Cute, but completely predictable. Doesn’t really set itself apart from other books in this genre. A lot of the time it felt the author was trying to tell the reader a character would act one way, but would then have them doing something that didn’t support that.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Ruby Graham's boss, Matty, was her best friend and a father figure to her, taking her under his wing as his protege at the Royale, his independent movie theater. When Matty dies unexpectedly, Ruby discovers that he left half of the theater to her, with the other half going to the nephew Matty never met, Luke Devlin, son of a Hollywood legend. Unfortunately, Ruby soon discovers that Luke has no interest in helping save the Royale. Ruby hopes she can change Luke's mind and get him to fall in love with the theater that has been her home since she was 12.

Film lovers, especially of classical films, will eat this book up. The theater reminded me a lot of one we have around here, which really made me root for it. The story at times was a little over the top, as Hollywood can be at times. In addition to the Hollywood references and sexual tension between the main characters, the book also addresses a lot of heavier topics, such as suicide, grief, and irresponsible parenting; for the most part, though, they don't bring down the mood of the book. Overall, this I recommend this book to those looking for an escape from the real world. 3.75 stars, rounded up to 4

This was such an amazing book. The plot was really good and I really loved how the story went. I really liked reading it because it was very easy to imagine what was happening as if it was a movie. The characters were incredible and amazing. I would highly suggest this book.

Though I did enjoy this, I feel like there was something missing. Not sure what. I liked both the characters and the plot moved along okay. Though I wasn't sure why Ruby was making such a big deal about the conflict at the end. It did not make sense to me. It was a quick read for me. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys romance. If I could give it half stars it would be 3.5. I rounded up to 4.

This review will be posted to Goodreads and Amazon

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book.
It was a lot of fun, despite the sadness of the familial issues. I think Ruby and Luke getting to know each other was an enjoyable time in the book, and they seemed to have good chemistry. Maybe towards the end, the story took on a different tone, but I'm glad it ended well.
The movie references gave the book a nostalgic feel and overall, it was a nice easy read.
3.75 stars

I received this book in exchange of a honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, it was fun and lighthearted and a sweet, if predictable love story. I loved that about it though. It was a very quick read for me.

Ruby has just lost her best friend and is in the process of trying to save his old movie theatre whilst also trying not to fall in love with the enemy.
I absolutely loved the movie references, and the fact Ruby is working to save a movie theater.

I really enjoyed this book, it was fun and lighthearted and a sweet, if predictable love story. I loved that about it though. Just the chick lit needed with all the feels!

Ruby has just lost her best friend and is in the process of trying to save his old movie theatre whilst also trying not to fall in love with the enemy.
I absolutely loved the movie references, particularly the 'About a boy' references as I love that film myself!

''About a boy (2002)
Ruby Grahams verdict: If you're a massive w*nker make sure Hugh Grant plays you in the movie , because then at least you'll be a hot massive w*nker.
Luke Devlins verdict: Suicide is a really crummy thing to do to your kid"

I am a big movie fan so I was looking forward to reading about saving an old movie theater. While the storyline was sporadic, I did enjoy the movie references and themed nights like The Wizard of Oz. I also liked the ending!

This was a good and quick read. It was really interesting reading a book set in a movie theatre since I help run one. I liked all the movie references throughout the book. #netgalley#justlikeintheMovies

Just like in the Movies was my first book by Heidi Rice and though I didn't exactly love it, at the same time I didn't hate it either. To me, there was something missing from the plot, there wasn't much chemistry between the two characters. I love enemies to lovers trope or rivals to lovers so the reason I picked up this book in the first place was that in the blurb it was mentioned that there was hate to love in this story. But honestly, I couldn't relate to the characters and none of them actually stood out to me, I'm kind of disappointed that I did not love this book as much as I hoped to. But hopefully, better luck next time.

I really enjoyed the premise of this story and all the characters, even though I felt like I didn't know Ruby that well. The movie references were my favorite part, as I love watching old movies! Cute, fun and enjoyable! I'm not the biggest romance fan, but I would still recommend this one.

Just Like in the Movies is a British contemporary romance following Ruby, the manager of a small theatre and Luke, the long lost nephew of Matty, the owner of the theatre. When Matty dies suddenly, Ruby is lost without her best friend. Even worse, she finds out Matty's split the theatre between her and Luke in his will. Luke wants to sell the crumbling, under-performing theatre but Ruby can't imagine taking the theatre away from the community that so loves it. Can Ruby win Luke over to save the theatre, and maybe her heart?

I like Luke's character, but I didn't always vibe with Ruby's character. She really understood him in a way that no one else seemed to, but her actions outside of Luke made little sense for her character development. I loved the drama in the book with Luke's mom and Matty. Also the theme of not judging anything by the outside appearances, as you're likely wrong.

There were so many old movie references in this book, which just isn't my jam. It felt over done and forced. I also did not like any of the supporting characters, they didn't have any good qualities (even the friends) and just served to further drama with Luke. However, there was a surprising level of spice, which I always enjoy. Content warning for open door scenes, so if that isn't for you - maybe skim those parts.

Overall, this was a good love story that was paced well and was an easy read. If you love old movies, you'll get a kick out of the references and reactions throughout the story, that part just wasn't for me.

**Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review**

This book gave me all the feels.! I loved Ruby and Luke as separate characters and together as well.
This book grabbed and kept my attention from start to finish. I loved the premise of the story of co-owners of a movie theater falling in love.
This is a cute book!

A romance set within a period of grief and the outing of secrets. The two main characters and supporting cast are almost indistinguishable in that I didn’t feel any of them jumped off the page or really captured my interest enough to really start routing for a HEA.
I did like the little twist with the big reveal of the secret and could see how it tied the story together.
With it being set within an independent cinema and providing some film backdrop I think I was expecting some more obvious film selections but found the ‘reviews’ themselves just something I’d rather skim through rather than read as if they formed any basis to the story.
It’s an easy read and enjoyable enough but I wouldn’t call it a great romance or particularly memorable

ARC review

4/5 stars
I really enjoyed this book- I read it in 2 days! I found it a classic romance read, but with some deeper topics in there as well. There is an under layer of grief throughout, as Ruby is mourning the loss of her best friend Matty. I enjoyed how it read for the most part, I struggled in parts where it felt a bit stiff but for the rest of it, their story flows nicely.

I grew to love both characters and I think they were developed really well, as we learn a lot about Luke as we go through, and learn to love him despite his initial impression. I loved how both viewpoints were included as I think it made us as readers closer to Luke and more likely to root for Ruby and him, as without his pov he would have been much less likeable. I love romance reads with both pov so I really enjoyed that aspect!

I thought the theme of movies and films felt like it was really intertwined in the story and was a lovely touch, as at first I thought the movie theme would be almost like an added extra, but it felt like it really held the story together.

My only critisim would be that in parts the text felt a bit clunky and I do feel like Ruby's back story was not as in depth as I would have liked it to be. There were a few parts where I thought we were about to learn more about her but we only got a surface view, and I would have preferd all or nothing as it felt a bit half hearted.

Overall I loved it and would recommend to anyone looking for a good romance read, that includes layers of difficult topics, but is not draining in anyway.

Thank you NetGalley, One More Chapter, and author Heidi Rice for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own!
3.75 stars
This book grabbed and kept my attention from start to finish. I loved the premise of the story of co-owners of a movie theater falling in love. Luke and Ruby were a great couple. I thought Luke's character was more developed and given greater depth than Ruby's character. The reader was given a lot of Luke's backstory especially around his parent's juicy yet heart wrenching past.
The movie references added a great enjoyment of this book! While I thought the story development was well done, the story felt like it dragged at times. The author did a great job not just focusing on the romance, but also the grief and forgiveness that many people have to face when they suffer the loss of a loved one. Each of these characters handle their grief in different ways. The ending was well satisfying and cute! Overall, I look forward to reading more books by this author. I would recommend this book to the movie lovers out there!

Rating: 3.75 stars

I Loved how easy to read this book was, finding it very cute and enjoyable even if the pace did feel slightly slow at times. The movie references were a great addition, and I think any movie lover would appreciate this book.

I was disappointed with the lack of Rubys backstory, as whilst there was a lot learnt about Luke, not much was mentioned of her past. This showed in the characters, where it definitely felt as though Lukes character held more depth.

It felt as though the relationship between Luke and Ruby could’ve done with more of a build up, but I loved how the switching POV’s between the characters did enable you to see what both sides of the couple were thinking as their relationship progressed.

Maybe I'm just a sucker for the grumpy x sunshine trope, but overall I definitely found this an enjoyable contemporary romance!

I wanted to love this book. The premise sounds so good and who doesn't love a movie reference? However, this book was far from enjoyable. I know it was an ARC, but I found the writing style to be "jumpy" and I often had to ask "wait, how did they get there" because it just didn't "flow". While i liked the character of Luke, I didn't really like Ruby. It's hard to enjoy a book when you can't invest in the main voice. It was predictable and not thought provoking (both of which I enjoy) but at the end of the day it just wasn't my cup of tea.

This book was so sweet! I love books that at their heart are all about love. This book featured romantic love and love of chosen family. I couldn’t put this book down, it was so heartwarming which is exactly what I needed right now. Would highly recommend.

I loved this book! It was heartwarming and strong. It was exactly what I needed with everything going on in the world! A happy little escape!