Ouch! After falling in love with Wes and Liz in Better Than the Movies, it was painful to see them broken up and heartbroken two years after their freshman year. Despite the grief and heartbreak that makes Nothing Like the Movies more serious than its predecessor, Wes and Liz's love and humor shine through. Second chance romances sometimes run the risk of alienating one partner or both through choices that are hard to forgive, but I found myself sympathetic to both Wes and Liz, who never stopped loving each other. This book was everything I wanted.

2.5/5 Stars

Short summary:
This story is a continuation of the Liz and Wes love story that we all fell in love with in the appropriately hyped Better Than The Movies book. Liz and Wes are both off to collage and are starting off in this story broken up and with lots of baggage to go along with it.

My thoughts:
Sadly, I can’t say I loved this one like I did the first.
I know it may be an unpopular opinion but sadly I just didn’t think this beautiful story needed a sequel. I feel it tainted the sweetness and innocence that was Wes and Liz’s beautiful story. While I know real life happens and this is realistic, I feel it truly took away from both of their personalities and what we fell in love with about them. Liz isn’t who we all knew and loved anymore, and quite frankly she got on my nerves. There is so much miscommunication (my least favorite trope), and there is so much stubbornness in this that drove me nuts. I’m still a Lynn Painter fan but sadly this story just didn’t need a follow up.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Nothing Like the Movies was a satisfying sequel! Although I was sad that Wes and Liz were no longer together, I liked what Painter did with this book. In the first book, Better than the Movies, readers were only privy to Liz's POV. In this book, Wes has his own POV chapters. Wes's chapters added such a fun and emotional layer to the story. I felt like I knew his character way better this time! Painter did an incredible job with his character, especially the circumstances with his family. I felt like Liz's chapters weren't as strong this time around. After dealing with the fallout with Wes, Liz was understandably guarded. I felt like Liz's usual charm was missing. I liked watching her come out of her shell towards the end of the book. The book really picked up at the last 30% with Liz and Wes. Their chemistry was just as adorable to read this time around. The Batman and Batgirl chapter was my favorite! Like usual, Painter added in fun and comedic bits. The balcony and Homies scenes had me laughing out loud. I liked all of the side characters, especially Sarah! I hope Painter creates a Sarah book. She was a hoot! Overall, this was a charming and fun read. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for the ARC.

LYNN PAINTER DO YOU WANT TO PAY FOR MY THERAPY? Nothing Like The Movies broke my little LizWes heart into teeny tiny pieces and stitched it back together. Sometimes you see yourself in a character and it was like I was looking through Wes’ eyes. Being a 20 year old college freshman is hard (I assume I don’t know yet… I will next fall though) and trying to pick your life back up after it fell apart is so hard. Wes’ characterization was incredible and his determination was something to be in awe of. Is it weird to say i’m proud of people that are fictional? Nothing Like The Movies is an incredible final ribbon on top of the gift that is LizWes.

💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
Lynn Painter has quickly become an auto read author for me. She knows how to get me to feel all the feels so early on and holds me captive until I finish the book. This was such a highly anticipated read for me. “Better Than The Movies” was one of my favorite romcoms I read last year because the story of Wes and Liz stuck with me. If you loved that book then you will definitely not be disappointed by this sequel. This book had so much heart and humor while also tackling the difficult topic of recovering from grief and dealing with the loss of a loved one. All the characters in this book were so perfect and the friendships took me straight back to my own college days. I loved that this story took place mostly at UCLA because it’s so close to where I live. And I’ll be honest…this was a five star book for me at that first mention of Noah Kahan and his music. I just loved it so much!

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
💕Second chance romance
🏫College romance
💡Self-discovery
🥰Swoon worthy
🗣️Witty banter
🚪Closed door
⚾️Baseball
🍿Pop-culture references
📖Sequel
✌🏽Dual POV

⚠️ 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: mentioned death of a parent.

⚾️𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾 ⚾️
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

💕Q U O T E: “𝐵𝑒𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒽𝒶𝓈 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝓂𝓎 𝑒𝓍𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑒, 𝐼 𝓈𝓌𝑒𝒶𝓇 𝓉𝑜 𝒢𝑜𝒹, 𝓈𝑜 𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝒷𝑒𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓂𝒶𝓀𝑒𝓈 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓆𝓊𝒾𝑒𝓉𝑒𝓇, 𝒹𝒾𝓂𝓂𝑒𝓇, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒹𝓊𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓇. 𝒮𝑜. 𝑀𝓊𝒸𝒽. 𝒮𝓂𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓇. 𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝐼 𝒻𝓊𝒸𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒽𝒶𝓉𝑒 𝒾𝓉."

🙏 Thank you NetGalley, Simon and Schuster / simonteen, and Lynn Painter for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. 💕

I absolutely adored the first book and was stoked for the second. This book was cute but didn't leave me with the gut-wrenching feelings the first did.

I love Wes. I think he is an amazing character, and I want to just give him a hug and shake Liz into realizing what is right in front of her. Liz is so guarded this go round, which makes sense, but her grudge just doesn't loosen up until the waay end.

Also, shout out to Michael for being a great recurring character ... and Helena. She was always a favorite.

Overall, highly recommend.

Well hello, Lynn Painter can do no wrong!!! I absolutely adored being back with Wes and Liz in this beautiful abs banter filled Second Chance romance. Easily 5 stars

I loved this sequel to Lynn Painter’s Better than the Movies! I also think this book could be read as a stand alone. The love story of Wes and Liz continues as we follow them to college at UCLA but not without some hurdles. Lynn Painter has given us all the elements we loved in the first book with her great music references and ultimate playlists along with all the rom com quotes.
The author wins us over with her great characters and this book is full of them! Wes’s baseball teammates and Liz’s college roommates are the best addition to this sequel all with all our favorites from the first book.
A fun must read!!

In the sequel to Better Than the Movies, Wes and Liz are now at UCLA and no longer together. Wes suffered great personal loss and was forced to leave baseball and school behind. He worked hard to get his scholarship back and now is determined to win Liz’s heart back too.

I love Lynn Painter’s writing style, and BTTM was such a well done book. I typically don’t enjoy YA books but I loved that one and this one too! I really loved the dual perspective and getting a peek inside Wes’s head. It was fun to see these beloved characters mature a bit and experience college milestones and life lessons. I felt for Wes so much, and though I don’t enjoy the miscommunication trope, I felt like I could understand how someone in pain could make the choices he did. I think fans of the first book will love this continuation of their story!

Thank you so much to Lynn Painter and Simon and Schuster for Young Readers for the arc and opportunity to read and review this book.

I absolutely loved this sequel! I loved getting to learn more about Wes and Liz's background and see their characters develop. It made me like them so much more! However, I believe that it was a bit too long and could have been cut down a bit. I really love this series and Painter's YA books for any of my teens that love romance books.

I feel like this fell into the trap of not needing a sequel. I feel if there was more of a spinoff with different characters it would have been better. This book felt very repetitive. Liz was very back and forth but it was a lot of thinking in her head rather than the plot moving forward. I still love Lynn Painters writing and always recommend her books.

I devoured atleast 90% of this book in one sitting, which speaks to just how much I love Wes and Liz. After loving bttm, I expected another solid 5-star read, and while this book had its issues, there’s still so much to adore!!

The Positives:
- Just like bttm, this book is incredibly cute, with the same heartwarming charm!! The second-chance romance trope was beautifully handled.

- The characters felt more mature this time around, and the growth was portrayed with skill and nuance.

- The new characters were meaningful additions—Wes’ friend group, and Liz's friends too. Clark has my whole btw.

- The dual POV was a brilliant choice, offering deeper insight into both Wes and Liz’s perspectives.

The Negatives:
- Despite being the same length as bttm, the book felt longer. A few sections in the middle could have been tightened up.

- There were more pop culture references than in the first book, which, at times, felt a bit overdone. I love Taylor Swift as much as the next person, but it started to feel repetitive.

- Liz’s lack of sympathy for Wes in the first half seemed out of character. While she’s supposed to be angry about the “cheating,” something about her reactions felt off. It might be intentional, reflecting the characters' growth, but it left me unsure.

- Wes’s pining was a bit overemphasized, which dulled the impact of his feelings over time.

- The lack of diversity was noticeable, especially given the college setting. It was disappointing that neither friend group had a single person of color.

Conclusion: This book isn’t perfect, but it still captures the magic of Wes and Liz’s relationship. Their love story, despite its flaws, remains endearing and I’m thrilled they got their happy ending. For fans of the first book, this is a must-read—just be prepared for a few bumps along the way.

Thank you so much Net Galley and the publishers for the ARC !!

I DON'T UNDERSTAND. HOW WAS THIS EVEN BETTER THAN THE FIRST ONE?
There are so many mixed opinions on this being a sequel, and yes, at first glance, Liz and Wes breaking up seemed like a cheap way to create conflict so there could be a second book. But I would be lying if I didn't say that I ATE THAT UP. These childlike, starry-eyed characters have become adults, and they are both going through some real life crap. Lynn Painter did an amazing job maturing her YA book characters to believable college students while still making it SO CLEAR they're meant to be together. I absolutely loved the dual POV--seeing Wes' thoughts added so much depth to the story. And the mutual pining? The will-they-won't they? Wes' thoughts when he found Liz at the costume party and the scene on the roof? The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife!

I rarely include quotes, but this one made me cry:
"Because our good moments were the crumbs that fed me for seven hundred and twenty 12:13s when I was alone." <3



Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, and Lynn Painter for the complementary digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. 💐

DNF’d @ 18%.
YA is so hit or miss for me. I felt like the set up in the beginning was so rushed & I just couldn’t get hooked at all.

I didn’t think this book needed a sequel but wow was I wrong. Going back into this world was like a cozy hug and captures your heart immediately.

Here are a few of my favorite things…
- dual pov!! Getting Wes’s perspective makes this book so much more impactful
- New friends at college made the perfect found family moments. I love their teasing and support of each other
- The music references are everything we wanted

I loved Better than the Movies and I loved Nothing like the Movies maybe even more. Seeing them a little more grown up, finding themselves then finding each other again gives them an even stronger foundation and made me love their relationship even more.

The epilogue at his baseball game is SUCH A TEASE and now I insist that we get another novella or .5 book (make sure you read Better than the Prom for Wes’s pov of prom and then Secret Spot moment!) of another moment we all need. PLEASE.

Would I recommend? Yes!!

Well, Painter does it again. The highly anticipated sequel to the YA hit Nothing Like the Movies was the warm hug I needed.

We learn that Wes had tragedy hit home and had to suddenly leave UCLA, baseball…and Liz soon after they got to LA. We return two years later, Wes is back, baby! He trained his a$$ off, got that baseball scholarship back and is ready to study civil engineering at UCLA as a Freshman.

Liz is a rising Junior. She has parlayed her encyclopedic music knowledge into an internship and job helping with social media on the baseball team. She is going to have to film Wes, daily. This isn’t the romcom, swooning girl from Omaha. Her heart was shattered, she has a bit of an edge, and everything to prove.

I stand my review of the first novel—this is YA for OLD PEOPLE. It’s laugh out loud funny, deeply tender, and just the best time. Bonus for copious Taylor Swift lyric Easter Eggs and deep Jane Austen cuts/references that I geeked out on.

And, the soundtrack. Ugggg. It’s so amazing. Run to read this one! ☝️ 🤩

Absolutely fabulous sequel! I was a bit skeptical about a sequel to a book that was already perfect to me but this one definitely surprised me. This sequel felt so realistic for such a young relationship and it made me root for these characters sooo much more! The character development I thought was very real too! It made sense got Liz and Wes to not be the exact same they were in high school! This book just became a new favorite of mine 💕

In the sequel to Better Than the Movies, no longer a couple Wes and Liz are in California attending the college of their dreams, UCLA. Wes knows he broke Liz's heart when he broke up with her, but now he's in a healthier place and determined to make her fall back in love with him.

My Grade: D
Spice Level: 1 out of 5. Just some steamy kisses.

As a huge fan of the first book, I was so excited to read this. I absolutely loved the love story of Wes and Liz, and I knew coming into this book that there was going to be some angst, but I sadly feel that this book just didn't work for me.

The personalities of Wes and Liz have changed so much that they are almost unrecognizable. I understand that experiences will have people grow and develop, but this seemed to be a bit drastic. The break up affected Liz is an extreme way, causing her to be cynical about love. Wes, dealing with the fallout of a huge family crisis, is now focused and obsessed on returning back to the way things were before. By the end, I was feeling that they should not be together, that it would have been better if they just ended up as friends.

The story is lacking in the fun romantic whimsy that enveloped the first book. I disliked the sudden fake dating/ love triangle, and the plot seemed to be bombarded with so many side characters that I couldn't tell at times who everyone was and what they brought to the development.

On a positive note, by the time the story got to approx. 70% the plot picked up a bit and moved along. I also enjoyed the banter and chemistry between Sarah and Clark, and I would love to read a spin off story between them.

On a side note, the Kanye references were extremely problematic and not appreciated.

I enjoyed going back to Wes and Liz’s world but I probably favored the first book a little more. It was an easy, enjoyable read but there almost needed to be a little more conflict to keep me invested and up the pace a bit. Overall, still a good read if you like Lynn Painter’s YA style!

As a romcom fan, I was immediately drawn into these books with the movie quotes and themes. But as the book went on I fell absolutely in love with Liz and Wes. The second chance trope always gets me, and the added childhood friends to lovers just made it that much better. I absolutely loved this sequel, another amazing read by Lynn Painter!