I immediately pre ordered this after reading the ARC. The chemistry is INSANE and the banter made me fall out from laughing. This is the ultimate romcom and I’m here for it

HAPPILY NEVER AFTER is a saucy, highly entertaining romcom. Lynn Painter’s latest introduces a refreshingly new premise, where a betrayed bride-to-be joins forces with the man she hired to object to her wedding. Painter delivers a compelling story about the unexpected beginnings that come from difficult endings, built around characters that win you over right away. (As well as one-another.)

Sophie and Max are adorable, and their chemistry is just off-the-charts. My only complaint has to do with the point of the plot that is centered around the reemergence of a protagonist’s ex, and the way it was resolved. (But I am also transparently never a fan of that kind of trope.)

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions my own.

This is a fun romantic comedy that starts and ends with a wedding (with a few more in between). Max and Sophie have great banter and chemistry, and I liked them both as characters. The author did a great job of creating Sophie as a very smart, competent, as well as fun-loving woman, worthy of respect. Sophie's elderly roommates were also a hoot. The overall premise, professional objectors at weddings, was a bit of a stretch from my perspective. Overall, it was a fun read. I recommend to readers of rom-coms.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

Each page has had my heart fluttering and vibrating with so much intensity and love for these two. And, I definitely see myself reaching to it for an another re-reading marathon!! Simply adored it.

Happily Never After" by Lynn Painter is a captivating and witty romance novel with a unique twist on love and relationships. The story introduces us to Sophie Steinbeck, who discovers her fiancé's infidelity just before her wedding. In her moment of crisis, she meets Max the Objector, a professional who intervenes at weddings with the words, "I object."

Lynn Painter's writing is sharp and filled with humor, making Sophie and Max's witty banter a highlight of the book. The characters are well-developed, and their emotional journey is beautifully depicted. The story explores the idea that love can find its way into even the most skeptical hearts, and it keeps you engaged with unexpected twists and heartfelt moments.

"Happily Never After" is a delightful and unconventional love story that offers a fresh perspective on love, heartbreak, and second chances. With clever dialogue and a touch of humor, Lynn Painter delivers a heartwarming and entertaining read that's a must for anyone seeking an unconventional and feel-good romance.

I don’t know any other authors that write contemporaries that I can absolutely trust will hit all the marks like Lynn Painter. It’s original, great characters, banter, steam, romance, the buildingggg the feeelingssss. I just absolutely love her books and this was another one that was just fantastic.

Sophie is about to marry her cheating fiancé and there’s no way out. Until a stranger stands up at her wedding and objects and offers her a lifeline. Max has a side hustle as a wedding objector (because romance reasons) and four months after saving Sophie from hers, needs an objectress to help out a friend of a friend. So Sophie and Max set out together to save the day by crashing some weddings but obviously do not believe in love and cannot and will not have feelings for each other ever and we must stay in the friend zone to guard their bruised up widdle hearts. There’s a smidge of fake dating (but not really?), some “let’s kiss but for science not for feelings,” he falls first 🥰😍😭, weekend getaway goodness, and absolutely zero political commentary anywhere to be found. Really, it’s just amazing.

Loved these two best friends who fall hard for each other.

Lynn Painter is one of my favorite authors. She tells such a compelling story and I devour her books in a day. This was no different! I could not put this book down and I absolutely love these two idiots. Max is one of my favorite book boys and Soph is such an amazing character. I love Rose and Larry too and all of the character dynamics. This was a really interesting plot and it was executed perfectly.

I have never not liked a book by Lynn Painter, and this one did not disappoint. She just has a way of writing these hilarious books that really make you fall in love with every single character, no matter how significant they are.

Sophie Steinbeck and Max Parks meet at her wedding when he objects. They team up together and start objecting at weddings as their little side gigs. They become best friends and agree to help each other by fake dating (yay). Of course, feelings come into play and they have to navigate through that while claiming that love doesn't exist.

I really enjoyed the plot of this book so much. I didn't know what being an objector team entailed when I read the blurb, but it did not disappoint. Their objecting events made me laugh out loud and her writing just made it play out like a scene from a movie. It was great.

Eventually, Sophie and Max begin to fake date. I won't say too much because of spoilers, but it really was the driving force that sent this book into motion. You could just feel the chemistry emitting from the pages. It really was through the roof. No spoilers, but WOW. It was just so well written that it had me rooting for them since the moment they met. It also didn't have this miscommunication third act crisis that everyone always dreads. It actually made a lot of sense and I could feel for both Sophie and Max.

I really have nothing bad to say about this book. Lynn Painter has always been a instant-buy author for me and I cannot wait for her other books to come out.

This is absolutely charming!!! I love the premise of two people burned by love falling into a friendship based around objecting to weddings while falling in love. Nice bit of spice, too.

Well, well, well. Goodness gracious. I had never read Lynn Painter before and apparently I’d been missing out because $@/%#¥£! she knows how to write romance!

There are some books that are just plain enjoyable from start to finish, and this was one of those books for me. The writing is snappy, breezy, and upbeat, with just the right amount of laugh out loud humor and steaminess to result in pretty much the perfect romcom.

Our main characters Sophie and Max first meet when Max serves as The Objector at Sophie’s wedding. Yes, she’s hired him to stand up and stop her wedding after finding out her fiancée cheated. They strike up a friendship and then strike up a partnership as they object at other weddings. At first I wasn’t sure how that storyline would work, but it actually shows how they really get people out of bad relationships and it ended up being a fun part of the story.

Both Sophie and Max have sworn off love because reasons, but they both need to appear to be dating someone for other family-professional-growing up reasons, so they enter into a little fake dating situationship and ohhhhhhh boy.

The romance in this book is off the charts. That’s all I can say. I’d tell you to leave it to your imagination but Lynn Painter won’t allow it. The doors, they are open. The heat, it’s flaming. The tension, it’s thick. I will say I was disappointed yes that there were, indeed, enough hotel rooms for Sophie and Max to each have their own on a objecting trip. Rude.

I absolutely loved Sophie and Max (or should I call them Soph and Maxxie… or even Steinbeck and Parks??!). They are both successful in their professions, and I really appreciated how they had their own good things going, so their relationship just added to their lives instead of filling a gaping bleak hole.

The third act crisis was blessedly not long, drawn out, or based on a lack of communication. Thank you for that. 🙏

I just really had a fun time reading this and I loved rooting for our couple. They were both nice, funny, smart and always said what was on their minds… practically PERFECT!

Thank you for this ARC… as you can see I loved it!

Lynn Painter’s Happily Never After has a hilarious premise - Max has a side hustle of being a “wedding objector” and meets Sophie because she needs his help as a bride! They strike up an unlikely friendship months later, and there is UNDENIABLE chemistry. Lynn Painter knows how to write smut!!!!! This entire book, in my opinion, is full of insanely palpable chemistry and funny banter. I didn’t love how unnatural the dialogue felt at times, like it was so cheesy my chest hurt lol, but her writing style kept my engaged the entire time. I loved the side characters (shout out to my main man Larry) and how easily you fall into this contemporary romance.

Thanks so much to Berkley and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I flew through this book! Absolutely loved the story & both MCs and the dual POVs. Romance, spicy scenes, humor. This one has it all.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!

Wow, this book. I have no words. I've read a lot of books this year, but this one is gonna top my 2023 favorites list. Sophie and Max had off the charts chemistry. The way they met and the friendship they develop had me swooning page after page. Loved the side characters, Larry and Rose, Sophie's elderly roommates have to be some of my favorite side characters. Overall I'm gonna give this a solid 5 stars.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

This BOOK!! Anything Lynn Painter writes, I will read because she just knows how to write an amazing love story. The banter is always top notch and it feels so natural to watch these (fictional) people fall in love. I loved the “meet cute” that was not a meet cute at all and it was very unconventional (because he was objecting to her wedding and then she starts going into the business) BUT it was absolutely perfect. I could not recommend this book enough.

I also want to say that there are moments in this book that I cannot stop thinking about!!! The grocery store “date” being one of them. UGH so good!

I love Lynn Painter. She is my favorite rom com author. Her characters are funny, relatable and people I wish I could get to know. I read this in a day and couldn't put it down! Another hit, in my book!

Lynn does it again! Filled with swoony moments, hot chemistry and funny banter, this is another great rom com with Lynn's signature style. I thought the story itself was fun with the objector part of the plot and the meet cute that tied in to it. I liked how both were career driven and both celebrated each other's achievements! So cute!

i loved this book so much it was funny, sweet, not at all what i expected from the title or i mean the first title i should say, if you read her books this one is less spicy than the others but its still a great read i loved every second of it larry and rose are by far my favorite characters in the book, i will be recommending this to everyone i know

Max has a unique side job, and he meets Sophie while working it. Sophie is on the hook to marry a cheater, but her friend has hired Max to object at the wedding and bring his cheating to light. Sophie and Max then strike up a plan to object at weddings together and their friendship is formed based on a mutual dislike of relationships and love.

I loved this book! I’m a huge fan of Lynn Painter’s adult novels (I haven’t read any of her YA books). This one is full of the banter, sweet and spicy moments, and lovable characters that I have come to expect from her books. If you enjoy friends to lovers, characters who don’t believe in love, unconventional elderly roommates and side characters, and good- intentioned scheming, this is definitely a book you’ll want to get your hands on!

Thank you to Lynn Painter, Berkley Romance, and netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

At this point, I think Lynn Painter could write a phone book and I'd love it. Her characters are real, nuanced and clever. The banter can make me laugh out loud and that's really saying something for me. Too often, the books says "laugh out loud funny" on the back, but it's not. I read the first bit of this book at the end of an earlier book and the complete version is more than worth the wait. Thanks, NetGalley and Berkeley Books for this chance to read such a feel good, truly laugh out loud novel.

Lynn Painter is a romance standout and always writes the sweetest stories! "Happily Never After" will be a fan favorite.