Review Detail

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!