Book Review: Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter

Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter

Quote:

"She was less shitshow and more about living in high-definition, wide-awake, full-on color. Or something more poetic than that. But once I'd seen it, I couldn't unsee it. It was in everything she did, and it was why everyone was drawn to her the way they were." 

 

Blurb: Bad luck has always followed Olivia Marshall. But when a 'What are you wearing?' text from a random number turns into the hottest, most entertaining relationship of her life, she thinks things might be looking up!

Colin Beck has always seen Olivia as his flat mate's annoying little sister. Until she moves in with them, and he realizes she's turned into an altogether sexier distraction...

He's determined to keep his distance, but it isn't easy. Especially when he discovers she's the flirty, funny - and anonymous! - girl he's been secretly messaging for weeks.

Now, Mr Wrong Number has a decision to make. Should he shut down the messages, before things get messy? 

Or turn up the heat...?

Book Tropes: 

• Forced Proximity
• Enemies to Lovers
• Mistaken Identity
• Brother's Best Friend
• Texting Relationship
• Slow-Burn Romance

My Personal Views: Just finished reading one of my favorite author- Lynn Painter's another book called "Mr Wrong Number" and with her usual charm, she has written another cute fluffy romcom (exactly what you would expect from a Lynn Painter book). However, does it really hit the mark this time? Unfortunately, I don't think so.

The story kicks off with Olivia, whose house burns down due to a mistake she’s not too proud of. She moves in with her brother Jack and his best friend Colin Beck, who’ve been inseparable for as long as Olivia can remember. One night, she receives a funny text from an unknown number, assuming it's just another creep looking for attention, however she didn't knew that she was in for one hell of a ride. 

Coming to the plot, the first 15% of the book is dedicated almost entirely to Olivia’s clumsiness.  And while I appreciate a quirky, accident-prone protagonist as much as the next person, it felt a bit overdone. Yes, we get it—Olivia is clumsy, and her bad luck follows her everywhere. But after a while, I found myself begging for the story to move on.

The first 200 pages were, honestly, a struggle. If it weren’t for my stubborn refusal to DNF books, this one might not have made it past my halfway mark. There was little to no chemistry between Olivia and Colin, and while the “best friend’s sister” trope might have been intended to add some tension, the execution just didn’t deliver. The banter felt flat, and their relationship lacked the spark I expected.

After slogging through nearly 250 pages, FINALLY, and I mean finally, Colin says something remotely nice or romantic about Olivia, which is just laughable at this point. 

That said, the last 30% of the book did redeem itself somewhat. Here, I finally saw the Lynn Painter writing style I love. The tension, the romance, the humor—it all came alive. It was sad that when I finally did start to enjoy the book, it was almost finished. Why couldn’t we have seen this level of connection and angst earlier in the story? 

As for Olivia and Colin’s relationship—let’s just say I wasn’t sold at the start. Their chemistry was seriously lacking, but once they finally got together, I’ll admit they did win me over. The date, the revelations, the breakup—kept me on the edge of my seat.

And then there’s the conclusion. Honestly? It was a bit ridiculous. Olivia ignores Colin for a whole month, but when she hears he’s heartbroken, she runs back to him? Make it make sense, please. 

 

I’ve been a huge fan of Lynn Painter's work, especially "Better than the Movies", which was a solid five-star read. So to say I expected more from her would be an understatement. "Mr. Wrong Number" felt riddled with plot holes and a serious lack of chemistry for more than half of the book. That said, I won’t swear off Lynn Painter just yet—I’m still excited to read "Nothing Like the Movies (#2 Better than the Movies). Here’s hoping for a better experience next time!

Ratings: ⭐⭐/ 5