Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other is a fun, clean, summer time read.
The enemies to lover trope is done well here, as readers can sense the intense dislike between Brynn and Seb once they have page time together. Making the romance all the more victorious at the end.
Brynn...well, let's just say, she's had a hard life and she hasn't made it any easier on herself. When what she thought was a private conversation with her co-host airs on national television, Brynn has some major soul-searching, and apologizing, to do. Yet, as readers follow her journey, there doesn't seem to be soul-deep remorse (which tends to be more evident with a faith thread - which this story doesn't have). She does have an epiphany near the end, which would make readers believe things would change.
Sebastian is a solid lead character, who knows when to speak and how to take a stand for what is right. He's had a vastly different experience than Brynn, and it's understandable why he dislikes her so much - especially when they share the same profession.
There's plenty of embarrassing moments, dislike for the girl who comes home, tear-filled moments, and banter. The supporting cast is one of the most interesting in Bethany Turner books - especially Doc and Orly.
The epilogue shows Brynn and Sebastian's life two years following the end of the story. A little bit of a surprise, which I won't spoil here.
This is a clean read - perfect for summertime reading.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

When Brynn Cornell, morning entertainment show host, accidentally allows some insulting comments to be broadcast live to a large television audience, she returns to the her small hometown to try to make amends. What starts out as a public relations campaign turns into an opportunity for some genuine soul-searching, and maybe even a chance at unexpected romance. Will Brynn be able to redeem herself? Find out in this heartwarming tale of misguided first impressions and second chances.

It took a little while for this story to get going. However, the characters were charming and the lead couple were entertaining. I appreciate that the author didn't go too dramatic in the ending. When the couple gets together they stay together... almost like they're meant to be. Who'd have thought? I also liked how the author wrote steamy scenes that were not explicit. Romance abounds and romance readers should enjoy.

Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other by Bethany Turner and is
a super fun, creative story with a surprising amount of depth. It is a good rom-com that definitely made me laugh out loud several times. Brynn knows how to stick her foot in her mouth and it seems like Sebastian is there to catch her every time. Then one day, he catches a glimpse of the truth and she trusts her investigate nature to see more to him than he lets on. It takes vulnerability and a desire to be known for both of them get past the messes they’ve made. They’re oil and water, and yet, they work! I love the supporting characters and the degree of forgiveness shown. All in all, a cute, redemptive story that will make you laugh and cheer them on.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley from the publisher and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

The summary of this book appealed to me, so I was really excited for this book, but I ultimately couldn't get into it and ended up DNFing about halfway through.
Most of my issues came down to Brynn--right off the bat, I didn't really like her. She seemed shallow and rude, and her internal monologue really did nothing to dispel that. And then when she got to Adelaide Springs she was downright awful to Sebastian, and her internal monologue, again, did her no favors.
I honestly think if the POVs had been switched--if Sebastian's had been first person and Brynn's had been third--I may have liked it, but as it is, I didn't like Brynn, couldn't root for her to be with Sebastian, and honestly didn't see a single reason why she should be afforded a redemption arc. She seemed exactly like the spoiled, bratty, entitled asshole she came across on her her live segment, and if the whole first half of the book didn't have a single moment that led me to believe she might be decent underneath that, I just couldn't keep going.

Again, I think if her story hadn't been in first person it could have been fine, because I would have wondered who she was underneath that awful exterior, but we got a glimpse into her thoughts and they just proved that everyone's poor opinion of her was correct.

I did keep reading longer than I expected, because I wanted to see how the story turned out, but ultimately I just needed to put this book down and move on.

I just finished reading an amazing romantic comedy novel that had everything I could ask for a heartwarming plot, relatable characters with their own flaws, clever and amusing conversations, and a small-town Colorado setting. This sweet and clean romance is full of funny, emotional, and heartwarming moments, including swoon-worthy kisses that will have you laughing and crying along with the characters. You'll find yourself falling in love with the story and its depth and realism.

The story revolves around Brynn, a former morning-show host, who gained a reputation as a mean girl after a bad moment on air. She returns to her hometown of Adelaide Springs, Colorado to redeem herself and show viewers that she's not who they think she is. Along the way, she meets Sebastian, a former big news reporter, a grumpy with anxiety issues who now lives a quiet life in the small town.

I really enjoyed reading this book with the enemies-to-lovers theme, which was well executed. Brynn is a fascinating character, she is real, and despite her occasional sarcasm and disconnection from current trends, her ability to overcome adversity and discover her true self was inspiring. All things considered, the story did not disappoint me. However, I felt that there were too many references to pop culture, which was my only criticism. The storyline had some great side characters that added a lot of fun and variety. I especially enjoyed the witty banter between Brynn and Sebastian, too delicious! I highly recommended it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Brynn Cornell is America’s sweetheart co-host of the popular morning news show Sunup. That is, until she is caught on air bad mouthing her small hometown of Adelaide Springs, Colorado. In a last-ditch effort to get viewers back on her side, Brynn travels back to her hometown of 314 people, seeking to apologize for her negative words and capture some feel-good footage. Sebastian Sudworth, a former journalist who left big media behind for small town living, is a city council member in Adelaide Springs, and is tasked with chauffeuring Brynn around town. Sebastian can see right through Brynn’s sunny exterior, but she is determined to not let him stop her from getting her career back on track. But it’s hard to play nice around someone you hate…even more so if you might be crazy about them.

Thank you to @netgalley, @seebethanywrite, and @thomasnelson for the advance copy! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. First of all, there is a coffee shop in the book called the Bean Franklin and now I must go there. Brynn’s character developed a lot throughout the story. At first she came off as a bit entitled to me, but as we get to learn more about her and her past I really grew to like her. I liked Sebastian from the start, and I liked him even more once more of his backstory was revealed. The banter between Brynn and Sebastian was so good. And I really loved the cozy small town vibes and how many fun side characters there were. Brynn & Sebastian’s story hits shelves on September 5!

I agreed with Sebastian when I started this book. I really hated Brynn Cornell. She was shallow, vapid, and completely egocentric. However, like Sebastian, when her walls started to come down, I started to like her very much.

Bryan and Sebastian are very much broken people, and it is the crazy town of Adelaide Springs that helps heal them. Plus there's some delicious banter, great pop culture references, and quirky characters abound.

I'm a sucker for enemies-to-lovers and wanted to love this book so much, but Brynn is honestly the worst and I struggled because of how much I didn't like her

I have wanted to read this book since it's very talked about on BookTok. I don't understand all the hate Brynn gets because I HATEEEE toxic positivity and even the sunniest of people aren't sunny 24/7. I related to Brynn a lot - She is nice and cheerful but has a sarcastic/snarky side. I thought that was refreshing because I hate the aloof/clueless sunshine characters. I was hoping for more romance and rated this 3 stars because the author built it up for 80% of the book instead of sneaking it in way earlier.

2 stars

I get the enemies to lovers/grumpy sunshine vibes but i need to somehow root for them and Brynn was so insufferable I just couldn't.
She was awful and I understand mental issues and trauma but... nope. That doesn't give you a free pass to be awful.
Such a disappointment.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Brynn is a well known host of a morning show when she is caught on live air mocking her tiny Colorado hometown. She then is sent to do damage control in her hometown to save her reputation. When she arrives, she meets Sebastian, and the two can’t stand each other.

Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this book. It had an interesting concept but the main characters weren’t particularly likable. I didn’t really want to root for them. I normally love the enemies to lovers trope but the romance piece was lacking. I did enjoy the Colorado setting though.

Thank you to the author, Thomas Nelson Publishing, and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

It’s not that I didn’t like the story. I did. But then we got to know Brynn. My first impression was if I’m supposed to hate Brynn…I definitely do. She’s insufferable.

Sebastian on the other hand, I liked.

I’m not sure if this is a grumpy x sunshine like I have seen it labeled…it seemed more like rude x sarcastic to me. I really don’t see how Sebastian fell in love with Brynn. It seemed like they really disliked each other and the next thing we know, they’re in love for no reason.

I get that she had her problems with her mom, but…her mom wasn’t there anymore. I also understand that memories and trauma can be connected with a place and you might not want to go back…but those people didn’t deserve to be abandoned or treated the way she did. They took care of her. They recognized the trouble she was in and helped the best they could. I also understand that’s just a part of the character, but I wish there had been just a little more in there to make her a little more likable. Her growth seemed a little forced and fake…like it just happened so quickly.

The premise of the story, I liked…but I there was just something about Brynn that I couldn’t like.

I definitely liked the reconciliation between Doc and Brynn, that was moving.

I thought Sebastian was mature and was trying his hardest to grow from the experience he had. I respected that.

But Brynn, blah. I think that because she was SO rude in the beginning, any growth she possibly had just didn’t feel believable to me. You’re not that rude to people and just turn on a dime like that.

But yes, otherwise, the story was fine. It was a pretty quick read and the other people in the town were interesting enough. It felt a little Hallmark-esque. It was a clean read, no steamy scenes or bad language, always a plus.

I think the issue was my own with Brynn and I just couldn’t get around it.

I love all Bethany Turner books because they are funny and deep and real. This book was no different; it plumbed the depths of two very painful pasts while keeping its sense of humor and helping the characters grow beyond their dysfunction and find each other.A lot of Christian romance books are formulaic and take themselves way too seriously, but this book did neither of those things and I can't wait for Turner to write another one!

It was just… boring to me. I couldn't get into it as much as I tried which was a let down to me cause the premise held promise.

This book was a let down for me. It started off pretty strong and then just lost my attention. I had to make myself read the last half. The enemies-to-lovers trope just didn't hit right for me in this story.

I received this eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Man, I SO badly wanted to love this book, but it fell short for me in the end. Now, I will say that it has all the things I love: small-town, enemies-to-lovers romance after a life-changing event type vibes. The pacing was strange (to me) and I didn't like Brynn very much. The best part of the book is the second half, where there is some really great interactions between Sebastian and Brynn. The books is a clean, yet somewhat boring, romance that a different audience will certainly eat-up!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this title.

I’m not going to lie, this one started so slow that I found myself walking away from it multiple times. Around the 50% mark, it really picks up and takes a dive into some deep themes about community, chosen family, and trauma that shapes a person.

The town of Adelaide Springs won me completely over. A person can never have too many people rooting for them, and Brynn has that. Even if she has chosen to isolate herself from those that know and love her most. She’s forced to reconcile what she believes to be true of the town with reality, and the result is freedom & self-discovery. Brynn was hard to root for at first, but she comes around—as heroines do.

Sebastian is your typical grump to sunshine hero, but as much as he may deny it, he seems to do a 180 solely based on a pretty girl who seems vulnerable for a moment. That was the one issue I really had, so much time was spent laying ground work for why they “hate” each other, that their switch to romantic interest feels kind of jarring.

As a whole, it was a compelling second half, with characters that were meaningful and enjoyable. The idea that you can always find good in people if you look for it is well-woven in the narrative. I appreciated that.

This one scored a 0 on the FOTMS scale! I love that about Bethany Turner— we know we have rich characters with swoony moments, but we aren’t going to blush about it. 🥰

This one gets 4/5 for me solely for the fact that the first half couldn’t hold my interest. That second half made up for it though. 🎥🎥🎥🎥

I love Bethany Turner and the fun banter her characters share as they fall in love and I was looking forward to Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other. While I didn't enjoy this book as much as her earlier ones, it will be a fun, easy summer read for the pool for the readers.
Brynn is a morning show host that let's it slip on air that her hometown Adelaide Springs, CO was a horrible place to grow up and shows her "unsunny" side. To make up for her mistake she returns home with a cameraman to show it's not such a horrible town. She shows her spoiled side to local resident Sebastian, who has a secret of his own background. The enemies to lovers storyline was well written in this novel.
Overall, the story was fun, but I didn't enjoy (or always understand) all the movie references. I also had a hard time keeping track of the characters at the beginning of the book (an Andi and Addie in Adelaide Springs). Overall, I would recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson, but all opinions are my own.

It's a cute book, but it's nothing groundbreaking. Think the Morning Show meets a Hallmark movie.

Brynn is a famous morning show host from the small town of Adelaide Springs. When her mic is hot one day unknowingly, she spills how she really feels about the town she grew up in, this having to go face her hometown to make amends. Sebastian isn't someone who grew up in Adelaide Springs, but cares deeply about the town and immediately takes a disliking to Brynn for her harsh words and the feeling of dislike is mutual. I think hate is a strong word; it's not like they're working to actively sabotage each other.

There's a twist of course which you can basically guess in the first few chapters. I'd definitely call it slow burn because there's a lot of build up to Brynn and Sebastian having feelings for one another, but once it happens, boy does it happen fast. I didn't particular find either protagonist that likeable, but maybe that's me.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.

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