Happily Never After: A brand-new hilarious rom-com from the New York Times bestseller

3.75As someone who had read Lynn Painter's entire back catalogue, this has to be my least favourite book of hers.I'm not sure why, I just didn't connect with the characters in this book which is why I've rated it 3.75 - I wasn't hooked by the plot and didn't have much motivation to keep reading, which is unlike me when it comes to Lynn Painter.Sadly, I think this one was just a miss but this author definitely remains an auto-buy for me!

This book is so much fun. I had a whale of a time with this one. It's crying out to be a romantic comedy..The book starts with a bang when Sophie discovers her fiance has been cheating on her. She wants revenge so enlists the help of a stranger, Max to cause a scene at the wedding and confront him so the wedding can be called off. It's not exactly what she had planned for her special day. Max is friendly, handsome and gets the job done but when he asks if she’ll work with him to help others expose their cheating partners, she agrees.What follows is a great and fun story as they become friends but how do they get out of the friend zone.With the following Tropes this one is a winner.1. Friends to lovers2. Slow burn romance3. Spicy books4. Love triangle

Very easy read. Characters not very well developed however, so probably my least favourite of lynn painters books I’ve read so far. Not bad just not great

I adored this book so much. I loved the way that Max and Sophie hit it off and had this almost instant friendship that also had these underlying moments of amazing chemistry. The banter between the two of them was so funny, both of them are funny character but Sophie I think came out on top. She was so fun and had so much character. She was layered in some of the best ways , you never knew what ypu were going to get with her. Max was such a sweetie and try as he might this was definitely a he falls first trope. 🥰 I love that. As much as I loved Max and Sophie and I truly did , I think Rose and Larry stole the show. Two of the best side characters I’ve read. Loved them and their witty humor so much. Meddling senior citizens will always be my favorite. I gave 4 stars only because I felt like the ending was dragged out a bit for me but all in all I would 100% recommend.

It’s a good book, don’t get me wrong, it’s plenty entertaining and funny, but if you’re a Lynn Painter fan you might find it way more superficial than her other books. More along the lines of “Accidentally Amy” than “Better than the movies”. Also, it is implied that stopping weddings is this selfless, altruistic act they do, but when it gets personal they suddenly have issues with it. This moral choice never gets explored further than a paragraph. The plot is as simple as the synopsis tells it. A good read if you want to forget about the world for some hours, but don’t do it if, like me, you chose this book hoping to be taken in an emotional rollercoaster like in other Lynn Painter books.

Ich weiß, das hier ist eine RomCom und ich erwarte eine gute und unterhaltsame Zeit, keine seriöse. Aber dennoch nervt es mich, wenn etwas keinen Sinn ergib. Und das ganze mit Sophie, die nicht an die Liebe glaubt, hat einfach keinen Sinn für mich ergeben. Klar, ihre Hochzeit wurde abgeblasen, weil ihr Verlobter ein Fremdgeher war und ich könnte verstehen, wenn man sauer auf die Welt hinausposaunt, dass man nicht an die Liebe glaubt. Aber Sophie war wahrhaftig davon überzeugt, dass es Liebe nicht gibt und sie ihren Ex-Verlobten nie geliebt hatte, wenn sie das doch ganz eindeutig getan hat.Aber nun gut, abgesehen davon ist das Buch doch sehr unterhaltsam. Max ist ein toller Protagonist, wenn auch typisch RomCom-Material (at this point sehen die alle im Kopf für mich gleich aus).Wenn ihr also nur eine gute Zeit haben wollt und eine RomCom für zwischendurch braucht, go for it. Aber erwartet nicht zu viel.

Super cute. Love the characters. Fun story line. Laugh out loud moments throughout the book. This is a keeper for sure!

Lynn Painter... ladies and gentlemen, she does it again!I adored The Lover Wager last year, and I could hardly wait for Happily Never After!No spoilers, but Sophie's wedding at the beginning of the book doesn't happen, because of The Objector. Despite the slightly terrible, off-brand superhero name, Max and Sophie get on like thieves in the night. Their banter is *CHEFS KISS* perfect. They're quippy and fun and flirty, and end of spending her would-be wedding night drinking and eating pizza and throwing Twinkies at her ex's car. It's fun, but also serious. They lay down their views of relationships, and it's surprising to learn that neither of them really believe in happily ever after (hence, the name). Slight time jump forward, and Max enlists the help of Sophie to be his assistant, and their friendship SOARS.It's hard to deny their chemistry, which simply explodes of the page. Sophie decides her and Max can experiment together, all physical, no feelings, blah blah (we all know how this turns out), and it's SO FUN TO WITNESS.Things I loved:- Sophie's elderly roommates- the TROPES! so many fun ones! No spoilers because the tropes changed throughout the book in such a fun way!- THE BANTER AND JOKES- very subtle Taylor Swift references :)- When the two main characters make out... KISSING CAN BE FULL OF SO MUCH GOOD TENSION AND WE SKIP OVER IT SO OFTEN! THANK YOU, LYNN, FOR THE KISSING!- how both characters said YES to things (especially when they fake date) - those adventures were some of my favorite moments between the two!- theeeee spiceeeeeee was so good (I'm still thinking about it)- When things go off the rails, it happens to both characters, because, feelings and people. It felt very relatable to real life... like, when feelings get hurt, it can go both ways?- the freaking cats + their names KILLED METhis one gets five stars and is bound to be one of my favorites from the year! Happily Never After is fun and addictive, with the makings of a rom-com, the feelings that come with jilted lovers, and the foundation for forever.