Unfortunately, I could not get into this book. It felt like a very slow start that never really led anywhere. I felt like the cover and summary were something that I would regularly enjoy. I am not one to give up on a book easily. However, I felt like this book never went anywhere for me. I was bored and uninterested in what would happen next. However, I do appreciate the chance to read this book.

Thank you NetGalley, or this audiobook in exchange of a honest review.

Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other really hit all the right notes for me! I really enjoyed it, especially since the enemies-to-lovers trope can be such a fun dynamic when done well. Small-town romances tend to have that perfect balance of charm, humor, and emotional depth, and it sounds like this book really delivered on that front.The audiobook was so well narrated it the experience so fun and a fast listen. A good narrator can make all the difference, especially with a character-driven story like this one. Brynn's growth as a character is a great highlight—it's always fun when a character you don't initially like manages to win you over by the end.The humor mixed with deeper emotional moments is a great recipe for a romantic comedy, and it sounds like the climax and ending tied everything together perfectly.

4 stars! Brynn & Sebastian Hate Each Other is a fun, flirty rom-com with just the right amount of sass and small-town charm. The audiobook narration brought the banter to life—perfect for when you want laughs, tension, and a guaranteed happy ending.

Bethany Turner's *Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other* is a charming enemies-to-lovers rom-com set in the quaint town of Adelaide Springs, Colorado. The story follows Brynn Cornell, a morning show host whose on-air gaffe forces her to return to her hometown for damage control. There, she crosses paths with Sebastian Sudworth, a former journalist seeking solace in small-town life. Their initial animosity gradually gives way to mutual understanding and affection.

Turner adeptly balances humor with deeper themes of forgiveness and self-discovery. While Brynn's character may initially come across as unlikable, her development throughout the narrative is both believable and engaging. Sebastian's backstory adds depth, making him a compelling counterpart to Brynn. The small-town setting, complete with its quirky residents, provides a delightful backdrop to their evolving relationship. Overall, this novel offers a heartwarming and entertaining read for fans of contemporary romance.

I enjoyed this book. It was a grumpy sunshine story set in the world of news casting and a small town romance. I had a hard time with the FMC - Brynn during the first quarter of the book. For some reason, she was driving me crazy. However, the character really grew on me and I ended up liking her by middle of the book. Author did an excellent job with well developed characters and the plot was well structured throughout. I do love that there was therapy animal representation - adored it! I also adored the chemistry that Brynn and Sebastian develop during the book. Coming from a small town myself, I liked returning home theme and reunification with your roots subplot.
Overall great story. Pace and tone of narration was great as well.

Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other is a story packed with pop-culture references that begins with our heroine, Brynn, morning-show host, getting caught on air talking down about her audience and hometown, setting up the stage for her to need to go back home to get some good PR. Whilst in her hometown, she has to deal with Sebastian, a former journalist, who has a mysterious history and becomes the love interest in this dislike-to-lovers story. Sebastian has his moments and is somewhat likeable but although Brynn is painted as “sunny” in the blurb, my experience of the character felt quite different.

The premise was a classic rom-com one: success story goes back to hometown to find herself and runs into a sexy charming stranger, but where it lost me was that the main character Brynn is not just grumpy or prickly, but most of the time downright rude and unlikeable, both in her actions and internal thoughts. Brynn is insufferable through the novel, arguably even right to the very end, disingenuous and patronizing to almost everyone. She does start to go through a bit of a redemption as the story goes on, we get some insight into her past that is meant to soften her, but I was not enough to make me root for her or excuse her behaviour. Ordinarily I have no issues with an unlikable lead character, but in this case it felt like the author wanted us to like her eventually and root for her, but I found it really hard to get on board.

I liked this author’s writing style though and felt it was overall well written, so I wouldn’t be opposed to reading more of her work. In this instance, I listened to the audiobook and did enjoy the narrator, her diction and cadence fit the story and characters well. It was immersive and enjoyable to listen to.

Enemies to lovers? They weren't very good enemies bc the story included both parties' inner turmoil over being mean. I did enjoy the story. It just dragged a bit.

✨DNF✨

I imagined this book would feel similar to the movie Morning Glory with Reese Witherspoon and Harrison Ford… I was wrong.

I was so uninvested in these characters 😫🫣

There was nothing necessarily wrong, but I could N O T bother to care.

Blurb: "Brynn Cornell has to be stuck in a nightmare. Just last week, she was riding high as cohost of the popular morning show Sunup. She's America's Ray of Sunshine--the girl-next-door beauty who drives up TV ratings while never exuding anything but her trademark positivity and poise. All it took was one huge on-air mistake to expose her snarky side to the world and make it all come crumbling down. Now she's back in her hometown of Adelaide Springs, Colorado, in a last-ditch attempt to convince viewers she's not the mean girl they think she is. All she has to do is apologize and capture some feel-good footage reminding everyone she's just a girl from humble beginnings who's grateful for her big break, and she might manage to preserve both her career and her image. But this town holds painful memories that she's not ready to face."

"This slow-burn, low-spice/clean enemies-to-lovers rom-com is set in a small town full of quirky citizens and is packed with pop culture, witty banter, and a guaranteed Happily Ever After--provided they can resist the urge to throw each other off a Colorado mountainside first. After all, Brynn (you probably won't like her at first) is desperately trying to save her career and Sebastian (who's hiding from his own demons) really just wants to be left alone to sing karaoke in peace."

The vibes:
News broadcasters
Enemies to lovers
Celebrity romance
No spice or cussing
Hurt people hurt people
Reconciliation
Christian themes

This is a true enemies to lovers story. They actually really hate each other for good reasons, which I really appreciated.

The small town was really really small and the citizens were such characters. I could imagine them so clearly and I could relate them to people in the small towns that I've lived in.

Brynn was unlikeable, but you got to see how she ended up where she was. Seb was likeable for the most part and his story was heartbreaking.

The main theme of this book is redeeming relationships and reconciliation after the characters really messed up.

I wouldn't say I was engaged throughout the whole audiobook. My mind would wander, but that's not a problem I normally have with audiobooks. The narrator also didn't have the best voice for the male characters, but overall she did a good job.

I would recommend this to the readers who want something sweet with depth.

I was very kindly given the audiobook for Brynn & Sebastian Hate Each Other via NetGalley.

Brynn is a successful host of a Morning Show in NYC until she is accidentally broadcast being rather mean about her hometown in Colorado. In an attempt to regain her viewers love and trust she heads back to her hometown of Adelaide Springs to apologise. She’s there for a week and Sebastian is kind of her babysitter whilst she is there. It’s sort of enemies to lovers but as it happens over a week and they barely know each other at first I wouldn’t categorise it as true enemies to lovers.

I really enjoyed the narration of this book, Talon David did a brilliant job of making the different characters have recognisably different voices. Usually I don’t enjoy audiobooks with only one narrator as much as I enjoy duet style. But the different voices that Talon David did were so believable and very enjoyable to listen to. I think I enjoyed this book much more as an audiobook than I would have if I’d just read it.

I feel like this was a very gentle, very easy & sweet book. Not a lot happened and it wasn’t overly engaging but I did have a nice time listening to it whilst I was on holiday.

I just HAD to grab a sip of wine and a bowl of my favorite chips for this one! This small town, enemies to lovers workplace (ish) romance by Bethany Turner was SO fun to listen to!

Brynn is a newscaster who had quite an on-air slip up. Since these things rarely (if ever) go unnoticed…to keep her job, she unfortunately must head back to her hometown and face her what she said about her hometown on air, and in doing so, face her past.

I love the small town, true to life reaction that surprises Brynn in a way she didn’t expect. And also? Her and Sebastian‘s forced proximity is the icing on the cake 🤩

This book is all things quirky in the best way, with witty banter, and the perfect level of sassiness you want in your characters. I so enjoyed Brynn and Sebastian‘s journey and is one I highly recommend!

thank you, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Sondervan fiction audio for the opportunity to listen to the cutest romcom!

This was a super cute, spice free romance. I really enjoyed the narrator, the characters, the redemption storyline, just all of it!

“Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other” by Bethany Turner is a delightful enemies-to-lovers rom-com filled with witty banter and heartwarming moments. Set against a small-town backdrop, the story shines with humor and emotional depth. Brynn and Sebastian’s dynamic feels authentic, making this an engaging, feel-good read for romance fans.

Returning to your hometown isn’t always easy—especially when you’ve publicly criticized it. In this compelling story, a successful newscaster is forced to face the town she once shamed, only to discover that home is more complicated than she remembered.

As someone from a small town, I deeply appreciated the way the author captured the intricacies of small-town life—where grudges last for years, gossip spreads like wildfire, but at the core, there’s still an undeniable sense of community. The protagonist’s journey was especially engaging. At first, her criticism of her hometown made her seem harsh, but as her difficult childhood was revealed, I saw her in a completely different light. Her emotional growth was one of the highlights of the book, making her transformation feel earned and deeply satisfying.

The romance in this story was another standout. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic was fun to watch unfold as the leads slowly let their guards down. Their connection deepened in a way that felt authentic, filled with tension, banter, and eventually, heartfelt understanding.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did an incredible job of bringing the story to life. The emotions, character dynamics, and small-town charm were all enhanced by the performance, making it an even more immersive experience.

Overall, this book was an engaging read (or listen!) with well-developed characters, a satisfying romance, and a thoughtful exploration of what it means to come home. If you enjoy small-town settings, second chances, and layered protagonists, this one is worth picking up.

This was funny and super entertaining. So happy I was affordable an audio version of this early through Netgalley. I high recommend listening or reading this book.

3.75 starts.

Thanks to NetGallery for providing a copy of the audiobook after publication in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. The main female character, Brynn, is not sunshine, she just plays one on tv. Sebastian can be grumpy but that doesn’t stop him from being sociable and helpful. In short, this is less grumpy x sunshine and more enemies to friends to lovers. I appreciated that these characters are so clearly flawed and must work to be likable to the reader. I also liked that these characters are older (37? And 40)…they have some life experience under their belts already. It was fun listening to both characters make errors of varying degrees and then have to change their views and/or make amends.

The audiobook was fine, though I think I would have enjoyed it more if we had two different voice actors. The switch from first to third person every chapter wasn’t all that jarring, but it was one of the things I didn’t like. The other thing ai didn’t care for is the title of the book; it’s really uninspired.

This is a well-paced and easy read: the drama is presented immediately and contained in a manageable way that allows the building romantic connection to shine rather than reader and characters caught up in ten different plot points/other possible love interests. I appreciated it. One little spicy scene would have definitely bumped it up to a 4.

DNF 15% - the main characters really didn't do much for me. I just found myself not wanting to pick up this book time and time again. I wish it was for me but I really just think I needed to move on?

3.5 ⭐️

🌷The first 30% of the book was a bit difficult to get through because Brynn was not kind and came off very arrogant (obviously we were supposed to not like her) and I didn't like her at all.

🌷After 30%, when we got to the actual story and her being at the town it was sweet, the towns people were amazing and it gave a very homey feeling. Also Sebastian and Brynn's banter/ interactions were great.

🌷It really was just a 3.5 ⭐️ for me because Brynn was hard to like and because the enemies to lovers happened a bit to fast for me.

🌷Spice:0

🌷Language : 0

🌷TW: difficult family dynamics, war violence, grief.

Brynn, a morning show newscaster, accidentally speaks out about her hometown, Adelaide Springs, while a hot mic is on and her career is about to go down the drain if she doesn’t go back to Adelaide Springs and make peace with the residents.

Sebastian was a world famous reporter until something snapped and has taken refuge in Adelaide Springs. When Brynn comes to town, Sebastian is assigned to chauffeur her and sparks fly.

This was a reread for me because I’m going back and reading the series and awaiting the 3rd Adelaide Springs book, Wes and Addie Had Their Chance. This time though, I was able to listen to it! I loved the book the first time and still loved it after listing to the audio.

I feel conflicted about Brynn at the beginning of the book because she’s so self centered and trying to “be” the image the network wants her to be. I also am amazed that she doesn’t know who Sebastian is until it hits her in the face! So I side with how Sebastian feels about her until she’s literally stuck up in a tree, which coincidentally is about where Sebastian has second thoughts about his judgment of Brynn. ☺️

I loved how Brynn and Sebastian got to see each other at their lows and helped one another through their struggles. I also loved the small town dynamics. The townfolks loved Brynn but were still hurt by her words so there were peace treaties to be made and offerings to be given. ☺️

It wasn’t until I listened to audio book that I realized Brynn’s chapters were written in 1st person and Sebastian’s were in third person. So while I usually like the MMC to be read by a male narrator I totally understand why Talon David read the whole book. Plus, Talon David was the perfect voice of Brynn and she did a great job with Sebastian and the other male voices!

"Brynn Cornell was a mess. And he was crazy about her."

A big THANK YOU to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this ALC! I fell in love with a different audiobook I listened to through Thomas Nelson's Netgalley books, and was quick to jump on another opportunity to listen to more of their published works.

I've had the book about Cole and Leila on my TBR for a while now, and was happy to realize that these are interconnected! I still need to listen to Cole and Leila's story, but I can vouch for this one and say that it works just fine as a standalone. :) I enjoyed this one a lot! Brynn and Sebastian's banter was to die for, as well as their reluctant attraction to one another. Sebastian is an amazing guy who is protective of the people who basically saved him from himself, and I enjoyed seeing how he interacted with the people of Adelaide Springs.

The reason I can't quite give this book a full five stars is because I felt Brynn's much-needed character arc didn't start until we were over 50% into the book. It was hard to listen to her grouch about things when Orley's advice to just "be a good person" was 100% called for and needed. Obviously, she did grow in the latter half and started showing the qualities that made Sebastian fall in love with her, but it took a hot minute haha.

I also really loved the audiobook! I'm always a tad skeptical about women doing men's voices, but this narrator was wonderful and portrayed each character in distinct, unique ways that kept listeners engaged and in-tune with the speaker/POV. She did an excellent job with Sebastian's persona, which is a HUGE plus :)