Lynn comes straight out the gate swinging with this absolutely hilarious tale of two people whose paths cross in the most unexpected of ways. Brimming with the heart, wit, and snappy banter that is Lynn’s signature, “Happily Never After” will take your ideas of love on a ride that you will never forget.

To have and to hold, through sickness and health – yeah it sounds promising until you find out the person in front of you has been lying, cheating, and for some crazy reason – is still determined to marry you! That’s the unfortunate situation Sophie Steinbeck finds herself in. If not for her best bud Ara’s timely intervention, Sophie could have been trapped in the shackles of matrimony, holding onto a hope of annulment or divorce as her ticket to freedom. But a hero lurks among the crowd, ready to utter the sweetest of objections just as the officiant reaches the pivotal “If anyone here knows of a reason…”

“I do.” Those two simple words have been Max’s saving grace time and again, rescuing friends, family, and acquaintances from the brink of wedded disaster. What starts as a favor for a coworker becomes his brand, and once again, word of mouth has Max standing in a church, stopping a union from being built on lies and deceit. Typically, he’d take his payment, cut ties, and move on. However, Sophie isn’t your average bride. Amid the aftermath of separation, Max finds himself drawing closer to Sophie as they unpack the essence—and in her view, the nonexistence—of love. Fast forward a few months, and Max is the one in a pickle, turning to the person who’s as cynical about love as him. A favor thought to be a one-off snowballs into several more weddings and evolves into an unexpected friendship with a feigned romance twist. As they spend time together, they realize their outings are mutually advantageous—Sophie’s promotion hinges on her demonstrating she understands work/life balance and has moved on from Stuart while Max’s parents are eager to hand off the family business to a “well-settled” Max. Seems pretty straightforward, as long as they can fight their growing chemistry. But for two people who view love with so much skepticism, that shouldn’t be a problem, right?

Unlike the other delightful books I have had the pleasure reading by Lynn Painter, this one was more of a thinker than a gut buster of laughter. Don’t get me wrong, the chuckles were there and the banter was solid but the deeper meaning of the story was more appealing than the humor. Getting to know Max and Sophie is a journey into complexity. She was organized and disciplined, yet with the spirit of a more relaxed personality (imagine her throwing a Twinkie with the skill of a professional football player!). She sought a life of equilibrium and structure but yearned for unpredictability, and that’s where Max came in as her perfect counterpart. Describing Max is challenging – he knew what he wanted out of life but something always seemed to be in the way. He was definitely a man that mastered obstacles. He wanted to take over the family business BUT his mother wanted him to be settled first. He wanted to just be friends with Sophie but the chemistry was far too strong. Max’s appeal came from his easygoing nature, but the true magic was in what he and Sophie unearthed in each other – the excitement, the sense of adventure, the competitive spirit, the shared laughter, and, in time, the blossoming of love.

As mentioned, this story made you think. Sophie’s ideals were so strong and rationalized. She didn’t believe in the concept of love, true love, soul mates, or meant to be. She went into the role of objectors because she wanted to save others the way Max saved her. Save them from committing to a life of heartache, disappointment, and regret. As much as she fought the idea of love, everything she experienced after the end of her relationship with Stuart resembled heartbreak. It was as if she was convinced that not using the word “love” took away the power of impact but she suffered just the same. For Max, he became an objector to help others from being trapped where they weren’t wanted. This was a reflection of his own rejection from Lilibeth. To learned how his heart was shattered, not because he didn’t believe in love but because he believed in it too much. So much so that he was willing to do anything to keep her and still lost her. Coming from two different ends of the spectrum, we saw two completely different ideals of love meet in the middle and find a functioning relationship only to discover that when you refuse to believe in love, love has a tendency to believe in you and it won’t take no for an answer.

A moment of recognition for the secondary characters of this book – Larry and Rose were a hoot! It was so sweet to realize that while her roommates drove her crazy, they had essentially became Sophie’s family and best friends. They truly contributed to the story in their own unique way, adding wisdom and guidance that only the older generation can.

While there is absolutely nothing I disliked about this book, it does take some time to build up momentum, picking up steam about a quarter of the way in (so be patient!). Once it finds its footing, it’s nearly impossible to put down. The chemistry between the characters is one of the primary hooks drawing in the reader. Lynn has a tendency to not focus on the spice but more of the intimacy and connections of her characters. Does that mean the steamy moments, weren’t hot – absolutely not – they were fire but it was the looks, the caresses, the description of how they saw each other, inside and out, that made those intimacy scenes deeper and satisfying.

Philosophically, the book delves into the essentials of what love is, how we define it, what it symbolizes, and the consequences/impact of it. The dissolution of love is what brought two people together (Stuart cheating on Sophie and Max helping end the wedding by objecting and reveal his transgressions). The denial of love is what created a foundation of friendship and compatibility (from the initial conversation on what should have been Sophie’s wedding night to the follow up when Max needed help with TJ). The avoidance of love is what made the bond grow (Sophie needing to fake her work/life balance to be promoted and Max needing to fake being settled so his father could retire and he could take over the company). Finally, the consequences of love is what tore down the walls and brought them together (Max reuniting with Lili and realizing it was finally over, Sophie’s jealousy and her coming to terms that she was crazy about Max – with a little help from Larry, loved that guy!) Through it all, we are continuously forced to remove the “term” love and start to witness a foundation built on friendship, chemistry, bond, mutual respect, adulation, and happiness. We are reintroduced to the misnomers of love that are actually lust, desire, fear of being alone, familiarity, contempt, or just situationally beneficial. Overall, the reader finds their beliefs, definitions, and perspectives challenged – begging the question, if we removed the term “love” and just placed the characteristics described by Sophie, how many us would still claim to be in love?

Happily Never After makes you laugh, makes you think, and most of all makes you realized that certain ideals are not black and white. We are allowed to live, love, and lose but by our own definitions not those placed upon us. Sophie’s acronym has found a special place in my heart and I would be interested to know what impact Lynn’s words will have on her readers.