I had loved Holly Bourne's novel Pretending and her compelling characterizations and perspectives, and so I was instantly excited to read this new book and its fun premise. Here, British teen Audrey is currently dealing with the aftermath of her parents' divorce, her own breakup, and her changing friend dynamics, all of which have made her cynical about the concept of love and romance. However, she soon finds herself falling for the ever-charming Harry from her part-time job at the local cinema even though she knows she shouldn't. From the prologue alone, I was hooked. Full of compelling and relatable language and a fresh perspective, I just couldn't put it down. I had to keep reading. Then, the first chapter dives right into the action rather than pages upon pages of exposition and background, which I appreciated. So, Audrey's working on a school project about the unrealistic behaviors in romance movies and is starring in Harry's own movie as the love interest, where she's facing whether or not she still believes love is hopeless. This book is just so easy to get sucked into and I just didn't want to put it down. It's a quick, fun, and engaging YA read. The lead character of Audrey, by the ending, is so vulnerable and full of heart that reads as authentic. By the end, I just couldn't stop reading, it had me enthralled and hooked to find out the rest of her story and what she actually wants.

Sure, the ending was cheesy and cute, but I'm glad that it didn't just end on a HEA, but rather a self-love HEA, which I find even more impactful and empowering. It made me happy to see her realizing her worth and becoming stronger because, hey, real life isn't the perfectly curated movies and I admire this book bringing that realism.

This was a great story with so much banter that I fell for hard. I loved all the emotion that ran throughout the story and Audrey's discovery of herself. First love and a great journey are what await the reader in this cute romcom because what else could happen at the movies?

It Only Happens in the Movies by Holly Bourne is marketed to be a romance, but it is not. I think that is why I didn't actively like it. It seemed like a romance and it ended up being a break-up, coming of age. I thought it was cute, but I don't prefer break up stories, more so love stories.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

After watching the demise of her parents' marriage, and seeing her own relationship go up in flames, Audrey was just saying NO to romance. But then she starts a new job, and he's so charming, and though she was warned multiple times about him, she goes and falls for Harry. Did Audrey make the right choice, trusting her heart over her head?

This was my first Holly Bourne experience, and I have to say, it was incredible. This book really had it all. It was funny, sweet, heart wrenching, and honest. I think I experienced just about every emotion, while also thinking how valuable a story like this would have been for teen-me.

I felt so much for Audrey. Not only did she have to deal with her own teen drama, but she was expected to be responsible for her mother. Following her parents devastating divorce, Audrey's mother sort of fell apart. Her father was gone, her brother was away at university, and Audrey was left to pick up the pieces every time her mother had an episode. As if that wasn't enough, her boyfriend broke up with her after they had sex, leaving Audrey thinking there was something wrong with her. Embarrassed, she pushed all her friends away, quit the things she loved, and retreated within herself.

But she had her job, which was also her escape. There, she didn't have to worry about her mother or her ex, and she could banter with Harry. Though he was far from perfect, his friendship did help pull Audrey out of her funk. I was so glad she had those sweet and tender moments with him, and that she was able to enjoy a bit of levity with her other co-workers as well.

As I mentioned, Audrey was quite cynical when it came to love. She decided to analyze the dangers of romantic films as part of her media studies class. I was treated to snippets of her project at the beginning of each chapter and loved the way the topic was worked into the story. These bit were often amusing and interesting, but also served as a way to Audrey to examine her own beliefs about love.

Audrey's view changed from the fairytale version to a more realistic idea of love, romance, and relationships. Accepting the idea that love was a choice, it was hard work, and it could change over time. This story was also about loving yourself and not accepting less than you deserve. It was about understanding when you should put yourself and your needs first, and also, when you should maybe walk away for situations that are not healthy.

A quick rundown of things I enjoyed:

✅ Lots of great rom-com moments
✅ Supportive friendships
✅ Open and honest talks about sex
✅ Zombies
✅ Interesting analysis of romantic films
✅ A grand gesture
✅ Complicated family dynamics
✅ First love feels

I cried a little as I wrote this review for several different reasons, and for me, that's a sign of a great book. One that can make me feel so much days after I have finished it is a winner to me. Overall, I found this story entertaining and wonderfully relatable. My heart soared, my heart warmed, my heart broke, and in the end, I was overjoyed for Audrey.

Audrey has sworn off romance - and NO not in a "totally swears it off but is secretly looking for love" - she actually means it.

She's just gone through her first breakup, she's seen her parent's divorce, she's read all the books and watched all the movies.

She knows every possible romance plot there could conceivably be and she says NO to all of them.

When her home life gets a little too much for her, she picks up a part-time job at the local cinema.

There she meets Harry.

And despite herself, she finds his corny jokes, his movie obsessions and his love for life addictive.

One thing leads to another and now she's the star of his feminist zombie flick (the feminist bit was Audrey's idea)...and despite swearing off romances...she can feel a small...small part of herself feeling the romance.

This one worked really, really well.

I love Audrey's take on life and her story was really sweet...and surprisingly realistic!

It was so fun to see how the romantic tropes worked in this one. I feel like so many books focus on "finding love" and this one took that but also made things grounded.

It also poked fun at all the common tropes as part of Audrey's "Research".

I loved how this book showed that not all love was terrible (like the divorce or her first one) but to also know your worth.

The book ends on a really good note - kind of an anti-trope that really fit well.

With thanks to Netgalley. Holly Bourne and HMH Books for Young Readers

I really wanted to like this book. the book description and the cover made me want to start it right away.
I couldnt really connect with the characters or get into the storyline. Right now it sits on my dnf shelf, and hopefully the next time I pick it up I will enjoy it more.

I loved this book! A sweet, fun read that deals with some really heavy and difficult topics in an approachable way. The characters felt like real teens I might work with. I thought the movie angle was a great way to tie everything together, and that thread is consistent through the different plot points in the book. Would absolutely recommend to anyone who loves movies, romance, or books about family.

When I saw this was a republish from a large publisher, I had high hopes that potentially it wasn't seen for its greatness early on like it should have been and that having it republished would have it highlighted the way it should be. However, this book lost me relatively on for just one thing: the girl's boyfriend breaking up with her because she was a virgin and realized she didn't want to have sex right as they started. I get it. It happens. It's a semi-realistic thing that occurs. But, as a teacher, it's not the kind of book you want in your classroom or in your library. There's ways to address it without stating it for what it is. I know it wasn't the author's intent, but it can easily be interpreted as any boy would break up with a girl for that. I mean, that's the kind of vibes the narrator gives off: that she's victim shaming herself and accepting the event as a poor decision she made. I don't know. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but with friends who've been sexually harassed and mistreated, it's not something I'd like to have out in the world.

That aside, I'm curious to what this book looked like before the republish. I anticipate they are very different, but I feel this book still has a ways to grow.

It Only Happens in the Movies is a fun romantic comedy commenting on romance in rom-com movies and their unrealistic expectations. I had a whirlwind of emotions while reading this book, which isn't typical for me. Audrey is such a fun character. I'm glad that the author didn't go with the ending I expected.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I didn't like this one and it makes me so sad! I'd never read a Holly Bourne book but have always wanted to. I went in with certain expectations and was pretty let down. I didn't like the main character and the way she represented feminism. I didn't like the love story and the amount of focus it took up on the page. Overall, I was just generally let down by this book. I've not given up on Bourne's writing though, as other reviews for this one seem to be just as shocked by the quality of it, I just wish I'd chosen a different book of her's to read first.

This book is so raw and honest about relationships. I don't live that the main romance is between a guy who has graduated and an underaged girl, but they are only a year apart I guess. The fact that there are some frank discussions of sex in here made everything feel more mature. The mother's trauma and her daughter having to deal with it killed me, but it was so good. A little preachy at the end about loving yourself, but I can't dock a while star for that.

This was a cute and honest YA book. I loved that this story was themed around movies and that there was so much depth to the main character. Their story was realistic and understandable. This was a great read!

Audrey truly does have kind of a rotten life, between her various family issues, and Bourne helps the reader to empathize with her, as none of her struggles seem to be her fault. The romance in the novel feels inevitable, but it's no less enjoyable as a result.

I really struggled with this book. There are a lot of good things in it, but it was very slow at times and I almost DNFed it. I never do that!
I struggled with the way Audrey's father treated her, her mother, and her brother. I also did not like that Harry was similar to her father in the way he treated Audrey. I had such high hopes for this book.

Another reviewer caught on to this, and I did as well. SPOILERS! At the end of the book, the relationship between our main characters ends because one of them cheats. But he can’t remember it. Whether it was a poor plot device or the author chose to do this for a quick and easy explanation as to why it didn’t work out “like in the movies” I find this extremely worrying and problematic. If he can’t remember or was drunk, he was raped. He cannot give consent while under the influence. The fact that it was a throwaway line used to make the female break up is gross. I repeat, if he was under the influence he cannot give consent. Sorry, but the way this book treats this concerning circumstance is laughable and not okay.

Decent YA romcom with zombies. Why not? There's the usual BFFs and ex-drama/trauma, plus movies. Nothing incredibly special, nothing wrong, just decent romance.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

This is not a spoiler free review because there is something that happens at the end that I find _very concerning_. I have indicated where the spoilers occur.

This book was a very fast paced read and had the potential to be great. Unfortunately, I did not love it, and I had a very negative reaction to the (almost) end. I did finish the book because it was a very fast-paced read and I kept hoping it would get better (it didn't).

I had several issues with this book. First of all, the main character seems to use and discard her friends very easily and when it's convenient to her, and even admits to this throughout the book. She talks about the movie trope of the gay bff, and then proceeds to re-enact this trope in her own story. I understand this was most likely tongue-in-cheek and all that, but I found the MC often judged things very harshly while she herself engaged in the same behavior, which quickly turned me off from her.

Another example is her anger and frustration regarding the fact that the boy she starts to date does not really try to support her or try to understand what she is going through with her family. However, she also knows that he is going through several difficult things with his family (this is mentioned many times by other characters) and she never tries to give him the support or understanding that she expects from him.

Additionally, she rejects her original group of friends, cuts them out of her life, and is borderline mean to them. And yet she pops back over to their table whenever she decides is convenient for her, only to be mean to them again, and then return when it is once again convenient.

********SPOILERS BELOW********

The "relationship" ends because the love interest has a sexual encounter with someone else. However, there is also talk about him "not remembering" what happened because he was so intoxicated. This seems to be glossed over and the love interest is merely seen as a "cheater." However. This is rape. Men can be raped, and excusing the fact that he was too drunk to give consent because he's a guy simply perpetuates the myth that men can't be raped. This is incredibly problematic and I was dismayed by the fact that this was never addressed. The couple not ending up together didn't disturb me because they were truly Not Good for each other. But it seemed obvious that both characters needed outside help and this is never acknowledged.

This was a fantastic YA novel that focuses on romance in film vs real life. I read this one in a single sitting, because once I started I couldn't stop.

This book frustrated me, made me laugh and gave me all the feels. I loved the characters, and the portrayal of mental illness/alcoholism of the mother was done respectfully.

Also, I don't want to spoil anything, but I found the last few pages surprisingly perfect. The conclusion of this book was what gave it that extra star rating!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this E-book to review via Netgalley.

I really liked this book - I thought it was a great ending and super realistic. I think teenagers would love this book because it talks about issues of sex and romance really frankly and honestly. Audrey is the best and a role model for young girls. Highly recommend! It is probably too explicit for a classroom (I think), but would be awesome for any high school gal.

Here’s what we have for our literature menu:
Feminism vibes and realistic touch to the sensitive issues like mental health, drug addiction, divorce✅
Smart criticism of romcoms ✅
Witnessing an average heroine’s turning into a badass one who stands for herself including asshole cheating father like a rabbit’s transformation into a roaring lion✅
Good, supportive girl friendship ✅
Positive messages including choosing yourself and learning self acceptance✅

I filled all my check boxes. I always love good written, realistic, powerful, promising books. Even though it is written like a romcom format, romance story line is the secondary.

And I’m not gonna give spoiler but ending may be the most satisfying part of the book.

Audrey was broken heroine after dysfunctional family issues, divorce and being dumbed by boyfriend. But falling hard for coworker Harry was the most unexpected thing for her. That’s the plot line makes you thing this is a sweet romance. But it’s not! It’s about a girl power, learning from mistakes and rising from the ashes kind of motivational book with the background song: Katy Perry’s “Roar”

Fast, easy, enjoyable reading that I highly recommended for the genre lovers and author’s die hard fans!

Special thanks to NetGalley and HMH Books for a Young Readers for sharing this powerful ARC with me in exchange my honest review.