2 stars

This was one of the biggest disappointments this year. Especially considering how much I loved the first book.

To start, quite simply this book did not need a sequel. At the end of BTTM the characters had significant growth and their story arcs were finished. We didn't need more of their story at least not this long. It also felt like all that the characters had gone through was for nothing because their break up shouldn't have happened after the growth they had in the first novel. This book felt a lot to me like a cash grab.

The characters. Liz felt like a new person, and yes I understand how her situation could change her, and she's older now, but the reason I loved Liz was because she believe in happily ever after, no matter how hard it gets. I loved her dresses and pastels because she was confident, but her going back on all her old beliefs didn't feel true to her whole "I was unaffected by the breakup" attitude. Wes I also just didn't love like I loved in the first book, he felt different and some lines I think I was meant to love I really just didn't.

The plot. Okay so literally nothing happened? Nothing I felt of interest at least. Reading this I just did not care, it felt like it dragged on for far too long and quite frankly I don't believe the characters are going to stay together which really sucks because I loved the first book.

Thank you NetGalley for the E-ARC

Thank you @simonteen for the digital ARC. Lynn Painter's book Better Than the Movies is one of my all-time favorite YA books, so when I found out there was a sequel to Wes & Liz's story coming, I was so excited. When I read the synopsis and saw that this book starts with them broken up, I was a little sad. Nothing Like the Movies is so good though!! The way Wes pines for Liz...I was rooting for him so hard. I also really liked the way Wes' story of what happened in the past unfolded. Lynn Painter knows how to write swoony funny stories. NLTM had those elements plus some heart-string-pulling moments as well. If you loved Wes & Liz in book 1, you’re going to enjoy “the college years” story as well.

I absolutely loved Better Than the Movies so I went into this one expecting more of the same. But why on earth was Wes so problematic? Walking red flag. I'm super disappointed in this sequel.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely loved this book! From the very beginning, I felt a strong connection to Liz; her personality felt perfectly captured throughout the story. It had a cinematic quality that made me envision it as a movie, and the storyline kept me completely engaged. Wes’s journey added so much depth, particularly his struggles with family responsibilities and mental health. It showcased a beautiful blend of substance and romance that resonated with me.

What truly stood out was the character development. Liz navigated heartbreak while staying true to herself, evolving in a way that felt both realistic and relatable. I often find that romances transitioning from high school to college can struggle with character identity, but this book excelled in that regard. Watching Liz grow into her own person was a refreshing change, and it felt like a genuine portrayal of the complexities of young adulthood.

I can’t stop thinking about this book—I even searched for a physical copy at my local romance bookstore! The narration was fantastic, and I’m tempted to listen to the audiobook again to capture the magic all over.

Additionally, I loved the hints of other potential romances, like Clark’s budding connection with his sister and the interactions involving Brooks and Liz's roommate. It left me eager for more, and I would love to see spin-offs featuring those characters.

Overall, this book was a delightful read that struck the perfect balance between emotion, character growth, and romance. I highly recommend it and can't wait to dive back into this world!

An adorable sequel! Not quite as good as the first, but I appreciated the emotional substance. It was great following along as Wes healed and fought for Liz. The pop references were perfection!

Thank you to #netgalley and Simon & Schuster for my advanced copy of Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter. I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Liz and Wes had been freshmen at UCLA and in love, but then Wes’s dad died and he was forced to leave school. He broke up with Liz and broke her heart. Now it’s two years later and Liz is a junior working an internship covering the baseball team and she discovers Wes is back in her life. He is back at UCLA as a freshman and back on the baseball team too. You have forced proximity and fake dating and many failed grand romantic gestures. There are dual POVs and I love that. Wes appears to Liz as so sure of himself, it isn't until you are in Wes's POV that you realize he is so very unsure of himself, but he wants to win Liz back. I found this to be a touching and sweet second chance romance. No spice. I enjoyed every minute.

I loved Better Than The Movies and was eager for more of Wes and Liz! Do I think this sequel was 100% necessary? No. However, there were still several aspects of the book that I enjoyed!

This book was a lot more mature than BTTM and I appreciated the additional backstory on Liz and Wes and seeing them in an adult setting. I think we see a lot more depth in Liz and Wes that we were potentially missing in BTTM.

The book did drag at a few points and it felt like the romance and tension were lacking. I found myself getting bored a few times throughout especially since it was obvious they would reunite in some way, it was just a waiting game until when that would actually happen.

Overall this was a quick and enjoyable read if you are looking for more of Wes and Liz!

This book started out strong and felt different from the first. The characters had changed and grown. I was really into it but I think it took too long for the romance to develop. The relationship started feeling cliche and rushed but the book was over. I still liked it overall but I wish it didn't wrap up so quickly.

There were moments of this novel that I really enjoyed - Wes and Liz have so much history - but there were also elements that just felt like too much and stalled the story for me. At the beginning of the novel, there were other things to focus on beyond Wes and Liz's relationships like him coming back to UCLA to play baseball and Liz's internship - but that quickly got pushed to the side to repeatedly go over past events that did not do a lot to move the story along. Overall, entertaining, and I think my older students would enjoy it!

Thank you to everyone for this early gifted copy of Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter!

If you loved the first book, Better Than the Movies, you'll love jumping back into our favorite characters and their love story.

Liz and Wes are older and in college, and we find them working through things together again. I wasn't a huge fan of the miscommunication trope, but I still loved this book as much as the first one. I loved the humor and friendship within this story.

These books were clean, some cussing, but no spice. I would feel comfortable recommending this to people!

If it’s possible, I think I loved this even more than Better Than the Movies!

Between the end of Better Than the Movies, and the beginning of this sequel, two years have passed by and our lovely Liz and Wes have broken up (I know, I know, bear with me). But Wes is back in LA after an extended stay back in Omaha to deal with family issues. Our man Wes has one mission: get Liz back (okay and maybe kick some ass on the baseball mound).

I absolutely loved getting the dual POV from both Liz and Wes, but especially seeing how down bad Wes is throughout the book. The book really fleshes out Wes’s complicated relationship with his father and how it ultimately impacted his relationship with Liz. There is so much growth for both characters, I really enjoyed seeing them develop separately and come back together in more mature version of their relationship.

Overall I would highly recommend reading this if you enjoyed Better Than the Movies (especially if you loved Wes as much as I did!)!

Ok wow!!! I knew I was going to enjoy Nothing Like the Movies, but I actually LOVED this continuation of Wes and Liz’s story. These books are going to live rent free in my mind forever. I seriously love them with my whole heart. 😭💘

I believe Lynn Painter completely demonstrated the struggles that a person will go through as they transition from high school to college. Sure, Liz changed a bunch, but doesn’t everyone when they go through that big of a life change? The same can be said for Wes. Not only was he going through the transition from high school to college, but a lot of unexpected and unfortunate circumstances were thrown at him as well. I was so pleased to see that we got Wes’s point of view. It definitely helped me to understand his perspective and connect with his character even more. Despite all of those hardships, he was still the same boy who’d been obsessed with Liz since day one. Some of the things he said to her in this book were pulling on my heartstrings. I just love him so much. 😭🫶🏼

Both Liz and Wes’s character were so heavily expanded upon in this book. I was so happy to see Liz thriving in college and living out her dream. She may not have been the same little Liz that we read in the first book, but I still loved her character just the same. I’m also so incredibly happy to know that Wes finally got his happy ending.🥲

p.s. I HIGHLY recommend reading these books back to back bc it just makes the experience so much better 🥹

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the arc and thank you to Lynn Painter for creating this absolute masterpiece!!

If you know me at all, you know how much I love a good Lynn Painter book. And you especially know that my absolute favorite book of hers is Better Than the Movies. Needless to say that when I received an ARC for Nothing Like the Movies I actually screamed. Liz and Wes’s story is one of my favorites.

Nothing Like the Movies still had the same things we love in Lynn Painter’s books like the banter, angst, and silliness we have come to associate with her writing style. But it also came with a little bit of a raw edge. A bit of anger, a bit of rage, and a bit of longing. In Nothing Like the Movies, Wes and Liz have really grown up. Both physically, but also mentally and socially. We see them grapple with adult problems and responsibilities. But we also see them flounder and drown beneath them as well.

In true Cassie fashion I cried like a baby when I read this book. But while I usually cry happy tears or funny tears while reading Painter’s books, this one had plenty of sad tear moments as well. The journeys that both Liz and Wes go on throughout this book in order to find themselves, and ultimately find each other again, are deeply personal and real. You feel their hurt and betrayal before you’re able to feel the love again.

As always with Lynn’s books this was an immediate 5 star read. I loved every single minute of this story and I can’t wait to read it again.

A special thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Returning to the world of Wes and Liz was honestly so much fun!! I love that even in spite of their breakup, their teasing banter and chemistry will still as evident as ever. The 20 questions game? Iconic. The baseball romance aspect? ate it up.

Wes had it all - his dream girl, school, and the start of his baseball career. But soon into their freshman year, tragedy strikes and he has to return home, which results in them ultimately breaking up. 2 years later he's now back at UCLA hoping to get his second chance.... But Liz is very resistant. She isn't the hopeless romantic she once was. People change, but can these new versions of themselves find their way back to each other?

I do think this is a true second chance rom-com in the truest sense, however I think it would have been much better in Lynn Painter had never heard the folklore album.

PERSONALLY, my fav part of this book was Clark. He acted as the fake bf when needed, he provided a voice of reason, and he told the truth when it needed to be said.

I loved Better Than The Movies and was so excited for a little more Wes and Liz! After reading I’m not sure another book was entirely necessary, but I still enjoyed it!

Wes and Liz have broken up and gone their separate ways after the passing of Wes’ father. I will say if you’re expecting the bubbly, bright, hopeless romantic that Liz was in BTTM, she’s definitely grown up and gone through heartbreak that has changed her. This book had a lot more depth and tragedy than the first. Wes’ story had me a little teary eyed and I just felt so bad for him.

“I’m just Wes f*cking Bennet, Lib, the guy who can’t remember a single day when he didn’t love you”

Overall this was a quick and enjoyable read and I’ll forever be a Wes and Liz stan.

Thank you Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC. Nothing Like the Movies is a sequel to Better Than the Movies, following Liz and Wes as the navigate a family tragedy and finding themselves again. I loved this book, while it felt like very different characters than the first, it was very well done and believable. They had just entered their 20’s and you really saw the growth from semi-children to full blown adult. I loved this second chance romance! I would recommend this book to any romance reader out there!

I absolutely loved Better Than The Movies, but this was so much better! We get so much character background and development with Wes and I think that was really the only piece that was missing in BTTM. This book was so much fun and a great one to pick up. This was so much more than just a silly little romance. It talks about grief in an accessible way, especially since this is geared towards young adults/teens.

It’s always a risk to write a sequel to a book, but this sequel delivered for me. I absolutely loved “Better Than the Movies” so I was excited to read this one. The storyline made perfect sense for why Liz and Wes were not together two years after BTTM. Both were able to show change and growth. I would highly recommend this for all lovers of BTTM.

Liz and Wes in Better than the Movies were a great couple. Liz was this unique little weirdo who was obsessed with Rom-Coms and believed in true love in its truest form. Wes loved Liz his whole life, but couldn't figure out how to say it. They got together and it was absolutely adorable. I was hesitant going into this book because I know that Wes and Liz broke up, and it wasn't that long after they left for California. And then I find out there is a TIME JUMP.

I did truly enjoy this book, but it felt as though it was missing something, and at times Liz was unrecognizable as the character she was in Better Than the Movies. I did enjoy that it was dual POV, but sometimes Wes's POV showed how much he was stuck in the past. He was trying to win Liz back with things she would've liked in the past, but didn't exactly match who she had grown to be. But we did see some growth throughout the book from both Wes and Liz, and the representation of grief after a sudden death was there, even if Wes probably should have also still been in therapy.

I adore Lynn Painter’s books -both her YA and adult books and this one was no exception!

This was a fun sequel to Better the Movies. I loved seeing Liz and Wes navigate their complicated relationship. Their chemistry is undeniable, and watching them try to find their way back to each other was both charming and at times frustrating. The story is filled with endearing scenes that will warm your heart and make you smile. I also loved how there was a quote from a rom-com movie at the beginning of each chapter.
If you're a fan of rom-coms read this book! It's the perfect second chance romance (even for those that aren’t a fan of YA).