Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for allowing me to read this book!

The sequel to Liz and Wes' story felt a little lackluster in comparison to the first book. The plot, frankly, felt a little forced, but it had good potential. There was so much more that could have been explored in more depth: the anxiety attacks, the trauma, Wes dropping out... Not to mention the drastic switch-up of Liz that was never explained. Plus, it was sold as a second-chance romance, and there was barely any of that. Not enough slow burn for a book supposedly only centered around romance.

Overall, it was a little disappointing of a read for me. My honest opinion? I don't feel like this book really needed a sequel. There was some good writing, but the overdose of pop song references and lack of development was not it for me.

She’s done it again… a perfect Wes and Liz sequel to Better Than The Movies!

I recently re listened to Better Than The Movies and just thought how will @lynnpainterbooks top this and I believe she has… swoony scenes, top quality tension, heartbreaking heartbreaks and of course lots of movie and music references!

I was so excited to read this book as I loved the first one. I was on an emotional rollercoaster with this one but I loved it. It was the perfect sequel to better than the movies and I absolutely devoured it.

After loving Better Than the Movies, I was so excited to read Nothing Like the Movies, and it did not disappoint! In fact, I think I enjoyed it even more. Lynn Painter has a way of writing characters that you can’t help but fall in love with, and this sequel had me hooked from the very beginning.

In this book, Liz and Wes face the realities of college life and adulthood, and it’s clear their relationship is being tested by new challenges. I really enjoyed seeing how they handled these obstacles while trying to figure out their future. Revisiting characters from the first book felt familiar and comforting, while also allowing them to grow in new directions.

One of my favourite parts of both books is the way each chapter begins with a movie quote. It adds such a fun and nostalgic touch, and for anyone who loves romantic comedies, it’s a great nod to that genre.

What I found particularly special in this book is how Painter handles the more serious topics, like grief and stepping into adulthood. She weaves these themes into the story in a way that feels natural and heartfelt without weighing it down. The balance between the lighter moments and the heavier ones made it all the more compelling to read.

I also loved the dual POV. It was great to be able to get inside both Liz and Wes’s heads, and it really helped me connect to each of them on a deeper level. It added so much to the emotional impact of the story.

I devoured this book in less than 24 hours because I just couldn’t put it down. If you enjoyed Better Than the Movies, this is definitely a must-read. It’s a heart-warming, funny, and emotional story that I’d highly recommend—one of my favourite reads of 2024!

Huge appreciation to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy of this book!!

Lynn Painter is a genius YA author and Better than the Movies has is one of my favourites of hers. I was so excited when I heard that she was writing a sequel and instantly clicked on request when it became available on NetGalley.

The story follows Wes as he tries to earn Liz’s trust and win her back after he breaks up with her. It was so good to reunite with them again, despite them not actually being in a relationship for the most part of the story.

It did take me a while to get into initially and I did put it down and pick it back up a few times but once I’d gone past the 40% mark I got stuck in. I don’t think Better than the Movies needed a sequel, it’s great on its own, but this was a great follow on. It gives a more realistic approach to college relationships and is relatable, it’s not all sunshine and roses.

Overall, I enjoyed this and would recommend it!

I loved the first book and was nervous/excited when they announced the sequel. The first book was so good and I honestly wish we never got this book. I didn’t recognise these characters as all. I found it really hard to get my teeth into this one.

Okayyyyy, let’s go write a bad review on one of the most anticipated release of the year🥳! This book had no business being written and that’s my first issue with it. Second of all, I think it should’ve taken place either over the span of a few years, maybe having them interact in college, then as adults in the industry and then rekindle their romance. It felt like no time had passed and yet Wes, for some reason, seemed to be unable to move on. I would rather have seen them trying to move on but unable to and finally giving in after years of trying. My biggest issue with this though, was Wes. The man was being so pushy when it came to Liz, like in your eyes, she’s dating someone else, or has made it clear she doesn’t like or want you, leave her alone. He was so determined to get her back, it really wasn’t even cute, just very creepy and annoying. He just took her for granted and never tried to know her, instead he just assumed she hadn’t changed? She told him how that was an issue but nothing was done to showcase the info had registered in his head. The romance itself was extremely rushed since 65% of this novel is just them doing stuff, talking, getting mad at one another and other useless things. They had to get their sh!t together, yes, but it felt disproportionate in terms of page time compared to the actual romance, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE MAIN PART OF THIS NOVEL BY THE WAY!!! I liked that Liz was less romantic than in Better than the Movies, it made sense after their breakup, being in a totally new environment, but also just becoming an adult, that she would turn out this way. She really was the most adult of the two, when that would have been expected of Wes, given the last two years of his life. Anyway, Clark is baby girl. 1.5 stars

I apologise for calling wes Bennett a little bitch on instagram the other day.

I'm not really sure how I expected this one to play out after the first book, and I loved the way it did. I think if you have an expectation of how this will go, it won't be that.

P.s. I need another one!

‘Nothing Like The Movies’ by Lynn Painter is the sequel to 2021’s ‘Better Than The Movies’ and returns to Liz and Wes as students at UCLA, with Wes tentatively navigating his freshman season as a baseball player… two years later than expected. We find out early in this novel that the HEA as the couple drove off into the sunshine to start higher studies together didn’t last long due to a tragic event that transformed both of their lives and led to Wes withdrawing from school, and their relationship. Heartbroken Liz rebuilt her college experience and moved on, but this book asks whether the love they had for each other can be reignited.

I loved:
- Liz and Wes were still loveable characters, and the dual POV structure really let us get into both of their heads, crucial especially to understanding Wes’s actions
- The movie quotes at the start of each chapter returned, and I LOVED the ‘Gilmore Girls’ references too
- The baseball scenes that gave this a college sports romance vibe
- The way Liz had moved further towards her dream career despite heartbreak
- Multiple scenes made me SOB which shows just how connected and protective I feel of these characters
- The CHEMISTRY between Liz and Wes was as strong as ever!

Overall, this is a winning young adult romance which strikes a great balance of allowing the characters to evolve and grow up while retaining their core values. I’d definitely recommend to any and all fans of the first book (and do think you should read BTTM first before picking this one up). Giving this a warm, nostalgic, cosy 4.5 stars!

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Simon & Schuster UK via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed Better Than The Movies so I was so looking forward to this book, but it was such a disappointment 😭 It was just impossible to get stuck into. It felt like the Wes and Liz were completely different characters compared to the first book. This was a prime example that some books are not meant to have a sequel.

I tried so hard to get back into reading this so many times but I could just not get myself excited to read it. Ended up DNFing after not picking it back up after 3 weeks.

Lynn Painter wrote Better Than The Movies which I believe to be one of the best rom-coms of all time, so when I found out she was publishing a sequel, I was so excited.
The vibe of Nothing Like The Movies is completely different from the first book. There are so many deeper topics which are discussed in this book and the rom-com vibe was not as prominent as it was in the first book.
There were definitely rom-com aspects spread throughout this book and the addition of Wes' Pov was such an amazing decision and one of my favourite parts of this book. I loved seeing how much he loves Liz because we didn't get to read his pov in the first book.
This book was both heartbreaking and fulfilling, and it had me laughing and crying and giggling the whole way through. I loved revisiting Liz and Wes' romance and seeing them moving on to new adventures and having new experiences and finding their way back to each other.
I really did love reading this book and I think if you love Liz and Wes, you will love this book/

Lynn Painter’s Nothing Like the Movies is a delightful and heartfelt sequel that truly does justice to the beloved characters from Better Than the Movies. Picking up two years after Liz and Wes head to UCLA, the story dives into their unexpected breakup after Wes loses his father, and his determined effort to win Liz back.

Having read the first book I don’t know if there needed to be a second… this book in my opinion wasn’t as good as the first book and didn’t give me what I expected from it. It was still a good read but the first book could have been a standalone.

Thankyou NetGalley for the read still

"You showed me colours you know I can't see with anyone else"💕

A second chance for Wes and Liz, with banter, drama and more. I liked the continued story, though it did feel a little dragged out, I enjoyed the cute romcom and nice ending for our fav couple!😊

4.5⭐️ - I was equal parts terrified and excited when I heard about the sequel to Better Than the Movies, mainly because I didn’t want to imagine a world where Liz and Wes weren’t together! So I went into Nothing Like the Movies with extremely high expectations that Liz was going to do their love story justice and this would all make sense by the end.

I honestly loved this so much more than I was expecting! The story picks up two years after Liz and Wes head off to UCLA together, only to break up a few weeks in after Wes unexpectedly loses his Dad. In the present day, Wes is determined to win Liz back over and knows the ‘little Liz’ he fell in love with is all about the grand gestures worthy of the romcoms she dreams of. So much has changed in their time apart, not including Liz’ new roommate who she is rarely seen without and sparking dating rumours to their circle of friends. But one thing remains the same - Wes knows Liz is his endgame and will stop at nothing to win her back.

Spoiler free review - I honestly think this was a second chance romance that beats the stereotype of poor miscommunication! When you find out the backstory to the breakup, be prepared for the rollercoaster of emotions you’re going to go on. Wes has to battle against the changes he’s gone through, along with maybe not knowing the new Liz who has gone through two years at college without him.

This book is full of witty banter, heartwarming moments and all the romcom references you could dream of. But at the core it’s actually really heartfelt and full of pining, which isn’t at all what I was expecting. Wes Bennett remains one of my favourite book boyfriends and I loved being back in this universe.

Nothing Like the Movies is an extremely well done sequel in my eyes and I highly recommend to any fans that can’t get enough Liz and Wes content! I’m very grateful to have been sent a copy by Simon & Schuster UK in exchange for my honest review.

Lynn painter my lord you know how to write. Your books are so fast paced and they have me swooning and kicking my feet and giggling! This book is amazing and I’m in love with these characters! I’ve loved from better than the movies and so glad I got to see them progress in this book! I 10000% recommend!

I loved this! I was originally hesitant about this book because I didn't feel like a sequel was necessary but I was very wrong. I actually much preferred this to Better Than The Movies, it felt a lot more real and it was really fun to see how Wes and Liz had matured and grown. I found myself rooting for them even more this time around. I really liked all the new characters and enjoyed the little glimpses we got of the old characters. I really felt for both Wes and Liz throughout this, the story didn't hold back on how they were feeling and how they had been affected and I think it was a really interesting concept for a sequel. If you liked Better Than The Movies, you'll love this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I will admit that i found the first half of this book a bit of a slog. I know it was filling in the details of Wes and Liz’s split and why they were so firmly apart. It also had to catch the reader up with the ways the characters had developed in the two years they were apart. I did find it a bit frustrating.
Halfway through though it does pick up and starts to become the kind of book I suspect most readers will be looking for. The path of true love is still not smooth, but that wouldn’t make an interesting story anyway.

Unfortunately this was not for me. I felt this book didn’t need to be written, I was bored throughout most of it and i felt like the plot never really developed into something that made me want to root for them. I liked the writing style and the characters from the previous book but this one felt unnecessary to me.

Rounded up from 3.5.

This book isn’t perfect by any means, but I still enjoyed reading it. There’s something really special about seeing beloved characters grow and change. Both Wes and Liz have evolved since Better Than The Movies but to me, their development rang true and they were still themselves. While BTTM was very much Liz’s book, this is really Wes’s story (despite being dual POV) and I really enjoyed his perspective and his character arc. The baseball content was unexpectedly interesting, too.

Structurally, something about the first third of the book didn’t really work for me - the story moved back and forth between time periods two years apart but continued to withhold key information from the reader (and one of the protagonists). This would have made sense had both protagonists been in the dark, but it felt off somehow as we got plenty of Wes’s POV but still didn’t find out all the details pertinent to their breakup until nearly halfway through the book. I don’t mind not knowing everything upfront but the way this was written, I sometimes wasn’t sure if I was supposed to know more and had just managed to miss crucial information (I hadn’t, but that didn’t become obvious until later in the book). It was a slightly unsettling experience for this reason.

I am not sure Wes and Liz actually resolved their main issue by the end of the book, which surprised me a bit - but I was very jet lagged when I finished reading, so maybe I just missed it. I’d also expected the deception with Clark to be revealed by the end of the book, which didn’t happen either. Nevertheless, I had a fond tear in my eye when I came to the last page and said goodbye to these two delightful characters, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to revisit them.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.