Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Funny How Things Change

Rate this book
Opening your mailbox to find a wedding invitation from your ex is rough; opening the invitation to find out it's from your ex and the woman he cheated on you with? Slap in the face.

Now most people would shred that invitation and move on with their lives, however... After a wildly awkward talk with her ex, Brynne Clement finds herself checking that box and taking it a step further by saying she's bringing a plus one that she's totally in love with, just to prove him wrong.

The issue with this is that Brynne is as single as could be, spending the last year recovering from the horrible breakup with said ex-boyfriend, losing their apartment and moving back home with her parents, taking her bags and baggage with her- dating hasnt even been a thought.

Scrambling for a last-minute date, August Woodson, her brother's best friend and owner of a huge ego and a long list of women under his belt... (literally) offers himself up as her date. August is the last person Brynne wants to spend a weekend with but unfortunately for her, she has no other options.

Faking a relationship with August is challenging... especially after she finds herself not only enjoying his company but maybe even... falling for him, but it's what happens after that weekend that snaps them both back to reality. Things get downright hard. Maybe even heartbreaking. Can she face her brother and her baggage head on or will she risk losing August for good?

Maybe it isn't always funny how things change.

442 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 23, 2023

63 people are currently reading
608 people want to read

About the author

Sydnie Todd

2 books18 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
85 (28%)
4 stars
106 (35%)
3 stars
78 (26%)
2 stars
21 (7%)
1 star
6 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
Profile Image for Cierra Hock.
9 reviews2 followers
October 20, 2023
This book caught my attention & had me wanting more from chapter one & I felt the same through the entire book! Loved this read
Profile Image for Jazzmyne Scollon.
Author 1 book3 followers
August 16, 2023
I’m reviewing Funny How Things Change as an ARC reader.

Tropes inside this book:
- Summer Romance
- He Falls First
- Brother’s Best Friend
- Fake Dating

Brynne came home to find a wedding invention in her mailbox for her ex and the woman he cheated on her with, so her brother’s best friend August agrees to be her date to help her get through this.

This book was one of the best I’ve read this year and I’m very glad that this book got to be my FIRST EVER ARC BOOK!!

It was well written and very well paced. I got sucked right into the story and the characters, I loved and hated them and cried when they cried. I had all the feels with this book.

I totally recommend this book. It’s a 5 star book
Profile Image for bk.
122 reviews
August 17, 2023
✨ ARC REVIEW ✨

this debut novel publishes 8/23!

tropes:
fake dating
brothers best friend
he falls first (& way way harder)
one bed 🫣
forbidden love
denial 🙄


Brynne is still trying to put her life together after her boyfriend cheated on her. it’s hard to move on from something like that. to make it worse, she gets an invitation to his wedding… he’s getting married to the girl he cheated on her with!! she is set on not going, i mean would you?! but August (her brothers veryyyy attractive best friend) suggests she goes. & he offers to be her fake boyfriend for it. nothing could happen between them, so why not? 😏

i don’t want to give any spoilers but i will say i was very very frustrated with brynne. she is in denial that she deserves anything good (or that anything good can ever happen again) and she stands in her own way. she cares way too much about what her brother thinks and he’s a major whine bag when it comes to… things. but i related to her on so many levels. the writing makes this book so personal. i felt like i was reading brynnes journal rather than reading a story. she felt like my friend (and if i could’ve told her to get a grip, i would have 😂). she described how it feels after you’ve been cheated on to a t!! it was wild. i took so many screenshots & i’m ordering my physical copy asap, so i can annotate.

OKAY this is long, so let me get to the rating. i won’t lie, i normally would rate this 3.5 or 4, because of the frustration and i haaaaaate a third act “break up” LOL. but with this one, it’s important to remember what brynne is going through. so i had to give my girl some grace. i appreciated her growth in the end. soooooo

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

thank you so much, sydnie for the opportunity to read and review this book! i can’t wait for your next 😉
Profile Image for Rachel.
21 reviews2 followers
May 23, 2024
This book had so much potential that I’m actually quite sad rating it so low.

This story is mainly in the MFC POV, Brynne Clement, after she receives an invitation in the mail to her ex boyfriend’s wedding. The catch is, he’s marrying the woman Brynne caught him cheating on her with. When her brother’s best friend, August Woodson, finds the invitation, he immediately offers to go as her fake date. You get the idea.

This was a super fast read which I was thrilled about, but I’m not sure what exactly bothered me so much. There was quite a bit of repetitiveness, especially towards the last 25-30%. Both the monologue and even dialogue between Brynne and August was… icky. Lol. It was super cringey at times, the plot line was definitely there though! Maybe the writing style just isn’t for me! 🙂

I will say, some of my feelings were definitely well represented in this and made me feel less crazy, so, cheers to that being added to my kindle clippings!
Profile Image for Brooklynn Tanner.
5 reviews
December 8, 2023
this book always had my attention & i couldn’t stop reading it. I had to know what would happen next. It also just was so cool to see someone i knew from high school write such an amazing book !
Profile Image for Uru.
6 reviews
August 19, 2023
✨ARC REVIEW✨

4.5⭐️

This was my very first ARC read and may I say, I was not disappointed! This was such a beautiful story that puts you through a rollercoaster of emotions! The friends/family dynamics were so wholesome and the character development was much appreciated by the end! Such a quick and engaging read, all around!

I was an emotional mess towards the end of it, weeping for August and Brynne. August was perfect for Brynne from the very beginning!

So excited for you to release this, Sydnie! Good luck!

Some tropes to look out for:
Brother’s best friend
One bed
Fake dating
He falls first
Profile Image for Kelsey.
115 reviews
June 26, 2024
3-ish⭐️

The premise was a bit weird at first because, sorry, but NO ONE is attending their ex boyfriend’s wedding to the girl he cheated on you with! After that part was out of the way though, I liked the initial buildup. I do enjoy a childhood friends to lovers story, but then the on-and-off again, back-and-forth nature of this book was kind of exhausting and annoying. Predictable ending obviously. And way longer than it needed to be.
Profile Image for Allison Markus.
28 reviews1 follower
August 23, 2023
✨ ARC Review ✨

Book debuts August 23rd, 2023

4.5/5 ⭐️ 1/5 🌶️

Tropes:
• Fake Dating
• Brothers Best Friend
• He falls first (& so much harder oml my favvv)
• One Bed

Brynne moves back in with her parents after getting cheated on. About a year later, she receives an invite to that same Ex’s wedding (TO THE GIRL HE CHEATED WITH!!!! & it was the girls idea to send the invite… like whatttt?!) and the wedding’s 2 weeks away. She’s adamant that she’s not going to go but her brother, Brody, and his (super hot) best friend, August, convince her she should go and August is basically voluntold (a fun little way to say told to volunteer) by Brody to be her date to show her ex that she’s moved on and isn’t just a lonely, single 25 year old living in her parents house. August agrees and helps her through the wedding weekend.

I loved the way Sydnie wrote this book. I didn’t just feel like the story was narrated by Brynne, I felt like I was literally in Brynne’s brain. It felt very personal. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the only reason I didn’t give this book 5 stars is because Brynne did frustrate me a little with thinking she didn’t deserve anything and is unloveable. I love the character growth she has and I love that she learned that she deserves love, but that was the main reason I didn’t give it 5 stars.

The only other reason I didn’t give it a full 5 stars is because at some points it felt a little predictable. It is a romance book and I have read many many many books of the romance genre this year alone, but I easily called a few major plot points as soon as I read the first chapter. That doesn’t mean this book wasn’t still amazing or that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy reading it because it very much was and I very much did, but that plus Brynne being stubborn, made me mark it down half a star.

Thank you Sydnie for sending me your book! I loved it and I was so honored to read it!! Cant wait to buy a physical copy to put on my bookshelf!!
Profile Image for Ashley Ashann.
3 reviews
August 18, 2023
~Arc Read Review~
Tropes involved throughout the book:
*Brother's best friend
*Fake dating
*He falls first
*Forbidden Love
The tropes alone had grabbed my attention greatly when beginning this book. Sydnie Todd has really impressed me with how well Funny How Things Change was written. To feel as many emotions as I did when reading this book really shows how put together and how well Sydnie made us readers connect with every scene and each character's development.
I am rather new to the genre of fake dating but will happily say I can't wait to read more because of how much I have enjoyed this book. I am very excited to see and read more from this author.
Profile Image for Tracey Donahue.
Author 6 books
February 22, 2024
The premise of “I need a fake date to go to my ex boyfriend’s wedding” sucked me in right away. And then August kept me one more chaptering all the way to the end. No matter what got in the way they loved each other— they just needed the timing to be right. So sweet and definitely worth the read. I typically like my books a bit more spicy but by the time I got to Brynn’s conversation with Augusts mom at the end I didn’t care anymore. Go read this now if you want a sweet love story that didn’t always go exactly as planned with and HEA.
Profile Image for Taylor Edwards.
9 reviews
August 13, 2023
OMG! I flew through this book! It starts out very fast paced and gets you hooked quick. I loved Brynne’s dialogue and her quips. She is such a relatable character. This spice level is very tasteful and manageable. I am so proud that this is Sydnie Todd’s debut novel, and I can’t wait to read more from her. One last note, I love it when books or movies use the title in the writing. I smiled when Todd used it in this book. Overall, a good book and a pretty quick read.
Profile Image for Emily K 🖤.
82 reviews
October 4, 2023
We all want an August in a world full of Ian’s 🥹

“I think falling in love has always been reserved for you”

——

For a debut novel, KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK! This book was filled with all the giggly/angsty feelings you & your besties have at Saturday night sleepovers during pillow talk. I mean who doesn’t love that?!

- Brothers bestfriend? ✔️
- Regretful Ex? ✔️🥴
- Fake Dating? ✔️
- He first first & HARD 🫶🏻


READ IT -> ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Profile Image for Emily Jones.
49 reviews10 followers
April 29, 2024
This book was so prefect ! Wish I could give it more than 5 stars. And was honestly probably the cutest book I’ve ever read. It had all the essentials of a great book. I’m normally not even a romance reader because they are so predictable but if it’s written well I still enjoy them. I absolutely devoured this book in one day because I just couldn’t stop reading. So good, cannot wait for the next book.
Profile Image for Kylie Stedam.
13 reviews2 followers
August 25, 2023
I hadn’t read in YEARS! This book made me fall in love with reading again! I picked this book up and let me tell you I could NOT PUT IT DOWN. The story line is so good and keeps you hooked and wanting more. I’ve never fallen so in love with a character in a book before. Each chapter just gets better and better. A total emotional roller coaster!
Profile Image for Courtney McAdams.
9 reviews
November 26, 2023
I read this book at a time I truly needed it. I related to Brynne and her past a lot due to recent events, but honestly all the characters are very relatable. August and Brynne’s relationship is one of a kind but beautiful to see flourish. I love how the book is set in present day as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Isabel Santellano.
77 reviews
August 9, 2025
I wish I would’ve loved this more. I felt like this book was written backwards, like I wanted to love it… but didn’t & couldnt. Brynne was so INSUFFERABLE. August could’ve been so damn perfect, but the back & forth got EXHAUSTING. It had A LOT of potential, but in the end I didn’t love it enough 😭
Profile Image for Caity B.
42 reviews5 followers
September 24, 2023
What a truly heartwarming story. I was really put on a crazy rollercoaster of anger, sadness, love and trust. I love seeing such a protective character such as August. He was truly meant for Brynne and the writing shows it. Brynne at points made me so frustrated by caring so much about her brothers opinions. Though I’d probably do the same thing lol. I was rooting for the pair the entire time. I appreciate the wholeness of the book, there’s no questions Im asking myself at the end.
Profile Image for Kaitlyn Stubblebine.
69 reviews
September 14, 2024
This book was so difficult to get through. I really think the story could have been great if Brynne wasn’t so completely unbearable. She had the emotional intelligence of a 3 year old and blamed it on her cheating ex. She had no valid reason not to be with August but spent 90% of the story saying she couldn’t be with him. August would have been the dream book boyfriend if he didn’t have to deal with her whiny ass bringing the mood down every chance she got.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Heather.
135 reviews10 followers
August 16, 2023
*ARC Review*

4/5 🌟
1/5 🌶

This is a fast-paced and heartwarming story of Brynne and August. The FMC, Brynne, is incredibly relatable, and her relationships with her friends and family were so much fun to read.

This book starts by introducing us to Brynne, who has just received an invitation to the wedding of her ex and the woman he cheated on her with. She decides to take August, her brother’s best friend, as her fake date to the wedding. When Brynne finds herself enjoying August’s company, she is faced with a lot of difficult choices.

The ups and downs of their relationship, which had my emotions all over the place, and the amazing character development made it difficult to put this one down!

Thank you, Sydnie, for the opportunity to ARC read for you. I wish you all the success with your debut novel and hope to read more of your work in the future.

Tropes:
One Bed
Faking Dating
Brother’s Best Friend
He Falls First
Profile Image for Kayla.
324 reviews26 followers
August 2, 2025
Not a book that I was excited to read just because there are so many others on my TBR but I did really enjoy this one! The characters were so likeable (except for Ian & Jared, but need I say more about that), but I did want to shake Brynne and Brody quite a few times! I would have liked to have seen more of the buildup of the relationship from when they were younger, as well as more in depth to her relationship with Ian instead of as much will they won’t they as there was. I felt like I was rooting for them too early in the book, that it kind of was a slog to get through even though I was enjoying it
Profile Image for Hope.
41 reviews
May 28, 2024
Funny How Things Change 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I absolutely loved Funny How Things Change! This book is filled with witty humor, heartwarming moments, and relatable characters. The story is engaging and keeps you hooked until the very end. The author did a fantastic job of capturing the ups and downs of life in a humorous and insightful way. I found myself laughing out loud and feeling a sense of nostalgia while reading this book. I highly recommend Funny How Things Change to anyone looking for a feel-good read that will leave you with a smile on your face.
Profile Image for vanessa .
72 reviews6 followers
August 19, 2024
I’d say 3.5 stars

I have mixed emotions on this book. The writing was kind of off. I had to keep going back and re reading sentences. I felt like punctuation was off. Or maybe my kindle was glitching I don’t know.

brothers best friend / it’s always been you trope!! two of my favorites.

But tbh I wasn’t a fan… the characters kind of annoyed me. Well Brody did, a lot. And Brynne did too. I liked August. Went from being a player and ladies man to confessing his love for brynne and never going back. All the while brynne continued to go back and forth. Idk it felt childish and annoying.
Profile Image for Erika.
124 reviews1 follower
May 17, 2024
August and Brynne’s relationship was a mess, but I enjoyed the mess. The last book I read on my kindle was so bad and I’m glad this one was so much better. I loved Brynne and Brody’s sibling relationship ship and how relatable they were. Sydnie toss did a great job at keeping the writing interesting and easy to read. Did I wish this book was a little shorter, yes, but the book seemed perfectly put together. For her debut novel, I’d give it a solid 4/5. ◡̈
2 reviews
January 6, 2025
book summary

Personally, I’m not that good. at writing reviews, but I did love this book. It got me out of a reading slump. Also, my guy August I’m obsessed with. He waited for are girl to be ready like you know. I just love it. It’s he falls. First romance novel. I’ll wait until you’re ready. Brothers, best friend. Such a cute book when you need something romantic and somewhat cheesy.
Profile Image for Hannah Thomas.
29 reviews3 followers
August 24, 2025
This book was SOOOO cute!! Brothers best friend, happily ever after, will they or will they not through the ENTIRE book! Couples spicy scenes but nothing too crazy. At one point I wanted to just shove both of the main characters in a room and force them to say the truth 🤣 I will say though, if I was ever invited to an exes wedding…. The wedding where he’s marrying the girl he CHEATED ON ME WITH… I would NOT be going and would definitely send them a gift with a glitter bomb in it 🤣✨💣
Profile Image for Amber.
2 reviews
August 19, 2023
This book and these characters are so relatable! I enjoyed pulling back some of the layers on August and seeing his vulnerability. His protectiveness and overall demeanor towards Brynne kept me wanting more. Brynne's strength and resiliency (and sassy quips!!!) made her character a captivating one. This was a fantastic first book by Sydnie Todd and i can't wait to read her future works!
Profile Image for Becca Hight.
53 reviews
May 28, 2024
Read it!!

I haven’t cried so much in a book in I don’t know how long. I stayed up til literally 4 in the morning to finish this book because I could not see myself being able to put it down. This is by far one of my favorite brother’s best friend books and I would gladly read it all over again, tears and all!! Read it!
2 reviews
August 30, 2024
This book got me out of my reading slump of almost a year, and let me just say I could not put it down. I absolutely loved it, the writing style is just a chefs kiss honestly. I love the plot line and I just adore the book, definitely one of my top 3 in a while. Hands down definitely worth the read and I'm so glad this is the first book I read in a while it's just what I needed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.