I struggled with enjoying this book in the beginning as I just really did not like the main character, Annie. I stuck with it as I liked the premise and romcom references. I enjoyed the way things worked out, but didn't quite enjoy the book as a whole as much as I had expected.

And this story was ADORABLE – you don’t have to be a hopeless romantic (I kind of am) but it helps – and if you’re a fan of rom com movies and books – all the better. Because you will see frequent references to many classics in the genre from Pillow Talk through Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail…. All great movies for a quiet retreat when you just want to smile. Sure, some of the older ones are monochromatic and are ‘of their day’ but it’s entertainment and escape: unlike Annie’s use of them to guide her relationship choices. And what choices she does have with a renowned director arriving in her Cincinnati neighborhood to film, of all things, a romantic comedy. And, it just so happens that this director and her uncle were college roommates, and he’s made one phone call and she’s the assistant to said director, sight unseen, Of course, Annie has her moments from spilling a cup of coffee on the leading actor, being caught out googling him, and utterly convinced he’s up to no good. And that she’s got no reason to think otherwise.

Except for Drew – who is adorable and loves to tease, from a big family, loyal and utterly enchanted by Annie’s life, her outlook and even her prickles. Living with and clutching on to her memories of time with her mother, her rose-tinted view of the time, and the struggles since have Annie a bit difficult, and she does wear on patience, but when her world crashes around her with a stupid mistake and a discovery – things really start to turn around. It’s her best friend Chloe, Nick – the owner of the coffee shop, and her Uncle that encourage that climax – when Annie has to let go of the childish things and took a chance at her own future as a screenwriter and in love. It’s cute, with funny characters, entertaining and engaging, and clever for the messages, hidden and blatant. And it never hurts to have a bit of amusement and happiness in your reading life.

Absolutely a gem of a book!
Annie Cassidy loves romantic comedies, and by loves, I mean she’s obsessed. Romantic comedies are a connection to her deceased mom, a way to step away from the occasional bleakness of life, & they always have a satisfying ending. When she stumbles into an assistant position on a rom com being filmed in her hometown of Columbus, she also literally stumbles into heartthrob Hollywood actor Drew Danforth by spilling a cup of hot coffee on him. Cue her romantic comedy beginning that she absolutely denies is a rom com. THIS BOOK IS SO DANG CUTE! It made me laugh on multiple occasions and squeal with delight over the Ohio references! File under a lovely romance with little steam that will have you so excited for Kerry Winfrey’s second book featuring some of the secondary characters! 💓

I loved this book! It was such a fun, quick, and cute read. Annie is a screenwriter who hasn't worked on a movie yet. When a movie is coming to film in her town she finds out that she will be the assistant to the Director! Dream role, right? Then Annie meets Drew. Drew is the "it" guy who everyone loves, except Annie. Why? Because all he calls her is "coffee girl". The writer did such a good job at keeping the reader interested and wanting more. I want a sequel with her friends! I really enjoyed this novel and can't wait to read more from Winfrey.

When I first discovered Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey, I knew I would have to read the book! Not only is Tom Hanks one of my favorite actors, but his movie with Meg Ryan, You’ve Got Mail, is my all-time most favorite movie ever. (Seriously, I have watched it HUNDREDS of times, and it never gets old.) The summary for the book sounded really awesome, and I was excited to check it out. I’m SO glad I did!!

If you know me any at all, then you know that I am a HUGE fan of contemporary and rom-coms, and I’m always on the lookout for something new in this genre to read. I started Waiting for Tom Hanks because Tom Hanks was in the title, and I stayed because it was such a fun read.

This book has a super great cast of characters, and I really enjoyed following the main character, Annie, as she tried to find her Tom Hanks. Annie has so many fun moments throughout the book, and it was fun experiencing them with her. Also, the love interest in the story is adorable, and I loved their meet cute. There are a lot of fun secondary characters in the story as well!

And while the characters in the book were great, I also want to add that I enjoyed the storyline as well. It was cute, and fun, and I loved that ALL of my favorite movies were mentioned throughout the book as well! (You’ve Got Mail, While You Were Sleeping, Sleepless in Seattle, etc.) I do not know of many other books that mention these, and it instantly made me love the story.

Overall; Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey was a super cute, quick read, and I’m so glad that I checked it out! I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for more books from Kerry in the future!

When I saw this title I almost peed myself. I have TOTALLY been waiting for Tom Hanks.


Don't tell my husband...oh wait. He would totally dump my hateful self for Jennifer Aniston so I am not feeling too bad.

This book sounds like pure fun. Annie spends her days dreaming about finding her "Tom Hanks" since she loves rom-coms and he is totally one of the most lovable characters in them. She also has the sads because she lost her mom who taught her the loving of the Cult of Nora Ephron movies.
She's the one who spent Saturday nights sobbing on the end of Sleepless in Seattle, showing me that true love sometimes involved a little bit of light stalking and a lot of encouragement from Rosie O'Donnell.
.

Annie happens to be a wanna be screen play writer too by the way. So her quirky uncle gets her a job when a rom-com movie comes to town. Convenient huh?

*Spoiler alert*
Don't go expect a totally original story when you go into this book and it might be a better experience for you than I had.

I kid...I didn't spoil anything.

Anyways...so there is super cute movie actor in the movie and stuff happens. Quirky friends are in the plot and blah blah blah.
I kept wanting a bit more.


I didn't feel any sparks flying from my book with these two. I totally think they just peed on Tom Hanks.


Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer jerjen

Annie Cassidy is looking for the perfect guy. A guy who is sensitive, funny, sweet and adorable. Someone like Tom Hanks in all of his Rom-Com movies. Now, we all know that the perfect man only exists in films and books, but that does not stop Annie from waiting for her perfect man. When she meets Drew Danforth, the lead actor in a movie that Annie is working on, she knows that he is not the one. He could not possibly be the one, he is NOTHING like Tom Hanks.

To me the best thing about this book was all the references to the Rom Com movies from days gone by. It brought back memories of the movies that I loved to watch and why I used to like them so much. My all time favorite of these movies is While You Were Sleeping, which I think I could watch once a week.

The characters were funny and quirky and for the most part likable (sometimes I wanted to shake Annie). The story was a bit predictable, but that was alright because the movies were predictable too.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted contemporary women’s read. And do not be surprised when you want to watch the Rom-Com movies again.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

What a charming read! The characters came alive for me and I could definitely see this becoming a movie, which is good since it’s up next in my story specials Who Would You Cast? on my Instagram (@julieannareads). While the plot was pretty predictable, most of the best romcoms are, so that didn’t bother me too much. If you’re someone who is always rooting for the couple to end up together (however unrealistic that may be), then I’d say this book is for you!

This super sweet, quirky novel by Kerry Winfrey is the perfect read for this Fall. It released earlier this year but if you missed it, now is the time to pick it and fall in love. If you are a fan of romantic comedies as in movies, and romantic comedies as in books too... then this is the perfect read for you. I felt like Annie and I would totally be friends in real life. The author spins a unique tale around a girl who is obsessed with rom-coms and is looking for her own Tom Hanks. I must admit... I've watched You've Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle Countless times so I could totally relate to Annie. As the weather turns cooler and you are looking for a book to curl up with, this is it. You'll be entertained, amused, and hopeful that your own romantic hero is out there for you too!

2.5. A cute and quirky quick read. Would appeal to fans of 90's rom-coms, Tom Hanks (duh), and those looking for a sweet and straightforward romantic comedy. Personally, I found it a bit boring and I felt that the banter/tension between the two leads was more awkward and predictable than scintillating. I think this book could've been improved with another POV, because Annie was annoying most of the time. But it's a cute story with charming moments.

A must read for any romantic comedy fanatic like me. A great take on comedies and women taking the lead in their stories. I loved how strong she becomes throughout the story and it was so funny. I haven’t laughed out loud in such a while. Highly recommend.

I first heard about this novel from Annie Jones, owner of The Bookshelf, on an episode of the From the Front Porch podcast; Annie really enjoyed it and it sounded like a fun, light summer read. This is a super-cute, cheesy-yet-delightful story for all of the rom-com fans out there; a quick read that will keep you smiling.

This one wasn’t for me. I have heard great reviews for it, but I’m afraid I just couldn’t get into it even after multiple tries.

Fans of Nora Ephron will absolutely enjoy this story. While I do like her movies I thought the excessive references to her works was over the top. The romance and plot was fun and I look forward to more from this writer, a good beach read.

I could not tell you enough how much I needed this book. It came at the perfect time for me, and honestly hit basically all of my rom-com needs. It was super nostalgic of 90’s-00’s romantic comedy films, with all of the references and plot devices. The banter between the two love interests was just super witty and fun, and I absolutely loved the positive portrayal of friendship. There’s something about a big, fun loving friend group that sticks together and loves each other through all of their mistakes and flaws. And I love a best friend relationship in which they aren’t afraid to give one another tough love when it’s needed. This book follows the perfect rom-com formula in its narrative (which was totally intentional and beautiful), and I needed that more than you know. Thanks Berkley Pub for sending me a copy of this book, and Kerry Winfrey for writing this perfectly adorable story. Please write more!!

I haven't decided if I'll review this book or not. I HAVE been recommending it at work and handhold a copy a couple of weeks ago. I think there is definitely an audience for it. I'm not sure that the audience is me, however. I was very excited for this book and do want to re-read it and the future and see if maybe I will be in a different reading mode!

This book was obviously a can't-miss for a hardcore Nora Ephron fan like myself. I thought it was delightful, though I see myself agreeing with other reviews that say that Annie is an unlikable heroine. Which is fine, because Nora Ephron's heroines were unlikable. Everybody get's so distracted by the big O scene in When Harry Met Sally they forget Sally's ordering technique. She's frustrating. And so is Annie. My secondhand embarrassment/dread got the better of me with the final plot twist and I had to set the book down for five minutes, but I still finished it in one sitting. There were points I totally laughed out loud.

My only complaint would be that repeatedly mentioning plot devices took away the surprise when the plot devices were enacted. Listen, we all know about the plot devices in romance novels, that's why we like them, but we don't want to be fully aware of them as they're happening. Also, maybe the "Tom Hanks" word count could have been a little lower. It was a little exhausting to read through by the end.

This book was just not for me. Actually, that’s not completely true. It was well-written, and if the next book in the series involves the couple I think it will, I’ll probably read it. Annie Cassidy, the main character, was absolutely not for me. Annie Cassidy is a fully-grown, fully-functioning, 27-year-old adult. And she loves romantic comedies. And, look. I like rom-coms. I watch them all, and I glory in their cheese and their unrealistic setups and situations. I need them to function in a world that’s as fucked up as this one is.

But they are not real life. Annie, our fully-grown 27-year-old, will settle for nothing less. And I don’t mean that she wants a love like she sees in the movies. She expects all of it. The meet-cute. The serendipitous run-ins that don’t make any sense. A houseboat. The miscommunication. The black moment. The grovel. And if she doesn’t get it, she’s not interested. Literally. Her dream man could approach her at a party and say hello, and she would send him packing because it’s not enough of an adorable meeting. She literally continued dating a man in this book that she felt nothing for, solely because he owned a houseboat, which must mean that he’s her Tom Hanks. It was ridiculous.

And the way she treated Drew in the beginning was deplorable. She’s seen and read interviews that he’s done, and quick talk spots on various red carpets, and Drew is always smiling and making jokes. Which, in Annie’s mind, means that he doesn’t take anything seriously, he’s a fuckboy, and doesn’t appreciate anything he has. BECAUSE HE LIKES TO MAKE JOKES. She treats him like shit. They go to grab some dinner at one point, and he opens the door for her. “You don’t have to do that,” I snap, about to tell him not to make fun of me by opening door as if I’m the famous person and he’s my driver.” WHAT? Who the fuck thinks that when someone opens the door for them? Even if you’re somehow insulted by someone opening a door from you, how do you get to that explanation for it?

I had no patience for Annie and her ridiculous ideas. I liked Drew, he was fine. He seemed like a nice guy who is in fact, not a fuckboy, but deeply cares about the people in his life. He deserved better than Annie. Especially after the black moment Annie was so interested in having. She certainly got it. By doing something so awful to Drew that I wanted him to walk away and never even look at her again. I am not a lawyer, but he probably could have taken legal action against her. It was so egregious that I had to read it 3 times because I thought I had to be reading it wrong. And for her to then turn around and act like she was the wronged party had me actually shaking with rage. I was so mad at her, in a way I can’t remember being mad at a fictional character before. She absolutely did NOT deserve Drew’s forgiveness, and frankly, the fact that he did forgive her, made me respect him a little less. If he was going to forgive her, it needed to come after days, weeks, months of groveling. Not one rom-com worthy speech after a rom-com worthy stunt. I hated everything about the last 50 pages of this book so much that it actually dwarfed my annoyance with Annie from the first 200 pages.

Bottom line, I cannot, in good conscience recommend this book to anyone. I’ve given it 2 stars instead of 1 because it was as well-written as it was. But do yourself a favor and wait for the follow-up. If it follows Nick and Chloe, it should be better.

This was one of the most heart warming books I’ve read! Cute concept that is handled very well. I loved Annie’s character and the story line. Can’t wait to read the follow up!!

This book was light and amusing and romantic. At first I thought it was predictable, but then I realized it was kind of making fun of itself. The heroine is a depth of character that wouldn’t be there if it was pure fluff. I really enjoyed the friendships and family the characters created for themselves.