The Do-Over by Lynn Painter Book Review

The publisher kindly provided me with a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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?

The Do-Over Book Review

After reading Lynn Painter’s debut, I’ve been patiently waiting for her next young adult book to release. While I wasn’t sure it could live up to my expectations, it exceeded them. I absolutely loved this book!

The Do-Over follows Emilie, who wakes up on Valentine’s Day with a plan to have the best day. When she ends up having a terrible day, she wakes up to live the same day over and over again.

I absolutely love Emilie as a main character. She’s a planner and a dreamer and just wants to have the perfect day. While you can feel her disappointment at the way her day goes, it’s so fun seeing the shift her character goes through as she relives each day.

Nick is also a great character. He gives off Jess Mariano vibes which is always a good thing (#teamjess). I loved seeing the way Emilie’s relationship with Nick changes as she relives these days, but for him, it’s just a day.

The romance is swoony, the banter is hilarious and the pop culture references are perfection. Lynn Painter really knows how to do it all!

Overall, The Do-Over is a fantastic young adult rom-com. It’ll make you laugh and smile the whole way through. It makes for a perfect read for Valentine’s Day and any other time of the year too!

Rating: ★★★★★

About the Author

Lynn Painter writes romantic comedies for both teens and adults. She is the author of Better Than The Movies and Mr. Wrong Number, as well as a regular contributor to the Omaha World-Herald. She lives in Nebraska with her husband and pack of wild children, and when she isn’t reading or writing, odds are good she’s guzzling energy drinks and watching rom-coms.

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Buy The Do-Over

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