Okay, I don't think I can fully communicate how much I love time loop stories. From "Ground Hog Day" to "Palm Springs" to See You Yesterday, I want them all. So I shrieked when I heard about The Do Over. And what an experience it was. I love how it has those predictable moments of the stages of grief. The "what if I do everything right" bargaining stage all the way to "nothing matters anymore" to the apathy. From a plot perspective, The Do Over is an utter win. Full of fixed points and agency, time loops always ask us about our own ability to change the world, to change ourselves.

But even more than that, The Do Over is about characters. How Emilie is so convinced a list could save her. To set her sights on attainable, break down into check boxes, all to try to get what she wants. As someone who is currently breaking down my daily habits in a bullet journal, I deeply related. Emilie wants love, but also stability - and she has a list for it. From the very beginning, I related to Emilie and to the idea of what might happen if we stop planning for it. If we stop getting fixed on the future.

This book brought me so much joy and I could not stop giggling like a fool. Lynn Painter can do no wrong. I find her YA books so healing to my teenage self because Emilie literally is me as a teen; planner, over-achieving perfect daughter, people pleaser who loves coffee and romance novels and checklists. Watching her let go of expectations and embrace living her life for herself is so powerful. Watching her fall in love is so healing. And Nick Stark? The Jess Mariano vibes were immaculate. The banter and chemistry between these two? God-tier. The Taylor Swift references? Iconic. I loved every second.

Filled with Valentine’s warmth, love, and sparkle (not to mention quintessential Taylor Swift references), The Do-Over is the perfect heartwarming teenage rom-com that will have you gushing and chuckling over Painter’s signature charm and witty humor.

On February 14th, Emilie wakes up expecting to have the perfect Valentine’s Day. But when it doesn’t go as planned, her whole day starts to crumble. When she wakes up the next day, the previous Valentine's events come back to haunt her exactly like they happened yesterday. Stuck in a time loop of the horrible Valentine’s Day and forced to deal with some striking realizations about her life, Emilie discovers how to stand up for herself and what she truly wants.

Lynn Painter did it again and created a completely ADORABLE and fun story about teenage struggles—dealing with changing family dynamics, the weight of the future, and falling in love. It made my heart just so happy and me grinning from ear to ear!

The entire novel was written and crafted so eloquently. Right away, you get sucked into this story through the rom-com nature and pop culture references. Painter continues to write romance and layered, tall, dark, and handsome love interests SO WELL. I absolutely LOVED Nick’s gruff and broody, ‘Jess from Gilmore Girls’ demeanor, and his sweet teddy bear heart.

From her quirky humor, heartfelt plots, and lovable characters, Painter’s books are like a warm hug, and I can’t get over them. If you’re a fan of Better Than the Movies and love Taylor Swift and classic romantic comedies, definitely add this book to your list!

4.25/5

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

This was really good! I loved BETTER THAN THE MOVIES and was really looking forward to this one, and I'm pleased to say this was good! I didn't enjoy it quite as much as BTTM, but it was a fun, "Groundhog Day" inspired YA rom-com that ends when our main character takes a Day of No Consequences and ends up having to deal with them. This book did not fall prey to what many books of its kind do--it never felt too repetitive with the repetition of the same day; there was always some new thing Emilie did that kept things interesting. I also liked Nick, the love interest, but I wish we'd gotten to know him better! Because of the repeated days, his development felt kind of choppy, so I would have liked some more time spent getting to know him. I felt a similar way with Emilie, as though she was constantly reacting so we didn't get to see as much of her true character as I wanted. Like I said, I did really enjoy this and would recommend it; it's got the same heart and humor that BTTM did!

i will read anything that lynn painter writes, her books never fail to make me smile

I'll admit I'm not a big fan of time loops in books, but lynn did it so well that it didn't feel so repetitive. I loved emilie as main character and i find her super relatable (she’s a book lover like us) and nick as love interest?! he has jess mariano vibes that’s all I’m going to say. They had so much chemistry and tension!!! i think i was screaming and giggling in all of their scenes.

also loved that even tho this is a rom com it also touches other topics like complex family dynamics and grief.

The Do-Over by Lynn Painter
Rating: 5 stars
Steam: Kissing Only
Pub Date: 11/15

“I had a marvelous time ruining everything.”

I couldn't get the grin off my face after finishing this, and I still smile when I think about it days later. What a profound, sweet, and beautiful story.

Emilie wakes up on Valentine’s Day excited about everything she plans to do with her day. One of which is to say I love you to her boyfriend, Josh, for the first time. Unfortunately, she has a terrible day and goes to bed eager to forget about it. But when she wakes up, it’s Valentine’s Day all over again, and she’s forced to relive the crappy events of the previous day. She’s stuck in a time loop hell and doesn’t know how to get out of it. Each day starts out with a run-in with her chemistry lab partner, Nick, so she decides that might be a good place to start.

Yup, this is me giving another five-star review to a YA time loop romance. But you know what? It was well deserved! This book is SO frickin’ cute. My heart could hardly handle all of the swoony, gooshy goodness.

I loved getting to know Nick and unraveling the mystery of why he is so grumpy. His secret pining for Emilie was my absolute favorite and made me so happy! Emilie is such a people pleaser that she doesn’t realize she needs to stand up for herself until the universe gives her a little nudge. She really comes into her own during her time loop struggles, and it was great to see. I loved the banter between Nick and Emilie, and that unicorn cake gesture was *chef’s kiss* perfection. Definitely gave me all the feels.

I’ll stop gushing, but you should really read this if you like Taylor Swift, contemporary YA, grumpy/sunshine romance, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Every book I’ve read by Lynn Painter has been a slam dunk, and this is another example of why she is an auto-buy author for me. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for the early copy. The Do-Over hits shelves on 11/15.

Reading a Lynn Painter book is the equivalent of a warm hug and you cannot convince me otherwise. Whether she is writing a YA or adult book, her romances are guaranteed to fill you with warm and fuzzy happiness, and this one is no different.

This was such a fast-paced book, and I absolutely flew through it, having such a fun time while I was reading that I am already looking forward to giving it a reread.

Emilie Hornby is a classic type-A protagonist. She strives to have every little aspect of her life planned out to perfection, so imagine her shock when what was supposed to be her romance-filled Valentines Day goes horrifically wrong over, and over, and over again. That’s right y’all- we’ve got a TIME LOOP! And it was executed to *chef’s kiss* perfection.

As Em works to change the outcome of her disastrous repeated day, she keeps running into her lab partner- Nick Stark. No matter how much she tries to avoid him, they keep crashing into each other, and Em can’t help but be drawn to him and GIRL I RELATE! Nick was so charming, and I absolutely adored watching them spend time together.

As with every Lynn Painter book, you are going to feel all the feels- the swooniness, the angst, the amusement, and the frustration- and I loved every second of it, so be sure to look out for this one when it comes out NEXT WEEK!

Thank you so so much NetGalley for letting me read and review this book!

This was my first book ever to read by this author, yes I didn’t get to read better than the movies but I definitely will now asap!! I love the writing style and how easy it flowed.
It just kept me engaged the whole time and was never dull, i love the characters and the days repeating until Em got her next day back.
Basically the premise of this book is Valentine’s Day, and Em is trying to have the PERFECT day for it with her boyfriend but then she literally gets in a car crash and the person she ran into is Nick.
Then when she gets to school she gets the horrible Valentine’s Day ever and when she’s at her grandmothers she goes to sleep and wakes up back in her home and it’s Valentine’s Day again!
We get to see different outcomes of the Valentine’s Day and Em trying to get out of the loop, along the way she starts to fall for Nick and realizes what she wants and needs to do for herself and stand up!

I felt a connection to Em with the whole parent’s divorce thing and being the perfect child, like that shi hurted. I loved this book way too much! I cant wait to get my copy and annotate the crap out of it!

This was my first book by this author, but I cannot WAIT to read more of her work! This book was a fun read! After enduring a horrific Valentine’s Day, Emilie Hornby finds herself living in a time loop nightmare where she has to re-live the same day over and over again. While her boyfriend cheats on her day after day, Emilie can’t help but be drawn to her classmate Nick, who she keeps running into. I rarely enjoy time loop reads, but this one did the trick 🙌 it truly kept getting better and better the more I read, and I feel like I finished it in record time.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing & NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC

Holy cuteness overload. Lynn has proven, once again, to be the queen of YA romance 👑 All hail Lynn.

While I’m not usually a *huge* fan of time loop stories, this one was done so exceptionally well. It presented the same day over and over without feeling repetitive or overdone.

I laughed, I cried, I was swept off my feet, and I loved everything about these characters. Emilie is the sunshine to Nick’s grumpy and together, it makes for the most swoon-worthy (and emotional!) relationship.

Overall, I loved everything about this story and will read anything and everything Lynn writes.

Lynn Painter is a favorite author of mine. I loved Better Than the Movies, so when I saw the Do-Over, I knew I needed to read it ASAP. Both of them are five-star reads for me. I found myself laughing and feeling the butterflies as Emilie is caught in a Valentine's Day time loop. Sometimes the groundhogs day loop can be too repetitive, but this book made it entertaining. Make sure you don't miss this fun YA read.

Thank you, Simon & Schuster and Simon & Schuster Audio, for my gifted copies.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this gem of a book!

Lynn Painter has done it again. Better Than the Movies was one of my favorite reads of 2021 and probably my favorite YA read ever… I had high hopes for The Do-Over and she delivered! Easy, easy 5 stars. I adored this book and will be ordering a copy for my shelves!

Here’s what I loved
*Taylor Swift and Gilmore Girls references
*major Jess Mariano vibes (IYKYK)
*the way she writes male characters— witty, fun, no BS, sweet, thoughtful
*YA characters that feel real to me and not stereotypical
*the tension written so well — I could feel it.
*the Groundhog Day timeloop plot line— was well done and not overly repetitive in a bothersome way
*a solid ending

I could go on and on… if you’re a YA fan, this book is not to be missed!

3.5/5 stars

I'm a bit torn reviewing this one because there is something about Lynn Painter's writing that is just ridiculously readable!! I read this book in two sittings (half each time) and I really fell into the story. Lynn Painter really shines with writing YA and her characters are quirky in such a fun way.

But, I didn't love how the time loop element played out (it worked for me until it didn't) and overall was left a bit unsatisfied/felt major plot points were revolved too easily. I just wish the MC and her love interest had a different day where they threw caution to the wind and just did all the things, because it occurred a bit too late into the plot for everything to resolve in a way that made sense to me.

Lynn did it again! I loved everything about this book and Emilie's self-realization. The friendships, the development of her getting to know Nick. It was all just *chefs kiss*. I loved the DONC and how it led into Emilie finally breaking the time loop.

This had all the feels, had me laughing and grinning like a fool, and made me swoon.

This book <3

The time loop/Groundhog Day trope can be a hit or miss but Painter’s execution is flawless!

After having the worst Valentine’s Day ever… a car wreck, a cheating boyfriend, a cranky lab partner, Emile ends her day at her grandma’s house with a pint of ice cream. The next day she wakes up and has to live it all over again.

I loved everything about this one. The dramas of high school, falling in love and the grump/sunshine trope. It was fun following Emile every day trying to figure out how to stop the time loop, and the romance was just the sweetest. I highly recommend!

Thanl you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book so much, Lynn never disappoints. I can't wait to get my hands in a physical copy.
Time loop tropes are always a hit or miss, usually more of a miss, but this was a winner, giving the MC different things to do every time she relived the same day made the book not be repetitive and it was fun.
Love how Lynn always makes references to Taylor Swift! I'm always here for it.

Thank you net-galley, Simon & Schuster and Lynn painter for this arc!

PICK THIS BOOK UP!


“He kissed me like he was trying to prove something. “

This was my first Lynn painter book and I read this so quickly!

I love anything with the ground hog day concept, and I didn’t even realize that was going to happen in this book. It was done very subtlety.

Emilie walk through life without ruffling festers, she abides by a list and is a planner. Her first valentines dah with her first serious boyfriend is something she is looking forward to, and she plans on making it perfect.

So obviously things go wrong, and of course she is doomed to relive the day.

The growth of seeing her relive valentines dah and Fl through all the same emotion as her is something Lynn painter does so well. I literally cried 3 times???

I’m 100% reading more of her books immediately!

Nobody does banter like Lynn Painter Kirkle and with this time loop she manages to show off the true essence of a teenager, how their moods are affected by what happens in their school day and the variety of differences the choices a teen makes can impact their day. From the adorable besties to the cheating boyfriend drama, the quirky and fun grandma, to Emilie's family situation, THE DO-OVER gave me everything I love about Lynn Painter Kirkle’s writing.

I was lucky to read and review her debut novel Better Than The Movies, and have been counting down to the release of her sophomore YA novel, greedily thinking that her adult novel + multiple email newsletter stories just weren’t enough, I am THE biggest fangirl over here. Lynn’s characters are always my favorites, messy and beautifully imperfect, cheesy but relatable.

The scenes she creates just bring a huge cheesy smile to my face. I especially loved the DONC day where she’s over the time loop after the day prior was nearly perfect & she decides to say f it & go for it. Emilie was so much more than I expected, and I love how the plot line embraced her planner-loving, bookish self who starts off trying to emulate perfection to her family and friends, then finds herself as she takes the opportunity to let her hair down and find herself and who and what SHE loves.

Nick made the perfect grumpy / sunshine love interest that was so unlike any male MC I had ever read. His gruff no cares attitude made the moments of sweetness even more enjoyable, and I really enjoyed how the pieces of his personality were revealed as time went on, it was so well executed.

Pick this one up for all the feels, another 5 star read from Lynn for me! Thank you Simon & Schuster for the chance to read and review this title in exchange for my honest review, made my day to receive this title!

I am always up for time loop book. I find myself eager to see how the author uses this construct, and I absolutely loved what Painter did. I think there are so many challenges to properly executing a Groundhog Day style story. The author has to balance the repetitive nature of reliving that particular time period with advancing the story, and I found myself delighted and a bit surprised with this do-over day.

The time loop was fun and filled with lots of hilarious moments, but The Day of No Consequences, aka The DONC, was a definite highlight. I think you can guess what sort of events dominated this do-over, but it was the deeper, more emotional moments of that day that made it standout for me. Painter did a beautiful job embedding these tender and heartfelt bits in this rather hilarious tale, and it was a special treat watching Emilie and Nick grow closer.

I just love Lynn Painter’s books so much! They never fail to make me laugh and smile while filling my heart with warmth and joy. It’s always fun to see what an author will do with a time-loop, and I will say, Painter surprised me with one of the choices she made. I had a great time with Emilie as she learned to find that balance between pleasing others and pleasing herself, planning and living in the moment, as well as being her true self and working through the pain of her past. It was a fun, sometimes wild, and always endearing journey.

#netgalleyarc Cute story, definitely one I will purchase for my high school library. A fun, cute, romantic take on groundhogs day. Not super cheesy and not over dramatic, perfect balance for an enjoyable YA book.