Sophie Reads YA

ARC Review: Happily Never After by Lynn Painter

10:00

Happily Never After
Series: None
Author: Lynn Painter
Published March 12th 2024 by Berkley

Goodreads Synopsis
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.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

In Happily Never After, the worst day of Sophie Steinbeck's life just turns out to be the start of her future. Discovering her fiancee has cheated on her, but if she broke off the engagement, she and her family would suffer, she hires a professional objector to ruin the wedding instead. And when Max pulls it off perfectly, she thinks he is her hero, but in fact he's so much more than that. Working together following the failed wedding to save more unhappy grooms or bride's, Max and Sophie's cynical thoughts on love all seem to change, and it's harder for them to ignore the chemistry developing between them. But the latest groom to hire Sophie happens to be marrying the woman who broke Max's heart, and he can't get involved in ruining her day. Will it lead to Max and Sophie having a happily never after?

I didn't really know what to expect with this book, and it was a sort of impulse request on NetGalley, but it was so good! Sophie's story about being trapped in an engagement and future marriage, otherwise her father would lose his job, and the family ruined, was heartbreaking, and it was amazing that someone like Max could come along and save the day. Them becoming pseudo colleagues to help others avoid being married to the wrong person was perfect, as was the way they spoke with each other, and were able to be real and honest. I will say that I did hate the story line with Max's ex, but in a way, it was so needed as it allowed him to get full closure and allow himself the chance at happiness with Sophie. This book was heartbreaking, and so happy at the same time that it's a bit of a contradiction, but I loved it even so. I can't wait to read my next book by this author.

Dates Read:
March 11-13, 2024

Rating
4 Stars