This book was less a romance novel, and more a love letter to Romantic Commedies. I will admit I found the MC incredibly annoying, because I wanted to shake her and tell her to get over her weird obsession with thinking life is like a movie. If you are interested in a book about romcoms, I reccomend “I’ll have what she’s having”, the book about Nora Ephron and her movies. I am looking forward to the second book though, because Chloe was an amazing side character who deserves her own story

I'm all in my feelings about this book! It is love letter to romantic comedies and falling in love, no matter how it happens.
I loved all the characters, especially Drew and Annie. As an Ohioan, I loved that it was set in Columbus.
It was fun, it was charming, it was great! So, so, great!

Waiting for Tom Hanks is cheesy, but it’s unabashedly so.  It wraps its arms around you and charms you with its tropes and tries to make you love it, almost in spite of any grumpy misgivings you might have about it when you part its covers.  It does have some nagging problems that means it doesn’t get a fully enthusiastic recommendation, but it’s readable and fun.  Consider it more of a Money Pit than a Splash or Sleepless in Seattle.

Aspiring screenplay writer Annie Cassidy is yearning for her own Tom Hanks and a Nora Ephron-style meet-cute to decorate her life.  After years of obsessing over the romcoms she and her mom used to watch together as comfort food – and comparing her own relationship to the seemingly incomparable one between her father and her mother - she can’t imagine living a life without meet-cutes, big sweeping love confessions and races to or from the airport.  But sadly, she’s no closer to meeting her mister right – or having a fully independent life -  than she was in her teens. Currently twenty-seven and sharing a Victorian house with her nerdy Uncle Don, she works at a local café while trying to force her own romcom to life.  Just when it seems as if nothing exciting will ever happen to shake up her dull grey world, news arrives that director Tommy Crisante is going to shoot his next movie in her hometown of German Village, Ohio.

Annie, with some friendly nudging from her best friend Chloe and a personal connection via Don, applies for – and gets the job - of Tommy’s assistant.  Annie hopes to both get some professional traction on her screenplay and meet her Tom Hanks on the set, and when she makes a pre-first-day visit to take a peek at the set she runs face-first into actor Drew Danforth’s chest, and it looks like fate has intervened at last.

Drew turns out to be a surprisingly kind and shy guy, but years of expectations and tabloid rumors about Drew means that Annie’s not receptive to the notion of his being her Tom Hanks.  Another crew member, Nick, provides more of a Hanks-ian vibe – and then there’s Barry, whom Chloe sets Annie up with and who turns out to be a total mess.  Will any of them turn out to be Annie’s Tom Hanks – or has he been right in front of her the whole time?

The only reason I can’t wholeheartedly recommend Waiting for Tom Hanks is the heroine.  Annie is frustratingly immature and painfully credulous for a twenty-seven- year-old.  The reasons for this are understandable; she’s put the breaks on her life to live in a fantasy world, and it takes a dose of reality to make her realize that not everything’s a silver-screen-ready moment – but that doesn’t give her a pass to be childlishly rude to Drew for large chunks of the book, often completely without reason.  For someone so trope-savvy she’s completely unable to realize she’s living through her own romcom.

Drew is amusingly sarcastic and is warm and caring by turns. Honestly, by the end of the book I ended up wishing he had a better heroine to play off of.  His half of the romance is cute but ugh, it takes Annie so long to grow up!

The book has a lot of great supporting characters.  I loves sassy Chloe and caring Uncle Don (I couldn’t fathom why in the world Annie was embarrassed about his nerdiness – I found him super charming!), and I was surprised by sloppy rough-around-the-edges Tommy, who could fill up a book on his lonesome.

Another big boon is Winfrey’s total mastery of the art of the romcom.  She obviously gets the genre, and knows it well enough to fondly tweak its clichés.  A lot of the fun of the book is to recognize all of the little references and jokes as you read.

With everything but the heroine providing a worthwhile performance, Waiting for Tom Hanks is readable and enjoyable, but imperfect.

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I thought this was a fun summer read, even though I found it to be a bit trite I the obsessive romantic comedy admiration. It won't stop me from recommending it as a poolside brain candy read.

Waiting for Tom Hanks is super adorable and will give you all the rom-com feels! If you like the adorable meet-cutes, the fantastic friends, and the grand gesture (think boom box in your front yard) this will be a book you don't want to miss.

Annie is a woman who knows what she wants in a man and isn't willing to settle. She knows she can't have THE Tom Hanks (because he's married and all), but she feels his various characters over the years embodies what she wants in a man. Her friends try to talk so sense into her (because, she will be single forever otherwise) which provides great fun. When she meets Drew, a hollywood heartthrob, she is sure he is NOT the one. Annie is kind of oblivious to the budding attraction from Drew which I found a bit irritating at times. I wanted one of her friends to actually hit some sense into her! I loved her uncle as wel. What a wonderful guy to have in her life! Drew is everything you love about rom-com heroes: funny, sweet, down to earth, and super cute.

Annie and Drew will totally melt your heart and give you a fun, light read to enjoy! Waiting for Tom Hanks is also set in Columbus, OH so yay for the Ohio representation! If you love movies like Sleepless in Seattle, Say Anything, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and the like, Waiting for Tom Hanks is going to be a new favorite read!

Winfrey is a new to me author and I enjoyed her style. While this book is so much like the rom coms we all know and love, the story still manages to seem fresh and fun. I am looking forward to more of Winfrey's books for sure.

I also had the audio of this book and this was a new to me narrator, Rachel Jacobs. She did a great job and I found her narration to be enjoyable.

I love this book so much. If you're a fan of Rom Com's then this is the perfect book for you. I will say that the author mentioned different ones on like every page, but I didn't mind at all. I loved the story and the writing was perfection.

If that sneak peek alone wasn’t enough to convince you to add this one to your TBR I’m here to do my best to give you some more reasons why I think this a must read for romance fans! First and foremost it was just a really fun AND funny read, I don’t know about you but I find myself drawn to lighter and cuter reads in the summertime and this one surely fits the bill, an ideal vacation read for sure!
If you’re a fan of rom com movies, specifically older ones, there are some great references here as Annie is a huge fan of them. It really made me want to rewatch some of my old favorites, Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, etc and I got the same vibes reading this delightful book as I do while watching a beloved movie. Annie was super lovable and endearing, she had that whole quirky vibe going on and I always dig an imperfect heroine. At first glance Drew seems like the typical Hollywood charmer with not a lot going on upstairs but there’s definitely more to him than meets the eye and him and Annie suited each other perfectly.
As far as steam level goes, while there is sexual chemistry and tension this isn’t explicit and leaves everything up to the readers imagination. That’s a bonus for me, I like the cute and fun side of romance more than the sex and I know some readers prefer to know beforehand either way, so here’s your heads up! Overall this was just a really sweet read and one I totally recommend for romance fans.
Waiting for Tom Hanks in three words: Adorable, Entertaining and Funny

4 Stars

Get ready for a fun, humorous and adorable read! Waiting for Tom Hanks is the perfect read for all you rom-com fans (that's me!). Who doesn't love watching these movies and wishing the perfect man will fall on your doorstep?

Annie Cassidy is a rom-com lover, who is looking for her perfect man. A man who's sweet and sensitive, well...kinda like Tom Hanks' characters! Obviously, this 'perfect man' doesn't exist, but she just might have found her match when she meets Hollywood heartthrob Drew Danforth.

Drew is a fun character, their banter when they first met had me laughing. And falling for each other wasn't instant like in the movies! It took time to develop their relationship between all the misunderstandings. But it did work out at the end.

Sure this book is predictable, but what rom-com isn't and I wouldn't expect anything less. A great light and fluffy read from this debut author. Looking forward to more!

I must confess I am a lover of rom-coms, and this was like a love letter to all those movies, which made me me laugh and filled my heart with joy.

Annie was raised on rom-coms and stories of her mother's fairytale romance with her father. She had high hopes, that her forever love would come, and when he did, he would embody all those qualities of the various romance heroes Tom Hanks had portrayed. Her expectations seemed impossible, but one Hollywood import may have come close.

This book was tons of fun, and I was smiling from page one until the very end. I was so in love with all the rom-com references, and Winfrey included some of my all-time favorites. In addition to all the those bits, Annie had a great circle of friends. I had so much fun with this group at the coffee shop, where the conversation was always amusing, and the dynamic was fantastic.

Then there was Drew. I actually adored him from their very first "meet-cute". I liked his sense of humor, and he had a big heart. It took me a lot less time than Annie to realize how wonderful he was, but I happily watched Annie's attitude towards Drew slowly change.

This book had:
• Enemies to lovers
• A fantastic female friendship
• A grand gesture
• Lots of humor
• Great banter
• Fun and fabulous supporting characters
• A stupendous ending - absolutely precious!

Overall: A wonderful rom-com, which left me with a smile plastered to my face.

Annie is a true rom-com aficionado. She has spent her life waiting for her rom-com to come to life, along with her very own Tom Hanks (the epitome of rom-com heroes). When she gets the opportunity to work as the director's assistant on an actually romantic comedy movie in her hometown, she believes her "movie" is about to begin. However, real life is never like the movies. I really enjoyed this book. I loved all of the references to romantic comedies (really wish there was a list of them at the end of the book!) and thought the story was really on point. I will admit that I wanted to shake Annie a few times and tell her to wake up and grow up, but I think that's kind of the point of the story. I really would love to see this as a movie!

First of all, we need to acknowledge how CUTE this cover is! I'm such a sucker for books with illustrated covers! If you're a fan of rom-com movies, this is definitely a book you should pick up! It definitely has that classic rom-com, kinda 90's, vibe. It was a bit predictable, but I think that was the point of this one. Light, quirky, and breezy! I'm fascinated by the entertainment industry plus I love a good actor romance trope, so this was definitely a hit from the beginning! Thank you so much for our copy!

Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey is such a fun summer romance! Annie Cassidy, a diehard romantic comedy fan, is waiting for the perfect romantic plot line to take her by surprise. Annie grew up watching classic rom-coms with her mother such a Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, and When Harry Met Sally. Annie has very high romantic expectations and she won’t settle for anything less than the perfect relationship. She’s bound to meet her own version of Tom Hanks soon, right?

When a film crew comes to her hometown to film a new romantic comedy, Annie winds up getting a job as an assistant to the director. Annie is so intent on finding her Mr. Right that she doesn’t realize her coffee mishap with the lead actor of the film, hunky Drew Danforth, could actually be the beginning of her own romance.

This book is perfect fans of rom coms and pop culture. I was delighted by the quirky humor and had a smile on my face the entire time. The writing was excellent, this definitely did not read like a debut novel. My favorite aspect of this book were Annie’s relationship with her best friend Chloe and her Uncle Don. Annie and Chloe’s banter was hilarious and Uncle Don was so sweet and supportive.

Although a tad predictable, I was intrigued and read this quickly because I needed to find out the ending! If you’re looking for a cute romance, I recommend checking this one out!

Publication Date: June 11

Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing, and Kerry Winfrey for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute, fluffy love letter to romcoms. Even though I found the heroine Annie to be frustrating at time, I really did enjoy reading this book and am looking forward to the upcoming Chloe/Nick (I hope!) sequel..

Waiting for Tom Hanks what a breathe of fresh air for a new author!!

Ok let me start out by saying I've been getting into romance so much lately and this definitely feeds that romance withdrawal.

I have seen my fair share of movies with Tom Hanks... Big, You've Got Mail, Splash, and Sleepless in Seattle. I was under the impression that Tom Hanks was just the title for this novel. I was a little thrown for a loop how many times "Tom Hanks" was mentioned in this book and all the references for his movies/rom-com's. I was a tad annoyed but towards the end of the book I realized that this added to the uniqueness of this rom-com! ;).

Annie is waiting for her Tom Hanks and "meet cute" moment to arrive. A romantic comedy is happening in her hometown and she lands the job as the director's assistant. She meets the main actor Drew and spills hot coffee all over him. Is this her "meet cute"?!

This was sweet, engaging, fast, and funny rom com. I would recommend if you're looking for a light and fluffy romance.

4 stars!

I'm looking forward to reading Kerry Winfrey's next book!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: 6/11/19
Published to Goodreads: 6/3/19

This was just a lot of fun. If you're a fan of rom-coms, especially those starring Tom Hanks, I think you'll enjoy this one. Plus, for me, the friendship between the MC and Chloe and the relationship between her and her uncle were actually pretty great. You should know, though, that it's pretty over-the-top in terms of rom-com references. The MC is very obsessed with rom-coms (for a reason) and mentions them often. She also has a tough time moving forward with her own life without a perfect rom-com situation facing her. It can be a bit frustrating at points but the book moved so quickly for me and I enjoyed most of the references, that it didn't really bother me. But I can see how it could really grate on some people. So if you don't mind the MC mentioning rom-coms and Tom Hanks and perfect meet-cutes and dates and romances, then you should check this out. It's a perfect pick for the beach or pool and left me smiling.

I really and truly didn't want to do this, but I had to dnf this one. I love the cover and the concept but I just couldn't get into it. I tried skipping around and no matter where I picked it something just didn't work for me.

I really hope that you can get past the heroine and love this story, because I wanted to and I want you to get pleasure from it that I didn't.

Okay, award for most adorable book of 2019 definitely goes to Kerry Winfrey’s Waiting for Tom Hanks! So much charm and heart within these pages - not to mention references to my favorite childhood romcoms - hello You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, just to name a few!

Annie, who lost both her parents at a young age, is obsessed with Nora Ephron, romantic comedies and of course, the idea of finding her own Tom Hanks (the type, not the person, don’t fret Rita Wilson). When Annie gets the opportunity to work as an assistant on a movie set filming locally, she might just get her chance!

Contemporary romance fans rejoice, this is another winner in this genre. With fade to black romance scenes, those who don’t want too much steam will love this one. Endearing and charming, now all I want is “Not Like the Movies” - a follow up coming next from Winfrey!

Thank you to Berkley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This was a lovely,cute and lighthearted story.I liked the premise and the consept, I find it refreshing!The story is about Annie,who is a writer and obsessed with rom coms.Who doesn't like them? I love them!

A romantic comedy is set to film in Annie's hometown and she gets a job as the director’s assistant.Soon she gets to know the lead actor, Drew Danforth and she isn't impressed with him.
Annie was an interesting heroine, I can't say I loved her all the time.She was cute but sometimes she frustrated me.However, in the end I liked her!

It's a fun and cute read so if you like rom com I'm sure you are going to enjoy it.

This book was everything I wanted it to be! It's the perfect summer Rom-Com, with enough depth to make it fully satisfying.

Annie is a romance writer, and a Rom-Com movie watcher (fanatic), waiting for life to happen to her. Ever since her mom's death she has been carrying on their tradition of watching romantic comedies, and waiting for her leading man. Annie is just sure that her meet-cute will happen soon and her life will fully begin. Sadly, each guy she dates seems lamer than the last. And the one movie star that comes to town ends up being someone she CANNOT stand. When will Annie's 'Tom Hanks' finally show up so that she can fall in love and start the life she's dreamed of?

If you are a lover of romcom movies and you love a sweet story, Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey might be the book for you. This a sweet romance that make you just want to yell at the protagonist for being such an idiot and you want to two lovers to just get together already!

I enjoyed Waiting for Tom Hanks, but I'll show my age here and talk about how I haven't seen any of these romcoms! It was nice to see why Annie holds onto romcoms so much, since it's how she stays in touch with her late mother. I thought that was sweet. I also really loved her relationship with her nerdy Uncle! He seemed a little out of touch when it came to women, but you really felt that he cared for her.

I did find Annie slightly frustrating because she holds onto the "perfect guy" who has to fit this ridiculous mold for her. No one is perfect! And love can't be pinned down, and people shouldn't fit in perfect little boxes. I did love the snarky banter between her and Drew that I just HAD to keep on reading to find out if they were going to get together. Like, they had SO much chemistry together, but she was just fighting it and I wanted to shake her.

There is a little bit of unnecessary drama in this book, but it definitely makes sense in the romcom formula and for a romance book. Never fear, though because this book DOES have a happy ending. Which was very happy about.

This book is a romance novel, but it's more on the low heat in terms of anything physical happening it in. So if you like a romance book that leaves a little more to the imagination, or you just want to read something with low heat, I'd recommend this one.

*I received an eARC copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for sending me an eARC via Netgalley for my honest review! Non-Exclusive excerpt has been provided via the publisher, quotes are taken from an unfinished ARC and may not match final publication.