This follow up to the uber-popular, super swoony "Better Than the Movies" fast forwards us two years ahead at UCLA. Life wasn't exactly a happily ever after story for Liz and Wes, but Wes is up to bat to make us fall in love with them all over again. For those fangirls of Wes Bennett be prepared: he is a little beat up and rough around the edges. He's got some growing up to do. And all this time Liz has definitely been growing and changing the last two years. So will they get together or won't they? It's ROMANCE for god's sake, so of course they do. How painful will it be for the reader? I'd give it a 2.5 on a 5 point pain scale. There are many things that Painter does well in this book, but I do wish the ending wasn't so much of a cliff jump - there is high drama and then a swift resolution. I wanted to see those deep questions liz was grappling with resolved more between her and Wes. Such a missed opportunity to showcase growth for both characters and set a good example for readers to expect that from their partners. That is where the maturity lies.
For those worried if this YA book ventures in New Adult territory (i'm talking about sex scenes, guys), do not fear. You can put this in your {censored} school library because there isn't anything more descriptive than kissing. There is mention of closeness and very non-descript past hotel stay from their road trip to UCLA after high school, but unless you want to read something into it, the innocence can stay intact for the reader.
Thanks so much for the much anticipated ARC!

"Locked in" that was my 14 year old step daughters response when I asked her if she liked Nothing Like the Movies. She spent last week reading it and loved how Painter handled the relationship. Looks like Painter has another blockbuster on her hands!

I usually love Lynn and the stories she creates. However, this sequel to our beloved Liz and Wes was not necessary. The characters felt very out of touch with their past selves. Everyone was obnoxiously edgy and too different that it felt like completely new characters. The story read like fanfic. A bunch of one liners that seemed more for social media quote reels than for a lasting impact. I’m super bummed because I adored the easiness and comfort of the first book! This one just felt too forced.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I love Lynn Painter! Go to www.SimonTeen.com for short stories from this series.

Expected publication September 24, 2024

Nothing Like The Movies is the sequel to Better Than The Movies and it doesn't disappoint. Wes and Liz are about to start their lives at UCLA but a tragic event results in Wes leaving and moving back home. These two love birds try to make long distance work but Wes ends the relationship. They are both broken hearted.

Liz's sadness can be felt pouring out of the pages. You feel her grief and confusion regarding the ending of their relationship. Time passes and Liz undergoes a variety of changes. Liz is finally in a happier place when Wes comes back into her life and attempts to win her back but it's going to be a lot harder than he bargained for.

The story is told in POV and as the story unravels your heart breaks for both Wes and Liz. Supporting characters add a lot to this book making the story realistic. You feel as though you are in the midst of your friends life. I enjoyed revisiting these two characters because I felt their story wasn't over. Painter has written another out of the ballpark book!

** I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wes Bennet met the love of his life, going to a good school, and playing a sport he loves the most. Until tragedy strikes and he loses everything. After two years of self-exploration, Wes decides it’s time to reconnect the things he lost, including Liz Buxbaum. He is ready to be the hero to their romantic comedy movie, that is until he realizes that Liz has moved on.

Liz Buxbaum is at the height of her junior year in college. She got offered a great opportunity to intern for a notable producer and has great friends. Everything appears to be falling into place for Liz, until Wes Bennett re-enters her life. The boy next door who was the love of her life, but everything changed two years ago where he left her heartbroken.

Liz dreads the moment when Wes and her must work together to complete a film project that could help her career. While Wes now has the opportunity to perform his climatic hero moment and win Liz’s back.. Will they be able to have that romantic comedy ending? Lynn Painter combines the love of the second chance romance with the movie soundtrack that brings the reader into Wes and Liz’s movie story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

BTTM is one of my favorite YA books of all time and it is still SO popular in my classroom, so of course I was thrilled to read the sequel! Is this book different? Yes, of course. Is it a great story? Also yes. Nothing Like the Movies is not as light-hearted as its predecessor, but I enjoyed watching Wes and Liz's growth as they navigated challenges. I think the more emotional and heavy feel of this book will appeal to teen readers who want a little more heft in their romances. As an educator, one thing I really appreciated about this book was that even though Wes and Liz are a couple years into college, there is nothing in the book that would give a high teacher pause when putting it in their classroom. BTTM is so popular with high school students and I'm glad that they will get to continue following Wes and Liz's story without issue (given the state of books/education right now).

Nothing Like The Movies
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks so much to @simonteen for the free eARC!

Okay, listen, I totally get the appeal of this. I see why many readers will love it, however, this fell incredibly flat for me.
Not every popular book needs a sequel!!! This is an example of that.
You have this couple who was perfectly happy in the first book, so why are we putting them through heartache in the second book? Let’s leave them alone and keep it as a stand-alone story. The first book is so iconic, and their relationship journey was so nice with the ending it originally received.
This is a college romance! It’s been so long since I’ve read one of these, so that was nice. When I think back on this book I realize how low-stakes it was. If I’m being honest, not a ton happened in this story.
Wes was so freaking sweet the entire time but… Liz was ridiculously stubborn. I thought how much he loved her was adorable, but I wish more things would have happened plot-wise in this story. Yes, of course, we got a happily ever after, but this was not necessary.
If you like books with pop culture references, then you are going to eat this up. There are tons of song and movie references throughout and there’s a playlist included at the end.
If you haven't read Better Than The Movies yet, do it now! This book is the sequel and it will be available on October 1st!

Read If You Like:
🍿college romance
🍿second chance romance
🍿baseball player MMC
🍿rom-coms
🍿lots of song and movie references

It is a story with the miscommunication/lack of communication trope, and I can't handle that one. I also realized I just don't like her writing style. Still a decent story and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to my students or have in my classroom.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for providing this audiobook advanced copy for review!

Just like the first book, Better Than the Movies, I really liked the characters, Wes and Liz, and their banter. There is a good mix of fun and lightness, balanced with moments of real emotion and heart. However, this book does suffer from a classic sequel problem. I liked where Better Than the Movies left these characters and their story. The very existence of the sequel novel means that the characters are thrust back into conflict and emotional turmoil. But I enjoyed the ride that Nothing Like the Movies took me on, so I did forgive it in the end.

Overall still a very fun read. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of Lynn Painter’s YA romcom novels and I’m excited for whatever she writes next.

I had so much fun reading ‘Better than the Movies’ a few years ago, so when I saw there was a sequel, I was thrilled. I couldn’t wait to see Liz and Wes in college and watch their love grow. This definitely wasn’t as light and fun as the first, though it did have many light and entertaining moments.

It’s Liz’s third year at UCLA and she and Wes haven’t seen each other in two years. Yes, you read that right. Wes went home after a tragedy in his family and ended things. Now he is back playing as a freshman on the baseball team and Liz’s internship takes her right there… covering the baseball team.

I loved watching Wes try to win Liz over and seeing them change and grow. This book hit me in my feels more than once but it also made me laugh and smile. If you haven’t read a Lynn Painter book before, what are you waiting for? I adore them!

Lynn Painter does it again and creates such a nostalgic, heart wrenching and heart warming story with one of my favorite fictional couples. I remember reading Better Than the Movies right when it came out, finding it randomly on the shelf at the bookstore and reading it all in one sitting. Nothing Like the Movies is its sequel, following Wes and Liz in their college years. Wes had tragedy struck and he dropped out of UCLA, breaking up with Liz, and trying to heal from his grief. Flash forward about a year later and Wes is determined to fix his life, go back to UCLA on their baseball team and most importantly, get Liz back. In an effort to win Liz back, Liz wants nothing to do with Wes after he broke her heart and is battling those feelings.

Wes and Liz are just so incredibly lovable and I love them as character separately and together. Lynn Painter does a fantastic job of displaying grief and the effort to fix things that are broken. I will say, one thing that bugged me was the way Liz was reacting to Wes some of the time. It felt like she was forcing the problems and not forgiving him, which didn’t necessarily feel like her character. I understand, she was hurt and protecting herself, but it felt like she was being used for conflict to make the book longer.

Overall, these characters will stay in my heart for a long time and I will definitely be rereading when in comes out in October of this year!

i can’t believe i got to read this book so early, I am so happy about it! I truly enjoyed this book, and I had my doubts because, in my opinion, "Better Than The Movies" didn’t need a sequel, But I was truly positively surprised!

If it weren’t for the reading slump that hit me in the middle of reading this, I probably would’ve rated it five stars. The first book will always have a special place in my heart and i don’t think anything can ever live up to it.

I love Liz & Wes so much it physically pains me, I could read ten more books about them and not get bored. Wes Bennett is the best book-boyfriend ever and Lynn Painter still remains the queen of ya-romances!

Can’t wait for everyone to read this once it comes out!

Was this sequel necessary? Not really. Was it perfect? I mean…nothing is. Did I have a good time? Heck yeah!

Might be generous with 3 stars🫣 I loved the first book, but this felt so predictable and immature to me. It was super PG (which is fine), but I really wasn’t buying how Wes and Liz broke up after what happened to his dad. Honestly it was all pretty dumb. I would say sleep on this one, but definitely read Better Than the Movies (book 1)!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

In the grand scheme of things, I found this book to be highly unnecessary. You can just tell it was a cash grab book, and I never thought Lynn Painter would go that far but here we are.

I loved Better Than The Movies, and even then, I never saw a sequel in its future. Nonetheless, I was kind of excited for Nothing like the Movies despite reviews. Boy was I in for a rude awakening

The amount of music artists references in this book annoyed me to my core. They don’t add anything to the scene or the story, so the amount of time spent on songs was a waste of time.

The characters felt so off and were written inorganic. The POV’s - Wes and Liz’s - and the characterization were so forced and unnatural. The aspects I loved so much from the first book were completely gone in the sequel, and all of it was just unnecessary drama for the sake of drama. I understand people can change in the span of two years, I get that. However, Liz and Wes were completely different characters - their personalities were so different in comparison to the first book. They should at least have some traits from their youth but they read as newly introduced characters.

I didn’t have a good experience reading this book, and I’m disappointed in the direction Painter took this book in. It could’ve been so well written, but the execution was incredibly lacking.

Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter • ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read: 8/15-8/24 2024

✨ ARC Review ✨

Thank you so much Simon Teen for this NetGalley ARC!!

NLTM is the sequel to Better Than the Movies and it is AMAZING!!! I was so excited when I saw that my ARC request was accepted!

This is a second chance rom-com with banter, dual POV, pining, forced proximity, and fake dating. Plus, we get cameos from Emilie & Nick (The Do-Over) and Bailey & Charlie (Betting On You)!!

Little summary breakdown:
- Liz and Wes are in college now, and they have both matured and grown A LOT in the past 2 YEARS
- Little Liz is gone
- Wes is a simp
- Learn some baseball terminology
- Prepare to have your heart break for Wes
- Cry

This book put me on a rollercoaster of emotions and I loved every second of it. If you loved BTTM, read this. If you’ve read anything by Lynn Painter, love YA books, love romance books, and/or if you’re like me and hate straight up romance movies, but decide to try out a romance book just to see how the genre in the book world is, READ BOTH BTTM and NLTM. BTTM was my first romance book and I fell down the rabbit hole.

Thank you Lynn Painter for continuing Wes and Liz’s story ❤️ I can’t wait to read your next YA novel

Releases October 1, 2024
I can’t wait to get my hands on a hardcover copy, preorder ASAP - Amazon Pre-Order link: https://a.co/d/euIxzhy

I am not sure if this is a good or bad thing, but I do not have anything to say about this novel. It is cute. The pacing is slow. LOVE the movie quotes at the beginning of each chapter. Some of them are not from popular movies, which I appreciate. I loved reading the unfamiliar ones. Wes is desperate. Liz is whiny. They were not everything I remember them being in the first book. Wes is drooling and chasing after Liz the whole book. Not really romantic...still an okay read.

Honestly, I was expecting something a somewhat more uplifting, since the 1st book was so lovely. Nothing Like the Movies lived up to its title though - a bit depressing.

When I saw this available on NetGalley, I was so excited!!! I loved Better than the Movies and was so eager to read this when I heard Painter would be continuing their love story! Just like the first novel, I devoured this in just one sitting! Yes, this book is Young Adult, but I would still recommend these two for new adults and adults - this story is for everyone! I will be auto-buying anything Painter writes in the future and patiently awaiting the release of more chapters from Wes' perspective. There's something that feels familiar and comfortable in her writing - almost like re-watching your favorite rom-com (wink wink hehe). Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads RTC closer to pub date.