Book Details
Happily Never After
Their name? The objectors.
Their job? To break off weddings as hired.
Their dilemma? They might just be in love with each other.
When Sophie Steinbeck finds out just before her nuptials that her fiancé has cheated yet again, she desperately wants to call it off. But because her future father-in-law is her dad’s cutthroat boss, she doesn’t want to be the one to do it. Her savior comes in the form of a professional objector, whose purpose is to show up at weddings and proclaim the words no couple (usually) wants to hear at their ceremony: “I object!”
During anti-wedding festivities that night, Sophie learns more about Max the Objector’s job. It makes perfect sense to her: he saves people from wasting their lives, from hurting each other. He’s a modern-day hero. And Sophie wants in.
The two love cynics start working together, going from wedding to wedding, and Sophie’s having more fun than she’s had in ages. She looks forward to every nerve-racking ceremony saving the lovesick souls of the betrothed masses. As Sophie and Max spend more time together, however, they realize that their physical chemistry is off the charts, leading them to dabble in a little hookup session or two—but it’s totally fine, because they definitely do not have feelings for each other. Love doesn’t exist, after all.
And then everything changes. A groom-to-be hires Sophie to object, but his fiancée is the woman who broke Max’s heart. As Max wrestles with whether he can be a party to his ex’s getting hurt, Sophie grapples with the sudden realization that she may have fallen hard for her partner in crime.
The Review
Hello Book friends!
Today I’m reviewing Happily Never After by Lynn Painter. In this contemporary romance, we follow human resources VP with a great sense of humor, Sophie Steinbeck, who finds out her fiancé is cheating (again) right before her big day. She can’t call it off, so her bestie hires a professional objector to save the day. When Max, the objector, enters in a tux and a melt-your-heart genuinely he cares kind of guy, both Sophie and Max won’t know how to handle their instant chemistry and blooming friendship in Painter’s latest romance novel.
Tell me about something that you find irresistible? Something that you crave like that first sip of coffee, or the taste of your favorite meal. Where that insatiable something can possibly be boarder line obsession.
Lynn Painter’s writing.
A Few More Thoughts
Painter knows her craft and delivers on every level. Take her latest novel Happily Never After. Plot: two people team together like their the wedding Avengers, to save couples from the doom of marriage. Add in witty banter, hilarious dialogue, adorably quirky side characters, cats, and theirs more, but I’d like for you to discover them all, and you have an instant favorite author.
Not only do we have a charmingly funny story, but we have two very real people dealing with their own road blocks and setbacks. And although it’s not immediately obvious to Sophie, how right Max and her could be as a couple, because she’s still not over her last break up. A break up that is similar to that of a healing wound, where the new skin hasn’t solidified and the pain ever real. And at some point both Max and Sophie find themselves at a crossroad with no map or GPS to help navigate themselves and their ever growing feelings to safety.
And what makes this one stand out (besides the wedding crasher plot) is that initial spark between these two from the opening chapter. How its fueled and sustained, even when Sophie is at her lowest low, they both manage to find a way to keep the spark from going out.
A must read from start to finish.
Happy Reading ~ Cece
RATING: 
– Exceptionally Inked
About the Author
Lynn Painter
Lynn Painter is the New York Times bestselling author of Better Than the Movies and Mr. Wrong Number. She writes romantic comedies for teens and adults, and when she isn’t reading or writing, she can usually be found binge-watching rom-coms or shotgunning energy drinks.
publication details
| Pub Date | ISBN | Page Count | Publisher | Age Group | Source & Format | Review Posted Online |
| 12-Mar-24 | 978-0593638019 | 304 | Berkley | Adult | NetGalley, Digital ARC | April 7, 2023 |
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Welcome Reader!
I’m Cecelia and I’m so glad you’re here! You’ll find honest reviews, book recommendations, along with other bookish essentials. So happy you stopped by!
– C
ABOUT THE CREATOR
CECE BECKMAN
Cece holds a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from California State University, Long Beach. She lives in California with her husband and children. When she’s not reading or writing reviews she can be found wandering book aisles at local bookshops, drinking iced cold lattes with cold cream foam, or passing the time with her cats.
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