Kerry Winfrey is now officially on my auto-buy author list.

Her previous novel, Waiting for Tom Hanks, was a recommendation from my local book seller. It will always be special to me because the store closed shortly afterwards. I read and really enjoyed that book. It was sweet and really fun.

I went into this story expecting more or less the same feeling, and honestly it was SO much more. The level of emotion of Chloe’s life had me crying a few times. The book was stunning. Pick this up NOW!

And just a side note: definitely read Waiting for Tom Hanks before picking this one up. The stories are completely connected and you’ll miss a lot.

Not Like the Movies is the summer "romance" you need; if you take 13 Going on 30's Jenna Rink, put her in a coffee shop and give her real Jennifer Garner's baking skills, this is Winfrey's protagonist: Chloe. Chloe and her attractive boss, Nick, have been working alongside one another at Nick's coffee shop for years and have a friendly "will they won't they" relationship that Chloe's best friend Annie literally wrote a screenplay about that got optioned and made into a rom-com. Nick and Chloe have never been "a thing" and now that Annie has become a big deal in the LA scene, Chloe has gotten thrust into a storyline that was never fully hers to begin with. Add in a dash of family drama from a father with Alzheimers, an absent mother, and a twin brother who seems to show up at just the wrong time, Chloe's journey will draw you in and keep you happily caffeinated the whole way through!

Not Like the Movies was such a great follow-up to Waiting for Tom Hanks. I already loved Chloe in the first book and loved getting to know her story and complicated feelings on love. I liked how Nick went from the grumpy coffeeshop owner and Chloe's boss to the patient hero and their evolution from coworkers/friends to more with so much humour thrown in.

I can't wait for more romances from Kerry Winfrey!

For the love of all Rom-Coms read this book! I’m a total sucker for romantic-comedies not only on the big screen but in print and Not Like the Movies gives you the absolute best of both worlds. What more can you ask for? This is the highly anticipated follow up to to Waiting for Tom Hanks and it’s told in Chloe’s POV. What happens when your best friend puts your life on the big screen and without really being too covert about it? It creates all kinds of fun things! Follow Chloe and Nick as they find their way to each other…despite the challenges, the obstacles, uh Chloe… cough, cough… lol… and everything else going on in their lives. I fell in love with Nick and was so rooting for him. Their chemistry is sexy and sweet, their banter is fun, and once Chloe finally sees clearly, all is right in their world.

Not Like the Movies will take you on an emotional ride… one that you won’t want to end. Sweet, swoony, and rom-com truly at its best. Kerry Winfrey delivers a winner with book two… hoping for more soon!

4.5 stars. Terrific! Tons of laugh-out-loud moments. This is not just a contemporary romance, but a true romantic comedy. I enjoyed the whole cast of characters a lot. Chloe has a lot going on in her life and in her head. The issues are ever-present, but they don't bog down the story. Nick and Chloe have great chemistry. And I loved the epilogue!

Fans of book one should pick this up to see what happens not only for Nick and Chloe but also for Annie and Drew, too. (But you don't have to have read the first book to enjoy this one.) This was a delight! (Language, mostly off-page sex, LGBTQ+ - bisexual, gay, and bisexual/lesbian relationships/orientations)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy of Not Like the Movies!
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Not Like the Movies is book 2 in the Waiting for Tom Hanks series. I HIGHLY suggest reading the first book before reading this one (Waiting for Tom Hanks). While this book can definitely be a standalone read, I did not read the first one and felt like my connections to the characters suffered because of this.
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This book started really slowly for me. The plot felt somewhat nonexistent, the main love story between Chloe and Nick felt contrived (again, I missed the first book), and to be honest, Chloe really irritated me (that never went away, though she does become more tolerable at the end). How many times can Chloe complain that she has no one to help her and she has to do everything alone? Say it once, twice, maybe three times - we got it! IT WAS ENDLESS. And I wasn't buying it either. All humans have their issues to deal with and Chloe constantly made it seem like her life was the worst thing ever and her problems were bigger than everyone else's. This is a personal pet peeve and I started skimming her internal "poor me" monologues.
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That being said, there are some incredibly funny moments as well that had me LoL'ing. I love witty humor and found plenty of that in this book. I also liked the constant pie talk. Now I want to go to a pie shop and eat all the pie. PIE FOR DAYZ! I liked Nick and I wish we would have gotten to know more about him. I felt like we didn't know anything about Nick til the end of the book (which I suppose mirrors him opening up to Chloe but puh-lease, she's apparently been into him for a while - but she knows zero about him... anyhow) and I find it really hard to get fully into a story if I don't know the characters very well.
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This is a cute rom com with a tidy ending and I would read more by Kerry Winfrey, but I'm not sure this specific book was for me!

Not Like the Movies had the charm of Kerry Winfrey’s first novel, but had an underlying depth that took the story beyond the fluffy love story into a well written piece of fiction. Don’t get me wrong, Ms. Winfrey still wrote some great rom-com banter and had all of those movie comparisons as she did in Waiting for Tom Hanks, but Chloe and Nick’s story had a layer of insecurity and uncertainty hidden beneath the artful disguise of Chloe’s exterior. If it weren’t for the love story aspect of this novel the color of Chloe’s tale would have been muted grays and greens instead of the bright technicolor red of her favorite lipstick.

What about our hero Nick? He was the perfect complement to Chloe in that he was steady, safe, and sweet. Truthfully though, he kind of got a little lost in all of her drama although I think that was done purposefully by the author to show Chloe how he was her perfect match. I am a reader that likes a more obvious approach to love, so the will they or won’t they was frustrating for me and I’ll admit to skimming over a few scenes to get to the meat of the romance a little quicker.

As a comparison to the first novel, which I loved, I thought Not Like the Movies was a solid sequel but lacked the optimism and charm that made me root for Annie and Drew. Not to say that I didn’t like Nick and Chloe, because I did, their story was just a different piece of fiction. Chloe and Nick had their own smoldering fire and I adored Nick’s steadiness because it was exactly what Chloe needed to make her happy. They had me rooting for them just as hard just in a more quiet way. If you didn’t read Waiting for Tom Hanks, it will be easier for you to like Not Like in the Movies because you won’t have the same expectations and I’m sure you’ll fall in love with this couple in the end, just like I did.

I received a copy of this ARC from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

Overall, I enjoyed this story but it didn’t read completely as a romance to me.

This book is a perfect example of why I think I don’t enjoy reading first person POV as much as third person or dual first person. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the writing or the story but I just don’t connect to the characters in a way that I hope to when reading a romance.

I think that I could’ve really fallen in love with Nick but I don’t really feel like I got enough of him to really, really fall. I became so wrapped up in Chloe and everything that she had going on in her life and her crazy need/belief that she needed to handle everything without help from anyone, that I didn’t get a chance to fall in love with her and Nick as a couple.

I just wanted more of them together. I wanted to get lost in their dialogue and see more of that banter that made Annie write their story in the first place. I just didn’t FEEL their romance and therefore I couldn’t fall in love with their story.

*I received an early copy from NetGalley for voluntary review

“Everyone living their lives, taking chances, getting hurt, and waking up the next day to start all over again. How beautiful is it that no matter how badly things are screwed up, we can always keep dreaming, keep wishing, keep hoping that things will get better.”

Not Like the Movies is the sequel to Waiting for Tom Hanks which was released by Kerry Winfrey last summer. I was so excited to dive into this second book all about Chloe Sanderson, the girl behind the coffee counter.

Annie has her big movie writing break with Coffee Girl, a film inspired by Chloe’s life as a barista, taking care of her family, and living in Ohio. Chloe may have inspired the movie, but the movie is definitely inspiring (and changing) how Chloe sees her boss and coworker, Nick.

Nick and Chloe’s fun, flirty banter was sprinkled all throughout the first book, and now we get a more behind the scenes look. They have a connection and a friendship that everyone around them can see but Chloe continually denies it ... even more now that they have been made famous from the soon to be released movie. Chloe is so focused on taking care of everyone else; her father with Alzheimer’s, her brother, and helping with her friend’s wedding, that she doesn’t even notice how much she needs someone to help take care of her. Chloe learned long ago to never trust or rely on anyone else, regardless of how much you need it. It takes almost loosing everything until Chloe realizes she has lots of people willing to step in and help, if only she would let them.

This book is everything you love in a good classic RomCom. From the cheesy lines, and troupes that seem to be part of every story. But Chloe’s story, although close, isn’t quite like the movies ... but then again no ones life can be perfect!

What a cute, light and FUN romantic comedy! This is my first novel by Kerry Winfrey (and I still plan to pick up Waiting for Tom Hanks when life slows down a little) and I am completely smitten. This book is easily digested in 1 sitting ... you can't help but to know exactly what is (or isnt!) going on with Chloe and Nick.

I absolutely adored that this love story wasnt super traditional ... in fact, Chloe's best friend Annie actually wrote a screenplay where the two main characters fell in love and Chloe thought it was too far fetched and could never happen. All the while, Nick had been head over heels, but Chloe was too much in her own thoughts to notice.

This is a slow burn romance ... and I found that to be really charming. Both characters have their own lives that get in the way of true happiness for 60% of the book ... but once the guard comes down, you can help but smile as you flip through the chapters. They had depth and were very likeable ... which is something some romantic comedies struggle with.

This was the perfect palette cleanser for me ... just enough sugar and spice to keep things interesting. I can't wait to see what Kerry cooks up next!

This follow-up to Waiting for Tom Hanks felt much less frivolous than the first book and dealt with slightly more serious subject matter. Chloe, the heroine of the story, has much more on her plate than simply looking for a romantic relationship, and her struggle to allow others into her difficult life adds layers of conflict to her potential romance with her boss, Nick. Still, though I liked these added dimensions to the story, I found myself wishing for more time with the minor characters from book one. They were all there on the sidelines, but they were so much fun the first time around, I would have liked more reasons to see them again. By the same token, I didn't love the new supporting characters introduced in this book. Even Chloe's brother Milo didn't feel fully realized to me. I still really liked this book, though, and will be excited to read more Kerry Winfrey in the future.

If you happened to read Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey, aka one of my favorite rom-coms from last year, you *might* remember Annie's best friend, Chloe, whose flirty/argumentative banter with her grumpy boss, was the inspiration for her rom-com screenplay. Chloe’s book, Not Like the Movies, deals with the impending release of the romanticized story of her complicated real-life flirtation with Nick. Only the press surrounding the movie has everyone dissecting their relationship, making things all the more awkward between them. ⠀
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With her quirky wardrobe, bubbly personality, and preference for "yacht rock" music, Chloe is the polar opposite of her boss Nick. He's gruff, not particularly talkative, and can't stand Chloe's taste in music. Differences aside, the two have been dancing around each other for years, their verbal sparring matches akin to foreplay. But Chloe’s preoccupation with taking care of her father and shouldering the weight of the world on her own means she has no time for distractions.⠀
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Despite her perennially sunny disposition, Chloe is one misstep away from an emotional breakdown. Her independence and relentless positivity is admirable, if sometimes frustrating, yet her stubbornness and refusal to accept help is understandable, considering her backstory. When it comes to romance, Chloe is like a rom-com antiheroine, scoffing at the concept of soul mates and dismissing the possibility of a happy ending for herself. But as hard as she tries, she can’t ignore the growing tension between her and Nick. ⠀
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If you’re in the mood for a slow-building romance packed with sexual tension, humor, and heart, Not Like the Movies is a fast-paced, entertaining read. This is the perfect book for rom-com lovers and hopeless romantics alike.⠀
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Huge thanks to the publisher for my review copy!⠀

This is my first book that I have read by this author. I have heard of the author's prior novel but after reading this book, I will have to grab a copy to check out.

I had such a fun time reading this book. Everyone was entertaining but the award for the most funniest goes to Nick's one friend and bowling partner, Doug. You never knew what was going to come out of his mouth. Yet, I loved everyone from Chloe and Nick to their friends, Annie, Drew, Uncle Don, Tyler, Tobin, Gary, Doug and Shivan.

When Chloe would get flustered she would say and do crazy things too. Like the time she walked in on Nick "shirtless". She threw a roll of paper towels at him. Readers of rom coms will want to pick up a copy of this book for themselves to read. This book may not be like the movies but it is ten times better!

Picking up where Waiting for Tom Hanks left off, Not Like the Movies plunges readers back into small-town Ohio. This time, however, instead of following rom-com-obsessed Annie, the sequel tells the story of Annie’s best friend Chloe. Unlike her bestie however, Chloe is most definitely not obsessed with love stories or big grand gestures and is absolutely, positively, 100% not involved with her boss, Nick. Unfortunately for Chloe, Annie has followed her screenwriter dreams and her source of inspo? Chloe and Nick…or, rather, Zoe and Rick.

As the movie premiere draws closer, Buzzfeed and other pop culture-y sites churn out listicles stating why Rick is the ultimate dreamboat and bearded boyfriend the world needs, rumor mills start spreading stories of a star-crossed, coffee-scented romance, journalists begin flooding Chloe’s inbox with interview requests. As if being hounded by the press wasn’t bad enough, Chloe has more personal matters at hand: her dad’s battle with Alzheimer’s is worsening by the day and her flighty twin brother has suddenly reappeared back in town. Annie might be convinced there’s a Happily Ever After for everyone, but Chloe isn’t holding her breath.

Waiting for Tom Hanks was one of my top reads of 2019, one of the six books out of the 200 I read that earned that coveted 5-star rating. (Okay, so maybe the eight references to Frasier helped, but still!) It was super cute and fun with all the ’90s movie tropes a girl could want. So naturally when the follow-up was announced it went straight to my TBR list.

If Waiting for Tom Hanks was the girl-meets-celebrity-and-they-fall-madly-in-love story, Not Like the Movies takes more of a girl-and-boy-fight-against-love approach. Everyone, from the customers at the coffee shop to their closest friends are all but shouting at Chloe and Nick to get together, that it’s obvious they’re in love and meant to be. Chloe, though? She doesn’t do ‘meant to be.’ Marriage is not in her future. While she might secretly admit she’s attracted to Nick, she barely has time for herself let alone a committed relationship with feelings. And if that means she’s stuck with casual hook-ups at Mikey Danger’s pizza box-littered place, well then so be it.

When Chloe isn’t resisting her feelings for Nick, she’s facing family issues. A large part of the novel is spent at her dad’s care facility and these scenes were hard. Moments where he was convinced a nurse stole his watch only for it to later be found at the back of the fridge were tough, but the scenes were he had a stretch of clarity were heartbreaking. He knew what was happening and that inner struggle was so hard to read. Chloe’s brother didn’t make those scenes any easier; he shows back up with his boyfriend and expects everything to be hunky dory. Chloe was the one taking care of their dad, footing the medical bills when she could no longer keep him at home. The one time she does ask for help, for a night off, he falls asleep and their dad ends up in the hospital. This entire plot was hard to swallow and I could have easily done without it.

While Not Like the Movies is lacking in ’90s rom-coms, it does have desserts. Holy cow does it have desserts. And cheesy ’80s bops. And classic sitcoms. I would absolutely hang out with Chloe at her place and watch Welcome Back, Kotter while demolishing an array of scones and pie all day long.

Not Like the Movies is sure to please readers of Waiting for Tom Hanks who have been itching for more. Favorite characters from the first book return for the sequel and it has that same quirky charm. Since finishing I have been jamming out to all the ’80s pop playlists and if the temperature wasn’t currently hovering in the mid-90s, I would be baking up a storm.

Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey ⁣

I loved Waiting For Tom Hanks so it’s no secret I needed to read this book as well. When Chloe's best friend writes a movie script inspired by Chloe and her boss, the buzz for the movie grows. Chloe reads one too many lists about why Nick is the perfect man for her. But unlike the romance Annie has written for them, Chloe isn’t so sure her own story will end in a happily-ever-after. ⁣⁣
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I really liked the character development. Chloe’s character was my personal favorite. As a caregiver to my father myself- I related to her character in caring for her father with an early onset of Alzheimer’s. Balancing a hectic working life leaves very little room for romance. But that is soon about to change!
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If you’re in the mood for a story that features romance, family drama, and friendship, this is your book. Oh This book will make the perfect summer read!

I loved Waiting for Tom Hanks and have been not-so-patiently waiting for Not Like the Movies since last summer. Let me tell you.... it was SO worth the wait! In the first novel, I loved Chloe, Annie's quirky friend, and Nick, Chloe's gruff boss at the coffee shop. Now, Annie's movie, that was based on her observations of Nick and Chloe, is a reality, one Chloe isn't sure she appreciates. I've read several reviews that point out this novel has serious New Girl/Gilmore Girl vibes and they are not wrong and it is amazing. As a fan of both of those shows, this book really does feel like a modern mash-up of those shows, but in the best possible way. I couldn't put this one down and can't wait to read it again. I'm a Kerry Winfrey fan for life!

Chloe Sanderson has seen her share of abandonment and is a woman who faces challenges head on. She has been the caretaker and glue of her family since the tender age of 10. 18 years later, she's still the caretaker, but now her father is in a memory care center and grappling with Alzheimer disease, her twin brother is MIA and needs to 'grow up,' and her BFF's career has taken off and taken her away. But Chloe persists. She compartmentalizes and she believes her worth comes from her ability to be EVERYONES caretaker and to hold it all together. But there is someone in her life that she counts on but can't quite figure out: Her boss, Nick. He's a full fledged "Adult" and is quite the opposite of Chloe's vibrant, verbal, cheerful personality. He's reserved, serious, and private. So will these opposites attract?
Kerry Winfrey takes on the issues of abandonment, stress, and fear and weaves it into a rom-com saturated story line to remind us that life isn't 'like the movies,' but maybe we DO get to have a happy ending if we can just recognize the good in front of us and grab it.

I really enjoyed Not Like The Movies. Chloe and Nick were both great characters. The stress Chloe was under and that she puts on her self was really relatable. It was a lovely story and I very much appreciated the nuances of Chloe especially. She tries so hard to be positive and cheerful and life keeps throwing stresses at her.

But there’s still a part of me that feels like I’m stuck here, sinking in quicksand while everyone else moves on.

Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey, Chapter Six
As readers, you were rooting for her and Nick to end up together since Waiting for Tom Hanks. I will say, I think it’s important to read Waiting for Tom Hanks first. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself disliking Annie for writing a movie about her best friend and not taking into consideration how that would affect Chloe.

I really did love Nick for Chloe. The chemistry between them is burning and a couple of times, they hit the “we want to but we shouldn’t” moments. Nick wants to help and support Chloe but he needs to be more than just the person she turns to out of desperation. They are a great couple once they work through their issues.

In a low voice, Nick says, “You know I’m not another person you have to take care of, Chloe.”

Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey, Chapter Nine
That’s why I believe in bright colors, and cute hairdos, and elaborate baked goods, and cheerful music. Because it all counts. In a world that’s often hard and cruel, the tiny bits of warmth and kindness matter, too.

Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey, Chapter Nine
Especially in this social distancing world were everything is upside down, I liked the emphasis on the simple things that can bring joy and make people smile in this book.

This book made me cry… in a good way.

Let’s back up for a second. Outside of the crying I experienced a lot of emotions reading this story. From laughing out loud, frustration, anger, empathy, and the end involved some tears. This book was unexpected and caught me a bit off guard, more on that in the bit.

Cue quick recap!

Chloe Sanderson doesn’t believe in love… at least not the soul mates, together forever kind of thing. So when her best friend wrote a movie script (turned movie) inspired by Chloe and her boss, Nick it suddenly has her thinking about him in a way she never imagined.

A couple extra things to note. This book is all the heroine’s point of view, no hero thoughts interfering. I kind of missing having the dual points of view, but Chloe is such a loud personality that it works. This book directly relates to the first in the series, Waiting For Tom Hanks. While this can stand alone, after my read I realized I would not have enjoyed it nearly as much if I hadn’t read the first book. There are multiple secondary characters featured in book one that appear again in book two and become more endearing as the story goes on.

Now to the meat!

Chloe is super relatable, in ways that made me connect with her enough that some of her dialogue got me crying. Real tears! And, I don’t cry when reading romance novels. Even the sappiest of ones. I think I’ve shed water over maybe two other books in my entire time of reading. Part of the connection is Chloe’s personality as well as the personal events in her life. Comparing my life to hers I see lots of parallels that made it easy for me to absorb and become personally invested in her happily ever after. Those kind of books don’t ever leave you, and this one will stick with me for a while.

The emotions surround Chloe having a rough childhood and now her father has (small spoiler) Alzheimer’s. If this is a sensitive subject for you, as it is for me, then you may find yourself crying a bit. There are also events that have Chloe dealing with a frustrating brother, helping with a wedding, and basically trying to be a one-woman army; all these things ring too true to me as well. The humor is evident in every chapter that Winfrey has an affinity for rom-coms. Like in this scene where Chloe finds herself having to share a room (ooh, one bed), with our hero Nick.

This is one of Annie’s absolute favorite romantic comedy tropes: when two people are forced to share the same bed (or sleeping bag, or whatever). Usually it’s people who hate each other but have sexual tension simmering beneath the surface of their anger….

“Does your shirt say Pizza Slut?” he asks, standing up and stretching, his shirt riding up to show more lower abdomen than I’m comfortable with. He has a lot of body hair, but I guess if loving a thick carpet of man fuzz is wrong, then I don’t want to be right.

Oh, and if the humor doesn’t get you it’s the constant mention of rom-com’s themselves. Annie is Chloe’s best friend, and Annie has done a good job of making sure Chloe is educated about tropes, and grand gestures. The whole shebang. Then toss in a hefty dose of hilarious dialogue.

Like this gem from one of Chloe’s other friends when Chloe tells all about her recent bed sharing trip and then Nick does some other super sweet stuff (that I can’t go into detail about *winks*).

“Ohhhh,” Tracey says, taking a slow sip of her tea. “I see what’s going on here.”

“What?” I ask, sitting up straight in bed. “What do you think is happening?”

She shakes her head. “You’ve purchased yourself a one-way ticket to bonetown, girl, and your scheduled departure is any day now.

It was nearly two am when I read this and I’m almost woke the house laughing, could have been sleep deprivation induced, but also, I love how hard Chloe tries to fight this thing between her and Nick. Even when Nick gave up fighting a long time again. I said what I said.

Why is this not a five? Because there were a couple of hiccups for me. Including our heroine making out with some random dude about fifteen percent of the way through, nothing happened, but I’m a stickler.

It’s a wrap!

If you are a sucker who loves movies like You’ve Got Mail or Music or Bridget Jones’ Dairy, Not Like The Movies is worth a read. Be ready with some tissues, a snack, and a beverage because this will easily suck you in reading past your bedtime. I will probably read this one again to tug at the heart strings.

~ Landra

Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey, 320 pages

Nearing her 30th birthday, Chloe is working at a neighborhood coffee shop, taking night classes, living in the apartment over her best friend's uncle's garage, and dealing with the day-to-day care of her father, who's in the early stages of Alzheimer's. In other words, she has a lot on her plate, even without helping her best friend prepare for her wedding next month or dealing with the rom-com movie that's coming out that her best friend wrote about Chloe and her boss Nick. But Chloe is determined that she can do it all, without help or sleep. Sure thing, the cracks start showing as she attempts to juggle it all and fend off a relationship with Nick, despite the fact that there are some SERIOUS sparks flying there.

It's honestly great to read a romance novel about an anxiety-ridden worrier, especially where not everything's fixed by love at the end. And there's definitely a Gilmore Girls Luke-and-Lorelai (but with Sookie's baking skills) feel to the whole book that appealed to me too. But for a book titled Not Like the Movies, it sure is a romantic comedy in book form, which is definitely not a bad thing.