Reviews

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. 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. Max’s appeal came from his easygoing nature, but the true magic was in what he and Sophie unearthed in each other.

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. 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.