thank you netgalley for the arc!

i know that this book came out over a month ago but don’t blame me, im just a simple little mood reader…

i will say, i was a bit skeptical coming into this because lynn’s adult novels have always been hit or miss for me but this was just simple and adorable. it had a fantastic plot and i loved the chemistry between sophie and max. one of my complaints lies with how sophie didn’t have much development in terms of her being ok with believing in love. i feel like that could’ve been a bit smoother overall. i also wish this was a bit more slowburn and had a better build up for when they finally got together.

but this was quick and cute so i overall had a very enjoyable time reading this one!

The objectors are here. And they’re here for justice.

I’m convinced that Lynn Painter can do no wrong. Everything she writes is pure gold and will make me both swoon and laugh at the same time.

This book was a riot. I loved the premise and it was carried out beautifully! Two cynical individuals coming together to break off weddings when either the bride or groom is being wrongly treated? I. Am. Here. For. It!!!

And then the chemistry between Sophie and Max?? I fell for them as a couple instantly even if they both took longer to come around (*cough* I’m looking at you, Sophie!).

So often books feel as though they move too quickly or too slowly, but I truly appreciated the pacing of this one. It gave me a chance to love them as individuals as well as a couple, and to see them come together in a way that was both fluid and fun!

Seriously though, if you’re looking for a new romcom to keep you laughing and that’ll bring a smile to your face? I promise you’ve found it with this one!

Tropes:
- Fling to forever
- Jilted bride
- Friends to lovers
- Weddings gone wrong

This was a really cute rom com. Lots of sexual tension and teasing. I don’t know if I agree with their little business, but they have a cute story. I liked the 80 year old room mates the best. Cute little read. Thank you

Today I’m reviewing Happily Never After by Lynn Painter. In this contemporary romance, we follow human resources VP with a great sense of humor, Sophie Steinbeck, who finds out her fiancé is cheating (again) right before her big day. She can’t call it off, so her bestie hires a professional objector to save the day. When Max, the objector, enters in a tux and a melt-your-heart genuinely he cares kind of guy, both Sophie and Max won’t know how to handle their instant chemistry and blooming friendship in Painter’s latest romance novel.

Tell me about something that you find irresistible? Something that you crave like that first sip of coffee, or the taste of your favorite meal. Where that insatiable something can possibly be boarder line obsession.

Lynn Painter’s writing.

Painter knows her craft and delivers on every level. Take her latest novel Happily Never After. Plot: two people team together like their the wedding Avengers, to save couples from the doom of marriage. Add in witty banter, hilarious dialogue, adorably quirky side characters, cats, and theirs more, but I’d like for you to discover them all, and you have an instant favorite author.

Not only do we have a charmingly funny story, but we have two very real people dealing with their own road blocks and setbacks. And although it’s not immediately obvious to Sophie, how right Max and her could be as a couple, because she's still not over her last break up. A break up that is similar to that of a healing wound, where the new skin hasn't solidified and the pain ever real. And at some point both Max and Sophie find themselves at a crossroad with no map or GPS to help navigate themselves and their ever growing feelings to safety.

And what makes this one stand out (besides the wedding crasher plot) is that initial spark between these two from the opening chapter. How its fueled and sustained, even when Sophie is at her lowest low, they both manage to find a way to keep the spark from going out.

A must read from start to finish.

The premise of this book was super original and perfect for a hilarious read. The witty banter and side characters helped keep the enjoyment of this book high. The character growth, and cynic-to-lovers going on was also original and perfect. Wasn’t a fan of the excessive use of the F word, but I’ve come to realize that is just the author’s style. This book was hilarious though and a fun read.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the advanced copy of the book to read and review.

Huge thank you to Berkley Romance and Lynn Painter for the ARC of Happily Never After. Lynn is my auto read rom com wrtier, It doesnt matter if it is YA or adult swooning I am there for it! From Better than The Movies to The Love Wager ( that was one of my fave rom coms of 2023) Lynn is guaranteed to make your heart swoon . 4.5 stars!
Read if you like:
-Friends with benefits
-Wedding shenanigans
-He falls first
-“Fake dating”

I always know that classic rom com movie vibes are going to be present with a Lynn Painter book : Add a dash of Runaway Bride ( Sophie hires Max to "object " at her wedding when she finds her fiancé was cheating. ) then a little bit of The Wedding Date because they are fake dating while getting paid to break up weddings. Max doesn't want a relationship, Sophie wants a fling. He has his important job in an architecture firm and she is on the rise to VP. Why cant they use each other to fool her boss and his parents into believing they are really dating?
I adored their banter, their face time antics, and how hard Max fell for her.
"F#$% love and relationships, I just want to be with you because you're my GD favorite person."

And the little old roommate Larry.. he was precious and fitting that a character named Sophie Steinbeck has a man like Tom Hanks talking in her ear. Absolutely my favorite rom com of March 2024!

this book was such a cute read! the perfect palette cleanser! lynn painter writes such cute romcoms! she really never misses!

HNA has Everything you expect from a Lynn Painter book: hilarious characters, chemistry dripping off the page, quirky side peeps, and slightly bonkers but totally believable circumstances bringing couples together.

What I especially love about Lynn’s characters is how hard they fall for each other, and how strong the connections are by the time the characters realize it. They get to know each other so well, and oftentimes it’s only *that* character they really open up to and trust to be their authentic selves with.

That was most definitely the case with Happily Never After, where our protagonist Sophie meets Max the day he interrupts her wedding ceremony to object to the marriage. Sophie, who was in on the scheme, connects with Max instantly, and rekindles that friendly connection a few months later, when Max asks her to help with another wedding-related objection plan. They realize they’re a dynamic duo, in and out of the wedding chapel.

When they figure out hanging out could be mutually beneficial to their respective work situations, they decide to play up their platonic relationship.

This was so cute! It felt like a 2000s rom com. I feel like maybe something was missing and the conflict was kind of meh. but I loved the fmcs roommates and the banter between the characters. I love Lynn painter. I will read anything she writes.

This was one of the cutest romcoms EVER! This was such a fun read. Such an adorable friends to lover trope plot revolving around two wedding objectors.

Sophie and Max meet when Sophie finds out that Max is a professional wedding objector. She then hires him to object to the marriage of Sophie to her cheating fiancé. Sophie and Max decide to work together objecting at various weddings. They have both sworn off love, but will their budding friendship turn into more?

I loved the banter between Sophie and Max as their friendship developed. The author did a great job in developing their characters, as well as their friendship. I enjoyed the snarky humor they used when talking to one another. I found myself chuckling out loud during certain parts. It was great to see the two of them develop a friendship and not falling in love right away. Healthy love is the best love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this one! It was such an interesting story with the whole wedding objectors angle. I loved how unique that was. I find the book to be funny and delightful. Loved the two main characters.

So cute! I loved both Max and Sophie and the idea of an objector. The part about Max's ex felt rushed but the book was still great overall.

Another fun read from Lynn Painter. I really enjoyed the dialogue/banter between the main leads. I wish the book was a little longer. I would've liked to spend more time with the characters.

2.75⭐️

the first 50-60% of the book was great!

things I enjoyed:
✨the whole “wedding objectors” idea is very unique and the perfect set up for a rom com
✨the scenes of them wedding crashing
✨her roommates

things i didn’t enjoy:
✨fake dating element felt random
✨the mmc defending his ex
✨the fmc being so hung up on her ex🫠i just don’t see how two people can have a meaningful relationship while having their ex in mind?
✨i didn’t feel the emotional connection between the two main characters


thank u netgalley for the arc!

4.5 Stars
If you love books with a ton of banter, this is a MUST READ!!

This book had everything I love in a good romcom; witty banter, spice and loveable characters. I honestly just could not get enough of Sophie and Max!! This book was so close to being perfect, right up until the whole ex situation came up. Nothing unforgivable or even really that bad happened but I just wanted more discussion between Max and Sophie, with a little more opening up from Max. I think I'm just too nosy to not have every detail about the conflict thoroughly discussed before I can really FEEL the HEA.

*I received and early copy from NetGalley for voluntary review

Lynn Painter has done it again!

Sophie Steinbeck is about to marry her cheating fiancé, until Max Parks comes in and objects to their marriage. Now free from a doomed marriage, the two navigate the single life. The two, now friends, decide to embark on a new business, professional "objectors" saving other couples from their own doomed marriages.

Sophie and Max, two people who have sworn off love, slowly start to deal with the challenges of the no feelings, no love pact they have in place. The chemistry between these two is just *chefs kiss*. I loved this new take on the rom-com drama. All the characters in this book are well developed and there was a great balance between the humor and romantic moment. I highly recommend that all romance lovers give this book a read!

Huge thank you to Net Galley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC of this book!

There wasn't anything special about this romance for me. I didn't hate but I wouldn't seek the author out in the future.

Happily Never After by Lynn Painter is a hilarious romantic comedy featuring a friends to lovers story. While I absolutely loved this rom-com I would warn there’s some language and a bit of spice that may not be everyone’s cup of tea though.

Sophie Steinbeck was so looking forward to her wedding day but when she finds out some things about her groom to be she begins looking forward to ending the relationship instead. Sophie finds herself caught between a rock and a hard place though when it comes to ending things with her would’ve been future father in law employing her own father making his job in jeopardy if Sophie walks out.

On the wedding day Sophie’s friend hires Max whose sole job is to object to the nuptials and derail the wedding train. When everything goes wonderfully Sophie still couldn’t help but wonder how Max ended up in such a weird position. A few months pass when Sophie and Max cross paths again and Sophie finds herself fascinated with learning to be an objector herself.

Happily Never After is the third book I’ve read by author Lynn Painter and it’s the third absolutely loved it story too. First, of course it’s great that I constantly found myself laughing while reading this rom com but I also found myself rooting along for the characters quickly and finding myself enjoying such a unique setting and circumstance for those characters. With the exact opposite of the three strikes your out saying with finding three gems from Lynn Painter she will definitely be welcome into my TBR again in the future!!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Ugh. Another AHHHHH-MAZING novel by the one and only Lynn Painter. I am a HUGE fan of hers and cannot not read her books.

Someone grab Hulu (because that's my streaming service) and get them to make this book into a movie.

This isn't a Hallmark-y kind of book, it is an adorable rom-com/chick lit, that starts off in a way you wouldn't expect it.

Just grab the book, get lost in it, it'll take you a couple hours, you'll thank me later.

Thank you NetGalley for my E-ARC (is it still an ARC if it is out? I guess it is since I can't get this at my library still) in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Net Galley and Berkley Publishing Group for the copy of Lynn Painter’s newest. Although I received it after publication, I still wanted to give it a review.

Lynn Painter always gets me, there’s some reads that are fabulous and others that are meh. This one is in the fabulous category. I read it in one sitting. I did predict the wedding that would cause turmoil, but that’s okay! I love a successful, smart woman and I love a man that is working on himself. This story includes both of those types of characters in Sophie and Max. PS - Max is a literal 10/10 and I love him.

Every time there was a wedding objection all I could picture was Shrek screaming “I OBJECT”.

Lynn - I need a prequel of Stuart and Sophie and Max and Lillibeth.