This was so so good! I was laughing out loud throughout the story, and I really enjoyed it. The characters were amazing and very quirky, which was perfect. The ending had me swooning, and I loved how it got back at the rest of the story. Can highly recommend this!

I have yet to read a Painter book I haven’t loved. And this audiobook and ecopy were the perfect tandem way to read it.

I was literally smiling the entire time.
Or laughing at scenes like the grocery store randomness (grapes anyone?!)

The objectors really are the lovebirds even if they fight it the whole way there.

This author’s writing is so much fun. I really loved the creativity of the premise of this story and enjoyed seeing where it took me. Sunshine and sunshine is one of my FAVORITE tropes along with strangers to friends to lovers - which has it’s own vibes compared to a traditional friends to lovers. Surprisingly, it’s hard to find a straight-forward strangers to friends to lovers, and this was refreshing.

The main reason that I took away one star was because their relationship turned very physically-focused vs. emotionally-focused which is more of my preference. I think lots of readers will love it and I recommend adding it to your TBR!

Perfect for you if you like:
Dual POV
Sunshine/sunshine
Strangers to friends to lovers
Laugh out loud funny

I love Lynn’s books and this new one was no exception. I devoured this and I think it helped get me out of a bookish slump. I liked the concept and thought the execution was well done. The development of the relationship was top notch and the banter was fun. I can’t wait for what Lynn writes next!

Happily Never After is a delightful opposites attract, fake-dating comedic romp.

It all begins when Max attends Sophie's wedding as a hired objector. And then? You guessed it: shenanigans and sparks. The chemistry and the banter between swoon-worthy Max and doesn't-believe-in-love Sophie is satisfying and fun, and the plot is unique enough that even its predictability doesn't come across as same old, same old. Had the act three crisis been stronger this would have been an easy five-star read for me.

A note on side characters: I loved Sophie's roommates, Rose and Larry, but I was disappointed at how little development there was for Sophie's maid of honor. She was present in the opening wedding scene but is pretty much gone for the rest of the book. For as close of friends as they seemed to be when the novel began, this felt like a grievous oversight by the author. Still, the novel comes in with pretty high rating for me, so I clearly made my peace with this pretty quickly.

Happily Never After is a delightful romantic comedy that follows the story of professional wedding objectors. Fans of romantic comedies will surely enjoy this charming tale.

I'm convinced I read a different book from everyone else because, unfortunately for me, I didn't enjoy Happily Never After at all. The book follows Sophie and Max's friendship-that-turns-romance after she hires Max to object to her wedding. While the premise is unique, the execution leaves much to desire. I know Lynn Painter is HUGE in the YA romance world and I personally think she should stick to that genre because for an adult romance, this read very juvenile. The entire time I read the book, I kept thinking about how many books I read similar to this back in my Wattpad days in 2014. The story was rushed, the dialogue was cringe-worthy, and the characters just didn't feel their age. I can see why others would love this book (and love that for everyone), but it wasn't for me.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lynn Painter is the queen of the rom-com. I really enjoyed this one - great banter and chemistry. I would've liked more of them actually "together" romantically as a couple but their friendship was equally great.

Sophie finds out her fiance, Stuart, has cheated but she can’t call off the wedding because his father is her father’s boss. So instead her friend enlists a professional objector to chime in before the vows.
After her wedding is called off, Sophie then spends the evening drinking with her objector, Max, and he later asks her to object to another couple’s union at another wedding. She finds she has a knack for it but their anti-love stance is about to be challenged.
The idea of a professional wedding objector was a unique concept and I would have loved a bit more of that, and a bit less of the predictable romance, told from the alternating perspectives of Sophie and Max. If you like light, witty and steamy, then you won’t object to this rom-com.

While not appropriate for my high school library (we don't stock adult romance), this is a super cute book! I'd recommend it to readers who are older who enjoy Painter's YA books, which are super popular in my library. I'll continue to read her books as well!!

Happily Never After is such a fun, cute and easy read. The banter and chemistry between Sophie and Max pops off the page. I found myself constantly smiling and laughing out loud several times throughout the book. The friendship that develops feels genuine, so that the “friends to lovers” trope folds perfectly in.

Both Sophie and Max are extremely likable characters. Sophie is a strong female character who thrives in her career and isn't afraid to say what is on her mind. Max is full of compassion for Sophie, his family and everyone he encounters. Other characters that I adored were Sophie’s roommates, Rose and Larry. Larry is the grandpa we all wish we had.

If you are looking for a quick read that leaves you feeling all bubbly inside, this is the book for you. Overall this book has a little bit of everything: friends to lovers, he falls first, and a little fake dating sprinkled in. The short chapters give you the “one more chapter feel” only to find yourself finishing way faster than you thought.

Lynn Painter NEVER FAILS to deliver. If you are looking for one fun read, this is the book! She excels at banter and this one had plenty. Loved the chemistry between the two leads, and the romance was top notch. Max and Sophie have my heart! Definitely getting this one!

Lynn Painter is always just what I need. This book was an adorable breath of fresh air and it had me swooning over all the pining Max was doing and laughing out loud at Sophie's roommates.
Max is hired to break up Sophie's wedding as the objector when Sophie finds out that her fiance was cheating. She didn't want her parents to be out the money for the wedding by just calling it off and this way her ex would be disgraced and not her. After it's all said and done, Max comes to her room for payment and the two become fast friends. Neither are looking for love, but of course love finds you when you are not looking.. or even trying to avoid it. These two had sizzling hot chemistry. I just wonder if people really think this way, can you just avoid love forever and pretend it is all a farce? I guess I am just a hopeless romantic so it annoyed me when Sophie tried to just explain things away. Max more than made up for it though. He was such a good man and knew he had a good thing going and he wasn't willing to give it up. He was just so open and honest and that was refreshing. 4.5 swoony stars. I always round up if the male is someone I want to hug.
Thank you to Berkley, Lynn Painter and Netgalley for an early copy.

After a humiliating heartbreak, at the altar no less, Sophie befriends Max, a fellow love cynic. Sophie and Max friendship blossoms as they work together to help other unlucky in love couples untangle themselves from unwanted relationships, and marriages. As you can imagine, sparks fly!

Sophie finds out her fiancé cheated just before her wedding, and hires a professional objector to help call it off. When she meets the objector Max later that night, she wants in on his side hustle, and helps save others from going through with bad marriages.

This was a unique premise and an enjoyable romcom featuring two love cynics. The characters were great -- Max and Sophie had great chemistry and banter, and I loved Sophie's roommates, Rose and Larry. Our characters play up their friendship to appease worried family members and colleagues, developing feelings they are forced to confront along the way.

It's a fun and fast paced story that perfectly blends humor and romance.

Thanks Berkley and NetGalley for my complimentary advance copy!

Max was hired as Sophie’s “wedding objector”. After Max helps Sophie out of her wedding disaster, they strike up an unlikely friendship.
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💍wedding crashers
💍friends to lovers
💍fake dating
💍funny
💍top tier banter
💍so much chemistry
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This was a cute read. I loved Max and Sophie (even though she frustrated me a bit). 🫠
Thank you Berkeley and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book! 💕

Thank you to Berkley for the free book and to PRH Audio and LibroFM for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

This was such a unique concept. Max has fallen into a side hustle of objecting at weddings. He only does so when one person has been betrayed but can't stop the wedding on their own. And Sophie meets him when he steps in to object to her wedding to her cheat of a fiancee. Sophie doesn't believe in love and joins Max in serving as an objector.

I loved all of the awesome texts and banter. And Lynn Painter wrote the cutest and most amusing takes on iconic romance movie scenes. This one had me laughing over and over.

Larry and Rose are the best roommates ever and absolutely stole each scene in which they featured. Plus the cats were hilarious.

There was great and steamy chemistry with an amazing background plot. The end got a bit far fetched, but this was a hugely enjoyable romp.

Helen Laser and Sean Patrick Hopkins were the perfect narrators. They matched the humorous tone of the book to perfection. For instance, they included sound effects of talking while eating when doing dialogue.

When Sophie Steinbeck needs an out of her wedding after her fiance has cheated, her best friend has an unlikely solution. Hiring an objector - a random person who will object to her wedding when the officiant asks if there's any reasons these two should not be together. Enter Max who has been objecting at weddings as a side gig for awhile, but never did he spend time or hang out with the Bride whose wedding he stopped before. After explaining what he does and what being an objector entails, Sophie wants in. She vies to never fall in love again and to help people not make the mistake of going through a wedding when there's lying, cheating and hurt. However, along the way her and Max become fast friends and use one another to make their friends, family and employers believe that they're head over heels for each other - in a "friendly" way of course. What they can't deny though, is their off the charts physical chemistry.

I thought this was a fun and unique title. I especially love Sophie and Max's I guess you could call it "meet cute," it was unconventional and that's the kind of story that really pulls me in. However as the book progressed and there was less objecting situations and more Max/Sophie getting to know one another and purposely fooling people into thinking their an item... I just found the characters unlikeable. I think part of it had to do with the dialogue and how cheesy it was to a certain extent. It made me cringe rather than swoon.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie and Max are simply my new favorite couple. From the wedding shenanigans to their witty banter, this couple sizzled in this contemporary love story. The chemistry was off-the-charts, and their tension was salacious. This story has it all - love, laughter and a few unexpected moments. The secondary cast, Sophie's geriatric roommates, were a pure delight.

Happily Never After is the perfect blend in the romance genre. Its a fun reading experience with a touch of spice. Don't let the title fool you, it is a happily ever after.

Thank you, Berkley

As a huge fan of Lynn’s past books, I can confidently say that this book lived up to my high expectations! That banter was fantastic as always. I loved the concept of our two main characters objecting at weddings as a side huddle—how unique! There were plenty of laugh out loud moments and the spice was A1. This was the perfect quick romcom, I can’t wait to pick up a physical copy!