Sophie feels pressure to marry her cheating fiancé Stuart, if only to save her father's job that involves working for Stuart's father-a job that would surely be terminated if Sophie were to abruptly bail out. As she desperately tries to figure a way out, her best friend Asha saves the day by employing an "objector," a person designed to object to the wedding and put a halt to the proceedings. When devastatingly handsome Max stands up and disrupts Sophie's ceremony, alluding to Stuart's infidelities, Sophie is saved from a hapless fate and is a newly single woman.

Max becomes an unlikely friend to Sophie, who despite her yearning to break free of her impending marriage, struggles with her new freedom and her feelings of loneliness.

Becoming a fellow "objector" with Max seems to be the perfect remedy for Sophie, allowing her to help other people who also find themselves in tough marital situations.

As Sophie and Max spend more time together, the intensity of their feelings for each other becomes evident and a casual fling becomes more and more out of the question.

But are Sophie and Max ready to risk their hearts again for a chance at true love?

Painter creates an engaging rom-com with a thoroughly original premise. She has compelling main characters, as well as a great supporting cast of characters (especially Sophie's roommates Rose and Larry), and the perfect blend of heart and "steam." You can't help rooting for Sophie and a chance for her to have a happy ending. Great pacing with short chapters helps to also build momentum.

This is my first experience with a book by Lynn Painter and it will not be my last. Romantics out there, get this on your radar!

Happily Never After is another Lynn Painter hit!

Sophie has just had her "dream" wedding turned upside down by a stranger objecting. In the aftermath, she learns exactly who the objector, Max, is and how he does what he does. He's a modern day anti-love hero. AKA the man Sophie wants to be friends with instantly.

The two love haters begin working together under the guideline of being "just friends." Traveling for an out of state wedding objection? Must sleep on separate hotel floors. Flying into the same airport? Must have different depature times. Yet, both soonn realize that what they don't believe in may quickly be happening right in front of them. LOVE, the one thing that both vowed to avoid at all costs. The kicker? This happens right when a wedding objection job pops up for none other than Max's ex. All's fair in love and "not" love.

I found myself quickly turning the pages of Happily Never After, Lynn Painter's 2024 adult romantic comedy. I found myself laughing with Sophie's antics and cheering for Max. While I wanted more growth from Max's point of view side, I felt each character was well written. The cake on the top was definitely Lynn shouting out the bookclub I'm apart of, Joyful Chaos, in her acknowledgements!!

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

I didn't realize initially that this was the same author as Mr. Wrong Number, which was a fine book but hardly my favorite. I definitely enjoyed Happily Never After far more! It's a solid rom-com title with plenty of spice and lots of laughs. If you're a fan of the genre, you'll most likely really enjoy this book!

Happily Never After had me hooked on the first chapter. Max and Sophie are adorable and so are her room mates, Larry and Rose. I laughed out loud while reading this book. I will definitely have a book hangover for a few days now that I am finished reading this one.

I have just recently discovered Lynn Painter's books and have loved every one of them!

In Happily Never After, Sophie discovers just before her wedding that her fiancé has cheated on her once again. She immediately wants to call off the wedding. 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 the anti-wedding party that night, Sophie learns about Max the Objector’s profession. The two of them, who are both cynical about love, start working together. They go from wedding to wedding, and Sophie has more fun than she has had in a long time. She enjoys saving the lovesick souls of the betrothed masses at every nerve-racking ceremony.

As Sophie and Max spend more time together, they realize that their physical chemistry is undeniable. However, they both agree that they don't have feelings for each other because they believe that love does not exist.

#NetGalleyARC Yet another great fun romance read from this author, who is quickly becoming one of my faves! I love the twisted version of a wedding crasher and thought that the two MCs were written so relatable, which is why I enjoy this author so much. A great read for sure.

This story was so fun and unlike anything I’ve read! The objecting element was silly but I liked that they were doing it together. The steam was definitely turned up in this book. The kisses were excellent!!

I think people wanting a fun steamy read will love this story!

Every time I read something new by Lynn Painter, I continue to be amazed at how she outdoes herself time and time again. Painter is a master of banter and her books just get better and better - from YA to adult, closed door to steamy and beyond, she can do no wrong. I loved the premise of Happily Never After and look forward to more from Painter in the future.

Oh My Goodness! Lynn Painter does it again! Happily Never After made me laugh, cry, scream and do an insane amount of giggling and kicking my legs! Sophie and Max's story of strangers to friends to definitely not lovers to (spoiler) GETTING MARRIED! I was hooked and I inhaled this book so fast! Lynn Painter is truly a genius at writing a man who is absolutely smitten!

This book makes my soul so happy!!

Lynn Painter is one of my auto-buy authors who I adore with my entire heart. I knew the moment I started this book that I was going to love it. From the unique wedding objection premise to the girl who truly doesn't believe in love, there wasn't a detail I didn't like. Like, Sophie's roommates, all the cats, and all the heated kisses.

If you've ever enjoyed a story by Lynn Painter, then get excited to pick this up!! It's full of her signature charm and will make you giggle and kick your legs like nobodies business.

One of my favorite books of 2023, for sure <3

I loved the witty banter between these two characters. They were a very modern "when Harry Met Sally". This book brought ALL of the heat when it came to their chemistry but I appreciated the way it took a step back to evaluate the true emotions and fears we all face when putting ourselves out there for love.
I would have liked to know a bit more about her relationship with her roommates in the beginning, at first it was unclear how that transpired. I also would have expected a bit more conflict at her workplace surrounding the promotion- that was wrapped up a little too neatly and easily.
All in all it was an enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend it to my romance reading patrons.

This book was perfectly fun! The banter was great, the angst was strong. I loved the premise and both main characters. Lynn Painter never fails to write a superb romcom.

Sophie discovers just before her wedding that her fiancé has cheated on her once again. She immediately wants to call off the wedding. 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 the anti-wedding party that night, Sophie learns about Max the Objector’s profession. The two of them, who are both cynical about love, start working together. They go from wedding to wedding, and Sophie has more fun than she has had in a long time. She enjoys saving the lovesick souls of the betrothed masses at every nerve-racking ceremony.

As Sophie and Max spend more time together, they realize that their physical chemistry is undeniable. However, they both agree that they don't have feelings for each other because they believe that love does not exist.

The storyline is engaging with retable characters, a unique story, interesting side-turns, and characters, beautifully written romance, witty banter, chemistry tension done right, and delightfully funny, I enjoyed seeing both Sophie and Max's perspectives on their situations. The character growth was wonderful to see throughout the book, seeing their feelings and minds change, and how they try to understand one another. It is heartwarming to witness the process of two individuals transforming from strangers to friends and eventually developing romantic feelings for one another.

Content: Open Door-cursed words.

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley Romance for providing me with an eARC. All opinions are my own.

Sophie is saved from "The Objector" at her wedding after finding out her fiance cheated on her. Eventually, she and Max become partners objecting at weddings because Sophie knows what the other person is going through, but as they spend more time together, the soon realize there is a chemistry there that cannot be denied.

Another fun, feels-filled read from Lynn Painter, a name I am quickly learning to seek out and adore!!! Her books are so funny, too! I always have at least one huge guffaw while reading and I generally have to wipe away some tears, too. A perfect combo. 💜📚

Lynn Painter continues her streak of writing rom coms that make me laugh and swoon with Happily Never After. Her writing is so much fun! The concept of Sophie the bride hiring professional wedding objector Max to prevent her from having to get married and help save face was interesting and entertaining. I loved how the experience ended up creating a business relationship and then friendship between Sophie and Max. The friendship between them gave me Hallie and Jack vibes (The Love Wager) and I was so into that. Their adventures in stopping weddings were hilarious. I loved how it led to kind of portraying themselves the type of "friends" people are sure are more than friends. Their chemistry was off the charts, and I knew it was only a matter of time before their close friendship turned into more. They were kind of idiots when it came to love and relationships, but it only made me love them more. So, yeah. I loved this book. I can't wait for Painter's next book. It can't get into my greedy hands fast enough.

This was a fun read! I loved both main characters and their chemistry, and the premise of the book was fresh and interesting. I liked that this book had depth but didn’t get to be too depressing.
In this book, Sophie is about to get married when she learns her fiancé has been cheating on her. Max arrives to save the day as a wedding objector, and the wedding is called off. Sophie, who didn’t believe in love to begin with, is intrigued and asks Max to let her help next time. Soon they become objectors together. However, neither can deny their sizzling chemistry. Max and Sophie have to decide if they want to try for a relationship, stay as just friends, or stop talking altogether.
I loved Sophie and Max’s chemistry together. Their witty banter and how they seemed to get one another and just clicked right away made them so fun to watch together. I love how Max tried to hold back and respect Sophie’s feelings and how she was willing to rethink things for him. I also really liked Sophie’s relationship with her roommates but wish I could have seen more of that. It felt more like I was told how special their relationship was rather than shown.
Which leads me to my only real objection to this book: all of the characters outside of Sophie and Max felt pretty one dimensional. We barely get to see any of the other characters, and what we do see is pretty sparse. We get a taste of Max’s relationship with his parents but their personalities seem to boil down to wanting their son to be in a serious relationship. Where’s her parents? We’re told they’re not that close but she was willing to get married so her dad wouldn’t potentially lose his job? Where’s her best friend? I get she lives far away but they never talk? Does Max have any friends?
Overall, this was a fun read. Would recommend to anyone looking for a contemporary romance with some spice.

Lynn Painter is the QUEEN of witty dialogue and banter! Happily Never After had me fully invested from page one and excited for the progression of the plot as well as the romance, which is a rare experience for me when reading contemporary romance these days.

Sophie is about to go through with an unwanted wedding that she cannot call off without their being repercussions for her family, so her friend hires Max, an objector-for-hire, who saves the day by calling out her fiancé in the middle of the wedding so none of the blame falls on Sophie. Max and Sophie have an immediate rapport, and on a whim, Sophie helps Max "object" for some more weddings.

The premise is so fun and dramatic. Watching Sophie and Max work together to "object" at weddings and just having fun which each other was so entertaining. I felt a connection between Sophie and Max from their first interaction; They are both cynical about love and closed off from relationships, so they don't even consider their palpable chemistry to be romantic at first. A major highlight of their relationship was how upfront and honest they were with their feelings, so there was barely any miscommunication.

This is my favorite of Lynn Painter's works and a new standout rom-com for me. I was able to read this in one sitting and really fall in love with these characters because they felt so authentic to me. I don't usually love the "friends to lovers" trope, but Lynn Painter always puts such a fun spin on it, and this book is no different. I would recommend to any lovers of romantic comedies, outrageous "meet cutes," and topnotch banter!

Thank you Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the advanced Copy.

I hadn't read any of Lynn Painter's books before reading this one so I wasn't sure what to expect going into Happily Never After. But what I found was that I really enjoyed this book. The whole concept was really unique and sweet. It's been a while since I've read a romcom and I loved it. The relationship between Max and Sophie felt natural and didn't feel forced at all. Overall a great read!

Charlie, from Emily Henry’s Book Lovers, you have been replaced. Sorry, not sorry, but I have a new book boyfriend and his name is Max. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read this fun, witty, somewhat spicy rom-com featuring what might be my new favorite fictional couple, Max and Sophie.