This book took me a minute to get into, which very likely could be because I was in the trenches with school and kept having to take such long breaks in between reading, but I read the second half of the book on the plane and it was so cute!

They both had so much to work through and it was so fun seeing them living out their dreams and all grown up.

Poor Wes was going through it. He didn’t deserve all of that :(

I was so scared when I heard that this one would be a second chance romance but it wasn’t for any of the reasons that I was expecting. There were definitely some miscommunication and frustrations though, so if that is going to make you hate a book, I might just stick with the first one.

I also loved all of the friends and seeing some of the characters from the first book.

I did like the first book more but this one was still really cute and I’m glad that I read it and got a little glimpse into their future.

Tropes:
- second chance romance
- college romance
- baseball
- miscommunication
- forced proximity
- dual pov
- first person

I think this book will circulate well in libraries. A 14 year old student recommended the first book to me last year. This sequel will not disappoint fans of the first book. Sure they will not love that they broke up, but they’ll enjoy the journey if the story. The split narration was well done and consistent with tones and the first book. The addition of more friends and teammates were well done. The author did well, and I’m sure readers will want a third Wes and Liz book.

I truly love anything that Lynn Painter writes. This was a fantastic sequel and continuation of the story. Whenever I need a light, feel good, rom com, I can always turn to Lynn Painter!

Better Than the Movies is one of my all time favorite YA romances so I was beyond excited for the sequel. Wes and Liz are back after a devastating break up and some pretty major life events. Wes is determined to make Liz fall in love again but their break up left her cold hearted and closed off to love.
For some bonus fun I reread Better Than the Movies first so I could remind myself of Wes and Liz’s history and I still adored it just as much as I remembered. If you haven’t read that one yet, what are you waiting for. Stop reading this review and grab a copy.
Okay now that we’ve gotten that out of the way. Anyone who loves rom coms and grand gestures will adore this second chance romance. Lynn Painter is the queen of witty banter laugh out loud moments. Wes and Liz are truly relationship goals. It’s always a bit nerve wracking to read the sequel to a favorite book but this one exceeded my expectations. The character growth from book 1 to the end of book 2 was incredible and so realistic. They both went through so much and to see where they ended up honestly made me tear up a few times. This book was everything and the cherry on top was the rom com movie quotes at the beginning of each chapter. I loved this.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children’s and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Lynn Painter continues to be a highly enjoyable author to submerge into. I really enjoyed the first book that I read by her, "The Do Over", and this was just as fun.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for an advanced copy of Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter.

This is a sequel to Better Than the Movies with Wes and Liz. We fast forward and due to life circumstances they broke up and while Wes knew he broke Liz's heart. But Wes is now back and determined to make Liz fall in love with him again, using rom-com worthy gestures that he knows she loves.

This was cute and a great listen -- thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for the audiobook. I loved the quotes from favorite rom-coms at the beginning of each chapter.

You really need to read Better Than the Movies first -- not sure I needed a sequel though.

2.75 ⭐️ it took me agessss to finish this book. i can’t pinpoint what i didn’t love about it, maybe the immature college setting, excessive swearing, the use of the word God maybe 100x, the pacing, or what. I did enjoy the last ~20% of the book but the 80% leading up to it just wasn’t worth it. I would’ve loved to see them together longer than the last 2% of the book and felt everything could’ve been avoided with a simple conversation. I understand why everything happened but with the love we left off with in the first book I would’ve expected them to handle things differently in this book. I still enjoy Lynn Painters writing but I think this specific book was not for me.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this as much as I thought I would. Probably because better than the movies is literal perfection and nothing can top it. I had very high expectations for this book, so maybe that’s also why 🤣

*Nothing Like the Movies* is an amazing sequel! It was so much fun to see all the characters back again and to watch how they’ve grown since the first book. The way they interact feels real and keeps things exciting—there’s humor, drama, and lots of moments that made me smile.

The story has a great mix of funny and heartfelt scenes, with a few surprises that kept me reading nonstop. If you liked the first book, you’ll love this one. It has everything that made the first story great, and I was so excited read and find out what was next for the characters. Definitely a 5-star read!

A book about writing books? Sign me up. This book was swoony, a little spicy, and was all wrapped up in the perfect happy ending. I loved the journey that Aspen found herself taking as she went to the Outer Banks, making new friends and discovering why she was working so hard to achieve a best seller status. This one is heartwarming and hilarious worth picking up for sure!

Lynn Painter proves lightning can strike twice in "Nothing Like the Movies," a sequel that defies the usual pitfalls of revisiting beloved characters. This time, we follow Wes and Liz into their college years, where Painter masterfully navigates the delicate balance between nostalgia and growth.

What sets this book apart is how authentically it captures the bittersweet nature of growing up. While some authors struggle to age their characters convincingly, Painter transforms her protagonists from the sweetly earnest high schoolers we knew into more complex college students, complete with the added layers that come with increased independence and life experience.

The second-chance romance framework provides a perfect vehicle for exploring how relationships evolve when people do. Painter's signature wit remains sharp as ever, but it's tempered with moments of genuine emotional depth that reflect the characters' maturity. The pacing keeps readers invested without unnecessarily prolonging the central conflict, a refreshing choice that shows respect for both the characters and the audience.

For fans of the original story, returning to these characters might initially feel like a risk—after all, we left them in such a perfect place. However, Painter justifies the return journey by showing us new facets of these familiar faces. Even readers new to these characters will find plenty to love, though the full emotional impact definitely hits harder for those who've followed their story from the beginning.

While the college setting creates a slightly different tone from its predecessor, the heart of what makes a Lynn Painter romance work remains intact: genuine characters, snappy dialogue, and moments that make you both laugh and feel deeply. This book cements Painter's ability to craft stories that resonate across different stages of life while maintaining their authentic charm.

Whether you're a returning fan or new to Painter's work, "Nothing Like the Movies" offers a compelling reminder that sometimes the best stories don't end with happily ever after—they show us what happens next.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for sharing a digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

While I was not emotionally ready for the rollercoaster of feelings I went through while reading NOTHING LIKE THE MOVIES, I would do it all again for the pleasure of immersing myself in Lynn Painter's writing. One of the best YA authors out there!

4⭐️

I was kindly provided with the ARC of this book by NetGalley and the editors in exchange of an honest review, thank you ✨

Ahhh, this was one of my most anticipated books of the year! I first read Lynn Painter last year with Better than the movies and u was obsessed, so obviously when I knew that we would getting a sequel I was dying!!! But then I saw it was a SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE and dear God if I wasn't nervous because Liz and Wes are my babies.

This books was really good, I totally liked the plot and also hurt me to see Wes navigating though a lot in his life and Liz also being heartbroken, I was living for Wes gaining her back and how they met all over again. This books was q good surprise 💜

Painter returns to her beloved Wes and Liz with the force of a seasoned writer and all the feels one could hope for. This is by far one of the best second chance YA romances I've ever read and a warm, cozy delight from page one. An instant classic sequel to one of the best YA romances on the market.

After reading so many novellas from Wes' POV, I really enjoyed getting so much of it in this book. This whole book felt like a third act breakup. After the perfection of the first book, it wasn't neededa, but it was fun to be back with two of my favorite book couples

Nothing Like the Movies was an excellent sequel to Better Than the Movies. At first I was heartbroken to read that Will and Liz were not living their "happily ever after" in LA together, but this redemption story certainly made up for that. Will processing his grief over his father's death and the death of his dreams was very realistic and endeared him all the more. Liz, no longer being the "love lover" that she was in the first one because of her breakup with Will was presented in a believable way. I loved the side characters and the roles that they played in this novel as well. I would absolutely add it to my library, but the strong language throughout will keep me from being able to add it at my middle school library. I do think that high school students and beyond would really enjoy this book.

I love Lynn Painter's YA novels. Painter is great at capturing the real, intense feelings of young adult romance and angst. Nothing Like the Movies is a solid addition to her books. This novel revisits Wes and Liz, the main characters from Painter's Better than the Movies. In Better than the Movies, we left Wes and Liz in a good place, in love and heading to the same college. When we find them in Nothing Like the Movies, things have changed drastically. Tragic life events pulled Wes and Liz apart. Now, years later, Wes is back in college and Liz is beginning to prepare for her future career. Wes wants to win Liz back, but is it too late? In typical Lynn Painter fashion, Nothing Like the Movies is full of relatable humor and heart, with great angsty moments thrown in. I really enjoyed this sequel.

The highly anticipated sequel to Better Than the Movies is here, though I was thrown off at first—wait, they broke up?!

Nothing Like the Movies feels like a different book, with a more mature tone and heavier themes. I was so used to the cute, lighthearted Wes-and-Liz dynamic, so seeing them as older characters dealing with real-life issues was refreshing. Wes’s struggles with loss felt incredibly realistic, and my heart broke for them both. Liz’s character development was also impressive, especially since I found her indecisive in the first book.

As expected, the book is packed with rom-com and pop-culture references, including some Taylor Swift-coded lines that are spot-on.

Getting both Liz and Wes’s POVs added so much depth to their story, showing what each was going through. I loved how the story explores self-discovery and the complexities of romance, all while nodding to classic movie tropes. As a movie lover, I appreciated how those cinematic moments shaped their views on love. I just wish the miscommunication hadn’t driven the entire plot, but I get why they acted as they did.

I recently read Better Than the Movies and fell in love with Wes and Liz. I was so happy to see we got another book about them! I will admit this book is a rollercoaster ride!

The story picks up months after the first book and we learn that Wes had to deal with a family tragedy. He quits college and travels back home to handle his loss. During this time he decides to break up with Liz. Liz couldn’t understand why they could not do long distance.

A couple of years later, Wes returns to college and returns to playing baseball. He hasn’t spoken to Liz since the break up, but he is still in love with her and determined to get her back.

This book will give you all the feels especially seeing what both characters go through but it definitely has some laugh out loud moments. I love that Wes doesn’t give up on trying to win Liz over. They easily became one of my favorite book couples.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Okay so although I didn’t love this one as much as the first book, I really did enjoy this one. The miscommunication and pain from the first half was so heartbreaking for me, I was just wanting to shake my babies! I would have LOVED these books as a 16/17 yo girl, I wish they were around when I was in high school. I still had a great time reading as an adult hehe

You'd enjoy this book if you like:
-Second Chance Romance
-Sports Romance
-Forced Proximity
-Dual POV

Thank you Lynn Painter and NG, for the arc!!!