The Do-Over

THE DO-OVER by Lynn Painter is a YA contemporary romance in which Emilie ends up in a weird groundhog’s-day-like time loop. She keeps waking up on February 14th, Valentine’s Day, which was supposed to be the most perfect day ever, one she could check off on her to-do list. Instead, each repetitive day keeps going egregiously wrong, and the more perfect she tries to make it, the worse it gets. While at first, it seems like her biggest problem is breaking the cycle, perhaps, she hasn’t given enough thought to what she’ll do if she does.

This book is super cute and I love everything about it. Painter is so clever in how she recreates the same day over and over again, finding new ways to share information and create new experiences. I love that the structure becomes a tool for Emilie to really examine how she’s showing up in all areas of her life and that it allows for such a slow-burn relationship with Nick. Honestly, I shipped them immediately, and like how more details get revealed with each repeat encounter.

The theme of this book— people pleasing is really just self-abandonment— is also so important! I appreciate the reminder and liked seeing Emilie navigate that shared trait, so I could consider how I do the same in my life. The fact that Emilie’s grandma is the one who notices this in her and points it out is also endearing as she is one of my favorite side characters, who, even though she doesn’t have a big role in the book, we learn surprising details about to the very end.

Overall, THE DO-OVER is everything I hoped it be, and after this book and BETTER THAN THE MOVIES, I am convinced Lynn Painter is the queen of rom-coms. Her characters have A+ witty banter, steal your heart, and make you swoon. I cannot wait to read the rest of her catalog.

PRO-TIP: If you read this book and need more, Painter has a deleted scene available on her website for free!

The Do-Over was my first book by Lynn Painter, and now I need to go out and buy her previous novel, Better Than the Movies, because I absolutely loved this one.

Aging myself here with these incoming references, but The Do-Over gave off Ferris Buellers Day Off vibes, as well as Groundhog Day – two absolute cult classics. I really enjoyed how the author tied these similarities into her work, but made it her own.

I was happy to see the author choose a holiday that was not Christmas or Halloween. In my opinions those two are just way over used for time-loop novels (for good reasons, I know.. but still). Valentine’s Day was a nice change of pace, after all, we’ve all wished we could re-do a perfect Valentine’s at least once, right?

I enjoyed that the author didn’t over-do it with having Emelie relive the holiday, but at the same time I feel like she got off way too easy. She quickly accepted the fact she would have to do Valentine’s Day over and over until it was “perfect.” I think I would have liked a little bit more of a freak out. Or at least a full day, at least.

That being said, the growth and discovery throughout the looping days was on-point.

I would have liked more insight into Nick’s feelings for Emelie. Until the DONC (which I loved by the way), it honestly seemed like neither of the two thought much of the other. That being said, the author does a FANTASTIC job of building their chemistry *hehe* in such a short amount of time – the fact that it wasn’t “insta-love” was even better, as I’m so not a fan.

Another thing I really enjoyed about The Do-Over is Emelies confessions. Each chapter was headlined with one and we even got to know a few more during DONC. I honestly would read a whole book with just these confessions.

The side characters, while rarely seen, made an amazing support system when needed. I’d enjoy seeing them more, maybe on their own.

The Do-Over is a fun, emotional, and wholesome romance for the ages. A must read for any YA RomCom lovers!

You can read my original review here: bookswithachance.com

THE DO-OVER is an absolutely delightful YA rom-com that I absolutely devoured. Think Ferris Bueller meets Groundhog Day in a charming romance! Emilie Hornsby has had the absolute worst Valentine's Day ever. Her scholarship was canceled, her boyfriend cheated on her with his ex, she got in a car accident, and her father has just told her he is moving far away with her stepmother and stepbrothers- and leaving her with her challenging mother. So when she finally gets into bed, she is shocked when she wakes up and it is again February 14, and she must do it all over again.

As she repeats February 14, it becomes apparent that there is something she needs to learn, but it's difficult for Emilie to figure out what. Each day, she tries something different, leading her to question her prior choices, stand up for herself in new ways, and get to know the mysterious lab partner she has sat next to all year.

What I loved: This is such a delightful story about romance and being true to yourself/standing up for yourself. Emilie has often taken the quiet and peacemaker route, particularly since her parents' contentious divorce has often left her in the middle. It has gotten to the place where they barely seem to think about her at all. She is determined to have her own life (particularly romantic life) be full of better choices, and so, she only dates people who meet her very particular set of criteria - which her current boyfriend does. Ultimately, she learns to find some middle ground between good on paper and all passion, and it's just lovely.

There are some great themes around how to handle emotionally difficult conversations, grief and healing, and the power of therapy (not for Emilie but another character). Emilie ticks all the boxes, but she also learns that it is OK to lose your cool once in a while, even if you have to deal with the consequences afterward. This ends up being a great story of self-empowerment, even if she does go a little too far (but, hey, everyone has those days sometimes).

The romance was just lovely and builds slowly as she comes to epiphanies about herself and her life, as well as what she really wants. There are some epic conversations that really allow them to get to the heart of each other. They are impossible not to cheer for, and I loved the way it all develops. While it is emotionally high steam, it's physically low steam with just a few kisses along the way. Although the main plot focuses on Emilie and Nick, the scenes with her friends and grandmother breathed life into the secondary characters who were also really charming and lovely.

The whole book is just a pleasure from start to finish - a great way to spend an afternoon with plenty of laughs and smiles throughout.

Final verdict: With charming characters and a clever plot, THE DO-OVER is a delightful YA rom-com about being true to yourself and letting your hair out every now and then. Highly recommend picking this one up!