Lynn Painter's Nothing Like the Movies is a captivating and heartwarming sequel that perfectly captures the ups and downs of young love and the challenges of college life. As a follow-up to the bestselling Better Than the Movies, this book delivers emotional depth, humor, and all the romantic gestures that make for a feel-good read.

The story picks up with Wes and Liz navigating their freshman year at UCLA after a heartbreaking breakup. Lynn’s writing immediately draws you in, vividly portraying the unresolved tension and lingering feelings between the two characters. The heartbreak and growth they experience feel real and relatable, making their journey all the more engaging.

Wes’s determination to win Liz back is both endearing and entertaining. His rom-com-inspired attempts to rekindle their romance add a lighthearted and humorous touch to the story, while also showcasing his growth and sincerity. Liz’s strength and independence shine through as she resists Wes’s grand gestures, creating a believable and compelling dynamic between the two.

Lynn excels at balancing the romance with the realities of college life. Wes and Liz’s experiences as college students—managing classes, new friendships, and personal growth—add depth and authenticity to the story. The introduction of Liz’s new friend, who poses a potential threat to Wes, adds an extra layer of tension that keeps readers invested.

The chemistry between Wes and Liz is electric, and their interactions are filled with witty banter and heartfelt moments. Lynn’s ability to blend humor with genuine emotion ensures that the story resonates deeply, making you root for Wes and Liz every step of the way.

Nothing Like the Movies is a beautifully crafted tale of second chances and enduring love. Lynn Painter has created a sequel that not only lives up to the original but also stands strong on its own. Whether you’re a fan of the first book or new to the series, you’ll be swept away by Wes and Liz’s story. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves a good romance, plenty of humor, and a story that tugs at the heartstrings.

Lynn Painter is one of my insta-buy authors and her books never miss. That being said, I had to mark this down a star because BTTM was an almost perfect book in my opinion, and I feel like the fan-service sequel ruined the magic of the original a little bit. The extra content that's been sporadically posted was wonderful, but I feel like this ruined my memory of the first book, honestly. The pining and yearning were great. The banter was excellent. This truly would have been a perfect second chance romance, if it hadn't been based on a couple we didn't already know and love. Instead, this mostly just made me sad. Did I still devour it? Yes. Did I love having more Wes and Liz? Yes. But could I have done without this ever having been written? Absolutely.

Wow, I am pleasantly surprised with how much I loved and adored this sequel! I know some people prefer books like Better Than the Movies to be a standalone, BUT I am very happy we got a continuation of Wes & Liz’s story.

Lynn Painter perfectly captured how life can change in an instant, and what tragedy can to do a person. Was this an emotional rollercoaster? Oh absolutely… but I love when a book makes me feel ALL the feels like this. I loved how real everything was. Also having a dual POV was EVERYTHING!!!

The new friendships we get to see is so beautiful and so fun! I loved the new characters and getting to revisit with some of the original characters from the first book. The college atmosphere was also a nice change to have and experience along side our main characters.

I LOVED Wes & Liz even more in this book oh my gosh.
I was swooning so hard. I love them so very much
“I exist to exist alongside of you.”

*Thank you for this ARC!

I WAS AND AM STOKED I GOT THIS ARC. Will be preordering it for my classroom library!! This is my favorite read of the year. I know Soooo many of students will love these characters and find themselves in them and get some glimpses of what’s next for them in college.

I absolutely adored this sequel. I hate the hate it’s been getting from people because I think Lynn Painter did WesLiz justice!! It was real, raw, and relatable. It showed how we sometimes backtrack as humans but that ultimately leads to growth. It showed how life sucks sometimes and tragedy hits and you go through some dark times before finding the rainbows again. THERE IS STILL AN HEA, but we witness the reality of people going through it and finding their way back to each other.

And, tbh, I loved Liz wayyy more in this one. She’s no longer the naive delulu girl next door—she’s endured heartbreak and is finding her way through college and seeing a path for her future career. I loved seeing this side of her! Again, it’s a relatable read for such a formative time for YAs.

WESSY. My one complaint is I wish there were more Wes antics. Yes, Wes messed up. No, he did not handle things well. (He was 18 so just remember how you are/were at 18). Yes, you will forgive his transgressions (real and made up).

All that said, this was so painful to read for the first half because OMG THE HEARTACHE and the HEARTBREAK. (It was well executed and well written so much that I had secondhand anxiety).

I’ll be in a book hangover now. Thank you Lynn Painter for your humor and wit and writing sorcery.

Wow. Very rarely does a sequel leave me wanting even more. I could continue reading about Liz and Wes for their entire lives going forward. Delicate subjects handled with care. Fast paced and keeps you sucked into their new world of UCLA.

I was so excited for this but also worried because the first book is one of my favorites! But luckily it didn’t disappoint at all. Lynn Painter is just a wonderful writer that really has you falling in love with characters and she did so even more with Nothing Like the Movies. Overall, I loved this book. The chemistry between Wes and Liz is still so great and it just felt really real the struggles they had and relatable no matter your age. Loved seeing the college life and just a more mature version of them. Will be adding to my personal library as well as our library 100%!

I loved Better Than The Movies and was nervous about reading Nothing Like The Movies especially after reading that it was a second chance romance. I was worried that a favorite book couple, whose story ended beautifully in the previous book, was being broken up just for the sake of a sequel. But I was very impressed with Nothing Like The Movies. Lynn Painter manages to capture the real life confusion that comes with going to college, which as a college student I related to greatly. The confusion of trying to find the right social circles, figuring out sports, jobs, internships, majors and courses to take. All of that and campus life was captured wonderfully in a way that also tackled the crushing realities of life that come along such as family loss, relationship difficulties, and staring a new life away from places we call home for so long. Lynn Painter showed that relationships that are worth it have to withstand many tests and require a lot of work, forgiveness, and moving forward from our pasts. I feel like the dose of reality that this book served contrasted very well with the adorable rom com feel of Better Than The Movies, and gave the story of Wes & Liz more depth. The movie quotes above each chapter contributed to the mood of each chapter and added an additional emotional factor to the story overall, especially for those that understand where the quotes come from. Overall, Nothing Like The Movies was an incredible sequel that tugged at my heart strings while relating to the difficulties of college life, grief, and the ups & downs of relationships.

Lynn Painter's "Nothing Like the Movies" is a worthy sequel to the 2021 YA Romance "Better Than the Movies." "Better" left off with both main characters headed for college in LA. "Nothing" picks up two years after Wes and Liz's sweet, end of high school romance began; Liz is flourishing at UCLA and Wes is just returning after two years off due to family matters. They'd broken up, but Wes has big plans to get her back.

Overall, I loved this book. The chemistry between Wes and Liz is still top notch, and I appreciate how Painter made them older and wiser but still the endearing characters they were before. The subplots revolving around grief and futures are well grounded in reality. The side characters are quirky and great cheerleaders for the MCs. "Better Than the Movies" didn't necessarily need a sequel, but this is a lovely one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC of this book.

This book was not what I expected. Half of that is because I thought I was going to be reading a cutesy rom-com where maybe they argue and have relationship issues, but not an entire book of them being estranged for two years and Wes trying to win Liz back with gestures she doesn't see the romance in anymore. The other half of that is because the blurb on the back was completely misleading. The difference between this book taking place months after BTTM versus two years is HUGE, and definitely frustrated me.

BTTM is one of my favorite books and I love all of Lynn Painter's other YA novels, so it really frustrated me how I felt disconnected from these characters that I've loved for years and have read multiple times.

I also felt that these characters felt different. Liz, the romance lover seemed completely unattached to the rom-com quotes that started each chapter, and barely acknowledged her mother and their relationship. You would think that of all people, Liz, the girl who lost her mother very young and had to grieve that loss would understand more than anyone what Wes was going through when losing his dad, but she seemed shocked that he hid his grief from her. It felt unrealistic that she would think the smiles he gave her on FaceTime were the deepest of his feelings after having to give up his whole life.

The cheating storyline as a whole was really unnecessary and it dragged on when it could've been easily addressed and shut down to begin with, or left out entirely.

What I loved about Liz in BTTM was her relatability. I was also a senior in high school when I read it the first time and I felt utterly seen by this character who loved all things romance and pinned after the wrong guy. In NLTM, Liz was not someone I could relate to or even find the same characteristics with. I know people change over time and grow in and out of hobbies and loves, but it feels too drastic that her whole personality would change in two years. As someone who will be a junior in college when the book comes out, I thought I would still have that connection to Liz, but it seems I still relate more to her younger self.

Also, you want to tell me that she didn't see her cat (that was featured constantly in BTTM) for two whole years? Or the fact that she didn't realize how much she missed her mom until she visited her grave after not being there for two years (when she used to do it everyday)?

This is nothing against Lynn Painter, I love her writing, but this one just didn't feel like her same youthful, swoon-worthy romance.

I swear Lynn Painter is magical. This book brought us back to Wes and Liz’s story and if you liked Better Than The Movies, you’re going to love this follow-up.

Seeing their lives in college and after major trauma was…unsurprisingly emotional. I definitely shed many a tear throughout the book, but I also laughed just as much.

Side note: all of the rom com epigraphs for each chapter totally make me want to have a movie marathon! So many of my favorite quotes made an appearance!

This one is a must-read. Thank you so much to NetGalley for this advanced copy!

Thank you @netgalley, @simonandschuster and @lynnpainterbooks for the opportunity to read and review this book. This is my honest review.

It was so good to be back with Wes and Liz in NLTM. I absolutely devoured Better Than the Movies and was so sad to be done with their story. Before I even finished the firstbook, I preordered this one. Better Than the Movies ends with next-door neighbors turned cutest couple headed off to college together. Nothing Like the Movies continues the story of Wes and Liz; however, now they've broken up. Two years later and they are forced to be close to one another. Throughout their time spent together, their banter, flirty-ness (especially Wes) and chemistry was always at the forefront. Their roots run deep and they truly saw each other.
I loved seeing more of the relationship between Wes and his sister, Sarah. I loved getting throwbacks to the first book and seeing glimpses of its characters. Wes is still the snarky, funny, boy next door, jock with his one liners that will make a girl blush. He has a way of making Liz feel like the only girl in the world, even if what he's saying seems to be surface level to anyone else.
It was so great to see Liz grow and change into the woman she is. Her confidence in who she is nevered wavered. Although, she did have me screaming at her at times.

This duology was a perfect rom-com and their story us one that'll stick with me. It should be a movie. NOW.

Although BTTM made a great standalone, I highly recommend this book. Who doesn't want more Wes Bennett, right?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Again, I loved the movie quotes at the beginning of the chapters. They give a little nod as to what's coming! I'll definitely be watching all of these old favorites

Lynn Painter always comes through with the amazing writing!! Nothing Like the Movies was nothing short of amazing!!
-Second chance
-BANTER
-College romance
-RomCom moments!!
-New guy friend

Liz and wes are everything to me and seeing them fall apart to get back together was so amazing. I loved this book so much. it's a rough journey but a beautiful one

Reading Nothing Like The Movies early is a dream come true. I’ve always loved Lynn Painter and there isn’t one book I don’t enjoy. Her writing hooks me into the book and I can never put it down. And the same thing goes for Nothing Like The Movies!

I was a little worried going into this book because I didn’t know how I would feel about our beloved Wes and Liz being separated for so long. BUT as soon as I started reading I knew they would be ok because what’s a Lynn Painter book without a happy ending.

My heart broke for Wes and everything he lossed. He’s the most selfless character you could ever imagine. He tries to do everything to benefit others.

Everything set aside I’m so excited for everyone to be able to read this book because it is truly amazing. Better than the Movies did end perfectly but Nothing Like the Movies helps us learn even more about the characters and it has another perfect ending.And we get a dual POV which makes it even better!!!
Thank you Lynn Painter for creating another amazing story! I absolutely loved it!!!! 🥰

Genuinely, biggest thank you to the publishers & NetGalley for the ARC. This was my most anticipated book of the year and I am so grateful to have gotten the chance to read it early.

My initial thought when I finished the book was "I don't know what to think about this" but I read a review that kind of summed up what I was feeling: Nothing Like The Movies makes Liz and Wes and this story more Real. There was so much angst and tension that ate up a lot of the book that there were times I was genuinely worried that Liz & Wes were done for (even though we had real-live confirmation that this was a HEA). A lot of what happened in this book was kind of like a reality check for me? Better Than The Movies was so fluffy and happy and NLTM was so It's Time To Grow Up. I can't explain as much as I'd like without giving too much away but the gist of it is: Nothing Like The Movies is #angsty.

I fear it needs to be said that Better Than The Movies really didn't need a sequel. That said, I think Lynn Painter did the characters and the relationship justice in NLTM. My only complaint is that I wish we had had more of them together by the end of this one. I understood the actual buildup to them getting back together and it felt very on par with everything that happened between them, but then the ending felt a little too quick for me. I understand the whole rom-com movie ending style that Painter was going for here, especially with the references towards the end, but I just wished we had a smidge more. Who knows, though? Maybe more bonus scenes are coming?

Nothing Like the Movies was one of those books I could not put down!!!! The plot, characters and attention to detail of being at UCLA really makes you feel like you were in LA (take it from a native herself). Wes and Liz are the cutest, funniest, and most amazing characters I have had the opportunity to read about through Better Than the Movies.

Nothing like the movies however made them even more real and authentic. Growing up itself is hard but making decisions based on what life throws at you is even harder. Both Wes and Liz learn from their past allowing them to grow and be stronger but still holding on to who they always were. While I know this is a romance with a happy ending, I found it to be more cathartic as Wes side of the story shows how not everything can be perfect. At times, I found myself relating to him as he needed to make difficult decisions and learned that chasing your dreams is possible. Aside from having to both deal with a heartbreak, their banter, the force proximity and comedic timing really lived up to the standard of who Wes and Liz are. Thank you Lynn for writing such a beautiful story about what it means to fall in love and grow up.

Loved this book! Very interesting and moving! I was hooked from the start and could not put it down! I was laughing and crying and falling in love with the characters. Could not have asked for a better sequel.

I got the honor to read this book as an arc! I can't
even believe I'm actually saying this but I just finished the last book in the "better than movies" series! This book literally change my whole life (not unexpected at all because I have read better than movies more than 3 times!) I genuinely don't think anyone understands wesliz like me they're literally my baby's! If you follow me on TikTok you probably already know that! everything about this universe is AMAZING. Through out the book I was sobbing, screaming, giggling. The pacing for this story is amazing!
lizwes is so special to me. this is LITERALLY my comfort series! I wish I was joking I was up at 3am last night reading this book literally giggling to myself trying not to wake the people at my house up. I haven't felt this way about a book in a while. this book is so beautifully written. I couldn't put this book down every time I did all I could think about is picking it back up.
thank you netgellay for giving me this opportunity to read this book! Thank you so so so much for the Arc!🫶🏻🎀

[Thank you to Simon Teen, GoodReads, and NetGalley for ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.]
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Sequels are sometimes scary because you don't want characters and/or stories you love to be ruined. I loved BTTM and I was nervous when I learned that this would be a second chance romance (how could Liz & Wes have fallen apart?!). Turns out it was unnecessary to be wary. I read NLTM in one sitting and absolutely loved it.

Painter did such a beautiful job continuing with the story of Liz & Wes. Liz claims to have moved on from Wes, working towards her career goals, while Wes is desperate to get Liz back after experiencing a family tragedy that took him away from school for two years. During NLTM, we learn different aspects of their breakup but we don't learn the full story until almost the end of the book. 

This book has all the things that you know and love about Painter's writing: banter, tension, angst, etc. We are introduced to great new characters (Clark is my favorite) and there were even a few surprise cameos in there. Is it possible to love Liz & Wes (especially Wes) more now? I wouldn't have thought so and yet here I am. 

I don't want to spoil anything, but please know that this book is great and you should absolutely pick up a copy. I would read a million more bonus chapters and/or books about these two but if there's nothing else, I feel good with where we leave them.

Oh how wonderful it was to be back in the universe where Liz Buxbaum and Wesley Bennett exist!

2 years after "Better Than The Movies", Liz and Wes are broken up. While Liz remained at UCLA, built new friendships and is doing quite well, due to unfortunate circumstances at home Wes had to drop out and move back to Omaha. Despite trying to maintain a long-distance relationship, they broke up shortly after.
Now, two years later, Wes has decided to re-enroll at UCLA and continue playing baseball. He has major plans: to win back Liz. Fortunate for him, Liz's job is to film UCLA's baseball team, thus they are forced to spend some time together and catch up. Even though Liz does not seem to happy about Wes's surprising return to UCLA, he is determined to do everything in his power to get her back and will not be stopped by anyone.

This book was funny, cute, heartwarming yet a little heartbreaking. Following both Liz and Wes while both try to sort out their emotions was insanely captivating. If you loved 'Better than the Movies', you'll love this one as well! It is impossible not to get attached to these characters and not root for them.