Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mr. Wrong Number | 2022 | Lynn Painter | Buy |
| 2 | Pan Zły Numer | 2023 | Lynn Painter | N/A |
| 3 | Colin’s Proposal | 2023 | Lynn Painter | N/A |
| 4 | The Wedding Day | 2023 | Lynn Painter | N/A |
| 5 | Love Game | 2023 | Lynn Painter | N/A |
| 6 | The Love Wager | 2023 | Lynn Painter | Buy |
| 7 | Accidentally Amy | 2022 | Lynn Painter | Buy |
| 8 | The Do-Over | 2022 | Lynn Painter | Buy |
| 9 | Betting On You | 2023 | Lynn Painter | Buy |
| 10 | Happily Never After | 2024 | Lynn Painter | Buy |
Mr. Wrong Number was published in 2022 as Lynn Painter’s first adult romance novel, after she had established herself in YA with Better Than the Movies. The story follows Olivia Marshall, who ends up staying with her brother Jack after a run of spectacularly bad luck: her apartment burns down, her boyfriend dumps her, and she loses her job in short order. The complications multiply when she accidentally starts an anonymous text conversation with Jack’s roommate Colin, a man she is supposed to be avoiding.
The anonymous messaging device allows both characters to be honest with each other in ways they would not manage face-to-face, which gives the relationship an emotional dimension beyond the comedic premise. The eventual reveal that they already know each other drives the middle section, and Painter handles the fallout with more emotional nuance than the setup might suggest.
The Love Wager, the second book in the series, follows Jack and Hallie, who make a bet on who can fall in love first, then end up fake-dating at a wedding with predictable complications. It shares the witty, banter-heavy tone of the first book and wraps up its own story without requiring familiarity with Olivia and Colin’s plot.