s a must. It’s got that cozy familiarity but with a new, hilarious twist that keeps you hooked till the end!

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3.5⭐️ SG / 3⭐️ GR

A perfect lighthearted read for me after finishing One Dark Window. There’s not much depth in this book making it a wonderful fluffy palette cleanser!

If sarcasm and witty banter are your love languages, you’ll love Sophie and Max! I’ve never loved a side character in a romance more than I love Larry, especially after the stairwell (iykyk) 😂

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Romance for the ARC in exchange for an honest review 💞

Publication date: March 12, 2024

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This book was cute from the start and I love a good romcom. I read it in one afternoon and I rated it 3.75 elsewhere.

Sophie is about to marry Stuart and Max objects. At the time she doesn’t know what’s going on but we find out that Stuart is a cheater and did Sophie a huge favor.

Max finds Sophie again to ask her to help him at another wedding.

The banter between these two characters was the best and their chemistry. I did however find some of this book very “juvenile” but it was super cute regardless. I love Lynn Painters books.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for the free copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

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4.5 ⭐️

Happily Never After by Lynn Painter presents a modern take on relationships, adding a unique twist to the conventional romance novels.

I found the premise interesting—Sophie, a woman about to get married to her cheating fiancé, hires a wedding “objector” named Max to disrupt her ceremony. In this case, when the pastor finally says "speak now or forever hold your peace,” an objector says "I do,” and provides the reason why the couple shouldn’t be married.

Throughout the book, Painter skillfully explores the intricacies of love by portraying Sophie's disbelief in it, despite her undeniable emotions. As a reader, Sophie's refusal to believe in love proved to be quite frustrating. While her reasoning behind this belief makes sense, her actions and thoughts contradict it, evoking my desire to shake her out of her denial.

The development of Sophie and Max’s relationship is the highlight of the book. It was very easy to like Max because of his humor. Painter masterfully creates well-rounded characters with distinct identities, making their friendship and support for each other's careers genuinely endearing.
The witty banter between the characters keeps the narrative engaging, ensuring there's never a dull moment. Furthermore, the inclusion of Larry and Rose, Sophie's elderly roommates, enhances the story by offering a unique perspective on unconventional relationships.

The narrative skillfully explores the complexities of romantic relationships, portraying a character who thinks and acts in love despite vehemently denying its existence. Sophie's inner struggle, coupled with her undeniable chemistry with Max, evoked so much emotion from me. Despite my frustration with Sophie's continuous denial and repression of her feelings, it serves to heighten the tension, keeping me invested in their journey.

I'm glad I had the opportunity to read another one of Lynn Painter's novels. I admire her ability to write such delightful and immersive romcoms, like this one.

Thank you Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the ARC!

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I freaking love this book.
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Starting with the name of the book, the author has managed to captivate me with her delightful story once again. I was introduced to her a year or so ago, and really enjoy her style of writing.

Her last book was a delightful 5 Star read for me and I knew when I saw this book up for review, I just had to have it. And I’m so glad that I did.

Happily Never After is a perfect example of a romantic comedy story. It’s witty and fun-loving, sexy, and steamy. I freaking love this book. It feels like one long foreplay session that is fun, quirky, and hot as hell. It has everything you want and is a perfect romcom!

Painter creates characters that you simply fall in love with. Max is a dream boat and the epitome of the perfect book boyfriend. I want one exactly like him!!

This book is a creative masterpiece where the author thinks outside the box, creating an experience, not just a story. It is a joy to read and definitely one you will read again and again.

If you’ve never read Lynn Painter, this is the perfect book to start the addiction!

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