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.

There’s nothing like a second chance at romance with the love of your life, especially when you have to work to gain friendship and trust back. Wes’s determination to win back Liz was charming and so sweet, the emotions right there on his sleeve for the world to see. I appreciated the realistic plot and characters. I am smitten with the fun, quick, lighthearted storytelling of this author—her characters come to life right there on the page. 4.25 stars

This is the second book in the Better Than the Movies series and it was a miss for me compared to the first one. While I loved that the chapters all started with a movie quote I just wasn't as into this story. I usually love second chance romances but this one wasn't what I was looking for. I felt like there was so much miscommunication and then the ending was rushed.

Thank you so much, Netgalley, for providing me with this arc!

Sadly, this book fell even flatter than the other Lynn Painter disappointments.. The writing didn't even feel like Painters after a while, I also believe that this was a totally unnecessary sequel to a perfectly good book. I understand being a fan girl and wanting to incorporate your interests into your job, but the amount of Taylor Swift quotes that were thrown in here at rando made me genuinely contemplate DNFing. It was giving me nothing but expecting me to praise it for how much nothing I got.

I think I won't be continuing with any of Lynn Painter's other works because I truly cannot express how much of a let down every single one has been. I wish I understood the hype.

I want to thank everyone for the opportunity to review this book. I was so excited to learn that the story with Liz and Wes was going to continue. I enjoyed this book a lot. However it did not awe me as much as the first one did. I feel like parts of it could have been shortened and Liz aggravated me that it took her for Wes getting hurt to finally realize she wanted to be with him. Not that Wes was perfect by any means but I feel like it took her too long to come around. It was heartbreaking to learn what Wes went through when his dad died. Definitely glad I got to read this though, Lynn always delivers!

I loved the first book in the series, so of course I had to give this one a priority read! I loved how the story unfolded and how Wes and Libby stayed in each others orbit throughout! Cute story, and a good follow up!

I honestly didn’t think I could love this book more than Better Than the Movies, but Lynn Painter proved me wrong. Nothing Like the Movies was everything I wanted and more.

Liz’s character shift was so realistic. After her heartbreak, it makes sense that she’d be more guarded and cynical about love. Some might not like how much she’s changed, but I actually appreciated how human and real it felt. It made me root for her even more.

Then there’s Wes—Wes Bennett—he stole my heart all over again. He’s been through a lot, but he doesn’t give up, especially when it comes to Liz. His persistence, humor, and how deeply he cares about her just melted me. I loved getting more of his perspective and seeing him fight for their second chance.

The slow burn in this book is everything. The tension between Liz and Wes was palpable, and I loved the way their relationship built up slowly through stolen glances and heartfelt moments. The new friend group added such a fun dynamic, and I’m still obsessed with all the music and pop culture references (Taylor Swift? The Greatest Showman? YES, PLEASE).

Of course, it wasn’t perfect—Liz’s occasional behavior felt a bit off, and Wes’s thoughts sometimes leaned more physical than I expected, but those were small things in an otherwise beautiful, emotional journey.

This book is real. The characters stumble, they hurt each other, but they also grow and learn. It felt so true to life, and that’s why I loved it. I’m so glad I took the journey with Liz and Wes again. Lynn Painter truly nailed this one.

Highly recommend if you love second-chance romances with depth, heart, and all the feels. I’m already sad it’s over!

Nothing Like the Movies is a much more serious story (definitely not a rom-com) compared to its predecessor. As much as I love Wes and Liz, the protagonists, I didn’t feel this sequel was truly necessary. With its unnecessary conflicts and a few cringey one-liners, I kind of wish I had left this one on the shelf.

I loved this book! Wes and Liz were high school sweethearts whose relationship ended abruptly after tragedy struck Wes's life. Two years later they're reuniting and Wes is determined to fix what happened between them. Getting to revisit Wes & Liz after all this time felt like coming home! Although it broke my heart to soo Liz lose her rosy outlook on love, it was all worth it watching her soften back up when Wes comes back into her life. The growth they both experienced in this book was so lovely, and I thought the book was absolutely wonderful.

I love Lynn Painter so much and as far as I can say, she can do no wrong. I loved this second book in the series. It was SO cute.

A forgettable sequel to the bestselling romance.

Wes and Liz are back in Painter's sequel to her hit Better Than the Movies, but this time they're in college, reaching for new dreams beyond high school. While Liz works her way up the industry ladder by interning for a big time sports producer, Wes is trying to make a comeback on the baseball field after dropping out of UCLA after the passing of his father. Him and Liz aren't together anymore, so it's Wes' mission to win her back no matter what.

While the author had the opportunity to explore deeper themes than the first novel like grief, PTSD, and mental health, the story fails to deliver anything satisfying, focusing more on the second go 'round of the original romance. Despite some promising scenes from Wes' point of view as he carries guilt over his relationship with his late father, most of this plotline is dropped halfway through the story in favor of exploring his cheesy romantic pursuits of Liz instead. Fans of the original book may still swoon over the couple's passionate moments and eventual happy ending, but the story feels somewhat unnecessary, and at its worst, a troubling depiction of managing mental health for young people.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for this ARC.

I really loved Better Than the Movies and I enjoyed revisiting these characters and seeing them at college. This was a much more serious book with more adult themes, which were handled well. There is a side storyline about a documentary filmmaker that served mostly as a plot device that is never really resolved, but otherwise this was a good read, though something of a letdown after the first book.

Love love love Lynn Painter titles. This is a great example of a middle grade novel. It hits the sweet spot of middle school. It is mature enough to not be babyish, but not so mature that families would feel uncomfortable.

So utterly adorable. Obsessed with Wes and Liz. I had a ridiculous smile pestered on my face every time they would interact. This one was just as cute as the first!

Was this book necessary after the perfection of Better Than The Movies? Probably not. Did it still have me giggling and kicking my feet? Pretty much the whole time yeah!

I feel like the pacing of finding out what happened in the past to make Wes and Liz break up was really nice. It wasn’t given immediately off the bat, but we also had some build up before we really found out the start of what was going on. Watching them reconnect was so sweet and I love them. That’s all.

So good! Loved hearing all of the backstory on the characters (especially our male main character). Didn't think it could be better than book one (it wasn't, but it was a close second). Great job making me fall in love with both characters all over again.

This book was a cute romcom it was lighthearted and I really enjoyed it. The whole time I'm just rooting for the boy to get the girl back. I'm not usually one for time jumps but I think this story played out very well as a sequel. Lynn Painter does a very good job at filling in the gaps throughout the story and not just dumping it on us or leave it out completely. I would definitely recommend this book and the first one to someone looking to read a cute romance.