Reviews with content warning for Cursing - Happily Never After

DNF @ 61%—this was really promising the premise had me really intrigued. However it just didn’t work for me. I know this author’s YA is well loved,so maybe I need to start there?

The steamy dialogue between the two characters was very cringeworthy for me. Also, as a girl who uses the Fbomb from time to time(hey,I’m human),it felt like the author chose to pepper this book with the word f*** all over the place and not always in the most logical ways. I also disliked that the characters physical intimacy began on the premise of just using each others bodies. That kinda brought on an ick factor that I wasn’t expecting.

Content Warnings

ninahuynh's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I would say I have a love-hate relationship with Sophie and Max. While I dislike the miscommunication trope, I understand their inner turmoil. I can see myself having such doubts. I am a sucker for he-falls-first, so that balances out the former, haha. As we are reaching a pinnacle point in the plot (which happened way later than I anticipated), I felt that there is an imbalance between how much of Sophie's thoughts and feelings we get compared to Max's. I can definite relate to Max and see what is going on in his head. With Sophie, however, I would like a bit more. There's a bit of a disconnect there. I didn't count the chapters/sections for each pov, and I don't know if it's cause I feel more closely connected to Max's stream of thought, so those may be factors.

Overall, may read her other books, too!

Content Warnings

gretka's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Content Warnings

maljacks87's review against another edition

Go to review page

Everything about the female protagonist was extremely annoying - except for her cats and her roommates, and I don't care for books whose goals seem to be breaking the world record for how many times the f-word can be squeezed in.

Content Warnings

mkeisler's review against another edition

Go to review page

lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

devilbunny6's review against another edition

Go to review page

lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

The only likable characters were a couple of Baby Boomers who, for reasons, chose to live with the emotionally immature Gen Z FMC in her way too overpriced downtown Omaha apartment in order to help her make rent. Both MMC and FMC were the hottest two people on the planet and super fancy, yet super relatable because they had cats. They drank copious amounts of alcohol and ate a lot of pizza and ice cream. Oh, and they also made a crap ton of money busting up weddings.

Weird premise + annoying MCs = me wishing I could get a refund on this book. I’d enjoyed this authors Mr. Wrong Number series so I picked this up thinking it’d be a nice, fluffy read only to be filled with regret.

Content Warnings

beckyyreadss's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I wanted to read this book because I love Lynn Painter’s work and when she announced this book, I instantly pre-ordered this book.

This book is based on Sophie Steinbeck and finds out just hours before 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 saviour comes in the form of a professional objector, whose purpose is to show up at weddings and proclaim the words no couple 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 their betrothed masses. As Sophie and Max spend more time together, they realize that their physical chemistry is off the charts, leading them to dabble in a 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.

This book is so fun and adorable and flirty. I love the aspect of professional stopping wedding discreetly without being the one that is breaking the family apart. I feel like I would find the perfect job, I would love to do this job. I love Sophie, I think she is brilliant, and I wanted to hug her throughout the book, she was going through a rough time, trying to get a promotion and having to see her ex-fiancé every day. I love the character development she had and how she went from being a cynic to be all fluffy and in love. Max took a while to grow on me, I think it’s mainly because I was waiting for the red flag to make an appearance. He seemed too perfect for a main character, even in fluffy romances there is usually something wrong with the love interest. I loved his POV and wanted more than him just talking about how much he missed or wanted Sophie. I loved Larry and Rose and what them to have a book together please? They could be doing anything – bickering, on holiday, working. I don’t care, I loved those two.

The third-act conflict wasn’t needed. The miscommunication wasn’t needed. If Max had told Sophie on the phone that Lilabeth was his ex then she would have understood why he didn’t want to be the objector at this one and then moved on, but instead he went behind her back and then was wondering why she was pissed. It was all just very annoying for the last sixty pages.

I will always read anything Lynn Painter writes. I adore her work and I'm hoping to rate one of her books five stars soon, but this was just missing something to make it a five-star read.

Content Warnings

More...