Liked it

I’m a little torn on this one, so I’ll break it down the way my brain works: what hit, what missed, and why it might still work for you.

What worked:
✔️ Sweet, small-town romcom vibes—this fictional Colorado town felt tiny in the best way, like the kind of place where everyone knows your secrets and still offers you pie.
✔️ A fresh twist on grumpy x sunshine—it’s actually more of a grump x grump in disguise, and I loved that.
✔️ Sebastian’s hidden identity storyline was fun (could’ve gone deeper, but still enjoyable).
✔️ Legit hate-to-love energy, à la Pride & Prejudice—they both misjudge each other early on and slowly unlearn those assumptions.
✔️ Loved the “reconnecting with your roots” arc for Brynn—it was heartfelt and added depth.
✔️ The found family elements gave the story warmth and charm.

What didn’t quite work for me:
➖ The entire story unfolds over just one week, which made the romance and character development feel a bit rushed.
➖ We don’t really see Brynn’s public image shift—we’re told it’s happening, but not shown enough of the fallout or turnaround.
➖ The hate-to-love could’ve simmered longer. They go from adversaries to very friendly pretty quickly, and I wanted more tension before the payoff.

Final thoughts:
This was a sweet, easy listen that kept me engaged—thanks in large part to Talon David’s narration. Even when I found myself drifting, she pulled me right back in.

Would recommend if you’re in the mood for something light, quick, and feel-good with a side of slow-burn that’s… kind of fast. 😄

Thank you, NetGalley for the ALC.

Unfortunately I will be DNFing this book at 20%. I found Brynn to be unsufferable as a character and extremely entitled and obnoxious. I did not want to read this further if this was how she was going to act most of the time.

The FMC was insufferable in the beginning. I know she needed to come across as a harsh city-girl but she was a little "Karen"-y for my taste. Overall it was a cute story. I loved the town and the ending was satisfying.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC audio

I loved everything about this book. I always say I’m not a huge fan of romance but maybe I’m lying to myself. I love how this story developed, love the characters and their background stories, and would read anything by this author. There were only a few moments of “get on with it already” so over all I give this one five stars.

The narration was perfect!

I loved the premise of this story but I don’t think it translated well to audiobook. I would have loved dual narration because I am thrown off when the female narrators narrate in male voices. I wish there was more banter between the two main characters. It seemed like they jumped from hating each other to in love pretty quickly.

Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this! Brynn and Sebastian was a very cute story and I really liked the narrator. However, I found myself getting a bit bored in the middle.

I received an ALC from Netgalley. Thank you for the copy.

I wanted to read because enemies to lovers are one of my favorite subplots, and I liked the covers. Brynn is tired of being fake on air and accidently said things on air about her hometown. I feel like we have either all been Brynn or we know a Brynn. It was easy to relate to her. I understand why she was running and it such a shame that she lost touch with so many people due to her running. We were give. background but flashbacks or recall or what her mom was like would have drive that home. I wish her hometown made her work for their forgiveness just a little bit more. Afterall that town took car or her and protected her the best it could. I like Sebastian's character, but he isn't a memorable book boyfriend for me. Again we are not given deep enough backstory to really fall for this guy. It in the last 10% we learned why he moved to Colorado. I feel like I missed the moments that led to them falling in love like they were happening off the page or something. Also, this is a close door romance. The story is cute, I enjoyed listening to it. I love the cover illustration.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. This Christian rom-com starts with Brynn, host of a morning talk show running into trouble when she makes hurtful comments (on air) about her hometown, thinking she wasn’t being broadcast live. To save her reputation, the tv station sends her back to the tiny town in nowheresville, Colorado to issue a formal, recorded apology and to get the blessing of the people. Her first encounter is with grumpy Sebastian Sudsworth, a former well known journalist that mysteriously left his career behind and has somewhat been hiding out in the small town. I wasn’t a fan of the MFC’s personality in this “grumpy meets sunshine” book. I think the rude remarks in the beginning were so very cutting I had a hard time feeling like her “full circle moment” was genuine. Really liked the MMC and the plot was cute, just maybe not executed the best. 3 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the audio ARC

🎧AUDIOBOOK REVIEW 🎧

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I enjoyed the audio alot and the narrator was good. Even tho it wasn’t dual narration the narrator still did a good job with embodying all the characters.

The story was super cute. I really enjoyed getting to know Brynn and Sebastian. I’m a sucker for a small town romance and I loved that it was set in Colorado.

Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other is a sharp, character-driven rom-com full of heart and hilarious tension. Brynn and Sebastian had me feeling all the things—sometimes I wanted to hug them, sometimes shake them—but I was rooting for them the whole way. With great banter, a fun small-town setting, and just the right amount of romantic tension (no spice, just sparks!), this is a perfect feel-good read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance listener copy!

Text-
Oof that’s a rough start for our FMC. Though she has a tough personality to like. I like the MMC a lot more.

Loved the feel of the town. I enjoyed the characters much more than I thought I would given the start of the book.

I feel like it was a bit of a rocky start but I started to like it more as it progressed. I also do love a duel POV.

It looks like this is listed as Christian Fiction. And all I’m wondering is how do I keep on accidentally reading Christian romance? 😂 I guess the author is Christian because it’s not actually mentioned in the book.

Audiobook-
The narration was pretty good. She does different voices for the various characters.
Like the sound of her voice.

I had high hopes for “Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other”, unfortunately, it didn’t quite deliver for me.

One of the first things that threw me off was the point of view. The story shifts between Brynn’s first-person narration and Sebastian’s third-person perspective, which made the storytelling feel inconsistent. It also made it harder to connect with either of them fully.

Speaking of the characters—while I tried to find redeeming qualities in Brynn, I struggled. She came across as unnecessarily mean and it was difficult to root for her. That might have been easier to overlook if there was any real chemistry between Brynn and Sebastian, but sadly, there just wasn’t. Their interactions felt flat rather than romantic.

Another element I wasn’t expecting was the Christian fiction aspect. I had requested the ARC without realizing the book was part of the genre, and it’s not something I typically seek out.

Last but not least, there were the pop culture references, including One Direction, which I generally dislike.

In the end, what could have been a fun enemies‑to‑lovers romance didn’t live up to my expectations.

Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Oher, by Bethany Turner, was quite the ride! I have never read a book where I disliked the main character soooo much for more than half the book - but more on that later.

Brynn is a host for a sunny morning TV news show and has made her way up the ladder by being a sweet, sunny, kind person that everyone loves and admires. Reality is that she is self-centered, shallow, and loudly opinionated. During one news broadcast, her true colors are shown when she didn't realize the cameras were rolling and she put down her super small mountain hometown and all the people that live there and loved her for the first 17 years of her life. As a result, she's forced to go home in order to apologize and make things right again. While there, she meets city council member (and relative newcomer to town) Sebastian. Everyone in town likes and respects him but Brynn gets off on the wrong foot with him and they take an immediate dislike to one another. Turns out, Seb is pretty famous himself, but has taken a step back from the spotlight and has made his home in the quiet mountain town.

Now, back to my earlier claim of disliking the main character. Brynn was extremely disrespectful, rude, and selfish through much of the first half. I almost didn't finish the book, but I just loved Sebastian so much that I kept going. Both main characters had pasts that were not great, leading them to act certain ways in their adult lives. Seb saw so much pain and corruption in his job and chose to leave that life and live a quiet life in the mountains. Brynn was hurt by her mother and her mom's revolving door of boyfriends and chose to run away and make herself new having to be tough and mean to make her way, but still harbored hurt that wasn't resolved. But as she begins to open up to the friends she uncerimoniously left behind 20 years ago, her true personality breaks through.

Now, I do have to say that I don't like the "insta-love" aspect. This timeline shows that everything happened in the span of a week and Seb and Brynn end up madly in love after spending a few days as mortal enemies. I found that very unplausible, but it all seemed to work for them.

If you like small town life, sweet romance (just kisses), and HEA (plus a cute therapy dog), then you'll enjoy this book by Bethany Turner. This is the first book set in Adelaide Springs, Colorado and I am eager to read about the other young couples from this town. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This book attempts to blend romantic tension with small town charm and character driven storytelling. Delivered through solo narration by Talon David, it presents an interesting structural choice: firstperson narration for Brynn, the FMC, and third person for Sebastian, the MMC all voiced in a consistently feminine tone. While this may feel disjointed for some listeners as it did for me in the beginning, the narrators performance remains steady and, at times, compelling enough to carry interest even when the plot falters.

In terms of narrative, the novel falls short of its emotional and romantic aspirations. Sebastian’s character is difficult to root for his arrogance, meanness, and apparent hypocrisy overshadow any moments of growth. Brynn, on the other hand, comes across as passive and frustratingly one dimensional. Despite being on the receiving end of repeated criticism, her responses are superficial, often reduced to focusing on shallow affirmations rather than meaningful reactions.

The romance itself lacks credibility. Despite this being a 31 chapter novel minus the epilogue, the emotional connection between the protagonists is absent. The shift from animosity to life planning love in the span of a single day feels rushed and unearned, leaving little space for believable development or authentic chemistry.

Pacing is inconsistent. While the story is set against a backdrop of a quaint, secretly charming small town which occasionally offers moments of warmth and potential the narrative often loses momentum and disrupts engagement. The emphasis on character development is clear, yet poorly executed. Advice and lessons offered to Brynn by other characters are acknowledged but never convincingly integrated into her arc, creating a disconnect between narrative intention and outcome.

While this book might appeal to people with more interest in light women’s fiction or those drawn to imperfect protagonists in imperfect relationships, it may not satisfy listeners seeking depth, chemistry, or satisfying emotional payoff. The audiobook was carried heavily by Talon David’s competent narration, manages to hold attention at times where the text alone may not have succeeded but as a whole the story struggles to leave a lasting impression.

I just didn’t connect with the characters. Brynn’s costly mistake could’ve been avoided, and Sebastian was nonexistent since I quit at 9% into the audiobook, which was incidentally well recorded.

Ok this book was so cute. I found myself telling my friends about it, which is not comment for a cis white person hetero romance, but something about the story just did it for me.

Brynn is a morning show host who's likable on screen, but pretty fake IRL. She has a live mic accident where she insults the small Colorado town where she grew up. She needs to go back home with a camera person to redeem herself. The town has all of the same people who she grew up with, except for one new member of the town counsel, who ends up reluctantly playing tour guide for her. I thought that this book was really sweet, I liked the male character's backstory, the charming town where it took place (do other books take place in this town?) and thought the narration was excellent. Overall, I'd recommend it for anyone who likes a homecoming story with a TV news spin.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for an Advance Listening Copy for an unbiased review.

What a superb example of an enemies to more trope! This book will have you laughing, sighing, and groaning in dismay at times. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I listened to the audio and the narrator is great! There are no swears or alcohol and level 1 kisses only. Dual POV, present tense.

I read Layla and Cole first, but loved coming back to Brynn and Seb! Enemies to lovers at its finest. I loved the trip down memory lane and how Brynn’s road home led her to what she wanted for her future.

What to Expect:
Enemies to Lovers
Small Town
Older MCs
PTSD rep
Forgiveness

Narrator: Great performance! I believe this is the first is have listened of her, and she really brought the characters to life!

Great story! I felt so many things at once with this one. I am not sure I have ever wanted to hug and punch MCs in the face simultaneously so much in one book lol! This story is very much plot and character driven. No spicy scenes, just kissing and S*xual Tension. Thank you, Net Galley, for allowing me to listen and review this title!

Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other by Bethany Turner had an interesting setup and some fun banter, especially between the two main characters and the quirky small-town residents who added a nice touch of humor. I appreciated the light, easy feel of the story.

However, I found Brynn (the FMC) frustrating at times, and Sebastian (the MMC) could’ve used more depth. I wanted to connect more with both of them emotionally. Also, the romance felt a bit too slow for my taste—there’s no kiss until about 80% into the book, which made the romantic payoff feel a little late.

Overall, it had its sweet and funny moments, but I was hoping for a bit more development. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced listener copy!