Lynn Painter is one of the few authors who can consistently make me laugh out loud, and I look forward to reading her books for that exact reason. I definitely had some LOLs while reading this one, which opens with Sophie Steinbeck creatively getting out of her own wedding by having a stranger object and reveal her fiance's infidelity. Her friend hired him after hearing about his services through the grapevine, and Sophie is so relieved to have gotten out of the wedding without having to call it off herself that she spends what would have been her wedding night with her best friend and Max, the objector. Not so long after, Max reaches out to Sophie and she becomes his partner in objecting to weddings, which works out well for her because she fully believes that love doesn't exist and that most marriages are problems waiting to happen. I loved Sophie and Max's friendship and their chemistry and banter, and enjoyed the marriage (pun intended) of the fake dating and friends to lovers tropes in this. Another winner for me from Lynn Painter.

This one just wasn't for me. The dialogue just felt so dated and corny, I didn't see the chemistry between the couple (all those spicy scenes were just so forced and unearned with any real connection outside the physical) and I wish it had focused way more on the wedding objector plot line than everything else. I k now lots of people will find things to enjoy here, but it wasn't a successful rom-com for my personal tastes.

I LOVED this one! Lynn Painter is known for her YA books but she really does Adult Romance so well. The conflicts were realistic and handled in a mature fashion that still allowed for romcom flair. More of this, Lynn!

I loved this book! I devoured it in only a few sittings and wish there was more to read. The story line was paced very well and the characters were easy to love!

Wow this was such a delightful romance. Friends to lovers ish, fake datingish. Loved this couple. Loved Sophie’s friendship with Larry. It made me smile. I love romance books where the writer just nails the couples chemistry.

We follow Sophie and Max and they both are recovering from traumatizing past relationships. Their lives begin to intertwine as they decide to partner together to prevent marriages from occurring - for good reason. These moments they’re spending together cause for feelings to grow, but with their past relationships still haunting them, they both are too afraid to follow their feelings.

This was a great quick read. It was also written in dual POV which is something I adore. I just love being able to see the story from different angles and to get as much info about situations as possible. This was also my first Lynn Painter book, and I would definitely reach for another one of her books to read after this. The book over was very cute. The build up of the relationship was done wonderfully, though I did find the ending a little rushed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

3.5⭐

I love Lynn Painter! This isn't my favorite book of hers, but I did enjoy it! She manages to bring characters off the page and create lots of chemistry between our main characters Sophie and Max.

Lots of fun banter and I really liked the premise of "objecting" at weddings of people that needed a little help to back out. Like, maybe your fiance is cheating, but their parent is your boss or your landlord. You hire someone to object and air the dirty laundry so you aren't the one breaking it off.

If you like Lynn Painter, you will enjoy this one, but I think it was a little too "Hallmarky" for my personal taste in romance books. So, more a case of wrong reader than a bad book.

Thanks to netgalley for an ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Happily Never After by Lynn Painter was absolute fun, lots of humor and spicy love scenes. Told in alternating points-of-view, this book gets an ex-bride and her professional wedding objector from strangers to lovers to doing it for the 'Gram and job promotions. Highly recommended for people who need a good HEA.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

This book is so fun. Will definitely purchase for my library’s collection. Lynn Painter always circulates well.

I enjoyed this one! Unloved the banter between Sophia and max. My only complaint was the smut took away from the plot for me. I like a good spicy book but this was a bit much for my taste.

Sophie Steinbeck finds out that her fiance has cheated on her -- again! Sophie wants to end the wedding, but she doesn't want to be the one to do it. Thankfully, there are professional objectors, and their whole purpose is to show up and yell "I object!"

During an impromptu anti-wedding party at the end of the night, Sophie learns that this is Max the Objector's job. Sophie wants to be an objector.

The two of them begin going to weddings and objecting to weddings. As Sophie and Max begin spending more time together, they realize they are physically attracted to one another. They hookup, as it is purely physical.

A groom-to-be hires Sophie to object; however, his fiance is the girl that broke up with Max.

Sophie realizes she has fallen for Max.

What a cute rom com! It was funny, sweet, and hot. Definite stars for Sophie's elderly roommates!

Lynn Painter's newest rom-com is an outstanding and original read in the genre. When Max objects at Sophie's wedding and saves her from her nuptials, she finds this stranger was hired by her maid of honor. She also discovers that Max objects at weddings as a side hustle and he calls her nearly a year later to assist in this venture. The two become partners as wedding objectors, but their fear of love and broken hearts leads to a physical and selfish relationship. Painter keeps the wedding objecting and keeps it central to the plot and the comedy which adds an element that not all rom-coms do. The humor permeates the DNA of this book and was just a lot of fun. Both Max and Sophie's voices are clear and distinct and I had a great time reading this one.

This was a fun read- there was substantial chemistry and great banter between Max & Sophie. Every time they were together, I enjoyed their shenanigans and I loved how they had a blast spending time with one another even doing mundane things. I was also a big fan of Larry and the fact that Sophie had sassy elderly roommates- something a bit different. It did bother me that all the weddings that they objected to felt like they had the same dilemma, so I would have appreciated some variety there.

This was a fun, delightful romance. Nothing too seriously, but great chemistry between the main characters.

The premise of this book is SO original, and I hoped that the story would live up to the hype I created in my head. And, oh boy, did it!

Sophie and Max meet when Max objects to her marriage. Not quite the meet-cute you'd imagine for your protagonists! It turns out that Max was hired to object to the marriage in order to help Sophie escape a life spent with her cheating groom.

Sophie, fascinated by Max's side job, strikes up a friendship with him, and the two go wedding to wedding objecting to vows. It's a weird way to fall in love, but they make it work!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Okay so this was absolutely adorable as always and made me feel lonely in the best way! The banter in this was so good and it was a concept like I’ve never read before which is impressive in a romance book. I do feel like some things were a bit rushed and the TS references are becoming overwhelming every for me but an enjoyable story with cute side characters and Lynn painters signature charm ;)

I really enjoyed this book. It was predictable but funny. I enjoyed the characters. Perfect romantic comedy.

Lynn Painter does it again! I had a lot of fun reading this one. I liked the dual POVs and the whole "objector" plot line. Read this book if you like:
•Good banter
•A swoony love interest
•He falls first
•A fun plot
•Awesome secondary characters

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

Sophie meets Max when her best friend hires him to publicly object at her wedding. The two strike up a friendship that turns into more as they become a team of objectors who save friends and family members from unwanted marriages.

This feels like a wacky Hallmark movie. Sophie and Max are full of banter and sexual attraction with some madcap adventures thrown into the mix. If you like romantic comedies, this one is for you.

I can always count on Painter to write romances that are both outrageously funny and heartwarming. Happily Never After focuses on a professional wedding objector and a woman who utilizes his services to get out of marrying her horrible fiancé. The two love interests strike up a friendship and decide to work together on saving others from marriages they do not want to enter. Featuring the fake dating and friends-to-lovers tropes, I can see Happily Never After being a hit once it is published!