From the publisher:
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 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 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 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 the betrothed masses. As Sophie and Max spend more time together, however, they realize that 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 his ex’s getting hurt, Sophie grapples with the sudden realization that she may have fallen hard for her partner in crime.“A rom-com for the cynics…The supporting cast is equally funny and helps to round out an entertaining yarn that doesn’t take itself too seriouslly.”—Library Journal
https://amzn.to/3wV2iK2
“Painter delivers a charmer of a rom-com with this lively tale of professional wedding objectors…Rom-com fans will find this scratches the itch.”—Publishers Weekly
This was such a fun read! Having someone object during the wedding ceremony frees up the bride and/or groom from having to do cancel the wedding at the last minute. Paying someone to do it for you is just a tiny expense in the scheme of things, but so worth it.
Sophie is a bit of a cynic. She’s never had a relationship and not been cheated on. Even her fiance cheated once, but she decides to forgive and forget. Until she finds out he is still cheating! But if she cancels the wedding, her father-in-law to be will most likely fire her father, who works for him. Complications for sure, all easily solved by Max, the wedding “objector.”
Max helps break off Sophie’s wedding without getting her father fired, so that worked well. Both Max and Sophie are love cynics; he’s had his heart broken and isn’t going to be putting it out there again. And Sophie is just done with cheating men. She is so relieved at how Max solved her wedding dilemma, she wants to help other couples, too, so she teams up with Max to attend weddings that were not destined to be and helps with the objecting.
Of course, spending all that time together has Sophie and Max develop feelings for one another. But neither one will admit it, not even after they start hooking up. These are two damaged souls crying out to be together, but it isn’t until Max’s ex wants to hire them to object that everything comes to a head.
Painter creates an original storyline (at least to me) and I bought into it completely. This is a terrific romcom with all the angst and laughter needed to make the pages fly by; a thoroughly enjoyable read.
3/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
HAPPILY NEVER AFTER by Lynn Painter. Berkley (March 12, 2024). ISBN: 978-0593638019. 304p.
Posted by Stacy Alesi 
Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™ 