Tag Archive for: lynn painter

Reviews – THE GETAWAY LIST & BETTING ON YOU

 

TGIF!  I’m not sure why but this week has felt so incredibly long. I’m beyond excited that the weekend is finally upon us because I’m so ready for some downtime.  I don’t read much YA anymore but I still have a few authors that if they write YA, I’m going to read it.  Emma Lord and Lynn Painter are two of those authors and they both have new novels either out or coming out soon so this week I actually have two YA reviews to share with you.

 

Reviews – THE GETAWAY LIST & BETTING ON YOUThe Getaway List Goodreads

Author: Emma Lord

Publication Date: January 23, 2024

Publisher: Wednesday Books

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Wednesday Books via Netgalley and a complimentary ALC from Macmillan Audio.  All opinions are my own.

 

With her latest novel, Emma Lord has penned one of the most relatable coming of age stories I’ve ever read. She perfectly captures what I think is a pretty universal experience for most young people as they turn 18, graduate from high school, and look to leave home and find their path forward as adults, in some cases, before their parents are really ready to let them go.

Riley finds herself in just such a situation when we meet her on her graduation day. She has been following a path her mom laid out for her but then fails to get into any of the colleges she applied to. Her mom is pushing her to go ahead and at least start community college, but Riley just isn’t feeling it and after some awkward exchanges with her mother where she really has to stress the fact that she is now an adult, Riley finally just tells her that she is going to NYC to see her childhood best friend, Tom, and to think about what she wants.

I loved seeing Riley re-connect with Tom. Their bond was clearly a special one and I especially loved that they still had this “getaway list” they had written years before and that they were now determined to actually complete the items on the list. Not only does this list help facilitate Riley & Tom’s re-connection but it also introduces Riley to several wonderful new friends who become like family for her. And while the list and its antics are meant to be fun, they also start to open Riley’s eyes and give her some concrete thoughts about what she might like her future to look like.

There is also a sweet romance brewing as Riley realizes she may have more than just friendly feelings for Tom, but at its heart, The Getaway List is really about Riley’s personal journey and Emma Lord has delivered her readers yet another gem of a read.

I alternated between the physical copy & the audiobook. The audiobook was narrated by Norma Butikofer who did a great job capturing both the fun and the soul searching vibes of Riley’s journey. I enjoyed both formats immensely!  4.5 STARS

 

Reviews – THE GETAWAY LIST & BETTING ON YOUBetting on You Goodreads

Author: Lynn Painter

Publication Date: November 28, 2023

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.  All opinions are my own.

 

Lynn Painter is the queen of witty banter and I’m a big fan of her books because I just know I’m going to have a good time while reading them.  For that reason, even though I don’t read much YA anymore, I’ll always make an exception for Painter.  Betting on You is her latest YA book, and although not my favorite because that will always be Better Than the Movies, it was still an enjoyable read for me.

Charlie and Bailey first meet on a flight to Nebraska. Bailey’s parents are divorcing and her nerves are frayed anyway, but pretty much everything about Charlie rubs her the wrong way, particularly his cynical views about the world and relationships. By the time the flight lands, she really hopes she’ll never see this annoying guy again. Flashforward a few years and Bailey finds herself working at a waterpark with who of all people, Charlie of course.  This time around though, she gives him a second chance and they actually become friends, even though Charlie’s “When Harry Met Sally” belief that male and female coworkers cannot be just friends tests her patience at times.

I really enjoyed Charlie and Bailey together.  While that initial plane ride had some hilarious moments just because Charlie annoyed Bailey so much, I definitely preferred to see the two of them bonding.  It turns out that they are both parents of divorce.  Charlie’s parents divorced a few years before Bailey’s so she is able to turn to him for advice or comfort whenever she’s feeling down about the changes taking place in her life.

Bailey also turns to Charlie for help when she decides she wants to break up her mom’s new relationship.  I have to admit that as a child of divorce myself, while I found Bailey’s fear of change very relatable, I was not the biggest fan of her trying to sabotage her mom’s happiness, especially since the guy in question seemed like such a good one.  The whole scenario does offer the opportunity for personal growth while we wait for Bailey to realize this too, which I liked, but I guess as an older and maybe wiser (haha!) reader, I just wanted to scream at her to just let her mom be happy.

Even with that issue though, I still overall really enjoyed reading about Charlie and Bailey and the changing dynamic of their own relationship.  As always, Painter’s banter is on point, and she uses some of my favorite romance tropes to bring their story to life, including a little fake dating and of course friends to lovers.  Betting on You is another solid YA read from Painter and the perfect read for anyone who enjoys the tropes I mentioned or stories that have When Harry Met Sally vibes.  4 STARS

Can’t Wait Wednesday – HAPPILY NEVER AFTER by Lynn Painter

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in since I first started blogging, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is HAPPILY NEVER AFTER by Lynn Painter. Lynn Painter has quickly become one of my favorite rom com writers and the premise for this new book sounds hilarious!

HAPPILY NEVER AFTER by Lynn Painter

by Berkley

Publication Date:  March 12, 2024

 

Goodreads:

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 wedding 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 “I object!”

During anti-wedding festivities that night, Sophie learns more about Max the Objector’s job. It makes perfect sense to he saves people from wasting their lives, from hurting each other. He’s a modern-day hero. And Sophie wants in.

Max and Sophie start working together, the two love cynics going from wedding to wedding, and she’s having more fun than she’s had in ages. Sophie looks forward to every nerve-racking ceremony, where she gets to save the lovesick souls of the betrothed masses. As they spend more time together, however, they realize 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 her getting hurt, Sophie grapples with the sudden realization that she may have fallen hard for her partner in crime.

 

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Can’t Wait Wednesday – BETTING ON YOU by Lynn Painter

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in since I first started blogging, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is BETTING ON YOU by Lynn Painter. Lynn Painter is an auto-buy author for me and one of the few YA authors I have consistently had good luck with, so I’m excited to read this new one from her especially since it sounds like it’s going to feature enemies to lovers and fake dating.

 

BETTING ON YOU by Lynn Painter

Publication Date: November 28, 2023

by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

 

From Goodreads:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Better than the Movies, this swoon-worthy rom-com in the vein of She’s All That and 10 Things I Hate About You follows a teen girl who unwittingly finds herself at the center of a bet while working at a waterpark.

When seventeen-year-old Bailey starts a new job at a hotel waterpark, she is less than thrilled to see an old acquaintance is one of her coworkers. Bailey met Charlie a year ago on the long flight to Omaha, where she moved after her parents’ divorce. Charlie’s cynicism didn’t mix well with Bailey’s carefully well-behaved temperament, and his endless commentary was the irritating cherry on top of an already emotionally fraught trip.

Now, Bailey and Charlie are still polar opposites, but instead of everything about him rubbing Bailey the wrong way, she starts to look forward to hanging out and gossiping about the waterpark guests and their coworkers—particularly two who keep flirting with each other. Bailey and Charlie make a bet on whether or not the cozy pair will actually get together. Charlie insists that members of the opposite sex can’t just be friends, and Bailey is determined to prove him wrong.

Bailey and Charlie keep close track of the romantic progress of others while Charlie works to deflect the growing feelings he’s developed for Bailey. Terrified to lose her if his crush becomes known, what doesn’t help his agenda is Bailey and Charlie “fake dating” in order to disrupt the annoying pleasantries between Bailey’s mom and her mom’s new boyfriend. Soon, what Charlie was hoping to avoid becomes a reality as Bailey starts to see him as not only a friend she can rely on in the midst of family drama—but someone who makes her hands shake and heart race. But Charlie has a secret—a secret that involves Bailey and another bet Charlie may have made. Can the two make a real go of things…or has Charlie’s secret doomed them before they could start?

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Reviews: THE LOVE WAGER & THE MOSTLY TRUE STORY OF TANNER & LOUISE

 

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and that Daylight Savings Time hasn’t thrown you too off kilter.  Today I’m back with a couple of great new March releases from Berkley.  I originally planned to post reviews for these later in the month, but I flew through them both so quickly that I just couldn’t wait any longer to share my love for them.

 

Reviews:  THE LOVE WAGER & THE MOSTLY TRUE STORY OF TANNER & LOUISEThe Love Wager (Mr. Wrong Number, #2) Goodreads

Author: Lynn Painter

Publication Date: March 14, 2023

Publisher:  Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley.  All opinions are my own.

 

Lynn Painter is one of my go-to authors when I’m craving a hilarious and heartwarming read and her latest rom-com, The Love Wager, is all of that and more.

When the story opens, Hallie Piper is working at a wedding, tending bar.  When Jack, the sexy best man, comes up to order a drink, Hallie hits it off with him, a little too well apparently, because they end up in a hotel room together. Hallie ends up belly-crawling out of the hotel room in a desperate attempt to avoid an awkward post- one night stand encounter, and she decides at that moment that it’s time to make some major life changes. She creates a profile on a popular dating app, hoping to meet her true love, and who does she see almost immediately as she’s scrolling for possible matches?  Yep, you guessed it, Jack! Hallie messages him through the app, mainly just to mess with him, and the two of them end up actually becoming friends and actually putting a little friendly wager on which of them will find love first.

This story was just so much fun!  Friends to lovers is a trope I enjoy anyway, but Painter really leveled it up when she added the one-night stand into the equation to make it more along the lines of a lovers to friends to lovers romance.  Hallie and Jack were also both so likeable and had tremendous chemistry (no matter how many times they each tried to remind themselves that they were only platonic friends).  I loved how they would set up their respective dates at the same place so that if things didn’t go well, they could give each other an out and escape to go get tacos together. The taco “not dates” were adorable and it was so much fun to watch these two clearly grow more and more attracted to each other, and more concerned for each other’s happiness and well-being, the more they hung out together.  At one point, Hallie takes Jack to an event as her fake date and I was practically giddy watching the two of them interact because they had more chemistry than any of the real couples who were there.  I was rooting so hard for them to see what I was seeing and just get on with it already, haha!

The Love Wager is a romance filled with heart and humor that has once again cemented Lynn Painter’s place on my list of auto-buy authors. 4.5 STARS

 

Reviews:  THE LOVE WAGER & THE MOSTLY TRUE STORY OF TANNER & LOUISEThe Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise Goodreads

Author: Colleen Oakley

Publication Date: March 28, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley.  All opinions are my own.

 

The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley was a must-read for me because it contains two elements that I love and don’t come across often enough, an older protagonist and an unlikely friendship.  Throw in a cross country road trip and this book was simply irresistible to me!

The older protagonist is Louise Wilt, a sassy octogenarian who, at her children’s insistence, finds herself in need of a full-time caregiver after falling and fracturing her hip.  Louise hates being old, hates the way people treat her because she is old, and she has lots of other opinions that she isn’t afraid to share at any given moment.  The irony is that while she doles out her honest opinion to anyone who will listen, it turns out she’s hiding a boatload of secrets and has lived a life wilder than anyone could possibly fathom.  Oakley has created an incredibly rich, well drawn character with Louise and I really loved getting to know her and learning about her secrets and what motivated her to do what she does in this story.

Tanner is the other protagonist in the story and she’s a 21-year-old woman who has been forced to drop out of college because of a career-ending soccer injury that cost her a full-ride scholarship.  Tanner feels like her life is over before it has even begun. She’s angry at the world and lashes out at her family to the point where they kick her out.  Desperate for cash and a place to live, Tanner takes the caretaker job and moves in with Louise.  Tanner is just as much a complicated character as Louise is, and it was interesting to peel back her layers and learn more about her as well.

My favorite part of the book was the unlikely friendship that develops between Tanner and Louise once they get past the initial awkwardness of a 21 year old and an 84 year old being roommates.  An unexpected but urgent cross country road trip is actually the catalyst for their friendship to really blossom and it’s a wild ride. I don’t want to give anything away about the road trip, aside from to say that it’s directly tied to all those wild secrets Louise is keeping. What I will say about the road trip is that it really provides the opportunity for Tanner and Louise to bond.  They have some moving heart-to-heart talks, and I loved that they were both able to learn from each other.  The trip was a wonderful time to gain some perspective for each of them, particularly Tanner, so that she could forge a new path forward for herself.

With its sassy protagonists who shouldn’t be underestimated, unlikely friendships, epic road trip, and a mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end, The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise is a gem of a book that has a little something for everyone. 4.5 STARS

Reviews: THE DO-OVER and PRIDE AND PROTEST

 

Happy Monday and early Happy Thanksgiving wishes to all who will be celebrating this week!  I’ll have a couple more posts this week and then I’ll be taking the rest of the week to start preparing for the small meal we’ll have at my house, followed by traveling to my mom’s house this weekend for another celebration.  Today I’m sharing reviews for two great new books that hit shelves last week, one by one of my favorite authors, Lynn Painter, and the other by a new-to-me author, Nikki Payne, who I definitely want to read more from now. 🙂

 

Reviews:  THE DO-OVER and PRIDE AND PROTESTThe Do-Over Goodreads

Author: Lynn Painter

Publication Date: November 15, 2022

Publisher:  Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley.  All opinions are my own.

 

Lynn Painter is quickly becoming one of my favorite romance authors.  I just love the lovable and relatable characters she creates and I’m an especially big fan of the laugh out loud humor that she infuses her stories with.  For those reasons, The Do-Over was already a must-read for me, but throw in the fact that it’s also a time loop story, and I couldn’t pick up my copy fast enough!

The story follows Emilie Hornby, a high school student who has just had the absolute worst Valentine’s Day ever. Between crashing her car into the truck of her aloof lab partner, Nick, and watching her boyfriend Josh cheat on her with another girl, Emilie is just done with this day and heads to her grandma’s house for a sympathetic ear, some ice cream to cheer her up, and a sleepover. Imagine her surprise and horror when she wakes up the next morning in her own bed and it’s Valentine’s Day all over again! After it happens a third time, Emilie starts trying to do little things here and there to break the cycle.

I really enjoyed Emilie’s character. She learns a lot of things about herself while she’s trying to figure out how to escape the time loop, particularly that she’s too much of a people pleaser and needs to learn to stand up for herself more.  I think that’s a lesson that a lot of us can relate to, myself included, so I was particularly invested in watching Emilie’s growth in this area.  I also loved that the lesson and the subsequent growth came in the form of a hilarious “Day of No Consequences” (or the DONC as Emilie dubs it) where Emilie sets out to please no one but herself and thus shenanigans ensue.

In addition to the DONC, one of the biggest highlights of the book for me was Emilie’s evolving relationship with her lab partner, Nick.  I loved watching how Emilie tries different tactics every day of the time loop to try to engage with him more and get him to open up to her.  They had wonderful chemistry, even when dealing with the aftermath of a car accident on repeat, and I loved that Nick, who is clearly so much better for Emilie than cheating Josh, plays a huge role in the DONC and in Emilie’s journey of personal growth.  Nick’s scenes with Emilie added a more in-depth and sometimes poignant element to an otherwise hilarious story and I was 100% there for it.

Hilarious and heartfelt, Lynn Painter’s The Do-Over is sure to please all of the rom-com fans out there.  4.5 STARS

 

Reviews:  THE DO-OVER and PRIDE AND PROTESTPride and Protest Goodreads

Author: Nikki Payne

Publication Date: November 15, 2022

Publisher: Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley.  All opinions are my own.

 

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is one of my all-time favorite romance novels, so I’m always eager to read modern retellings that offer a fresh take on this beloved classic. In Pride and Protest, Nikki Payne does just that.  Payne sets her story in a poor neighborhood in Washington, D.C. and her version of Lizzie Bennett, Liza B., lives in that neighborhood with her family.  Payne’s version of Mr. Darcy, Dorsey Fitzgerald, is the wealthy CEO of a property development company who is set on gentrifying the neighborhood and forcing out poor families.

I found myself immediately invested with both of the main characters.  Liza is a young woman who is a staunch advocate for her community and has no interest in playing nice with the man she sees as threatening the security of those she loves.  I loved her passion for her community and that she used her voice and her platform as a DJ to bring attention to their plight.  Going up against the big developers puts her in the underdog position and I’ll always cheer for the underdog.  I also loved Dorsey though because even though he and Liza butt heads right from the start, it’s clear that there’s way more to him than meets the eye and I immediately wanted to know more about him.

Just as with the original classic, the heart of Pride and Protest of course revolves around Liza and Dorsey getting past the hostilities and hurt feelings of their first encounter and realizing that they have more in common than they realized and that they could be exactly what the other needs. I always enjoy this kind of journey and Payne writes this one so well.  As much as I enjoyed the sparks when they first went head-to-head in the beginning, I enjoyed that journey from enemies to lovers even more.  It’s a slow burn for sure, but the payoff is worth it.

My favorite part of a retelling is the way an author is able to create a fresh new story, while at the same time paying proper homage to the original and Payne succeeds here as well.  Most of her characters parallel characters from the original, familiar enough that fans of Pride and Prejudice will recognize them, but they’re still well drawn and layered enough to stand on their own.  Liza’s mom, Bev, and her sister, Janae, were especially well done, and I enjoyed both characters immensely.

If you’re in the mood for a fresh take on a timeless classic, you’ll want to check out Pride and Protest! 4 STARS

Can’t Wait Wednesday – THE DO-OVER by Lynn Painter

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in since I first started blogging, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is THE DO-OVER by Lynn Painter.  I’ve read two of Lynn Painters novels so far, Better Than the Movies and Mr. Wrong Number and absolutely loved them both. Both novels were filled with wonderful character and snappy, often hilarious dialogue and left me with a smile on my face.  Needless to say, I want to read everything Painter has written and can’t wait to get my hands on this latest YA novel. I love that this one appears to have a Groundhog’s Day vibe that revolves around an awful Valentine’s Day.

THE DO-OVER by Lynn Painter

Publication Date: November 15, 2022 by Simon Pulse

From Goodreads:

In this riotous young adult romp for fans of Recommended for You and A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, a teen girl has the worst Valentine’s Day ever—only to relive it over and over again.

After living through a dumpster fire of a Valentine’s Day, Emilie Hornby escapes to her grandmother’s house for some comfort and a consolation pint of Ben & Jerry’s. She passes out on the couch, but when she wakes up, she’s back home in her own bed—and it’s Valentine’s Day all over again. And the next day? Another nightmare V-Day.

Emilie is stuck in some sort of time loop nightmare that she can’t wake up from as she re-watches her boyfriend, Josh, cheat on her day after day. In addition to Josh’s recurring infidelity, Emilie can’t get away from the enigmatic Nick, who she keeps running into—sometimes literally—in unfortunate ways.

How many days can one girl passively watch her life go up in flames? And when something good starts to come out of these terrible days, what happens when the universe stops doling out do-overs?

 

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Romance Reviews: HOOK, LINE AND SINKER & MR. WRONG NUMBER

 

Happy Friday!  I’m back today to share reviews for two of my most anticipated romance reads of the year.  I actually have a couple more February ARCs to read and review, but my inner mood reader just wouldn’t wait for these two any longer.  So happy to report that both of these reads lived up to my very high expectations, which is always nice.  🙂

 

Romance Reviews:  HOOK, LINE AND SINKER & MR. WRONG NUMBERHook, Line, and Sinker (Bellinger Sisters, #2) Goodreads

Author: Tessa Bailey

Publication Date: March 1, 2022

Publisher:  Avon Books

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley.  All opinions are my own.

Tessa Bailey’s new novel Hook, Line and Sinker is the follow-up to last year’s popular romance, It Happened One Summer. The main characters of this installment are Hannah Bellinger and Fox Thornton, who we met in the first book.  It was pretty clear in that first book that the two of them were attracted to one another, and I loved both characters so I was very excited to head back to the small coastal town of Westport, Washington to see what, if anything, might develop between them. I was also hoping for a few glimpses of Hannah’s sister, Piper, and her significant other, Brendan, our sunshine/grumpy duo from the first book and was not disappointed.

What I found most intriguing about Hannah and Fox is how truly vulnerable they both are.  On the surface, Fox seemingly prides himself on being a ladies’ man and his reputation precedes him everywhere he goes.  The more we get to know Fox though, the more we see that Fox is actually quite uncomfortable with his reputation.  It has almost beaten him down to the point that he feels like he has nothing to offer any woman he actually cares about.  He’s also attracted to Hannah but has been warned by pretty much everyone in Westport to stay away from her, that’s she’s too sweet for a player like him. He therefore settles for a friendship with her.

Hannah also has some insecurities.  She is passionate about music and would love to pursue a career putting together soundtracks for films, but she just doesn’t feel she has what it takes.  As she tells Fox, she’s just not “leading lady” material and will always be in the background.  Fox knows about her passion for music because it was at a vinyl album convention that the two of them first bonded and he makes it his mission to get her to see that she can do anything she puts her mind to.  Hannah treasures his friendship and support, and they grow even closer when Hannah, who is planning to stay with her sister when she comes to Westport, ends up staying with Fox instead due to some logistical issues.  Temporarily living together is all it takes for their friendship to grow into something more and I enjoyed watching them navigate the waters between friendship and more than friendship.

It takes a while for Fox and Hannah to get to where I wanted them to be, but I found their friendship to be very endearing so the slow burn didn’t bother me at all.  They always have a great time together, but they are also there for each other when it counts, offering emotional and moral support as they each set out to figure themselves out and what they’re actually capable of. Just as Fox makes it his mission to give Hannah the boost she needs, she does the same for him, making it her mission to prove to him that he is so much more than just a ladies’ man with a handsome face.

Bottom line, Hook, Line, and Sinker is a slow burn romance that is worth the wait.  4 STARS

 

Romance Reviews:  HOOK, LINE AND SINKER & MR. WRONG NUMBERMr. Wrong Number Goodreads

Author: Lynn Painter

Publication Date: March 1, 2022

Publisher: Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley.  All opinions are my own.

Lynn Painter’s novel Better Than the Movies was one of my favorite YA reads last year, but I think she has really outdone herself with Mr. Wrong Number, her new adult rom-com.

The story follows Olivia Marshall, a young woman who has a streak of bad luck a mile long.  She was cheated on and then dumped by her longtime boyfriend, she loses her job, and in a freak accident involving a bucket of burning love letters and a runaway possum, she manages to burn her apartment down and has to temporarily move in with her brother and his roommate, whom she loathes.  Olivia feels like she has pretty much hit rock bottom, but then life throws an unexpected twist at her in the form of a steamy text from a random wrong number.  With nothing else better to do, Olivia strikes up a conversation with Mr. Wrong Number and their exchanges form the basis of the hottest, most entertaining relationship she has ever had.

I adored Olivia. She’s hilarious, sarcastic, down to earth, and just so relatable. I love that she’s able to laugh at herself even when she’s dealt a terrible hand and that she’s even able to take her bad luck and spin it into a writing gig for herself.  Her text exchanges with Mr. Wrong Number also kept me in stitches. Without even having met, the two of them obviously had major chemistry.

I also quite enjoyed the relationship between Olivia and Colin Beck, the roommate she loathes.  Olivia’s hatred of him springs from a childhood of him mocking and teasing her.  Olivia soon realizes that Colin isn’t that obnoxious boy anymore. He has in fact grown up into a sexy beast with abs to die for, and he’s actually quite thoughtful and kind-hearted.  I loved watching the two of them realize they’re attracted to one another and then proceed to fight that attraction every step of the way.  Colin, in particular, tries hard to fight his growing attraction to her because she’s his best friend’s little sister, but then everything goes off the rails for him, when to his horror, he spots Olivia’s phone one night and realizes she’s the Miss Misdial he has been sexting with for weeks!  What’s he supposed to do now?!

I don’t want to give anything away but what a ride! The shenanigans, the miscommunication, it’s the perfect blend of high drama and humor as we journey to the end to see if there’s the possibility of a happy ending for Mr. Wrong Number and Miss Misdial.  I loved every page of this book and devoured it in a day. I honestly can’t remember the last time I’ve laughed out loud so many times while reading a book – Mr. Wrong Number was pure joy for me and left me all the more eager to read more from Lynn Painter. 5 STARS

Can’t Wait Wednesday – MR. WRONG NUMBER by Lynn Painter

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in since I first started blogging, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is MR. WRONG NUMBER by Lynn Painter.  I read Lynn Painter’s last novel Better Than the Movies and absolutely fell in love with it so I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of her new one.  Every line of that synopsis is just calling to me!

MR. WRONG NUMBER by Lynn Painter

Publication Date:  March 1, 2022 by Berkley

From Goodreads:

Things get textual when a steamy message from a random wrong number turns into a thrilling anonymous relationship in this hilarious rom-com by Lynn Painter.

Bad luck has always followed Olivia Marshall…or maybe she’s just the screw-up her family thinks she is. But when a “What are you wearing?” text from a random wrong number turns into the hottest, most entertaining—albeit anonymous—relationship of her life, she thinks things might be on the upswing….

Colin Beck has always considered Olivia his best friend’s annoying little sister, but when she moves in with them after one of her worst runs of luck, he realizes she’s turned into an altogether different and sexier distraction. He’s sure he can keep his distance, until the moment he discovers she’s the irresistible Miss Misdial he’s been sort of sexting for weeks—and now he has to decide whether to turn the heat up or ghost her before things get messy.

 

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Review: BETTER THAN THE MOVIES by Lynn Painter

Review:  BETTER THAN THE MOVIES by Lynn PainterBetter Than the Movies by Lynn Painter
five-stars
on May 4, 2021
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Romance
Pages: 368
Source: Netgalley
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Goodreads

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

 

 

 

 

 

Lynn Painter’s new novel Better Than the Movies follows Liz Buxbaum, high school student and hopeless romantic.  Liz is obsessed with romantic comedies and uses them partly as a coping mechanism to deal with the death of her mom, who was also a huge fan of rom-coms.  Liz daydreams about securing a happily ever after of her own and thinks the perfect opportunity for one has presented itself when Michael, her childhood crush, moves back to town.

I really loved Liz. Her extensive knowledge and love of romantic comedies was so endearing, as was her slightly misguided attempt to secure her own happy ending by fake dating her neighbor in an effort to get Michael’s attention. I also found Liz to be a very sympathetic character, as she is clearly struggling with the loss of her mom.  It’s clear they were very close and that Liz is feeling her absence tremendously.

Liz wasn’t perfect by any stretch though.  While trying to orchestrate that happy ending for herself, she all but ditches her best friend.  And while she’s struggling to cope with the loss of her mom, she pretty much pushes her stepmother Hannah, who is actually really cool, off to the periphery of her life and refuses to let her be a part of any of Liz’s senior year milestones.  These rocky, awkward moments just made Liz come across as all the more real and, for me, made her that much more likable and relatable.

My absolute favorite part of Better Than the Movies though was Liz’s relationship with her neighbor and arch nemesis, Wes Bennett.  When the novel opens, Liz and Wes are in the midst of an ongoing war over the parking space out in front of their homes.  They each resort to all sorts of dirty tricks to keep the other from getting the spot, which was just hilarious. It’s actually Liz promising Wes unlimited access to that parking space that makes him agree to help her get Michael to notice her.  Watching the relationship between Liz and Wes evolve was the aspect of the book that really had me smiling as I read.  No matter how much Liz professed to loathe Wes, it was all too clear the two of them had tremendous chemistry and that her actual happily ever after has quite possibly been living next door to her all along.

I don’t want to say anything else because you just really need to experience Wes and Liz’s immensely entertaining journey for yourself.  Not only is Lynn Painter’s new novel Better Than the Movies a delightful rom-com that features fake dating and the enemies-to-lovers trope, but it’s also filled with perfectly placed references to all of my favorite rom-com films.  I honestly don’t think a book has ever made me smile so much; I’m sure I was grinning from ear to ear pretty much the entire time I was reading.

five-stars

About Lynn Painter

Lynn Painter lives with her husband and pack of wild children in Nebraska, where she is a weekly contributor to the Omaha World-Herald and an avid fan of napping. When working on a new book, she can often be found sound asleep on her office floor. Some might say she should grow up and stop randomly dozing off like she’s a toddler, but Lynn considers it part of her writing “process.”