Unfortunately this one didn't work for me at all. The heroine was unlikable for most of the book and mean to the hero for no reason. She had an obsession with romcoms and frankly, she was delusional.
I loved the idea, the execution failed, however.

The concept for this rom-com book was really interesting. Honestly a lot of nostalgia feelings, but overall it was cute, but a little overdone at the end. That being said, really relaxing read!

I've been working on branching out and taking chances on new authors or new-to-me authors. Sometimes, it doesn't work out so well, but sometimes, like with Waiting for Tom Hanks, it pays off spectacularly.

This story was smart, sweet, and full of swoon. Annie and Drew have chemistry from the start. The only problem is Annie can't see it. I'll be honest. I almost gave up on this book around one-third of the way through. Annie was so set in her search for love that she a bit blindsided by it. She chastised Drew for “judging” her when she was doing the very same thing. But I had high hopes, and I pushed through. Once Annie stopped being so judgmental, the story took off for me. I loved the side story with Chloe and Nick, and I can't wait to get my hands on their story. Drew was the perfect leading man. He made it easy for Annie, but she didn't make it easy for the two of them. It was a hard-fought HEA, but we got there in the end. I really enjoyed Winfrey's writing. Her knowledge of rom-coms was impressive, and I appreciated how she wove their formula into her sorry. I'll definitely be reading more from Winfrey in the future.

Let me begin this review by thanking Berkley Romance for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey in exchange for an honest review. This book comes out on June 11!

I opened this book with a few previous notions: I read some mixed reviews, some from fellow bookstagrammers, and I was worried. You know how some reviewers tell you to go into a book without any prior knowledge? Well, basically, I went into this book with mixed reviews and still came out the other side with a great experience (as always, full rating below). It makes me wonder how much more I would have enjoyed it without reading any reviews!

Annie lives in Columbus, Ohio, re-watching every rom-com movie ever made, missing her parents, and hoping one day her own version of Tom Hanks will show up and whisk her Meg Ryan-heart away. She spends her time with her nerdy but lovable Uncle Don, her best friend Chloe, and holed up in her room writing online articles for pay, but more importantly, her passion-project: her rom-com screenplay based on real people in her life she believes belong together. When the opportunity of a lifetime arrives with the filming of a new rom-com in her town, Annie manages to land a job working on set. While balancing her dreams of being a movie writer herself with her many meet-cutes (one with the star of the movie, Drew Danforth), Annie is desperate for a love worthy of the silver screen.
So where are you, Tom Hanks??

I really liked how most (if not all) of the tropes of romantic comedies were faced head on in this novel. For example, the Meet-Cute, the Big Misunderstanding, the Grand Gesture, etc. It was uniquely executed without feeling overly corny. The novel is full of rom-com references, I only wish Winfrey would have taken the opportunity to explore even more!

There are a few really great moments where Annie discusses the problems with romantic comedies, along with some other cultural moments/movements happening, and they really make you stop and think without feeling too heavy-handed. By that I mean – so many books I have read this year tried to have those moments, but they felt more like the character breaking the fourth wall, turning to face you with the voice of the author to talk to you about politics or feminism, like they were running for office. We, as a book community, can have those important moments coming from the characters that have been developed, so they aren’t so jarring and we can focus on the topic itself, not the way the topic was brought up. In Kerry Winfrey’s case, Annie’s character brings up the topics in a very Annie way. It never felt out of place or forced, and it came from the voice of this fully developed character.

One of the most meaningful moments in the book comes with a turn of events, and it plays up Annie’s character flaws in the best way. Because Annie is so obsessed with the drama of rom-coms, she can sometimes take one piece of information and run with it in either direction. She really does run far with a piece of gossip in one scene, and it stayed true to her character. Most criticism I saw were that it was a bit annoying, but, come on, you knew that Annie would absolutely respond this way because of her specific outlook on life. I would rather be annoyed with a true character then think “the Annie I’ve read for the last 200 pages would not do this.” I love when a character’s flaws are carefully used in important moments like that.

I appreciated that the main couple wasn't forced into their situation, and we were able to see Annie navigate a few dates/relationships along the way. It made a high-stakes rom-com feel more realistic, if you can believe that!

Overall, I was unexpectedly tickled by the moments in Waiting for Tom Hanks, and will absolutely be passing this on to one of my best friends when it is published!

A cute contemporary romance that I enjoyed from this debut author. I cannot wait to read more from her. .

The title of this book is what caught my eye and I am so glad I went for it.A little predictable at times but who cares, this book was sweet and funny and just what I needed.
A girl who wants the "rom-com" meet-cute, the movie worthy moments, it's truly what most women want.  At times she was looking too hard for something that was right in front of her face.
Annie grew up with hearting of the love story of her parents and watching rom-com's with her mom before she died. She just wanted everything her mom had and was going through life looking for her TOM HANKS.  She's a writer, writing a romantic comedy screenplay herself has the job of a lifetime thrust upon her.  She gets to be the assistant to a famous director who's filming in her own town.  Drew Danforth - a movie star will be playing the "Tom Hanks" of the movie.
Of course their paths cross and of course, there is some electricity between the two of them.

Like I said, some predictability while reading but that didn't deter from me enjoying this book. The supporting cast of characters pulled this book together for me.

4.5 stars!

Waiting for Tom Hanks is about Annie, a young woman obsessed with romantic comedies and searching for her own "Tom Hanks". Not the actual Tom Hanks, but the metaphorical version of him where he's the perfect man in romantic comedies. When she finds out a romantic comedy is going to be filming in her neighborhood, she gets a job on the set where she meets leading man Drew, the opposite of Tom Hanks.

I loved this book, I actually made myself put it down so I could get enough sleep for work the next day. Had it not been a working day, I would have read this until well into the evening because it was a total page turner. A great enemies to lovers romance, this book was more than just a romance book, it was an ode to rom com films. And obviously I love rom coms more than I knew I did, because I knew Every. Single. Rom. Com. Reference in this book.

One of the better books I've read this year, I am now a Kerry Winfrey fan and excited to read more of what she has to come. And even though this book takes place in winter, it is the perfect beach read for this summer!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

ARC provided by NetGalley

This book with all its rom-com references makes for the perfect fun, summertime read. I appreciated how the love story purposely read as a rom-com and especially loved the references to movies and actors.

This was a perfect read for those fans of 90's romantic comedies. It playfully incorporates all the tropes from the movies we love, while making it relevant to a 2019 audience. A really fun, lighthearted read!

Waiting for Tom Hanks is a gift that keeps on giving! If you have ever wanted a behind the scenes look into what it takes to make one of your favorite rom-com movies, this is the book for you! Kerry Winfrey's book tells the story of a rom-com movie fanatic who is looking to find her own happily ever and make it in the film industry as a writer. She is looking for her own version of a character that Tom Hanks played in movies such as Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail,

Kerry Winfrey did a fantastic job in creating characters that were opposites and turned out to have undeniable chemistry. Annie Cassidy is a twenty-seven-year-old woman who is a die-hard rom-com fanatic.
She grew up watching them with her mom and has always thought she would fall in love like so many of the characters in the movies. She is going on blind dates and trying dating apps so she can get the happily ever after she always wanted. And in the process, she is starting to write her own screenplay. Her dating life isn't going that great, but her professional life gets better when she lands a job as an assistant on a movie filming in her city.

Becoming an assistant on set might be the catalyst that fast-forwarded her search to Mr. Perfect. She meets her love interest and he is everything she doesn't think she is looking for in a man. He is funny, sarcastic, and doesn't take life too seriously.

I really loved that Kerry Winfrey didn't just create two charming characters she gave us equally great supporting characters in Chloe and Uncle Don.

Overall, I give this romance novel 5 stars for making me fall in love with rom-coms again. I will be binge-watching so many because of this book. I can't wait to read more from this author (that snippet of the next book is getting me so excited)!

I love romcoms and so this book was a highly enjoyable book! There are great homages to classic romcoms and I found myself smiling throughout. Gave me all the feels!

Sigh. I wanted to love everything about this, I really did. And there was a LOT to like - so many pieces worked for me and I loved the characters and the setting. But, it just wasn’t enough. I adore rom com movies and books so I should have been the perfect audience for this, but I really feel like there were more movie references than actual story. It’s one of those books that I feel with a few more rounds of editing and a few more eyes on it, it would have been excellent 🤷🏼‍♀️ I’ll read the next in the series though!

And... DNF/NR



I feel like I've been DNF'ing all over the place lately but this one, I fear, is going to give me permanent resting bitch-face if I don't skedattle with a quickness.

Why, you ask?

Two words: Annie Cassidy

Annie is a pill. I can abide a grump but a pill is a whole different ball of wax. Were Annie an actual person she would be one of those people that you duck into an alley or bend quickly to tie to your shoes so she doesn't spot you.



Otherwise you're going to be there for awhile . And you can bet she's going to roll out the 'poor me' because ALL THE REASONS card.

I don't want to harsh on her any harder than I already have but she clearly was rubbing me the wrong way from the "meet cute" with actor Drew Danforth where she spills her hot coffee all over him then sits there gawping at him like a starstruck groupie rather than apologizing!!! like a decent person. Instead she runs away then begins to somehow twist everything around in her head that he's to blame presumably because he's a movie star who threw a monkey wrench into her delicate equilibrium.

He's a jerk, he's constantly "berating" her, he's got some sort of clandestine ulterior motive that involves humiliating her and every single word he utters is disingenuous and cause for ire and rudeness.

Were she just a bitch I could accept this behavior but she's supposedly the "good girl" who's friendly to everyone, can always be counted on to do the right thing and gets along with virtually everyone else.



Maybe it gets better. Maybe love turns her into a likable person worthy of Drew's love. Maybe I'm really depriving myself of something here. But I cannot deal with these sorts of contrivances that are meant to give her some sort of hidden depth in the form of vulnerability but read as clichéd and trite.

If I could skip Annie's parts and just read Drew or all the secondary characters this probably would've gone better but the whole thing seems to be from Annie's POV. Which is too bad since I was liking Drew and the rest of them a helluva lot more than Annie. I'd even go so far as to say if Chloe gets her own book I would try that, especially if Nick is the love interest.

However, this one is not recommended but my opinions are my own and YMMV.

An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Annie is obsessed with romantic comedies. She grew up watching them with her late mother and many of her childhood memories are tied up in those viewing parties and the tropes. As an adult, she has pinned her hopes and dreams on one day finding her own meet cute and metaphorical Tom Hanks - the perfect rom-com lead, in an ordinary guy. She just cannot settle for less.

Waiting for Tom Hanks is a sweet story and exactly what I expected from a contemporary rom-com novel. I do wish there had been less repetition of movie references and the name Tom Hanks. While these were great jumping off points and provided a good beginning framework, reading them on each page throughout the book felt overdone. My favorite characters were the best friend, Chloe and, Annie's uncle, Don. They made this book for me! I was thrilled when I came to the end of my e-ARC to see that a sequel is forthcoming and will be centered on Chloe.

Overall, this was a sweet, amusing novel.

Annie is a Nora Ephron-obsessed writer who dreams of both writing a rom com and finding a Tom Hanks of her own to love. Those dreams begin to come true when a Hollywood film crew invades her Columbus neighborhood to shoot a new romantic comedy featuring a handsome sitcom star … who Annie believes to be an overgrown manchild who cares more about on-set pranks than acting. But as Annie gets to know the people on set better, her life starts to take on an eerie resemblance to some of her favorite movies. This familiar story feels
fresh and fun in Winfrey’s hands, and absolutely oozes charm.

This whole book was a meet-cute. And who doesn't want their own "Tom Hanks". I always wanted to meet a guy in the library. You know, I'm carrying a bunch of books and turn a corner and bump into a guy and books go all over. We bend down together to pick up the books and bump our heads. Perfect meeting.

I think I am getting a bit tired of romance books so I wasn't so taken with this book. It was good and it did have the hea that I'm always looking for when I read a romance. And it's always a hit-and-miss with the hero. Is he a jerk? And the heroine, is she a wimpy doormat? I think both main characters were middle of the road. The book did have some fun minor characters. A good book but I'll probably not read any more books like this.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book for a review.

This was a fun idea for a contemporary, but I found the constant and repetitive references to the iconic rom-com movies eventually became really annoying. I also really didn’t like the main character. The side characters and love interest were the best parts of the story. The “twist” at the end of the book was really random as well. I think this story has a lot of potential but it wasn’t 5-star material for me. I’m sure that a rom-com fanatic would love this book. Overall, the book was fun and a lovely love letter to the romantic comedy movie genre. It made me laugh many times.

I adored this book more than I thought was possible. I didn't know it was possible to be this excited for a book and have the hype be legit.

So adorable and fun and cute, just as I expected! I loved the cliches, denials of feelings, meet-cutes, etc. But I really appreciated that it wasn't hot and heavy R-rated sex scenes. I don't need that to feel a connection. Ever.

Drew and Annie were adorable together. I loved that they were friends first, because yeah, it's a favorite trope of mine! And again, very well done here. I loved their connection and ability to talk about everything,

I even loved the side characters...and I usually never care about them in my romances.

This was a light, sweet, and funny read---highly recommended for beach time!

Annie is a 27 year old who lives at home with her uncle. She’s obsessed with romantic comedies and that’s probably why she’s still single. She has huge expectations for the love of her life (when he comes along). She is waiting for her Tom Hanks and it’s hard to find someone to measure up to that level of greatness.

When a filming crew comes to town, Annie gets a job as an assistant to the director. She has a meet-cute with the actor, but for some reason, she can’t see it for what it is. Annie is a bit oblivious sometimes and is still searching for that one guy (even though it’s pretty obvious he’s standing right in front of her all along).

Drew is an actor but he’s much more that that. He’s a great guy and he’s very down to earth. As a reader, I could tell he was falling for Annie. I think everyone except Annie could tell. This book was predictable for me in many ways, but that’s not necessary a bad thing. It was an easy read that I read in one day so it definitely kept my interest.

If you are a fan of rom-com movies, you will probably love this book. I like rom-coms, I do, but for some reason when I read romance I don’t want it to read like a rom-com. I want something a little more… realistic I guess? I liked the characters (especially her best friend Chloe- I’ll be reading her book! And her uncle was amazing), but the heroine irked me at times. And the last 20-30% was a little extra for me.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. The writing was great and I liked the hero and some of the secondary characters loads. If you are in the mood for a sweet and funny rom-com, I would recommend checking this one out!