It’s official: Lynn Painter is the queen of YA. Full of whimsy, pop culture references, and romance swoonier than it has any right to be, the Do-over is a real winner.

I generally really enjoy time loop stories; it’s an interesting storytelling device that can lead to some stellar character growth. It can get overused, though, and it doesn’t always land. Thankfully it worked really well in this story and never felt repetitive.

Emmy and Nick were so adorable, I loved their dynamic. Lynn Painter’s banter is always top-notch

I do wish the ending had been a tad more fleshed out. I really would have liked to see a little more how some plot points turned out. The last line was great though!

Content Warnings

rybass08's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Content Warnings

katievallin's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

2.75

Content Warnings

knitsandnovels's review against another edition

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lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Content Warnings

jeanjaylynn's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.5

The Do-Over is the perfect short and sweet read. Lynn Painter is always a great palate cleanser, and Emilie & Nick's romance was no exception.

Content Warnings

isabelvegga's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

“I fell in love with you on Valentine’s Day, Emilie, but I need more than just seven minutes.”

Such a cute read!!!💓💓💓

I enjoyed so much, I laughed and smiled but also almost cried.

I felt identified with both of them, Em and Nick, I love them🫶🏻

✨

“For
The Lonely,
The Daydreamers,
The ones who find their friends between the pages of books—
YOU MATTER, and your happy ending WILL come. Sometimes the wait is just longer in real life than in fiction.”

“I adored my dad.He just sometimes forgot about me if I wasn’t standing right in front of him.” x2

“Love is not what is, but what isn’t.”

“I was fascinated by people whose parents were still together. It seemed surreal and impossibly beautiful to me, the idea of living out all of your childhood years with both parents, together in the same house.” x2

“Existence is the default. Merely existing, emotionally, is the baseline. Happy is, like, this floating, fluid thing that’s impossible to hold on to. Elusive as fuck. Sometimes you get lucky and have it, but it’s only a matter of time before it slips back out of your hands.”