Nothing Like the Movies - Lynn Painter

The perfect sequel to Better than the Movies!

“I’ve loved you, and I’ve missed you, and I’ve hated you and regretted you, but I’ve never forgiven or forgotten you.”

I was sceptical because I felt that the prequel was great as a standalone but Liz and Wes’s story definitely required more development and this book gives it to us in the best way possible.

The plot - including the breakup - seemed slightly unnecessary but the more I read, the more of Wes’s character and actions make sense.

The story follows Liz as she begins to find herself at college, finding her passion and a great group of friends that support her without questions asked. However, a spanner is thrown into the works after her high school sweetheart ends his college hiatus to continue his baseball career.

Wes’s trauma and grief means that he dealt with his relationship (and ending of) with Liz poorly, and as determined as he is to make up for his mistakes and win her back, Liz is not as forgiving.

I loved the idea that the time apart means they have to get to know each other all over again. However, I wasn’t a fan of Liz as much as I was in the prequel. I’m all for girl power, independence and knowing what you want, but she’s pretty harsh towards Wes and his good intentions throughout.

Wes broke my heart a million times over. Granted, he messed up. But as his character realises his mistakes and works on himself, juggling grief and pining after the love of his life, I was internally SCREAMING at Liz to forgive him. But no, she makes him work for it and the miscommunication trope had me feeling more anger than heart-warming hope.

The tables have well and truly turned. Liz was the hopeless, movie-loving romantic in Better than the Movies. But Wes keeping his 12:13 alarm and keeping track of how many they’ve missed together? UGH MY HEART.

Such a rollercoaster. Nothing Like the Movies had me feeling empowered one minute, crying the next. It broke my heart and simultaneously stitched it back together again.

This would have been a 5 star read if it wasn’t for the miscommunication (a trope I really struggle with), and Liz’s attitude towards Wes. However, the way that managing a relationship whilst dealing with the hardships and grief that Wes was experiencing was done perfectly.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC in return for an honest review!

I enjoyed this book, however I will always love the first book so much and nothing can compare to it, im not sure that there should have been a second book although it was nice to read about these characters again.

5 / 5 🎀📄🎵⚾️

Huge appreciation to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy of this book!!

Ok, I will admit I was at first a little skeptical to the concept of this book because what do you mean Liz and Wes break up but starting this book, I knew it was kind of meant to happen. They were in high school and the circumstances that occur make sense.

And this book was perfect, it was quintessentially Liz and Wes but make it second chance . It was a pocket of sunshine. With the perfect UCLA setting. The forced proximity through her internship/job and him on the baseball team. It was Lynn Painter doing what she does best and that's writing YA romcoms that warm your heart. It's filled with niche references to music and some very well known ones, but it's the way they aren't just thrown in to the story but deeply have a purpose and that's the lore of Liz and Wes. Let me tell you, this book had me giggling, kicking my feet and swooning the entire time and when there was a goddamn 'In Between' Reference and it was from WES' POV, I almost screamed out loud. Because an unreleased Gracie song that is probably my favourite and is just so Ms. Swift coded, I'm so down just wish I could have listened to it.

Nonetheless, I completely adored this book and all that it was. It truly exceeded my expectations so if you are a little iffy on this book but loved Wes and Liz, I highly encourage you to give this a chance when it comes out in October because it might just surprise you!!

We are following Liz and Wes, who were neighbours growing up. They used to be together but something happened that made Wes break up with Liz. Two years later, they both attend UCLA and Liz is forced to spend time with him thanks to an internship she got with a renowned documentary producer.

Wow, this book was incredible. If you have read Better than the movies a while ago and don’t remember a thing, you can definitely read this one. The story will come back to you.

Now, it is a second chance romance. It is not usually a trope that I like but with these two characters, I did not mind. Liz has such an amazing personality, I love her.
The banter in this book is next level, and I appreciated the multiple references to movies and songs (like Taylor Swift for example!)

Having a dual point of view in a romance is always a bonus as we get to see both perspectives and know their feelings towards each other.

I had also forgotten about Helena and her dad. It was so nice to have them in the book.

3.5 rounded down to 3 (because of goodreads’ and netgalley’s rating system).
This review is going to be a little bit different from what I thought it was going to be. To be completely transparent, I thought I was going to love it. Better than the movies was a 5star read back when I read it, so I did not think this one could be lower than a 4star read. Yes, my tastes have changed, but I felt like I was still going to love this one.
At first, it felt really nice to be back in this little world, and the new cast of characters made me laugh a couple of times. The first half of the book, basically, was very enjoyable and I had a good time reading it. But for some reasons, it felt a bit flat after the halfway mark. At the end of the first book, I thought Liz was annoying and she started being annoying again — and more annoying than before. I’ve never truly connected with her and understood her feelings and actions the way I understood Wes. I’ve always preferred Wes, maybe because we’re more alike. To me, Liz lacked maturity and was too self-centered. At some point, I started telling myself that Wes deserved better than her.
I would also like to say that even though I did overall enjoyed the book, I do not think this sequel was necessary. I would still recommend it if you loved Better than the movies, but I do not believe this sequel is needed, in a way.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.