the perfect sequel to better than the movies! such and easy and fun read — getting a second chance to return back to my favorite characters is always a treat! if you like lynn painter's writing and fun romcom essence, you'll love this.

Better than the Movies is one of my favorite romcoms of all time. I think it is hard to write a sequel after all of that time but this one delivered.

This book has:
- second chance
- sports romance
- deals with grief and loss
- fake dating

Like all of Lynn’s work this book is such an easy and fun read. It has the same banter and jokes as the first one. There is a time jump of 2 years from the previous books but I like that we get to see both Wes and Liz all grown up. I only took off a star because I wish we actually got to see Liz and Wes together as a couple.

At first I was weary if this sequel was needed but as I got into the book it definitely was a worthwhile read! I had a lot of fun reading this which is just as I've always felt with Lynn Painters books!

For me, the main idea of ​​the book was to show that love alone is sometimes not enough in a relationship, sometimes we need some time alone to understand ourselves better and that’s ok, what I really didn't like was the way it happened.

If you loved the first book (Better than the Movies) you have to read this one. It is the perfect sequel. Loved it!

I'm still pinching myself that I got to read this ARC! 🤭 There's nothing like an author delivering everything you wanted in a sequel to one of your favorite books.

Wes and Liz were all set to go to college together and have a great time, but life had other plans, and their relationship ended. Flash forward several months, and Wes is back at UCLA, determined to win Liz back. But Liz has grown; she’s made new friends and discovered new passions.

I loved how this book felt different from Better Than the Movies, yet Wes and Liz's care for each other remained unchanged. This story covers grief, self-discovery as a young adult, and giving love a second chance. It’s so much more than a rom-com, and the characters' individual growth and storylines were so special.

I haven't read many second-chance romances, but I truly can't imagine any topping this one. As an added bonus, The college setting and references to artists like Niall Horan and Lizzy McAlpine gave me ALL the fall vibes! 🍁

WesLiz, you will forever have my heart. Thank you so much to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, and Lynn Painter for the ARC. Nothing Like the Movies comes out on September 24th!

This one hurt so good. After the epic love story of Better Than the Movies, I did not expect to be reading about their breakup! Lynn Painter perfectly captures both the butterfly moments and the deep pains from a first love and translates them onto the page. I honestly didn't know if I would be able to finish it about halfway through because I just wanted them to figure it out and be together, but the payoff was worth it. This was more than just a book about a second chance romance, it was about finding yourself and being unapologetically who you are and going after what you want. As always the music choices were 10/10 and made for such a fun reading experience. I can't wait to recommend this to all the friends who read BTTM!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced reader's copy!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I was so excited to start this after book one - this sequel is dual POV so I was so ready for Wes's perspective on their story. What I was not prepared for, is the entire first half of miscommunication and pain.

This is a second chance romance after Wes faces loss, resulting in breaking up with Liz and spending 2 years apart before retuning to college together. I feel like the pacing of the storyline was a little wonky. I needed more wooing, less individual chapters apart. However, the last 30% of this made up for some of the boredom in the middle. The ties back to book one were so fun and all of the rom-com references were too cute.

I had a visceral reaction to this ending. Seriously one of the best last pages of a book I've ever read. The perfect perfect bow on their story. RIP Nora Ephron, you would have loved this duology.

2.5 stars i think… idk i need to sit on a star rating.

i am THE ultimate liz & wes fan so i was BEYOND excited for this. but also, i wondered what more their story needed, and i think i was still asking that question at the end of this :(

bttm liz and wes are a perfect couple. i could read 100 more books of their banter and their adorable thoughts about each other. i love the way they understand each other, i love their soundtracks, and i love how they’re always finding their way back to each other.

however. i really do think this sequel was a detriment to both their characters and to their story. i think they both changed a lot, and unfortunately mostly for the negative ESPECIALLY WES. idk who this wes was, but it makes me want to reread the first book to meet the real wes again. i don’t believe he would’ve done the things he did, and allowing them to exist in this semi-miscommunication for most of the book was such a bummer when i was looking forward to their romance!!

the romance honestly took a backseat here, which for wes and liz makes no sense! they’re sooooo romance! and we met all these new people and spent so much time with them, the main couple was barely on page!

overall, i was happy to see my libby and wes again but i unfortunately really don’t think this was the best way to do it. i’ll always recommend bttm, but i might have to tell people to skip this one.

This was one of two of my most anticipated books of the year. Expectations were high but I never had any doubts that Lynn Painter would create a beautiful extension to Wes and Liz's story.

Their perfect banter continues and we get to see Wes pining after Liz, which can be hilarious at times! The dual POV is a delight! Wes's POV has always added so much to the story for me, and is probably the reason why I love this series so much. We see some really raw emotions and trials for the characters which caused me to actually take it really slow because I felt like I was right there with them, going through those emotions. The new friends we meet add so much to the story and I just wish I was part of their friend group!

I loved every minute of Wes and Liz coming back to find each other again. I felt every emotion while reading this! Now I just need an entire book of them living their Happily Ever After :)


Thank you endlessly to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am a huge Lynn Painter fan, and Better Than the Movies was one of my favorite titles by Painter, so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to read Nothing Like the Movies before it's release. This book has everything we know and love about a Lynn Painter novel; there was humor, joy, sadness, love, angst - all these feelings perfectly immersing you back to what it felt like to be in your late teens/early twenties and navigating the experience of falling in love.

I felt Painter did a great job of bridging the gap between the end of BTTM and the beginning of this book, but I also felt like because of this, the actually development of the storyline of the present-day occurrences in the book felt a bit underdeveloped. I wish we would have seen more moments between Wes and Liz where they were rekindling their friendship. That being said, this was my only "complaint" and it was a minute issue.

This book is a great follow up to the Beloved Better Than the Movies, and I recommend you read both, especially if you're a fan of YA romance with excellent pining and witty humor.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Lynn Painter for an eARC copy of this title via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I missed them. Liz and Wes had my heart in Better Than the Movies and they did not disappoint in this one. Although they have their reservations with each other this time around, you can still so clearly feel the love and chemistry they have always had. Bickering is one of favorites tropes and the fact that Lynn was able to keep that going without feeling forced is amazing.
Nothing like the movies reads like a movie and that is my favorite kind of writing. Lynn Painter writes in a way that feels like you are the story, which makes it read so fluidly that you don't want to put the book down.
Overall, I love how we got to see Wed and Liz grow out of their teenage phases into adulthood and work through their troubles in healthy ways and I love how there story has essentially ended (would love a novella about their wedding).
p.s. will be needing a story on Liliath and Ross

Nothing like the movies” Lynn Painter
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
“Just like music had the power to transform a moment in film.”
Pros-
I couldn't have asked for a better sequel to “Better Than The Movies,” Going into it knowing it was a second chance romance was so scary but Lynn Painter executed it perfectly. I think I’ve expressed my love for the found family trope but I have to mention it again because it was so perfect in this book, between the new friends, teammates, and the mentors. I also dont think Ive ever laughed so much while reading a book especially during a certain romantic gesture! I swear I forgot I was reading several times, that is how good it was. Of course it was so good to read about the characters again and of course I fell in love with Wes Bennet again. How could you not?! Wes is the definition of “If he wanted to, he would. I also need to bring attention to all the hilarious and amazing references Lynn included from Gilmore Girls, to Taylor swift, To Friends, even to old Disney shows they were so perfect.
Incredible does not begin to describe this read!! Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this amazing Arc. Let me leave you with this piece of advice. Get you a Wes Bennet!!
Everything I wanted and more
- Second Chance
- Found Family
- Collage Rom-Com
- Forced Proximity
- Witty Banter
Songs that remind me of this book
- Movies. Conan Gray
- Only Love Can hurt like this. Paloma Faith
- Afterglow. Taylor Swift

Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC of this book!! “Better than the Movies” is one of my favorite YA rom-coms so I jumped at the chance to read this book early. I literally ignored my TBR to read immediately after approval.

“Nothing Like the Movies” picks up 2 years after the end of the first book. Liz and Wes are broken up and haven’t even spoken in those 2 years we missed, but Wes is back at UCLA after the death of his father brought him home to Omaha and he is determined to win Liz back.

I was not loving the beginning of the book. I was disappointed by the fake-dating trope being used again, but it ended up being a very minor detail so I got over it. I also missed the Liz quirkiness that made her so loveable. Even though the first book dealt with the death of a parent because this dealt with the aftermath of a breakup too it was less lighthearted. I still loved Liz and Wes and I get they matured and changed, but I think Liz could have matured and still worn her quirky clothes and not conformed to typical norms. But by the end I didn’t care, I loved their story. I also loved getting Wes’ POV. He is a such a sweet, smartass.

A sequel to a beloved book is always tough, but I think Lynn Painted did a great job getting readers to fall in love with these new versions of Liz and Wes.

Thank you Simon & Schuster for sending an advanced copy of Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter.

As a HUGE fan on Better than the Movies, I was so excited for the announcement of a Liz and Wes sequel! However, with the excitement also came fear for an extension to a really great ending for them in the first book and novella. Nonetheless, I picked up this ARC as soon as I could and overall do not regret it.

Was this a necessary sequel? No. Did it add any real depth to the characters? Also no. BUT, it did allow the reader to step back into Liz and Wes's world for a moment, and that in itself is enough for me to have enjoyed my time reading.

At the end of a book, the characters will move on with their fictional lives even if us readers aren't privy to the choices they make anymore. In this instance, we get to see Wes's decision to leave the college life him and Liz had planned and face the repercussions of it 2 years later. This time jump seemed to allow the author to change a lot of things about Liz in particular, which is normal as she aged into adulthood, however I just fear this created a big divide in the tone of her character from book one to the sequel. It isn't a bad thing, but the best parts of what I loved about Better than the Movies were washed away in this sequel. Taking it as its own journey is the best outlook I'd recommend when going into this book.

The old Wes and Liz did shine through at times and I loved it. Not as solid a read as the first, but that's expected for a romance sequel. Overall, getting to see these characters again, and more Taylor Swift references from Lynn Painter, make this book a big win for me!

Thank you sooo much Simon and schuester and Netgalley for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

😍😍this was perfect. I didn’t know how the sequel could be as good as the first book but it was amazing. Ughhh I didn’t realize it would be so emotional though!!! I love Wes and Liz. I love their story and journey into college.

I tell everyone that Jack Antonoff is pure genius, so I love to see some love for him and Bleachers!

*I secretly can’t wait for your next book now that TTPD is out!*

Review will be posted on my blog closer to the publication date:

Content Warning: death of parent, grief

I loved Better Than the Movies so when I saw that this was a sequel to it I was hesitant to read it because I loved the first one so much! Also it was so good I didn’t think it needed a sequel.

Wes and Liz left me so happy in the first book, but in this one it’s about them growing, struggling, being broken up, and trying to get back to what they were but with so many changes that have happened in to them – it’s kind of impossible to get that magic back.

I thought it was interesting to see how both Wes and Liz navigate college in a different state. Liz is doing really good for herself and embracing everything in college. But wow, I really felt for Wes. He went through so much and he did the hard work to try and get his life back on track. And it really made me sad that they weren’t together, after everything that happened in BTTM. It was too much reality for me! As for the second chance romance? I get the yearning for one another, of what it used to be, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Which makes me wish I didn’t pick up this sequel so I can keep the Wes and Liz from BTTM in my mind. I mean it’s evident Wes is always going to love Liz. But this is one where Liz has to take her time with finding her way back to him.

There is a lot of pop culture reference in this one, which I thought was fine in the previous book because it was movies. But this one used music to tie Wes and Liz together and I think it’s fun but at times maybe a little too much?

My Thoughts:

I think this one will be one of those books you either love or don’t think was necessary and I’m in definitely in the team that found this sequel unnecessary. Overall, it was interesting to see the characters grow and deal with life, but it was also sad, especially for Wes! I just miss the magic, fun and giddiness that the first book made me feel.

So grateful to have been approved for an ARC of this book because it was AMAZING!! I was very nervous about the whole ‘second chance romance’ and ‘new guy friend’ tropes people had mentioned… but this book was fantastic. I love Wes and Liz and their romance feels so genuine to me.

Also, the references in this book made my fan girl heart EXPLODE WITH JOY. I made a whole notes page documenting them all.

Taylor Swift - Breathe
Taylor Swift - “I’m sorry the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh. Cause she’s dead.”
Taylor Swift - Illicit Affairs
The Kanye and Taylor drama (alluded)

Gracie Abrams - In Between (AHH)

Frank Ocean - Pink + White

Harry Styles - Ever Since New York

Niall Horan/Lizzie McAlpine - You Could Start A Cult

The Hunger Games & Catching Fire

Descendants 3

10 Things I Hate About You

You’ve Got Mail

ETC, ETC. I feel like Lynn Painter does a great job of incorporating pop culture into her books without making it seem like she’s overdoing it, which in my opinion makes me feel more connected to the characters. I feel as though Liz and I could be great friends because we have the EXACT same taste in music, and whenever any of her music is mentioned in the book I get ecstatic.

Ok I almost had to pinch myself when I received this ARC- I mean wow!! Better Than the Movies was easily a five star read & Lynn Painter outdid herself in Nothing Like the Movies. This book has it all & will be one of my favorite reads of the entire year. I can’t say enough about this book - just read it!!!


Thank you NetGalley & Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I recommend Better Than the Movies in my high school library all the time, and I cannot wait to provide this follow-up to the fans I've created of the first book! This one was absolutely adorable, and I loved the issues that these two dealt with in book two.

I would say around a 4.5 stars for me!
I’ll write a full review on my Instagram closer to the publishing date for more traction for the publisher and author.

I loved the first one, absolute 5 star for me but this one didn’t nail it on the head for me. I was confused on the sister and I felt like she was so randomly inserted? Also I was hoping for the romance to hit harder in the beginning or have that enemies tension aspect like the first one. I also enjoyed how the first one was nearly 100 pages shorter as it was a faster cute read, this one felt a bit long when it didn’t need to be.

Although I still supported the characters so much and wanted them to get back together/ had me rooting for them the whole book! The characters and writing have definitely grown since the first book as well, which is great too!