A very enjoyable book if you've read the first one. You do want to yell at them--just talk to each other!! But still loved it and flew through it.

After loving the first book, I couldn’t wait to revisit these characters. There were so many swoon-worthy moments, lots of angst, and emotions. While this was not as good as the first book, I highly recommend it!

Could I love a book more? I don't think so. I really enjoyed Better Than the Movies but Nothing Like the Movies really spoke more deeply to me and I related to the struggles of the characters as they try to navigate distance, diverging lives, and after high school adulting together and apart. I love the second chance idea and how these characters were coming into their own even more. I rooted for them individually but especially as a couple and it gave me all the feels. Infinite stars. Could not recommend more. I can't wait to talk these two books up to romance readers in our high school library. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I didn't realize this was a sequel, but I thought it held up on it's own! I thought Nothing Like the Movies was a cute story. I saw some reviews where people were mad that Liz and Wes had broken up - but that is so real (most high school relationships I know of didn't last) and something we don't see a lot of in rom coms. Maybe I'd feel differently if I read the first book, but enjoyed the characters, the grand gestures and all that. A light, fun read.

The romance in this second novel is not as strong and interesting as the first novel. But I was interested in the the family dynamics between Wes and his family after a lost.

I love Lynn Painter books and was so glad to receive an ARC for this - even though it took me forever to get to it! I will continue to add her books to my TBR. This was good, but not as good as better than the movies - it felt a little unnecessary? I dunno. Still nice to close the loop on that universe. Thank you so much for the ARC.

This is the first arc I read from #Netgalley. I loved BttM and knew I would love this, but it was so much better than I could imagine. This was my favorite read of the year by far maybe of the past few years. I loved the differences in tone, pacing, mood in the varying chapters due to the dual POV of Wes and Liz. I loved the minor characters who were fun and realistic. I loved the twist on the fake dating and how they basically did nothing to show they were actually dating, so no cringy kisses or anything run-of-the mill and tropey. I loved that this was the slightly darker, grown up version of these characters I needed, knowing myself that time and circumstance does make us sepia versions of ourselves sometimes, but that doesn't mean we can't work to accept color back into our lives. One last thing- I love the symbolism of breathing that is weaved through out and can't wait to reread so I can look more closely for it.

Better than the movie was one of my top 10 reads ever so I was nervous but excited to see where this one would go. It was definitely not what I was expecting, but I love the way it all fell together. I love a good YA book especially when it’s by Lynn painter.

I was so excited to continue reading about Wes and Liz’s story after the first book ended. I loved the character growth within both characters and how college and grief changed them. The whole fake dating trope was done amazingly as per usual.

While I didn’t love this one as much as the first, I did really enjoy my time reading it.

I absolutely adored this book. Seeing Wes and Liz again and how they navigated college and their relationship and growth throughout college. I felt all the things with this one and so glad the journey ended as it did.

Maybe this book wasn't necessary like some reviewers say, but that doesn't matter because I still am loving Lynn Painter's writing and these characters! We meet back with Wes and Liz in college and separated from each other, not knowing what exactly happened. As always, you know they will find their way back to each other, and I enjoyed learning what happened and how they returned to one another.

I always love a Lynn Painter book. This one was a little bit of a let down because of how sad the story started out. It felt like it took a long time to get to a resolution or at least a space where they even spoke to each other. I know the characters were younger, but it felt like they were in a weird in between of being young adults but also more adult. The first book was so hopeful and cute and this one just felt like a let down. I love Wes and Liz as a couple but this part two kind of ruined them for me.

Lynn Painter has a knack for writing romance that appeals to many different romance readers. This sequel is a great follow up to her first book and I and my students thoroughly enjoyed it.

Book 1 of the Series, Better Than the Movies was a fun read, but book 2 Nothing Like the Movies was a little disappointing. The characters were so different in book 2 especially Liz. It feels like the dreaminess and swoon factor of book 1 is missing in book 2.
I cannot say I would recommend this one. I will continue to read Lynn Painter though.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for my ARC in exchange for my thoughts.

A more mature sequel to the already amazing “Better than the movies” with realistic character growth, conflicts and a romance that anyone would love

As always Lynn is a favorite of mine and will continue to read ALL her stuff! I love Wes and Liz! It was so fun to watch these two in college! I hated that they broke up but I think it made their relationship stronger in the end! They were so meant to be! I can’t recommend this one enough!!! Loved it!

Just like the first book, this one begins each chapter with quotes from famous movies, which I adored. Nothing Like the Movies takes us after the ever after of the first book, but it was a not so HEA. Time has not healed the wounds, and when Wes returns to play baseball in college, he discovers a completely different Liz. In the breakup, she branched out, trying new things and discovering a love for capturing sports in pictures and video. As they are forced together, misunderstandings and assumptions compound. Will they be able to untangle the mess, or is it too late?

I know this is a risk that one takes when they pick up a YA story and they are no longer a YA person themselves, but this one read just a little younger than my preference. I'm not taking stars off for that cause that's just bad behavior but also just made it so I had a hard time picking this one up. Ultimately it was a cute story, but would recommend it more for the teen crowd.

In the follow up to Better Than the Movies, Liz and Wes have broken up after Wes's father passes away and he drops out of school to take care of his family. But now he is back at UCLA and determined to win Liz back. But she isn't so sure she's ready to trust him again after he broke up with her.

It's been awhile since I read Better Than the Movies so my memories of that story were a little foggy. Overall, it was a sweet book full of new adult angst and that feeling of trying to figure your life out yet still enjoyable for older readers.

Things I loved: guarded Liz who wasn't ready to trust again after Wes broke her heart, Wes giving big "He falls first" energy which is my favorite, both of them facing real life issues that are age appropriate.

Things I did love so much: Wes's baseball comeback was too fairy tale, so many problems would have been solved by communicating with each other.

(And Lynn Painter, if you or your people are reading this, I am waiting on pins and needles for Sarah and Clark's book).

Overall: 4/5
Spice: 0.5/1

Wes and Liz own my heart. Better Than the Movies was a hard book to follow, but Nothing Like the Movies managed to exceed my expectations.
Wes is on his way back to school to play college ball at UCLA after he dropped out two years ago. He is also going to see Liz for the first time since he broke up with her.
Liz has been busy the last two years. She is a junior now and living with friends. She is starting a dream internship and has no idea that the guy who broke her heart is on his way to her school.
This was enemies to lovers done to perfection. Lynn Painter made me swoon with the movie lines at the beginning of each chapter. She is such a great storyteller. I loved everything about this duology.

I think I went into this book expecting it to have a similar feeling to Better Than the Movies while also just being a continuation, instead this fell a little flat for me. I think it tried to be age up and focus on more serious themes, and in turn it lost the cute rom-com feelings book one left me with. Overall, I think this will be a hit for many readers, it just didn't work for me and I chose not to finish the book around the 40% mark.