Better than the Movies is one of my all time favourite YA books, so when I heard there was going to be a sequel I was equal parts excited and nervous (because I read the blurb for this and had my heart BROKEN by the way 😭!)

Anyway. I shouldn't have been (nervous that is!) Because this was like coming home.

As this is set 2 years later, it had a more mature feel to it, which I loved. And, as ever, Lynn had me giggling and swooning like a teen myself despite being in my 30s 🤭🙃🙃 . I also found myself wanting to bawl at times too, of course.

I've always said BTTMS is Lynn's best work and I'm really happy this sequal has also lived up to my expectations. I'm a fan!

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I came to this ‘fresh’ as I hadn’t read Better Than the Movies but I was still completely enchanted by the love story between Wes and Liz.

Set two years later we see Wes going back to the same College as Liz and hoping to win her back. Liz is focussed on her studies and the amazing internship that will open many doors. Will Wes win her back?

Beautifully written and totally engaging. I love the quotes used to introduce each chapter and a playlist throughout. This is a great book that I’ll be thrusting into the hands of my library users.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for a review copy of this novel. Having read and enjoyed the previous novel, Just Like the Movies I was really looking forward to this novel and it did not disappoint. Painter draws engaging characters and an absorbing plot that provide wonderful escapism, continuing a story with two main characters that were really well matched. It’s another slow burn, but this time we get more of Wes’s side and it’s welcome insight into his past struggles as well as hers in what is often a difficult time for any early adult.

After a false start halted by a family catastrophe Wes finally has an opportunity to take up his dream once again and attend UCLA on a baseball scholarship with a real possibility of playing in the major league once again. The only missing piece is Liz. It’s been two years since they’ve been together- she the girl next door and he the boy who has been in love with her forever. He’d finally achieved a place in her heart only to have circumstance tear them apart just as they were both starting UCLA. She’s now a junior and he’s a freshman, but he’s determined to win her back. Only she wants nothing to do with him and that’s she’s different now. No longer someone whose every big moment was guided by romance movies that her mother had loved, she was practical, hard headed and interested in things she’d never had been before. As Wes tries to persuade her they are still meant to be, he wonders if things have really changed so very much.

A warm and thoroughly enjoyable read that was a perfect follow up to the previous book, though it could be read as a standalone.

Since the book 1, better than the movies, was released, I wanted to read more about the protagonists of this book and the author gave us that blessing via this book 😁 and i absolutely love the author fir this reason, she gives what her readers want and desire for🫂
This is as soothing as the Better than the movies 😁 and the protagonists again charmed off my heart ❤️ I am so in love with the author's writing. Literally ate this book in a day.

4 Stars!

This book was super good and I really really enjoyed reading it! Being back with Wes and Liz was incredible as a reader who loved the first book and seeing them a little bit older was awesome. I felt like you could really feel Wes and Liz throughout the whole book and I loved the new characters that were introduced as we were thrown into Liz’s new cool life at college.

I do wish we saw them together more than we did, this plot (as someone who loved their relationship in the first book SO much) was kind of disheartening at times because I just wanted to give Wes really big hug and at the same time I knew Liz was hurting. The banter was still there, wes had me giggling and kicking my feet :’)

Plot wise, not much happened but I really enjoyed reading it anyway - it felt like a welcome hug back to the world and these characters that I’ve missed. The writing in this book is amazing as always and has made me want to read more books by the author yet again. I would absolutely love to have an adult book one day with Liz and Wes to see what they’re up to in 5/10 years time - I’m just not ready to let out with these characters yet!!!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eArc :’)

This book is a complete emotional rollercoaster, I was a nervous wreck as i was reading as I am a huge Wes and Liz fan. My poor heart just couldn't take it!
I felt that the story dealt with heavier topics such as grief very well and Wes's story really resonated with me and i really felt for him.
It was a perfect follow up for Better than the movies and I feel quite satisfied by the story, Highly recommend!

I really like these books, I’m not even one for YA romance as it’s a little too closed door for me normally, but I like the wholesome tone and the hurdles the author tackles in her books.

I love that we pick up with Liz & Wes but they are older, and shaped by heartbreak and grief. I feel like if you’ve ever had a young love that didnt work out, but they feel like the one who got away at that time of your life, then this book will resonate with you. You will completely hope with your whole heart for Wes’s redemption and triumph plus Liz’s healing and a second chance at the love she deserves.

You may call it fan service, but I for one am always happy when one of my favourite YA romances gets a sequel. And it doesn't happen enough!

Lynn Painter really knew what she was doing with this one. This is truly a heartwrenching second chance romance, full of angst, and it was exactly what I needed to read at this moment.

I loved that this book was dual POV, and I especially loved Wes's POV because the ANGST of it was so well done. I was truly rooting for him.

I also loved all the movie and music references, because they added an extra emotional layer to the book in a way that made it easy to picture everything as a movie, including the soundtrack. I always appreciate vivid writing like that.

4.75 ⭐️

I had the pleasure to meet Lynn Painter at a signing back in June this year and I got to tell her about my excitement for Nothing Like The Movies (sequel to Better Than The Movies). So, getting an ARC for this novel was like a dream come true.

This book follows Wes and Liz, who were once together and in love but just as they were about to start a new life in college, they broke up. Now, Wes is determined to win Liz back with big romantic gestures, but she isn't easily convinced, leaving him to wonder if they are truly over.

I actually enjoyed this so much!!! (ignoring the fact that all I did was cry). Re-reading the whole Better Than the Movies series before getting into this sequel was like a rollercoaster. At the beginning of the book, Wes was in a really dark mental state so he decided to end things with Liz so he wouldn’t bring her down with him. And I, too, shut myself down when I have any problem so I understood him a lot and got why he did all of that.

Was a sequel really that necessary? I don’t know but I am just a girlie who loves second chance romances and —sue me— but I enjoy the miscommunication trope as well. And, to be honest, I’ll take any LizWes crumbs I can get.

Read if you like:
⚾️ second-chance.
⚾️ dual POV.
⚾️ college romance.
⚾️ slow burn.
⚾️ longing and banter.
⚾️ miscommunication.
⚾️ content warning: grief, PSTD, anxiety.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster UK and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Nothing Like The Movies by Lynn Painter will be coming out on October 2nd.

4.5 ⭐️

Whenever I read a YA romance, I often find myself wondering if they'd actually stay together after. You like to think they would, but realistically, it probably doesn't work out that way most of the time.

Lynn really knows how to write grief. In book 1, we see Liz deal with hers, and in this one, it's Wes. Two very different manifestations of grief but both very well written. You can feel his pain and his struggle with it.

We also keep the theme of strong friendships going with this one. Both with their new groups of friends and their old one. I like that we get to see a little of what the high school group is doing as well as side relationships with the new group. I'm fairly convinced Clark likes wes's sister, and I'd read the hell out of that.

The thing with Liz and Wes is their romantic moments are always super sweet. There's Taylor Swift quotes and movie moments, and I love that. But I was sad when I realised this book is basically a huge miscommunication, I wish we had gotten a bit more of Liz helping him with his grief because it would have added an even more mature aspect.

The reason we have for Liz being so upset with him was unnecessary for me. There was already a lot going on while I got that we needed a reason for her to be so set on avoiding him it felt a little random. Plus, wes was so clearly head over heels. I'm surprised anyone believed it anyway.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and its look at grief, PTSD and anxiety. The friendships are great, and the romance is very cute. I've gone with 4.5 stars because while the miscommunication is probably my least favourite book trope, there is a good reason for the initial secrets, and it was handled well.

I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

This was a quick and enjoyable read, I loved the first book so was excited to read this one! I love a second chance romance, it did not disappoint!

Actual Rating: 4.25 stars

Nothing Like The Movies is the sequel to Better Than The Movies, following Wes and Liz in their college years. They hadn't seen each other for two other after Wes went home after a tragedy struck in his family and not able to cope, Wes ended the relationship. Fast forward the two years and Wes is back as a freshman playing baseball and Liz is stuck covering the baseball team as part of her internship. What could possibly go wrong?

This is literally everything that I wanted. At first I was a little scared of what was in store for Wes and Liz, like them breaking up after what happened in Better Than The Movies, I didn't want to believe it. However, their characters did grow so it might've been necessary? I loved having Wes' point of view in this book, I think this was something that definitely drove this story more and made it more interesting. I need a Wes Bennett in my life, like can he actually just be real?

I absolutely loved the tension and the angst between Wes and Liz within this book, it had be squealing so many times but as much as I loved it, I wish they had gotten back together a little sooner so we could have so many cute scenes as well. I felt like the ending of them was a little rushed which let it down a little for me. I would've maybe liked to see more of Liz and Joss' friendship, like I know Liz went to college and everything but surely they could've called as they were best friends. Either way, was this sequel needed? No. But did I enjoy reading it anyways? Yes.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

The storyline in this one was almost identical to book 1 and I felt like Liz hadn’t learned anything from her lying ways in book 1. I found myself getting a little annoyed because, despite the 2 year gap from the end of book 1 it felt like certain characters were just making the exact same mistakes they did in book 1, like where’s the progression, people? The book felt wholly unnecessary and a lot like it was written solely cause book 1 did well on TikTok?! Call me cynical but I’d have been happy if Liz and Wes’s story had stopped at the end of book 1.

That being said I did enjoy it, the characters were still good, there was lots of baseball in it which i really enjoyed!

🌟 4/5

Genre: young adult romance
POV: dual

Tropes:
✨ second chance
✨ fake dating
✨ soul mates

When I heard Lynn Painter was making a sequel to Better Than the Movies, you better know I ran to add it to my tbr. I fell in love with Wes and Liz in that book and they felt like true soul mates. You have to read that book first to truly experience the yearning in this book.

Starting Nothing Like the Movies with them broken up? I was heart broken, they got their HEA in BTTM. Life is hard and full of unexpected trauma and this story shows that. There’s such raw emotion in this storyline. Wes has been through so much in the last 2 years after losing his Dad unexpectedly but Liz could be frustrating at times with her attitude towards them (but as you keep reading, you learn that she doesn’t know the whole story and can justify her words/actions - to an extent…)

The characters are flawed and made them feel all the more real because no one is perfect.

It’s a beautiful story that is so romance coded it will have you swooning. Liz’s love for music is still laced throughout the book with Taylor references (of course!!)

Thank you Lynn Painter for writing this story and giving us a chance to see Liz and Wes in college.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I will admit I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first book. This one is set when they are both in college and finding their way back to each other again. It wasn’t as fun and cute as the first one but it did wrap up their story nicely and the romance was sweet.

nothing like the movies ―୨୧⋆ ˚
i don't even know where to start with this revue other than the fact this book absolutely broke me and put me back together again.

honestly I was super nervous going into this read considering I liked 'better than the movies' and had no clue where lynn painter was going to go with 'nothing like the movies' because wes and liz got their HEA right?

no. completely wrong.

from the first chapter I decided to go into this book acting like Wes and liz were two new characters who had a lot of backstory. and in some ways they absolutely were and it made this book a little less excruciating to read. but the plot on the who was super enjoyable (also a bit gut-wrenching) but showed such a clear divide between high school drama and relationships with the real-world issues and events that happen in people lives and how they come back from it.
lynn painter showed this beautifully in the setting and the characterisation of wes and liz.

wes and liz ―୨୧⋆ ˚ the growth and maturity of wes and liz was slightly jarring at first and was a slight shock because they felt different and in a lot of ways they were.. 2 years older and a lot has happened in the mean time but the glimpses of the their 'better than the movies' younger selves were so precious to me as I read this book and saw so much development.

overall, i could spend days talking about this book but then i would spoil the whole thing.. this was such a beautiful needing to a HEA i thought i already had and lynn painter wrote the loss, the maturity and the pain of growing up in the most beautiful way that this book pretty much made me sob through the last 50%.

I am so happy to finally read about Liz and Wes again! I’ve missed them so much and this book is literally perfect. As someone who was so obsessed with this book since 2022, getting a sequel like this is my literal dreams come true, and moreover, getting to read an ARC of the book?! I am absolutely grateful for this opportunity and I just love Lynn’s writing so much. I love Liz and Wes’ character development, I love every single banter and every single scene that they have with each other. Pls pls pls read this book!,

Rating: 2.5

I loved Better Than The Movies. Truly it's one of my favourite YA romance books, and because of this I was so excited to read the sequel, and thrilled when I received an email offering me an ARC.

However, pretty soon after I started reading, I got the feeling this book wasn't going to live up to my expectations.

Liz and Wes just didn't feel like Liz and Wes.

I found the book slow to start, and at times I got bored.

And while there were some moments that were good, and the introduction of some new characters who were decent.
There were also moments that made me full body cringe.

The ending felt rushed, leaving the pacing of the entire book just off for me.

Overall, I found myself thinking that Better Than The Movies just didn't need a sequel. Or if the series was going to continue, then personally I would have preferred a companion novel about a different character. Maybe following Sarah.

As it stands, Nothing Like The Movies just didn't work for me in the same way as the first book did.

I'll definitely still pick up Lynn Painters YA work in future. But this one was a miss for me.

I was so excited to read this as I absolutely loved Better Than The Movies but, unfortunately, it just didn't live up to the first one for me and I'm not sure it was really necessary. Better Than The Movies just ended so well!

Wes and Liz have broken up, and this book centres on Wes trying to win Liz back. We gradually find out about why they've broken up throughout the book, but the information felt a bit disjointed with how it was revealed. I think it could have benefited from a dual timeline which would have helped us to understand why everything happened.

While I enjoyed reading about Wes trying to win Liz back, I just really wanted the two of them to have a serious conversation about everything. It felt like they never really addressed Liz' feelings surrounding the breakup and the possibility of getting back together. His attempts to get her back though were very cute!

I did, however, enjoy seeing how Wes and Liz had developed as characters since the end of Better Than The Movies! I just wish I could have enjoyed the actual storyline more.