44 pages • 1 hour read
The Do-Over
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Background
Author Context: Lynn Painter
Lynn Painter is an international bestselling author who lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and children. Painter is known for writing both young adult and adult contemporary romance novels. These include Better Than the Movies (2021), Mr. Wrong Number (2022), The Love Wager (2023), Betting on You (2023), Happily Never After (2024), Nothing Like the Movies (2024), and the upcoming release of Accidentally Amy (2025). While Painter writes in both markets, she doesn’t consider the adult and young adult genres differently. Though her protagonists are of different ages and in differing stages of life, she believes it is a disservice to young adults today to intentionally “age-down” the delivery of a teen story.
Painter plays heavily into many romance tropes in her novels. While The Do-Over employs the hate-to-love trope through banter between Emilie and Nick, Mr. Wrong Number explores forbidden romance and forced proximity. The Love Wager invokes the betting trope and Better Than the Movies uses fake dating as a plot device to further the romance.
Genre Context: Contemporary Romance
Young adult contemporary romance is a teen-specific romance genre that typically involves either summer workplace or high-school campus romances. While focused on love at the forefront, these books also have subplots that explore self-discovery and complicated family dynamics. Similar to popular books in the genre like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2014) by Jenny Han or Anna and the French Kiss (2010) by Stephanie Perkins, The Do-Over by Lynn Painter delves into the emotional highs and lows of teenage romance and the challenges of growing up. Painter diverges from the typical YA romance formula by introducing a speculative fiction element called the time loop. The repeating Valentine’s Day allows for an exploration of Emilie’s internal conflicts and growth while also providing several opportunities for her to interact with her blossoming love interest, Nick.
Both Nick and Emilie are like the typical contemporary romance protagonists. They have misconceptions about love that will change throughout the novel. Nick keeps himself from experiencing love after the loss of his brother, Eric, left him devastated and brokenhearted. Emilie believes love results from meticulous planning and that spontaneous love is bound to fail. The individual characters’ personal growth often corrects these misconceptions about love. The time-loop teaches Emilie that some things are beyond her control and if she does accept this, she will continue to miss out on the best opportunities. Loving and purposefully losing Emilie due to his fears about connection teaches Nick the error in his ways when he regrets the decision afterward.
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