This was a cute book and I would recommend it to my Lynn Painter fans. I loved the concept, but I never fell in love with the characters. I wanted to like Harry, but I could never really trust him. However, as a teen girl I think I might like him a lot better and that being said, I think the things I found problematic as an adult they will not. I enjoyed the ending and overall, it was a decent read and kept my attention, while I wouldn’t be quick to recommend it to adult readers I can see recommending it to some of my teen romance lovers.

I requested this book after reading the synopsis because it sounded promising, but I just didn't fall in love with it as hoped. This book fell flat for me and the story just didn't capture me.

I purchased this book for my high school library. My students have enjoyed it. and it has circulated well.

It Only Happens in the Movies is a fresh and realistic take on the rom-com genre.

Audrey is going through heartaches and heartbreak so she is cynical about love. When she meets Harry, her co-worker, it makes her want to give it a chance. But the author isn't going to write the happily ever after that is normally expected. The book shows realistic problems and outcomes.

I think the characters were understandable and brought out the realistic nature of romance. It's a good romance read to make you realize that sometimes hoping for a HEA doesn't always make it come true.

I give It Only Happens in the Movies 3 stars. Although it's not your typical rom-com, it did have a refreshing take on the genre. May not be for everyone but once you understand the message of the story, I think it makes you appreciate the writing.

Another contemporary YA romance that I just didn't find any attachment to. I think I might need to take a pause on these, but it also just doesn't feel like anything I felt in high school.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

The only reason why this novel got two stars is because thank goodness for the ending and Audrey making the CORRECT bloody choice for once (maybe twice with the dad thing too.) Otherwise, this book was atrocious.

This novel is sort of pitched as a sweet rom-com and it is NOT at all. This is rife with horrendous family drama that is beyond depressing the entire way through. Cheating parents and partners all over the place. A dirt bag guy EVERYONE warned Audrey against, so of course let's fall in love....after the trauma of the first dirt bag guy. This novel spouts all this strong feminism and then has our "strong feminist" main character just fold over and fall for this dirt bag guy who seems to constantly be pressuring her into things she doesn't want and it's an emotionally abusive relationship! "Oh I hate that he gets high all the time....but then he kisses me and everything is better!" WTH?!?!? This was just disappointing on so many levels and I thought it would be good and it just got worse as the novel went on.

I feel like this book had everything in it - breakup, divorce, a chaotic family in general, shifting friendships, popcorn, and movies. I love that this takes place in a movie theater. This is a cute book that shows that love doesn't happen like it does in the movies.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of It Only Happens in the Movies by Holly Bourne. All opinions are my own.

This was a solid YA romcom. I did struggle to connect with the characters and felt like the story dragged a little in places, but overall, I enjoyed this.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This book is a cute contemporary teen fiction rom-com type book that kids will enjoy.

Oh this was a heart wrenching book in so many ways. Just be warned it is not a romance!! But I loved it!!

Being a mood reader can be hard. I'm fairly certain I could love this book, however it wasn't grabbing my attention at the time I went to read it. For now, it is a DNF from me, but I can see really enjoying it, especially being surrounded by movies! There is a chance I may come back to in it the future and will update my review at that time.

This book was such a pleasant surprise. I loved the humor, the dialogue, the feminism, the exploration of film and romance. I'd recommend this to fans of rom-coms and lovers of film and theater.

When I picked up this book, I expected a teen rom-com, but this is so much more meaningful and serious. Audrey a high school senior is going through a rough patch, and stops believing in the movie romances. This is very realistic and I would recommend this to high school students. Many students have similar things happening in their lives- parents' divorce, sexual pressure, and difficult friendships.

Trigger warnings for suicide and rape.

I wasn't expecting much from this but it surprised me. It was cute and the writing was very good. It felt personable and immediately I was hooked. I am picky about romances because the don't circ often but this one just might.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed It Only Happens in the Movies.

Audrey’s been burned by love — specifically by her ex-boyfriend who dumped her and immediately hooked up with another girl in their friend crew, ruining school and drama club for Audrey. That’s fine, though, because Audrey has a job at the hipster indie movie theater, where she spends her time critiquing the problematic portrayals of cinematic romance, which, of course, are nothing like real life.

When Audrey meets a cute fellow usher who’s making a zombie movie that needs a leading lady, you might think you know how this YA novel is going to turn out — but you’d be wrong. Because while learning to believe in love again may be part of Audrey’s journey, it’s far from the central plot. As she reconnects with friends, sets her sights on life post-high school, and generally recovers some of the confidence and joy her crash-and-burn romance stripped away, Audrey figures out who she wants to be — for this stage of her life anyway. I love this, and I love the takedown of romantic stereotypes (from rom-coms to The Fault in Our Stars), and I love that Audrey’s happy ending feels just right. If you’re in the market for a fluffy, feminist coming-of-age story cleverly disguised as a romance novel, definitely pick this one up. I liked it a lot.

this book had many enjoyable moments, but it was hard to get through the middle part of the book. Overall, I would give this book at 3.5/5 stars!

Hoo boy--my feelings are all over the place about this book. I think I'd actually give this 3.5 stars, but it started out higher before it got more and more wobbly.

It has some of the aspects of Mhairi McFarlane's romances, only the ending is a lot more sobering.

Audrey got quite wishy-washy sometimes, but at least stood up for herself in the end. She gave some people (OK--the men in her life) too many chances for too long but I have to remember she's 17, not in her 50s like me, LOL. I had to remember what it was like not to cut your losses because you loved someone so much who in the end didn't deserve it. At least the ending didn't turn out the way I was afraid it would, and the book didn't anger me like some adult romances-that-turned-out-weren't.

I would say if you're a fan of "You Were There Too" and "In Five Years," you might like this one as well.

2/5 stars!

This book sounded really cute, however, I did end up DNFing (Did Not Finish) this book because I didn't really love the writing. I had issues connecting with the characters.

Thanks for reading!
Caden

Great for theatre kids and film lovers, this contemporary novel follows our MC in her last year of high school. It featured a strong-willed MC and had some really great conversations around choices and fighting for what you want/deserve. While I thought this had great elements and things to say, ultimately I just didn’t end up connecting to the characters and I felt that the plot often dragged.