This was a great read. I liked it even better than the first book, which is really unusual! The characters were deeper, the story reflected their maturation from the first book, and the story arc was wonderful.

Gosh I was so excited for this book! I loved the first book. But, unfortunately this fell short for me. I just felt like it was not grabbing me like other Lynn Painter books have.

Better Than the Movies was a super fun YA rom-com find earlier this year, so after I read it I was interested to see that a book 2 is coming out this fall, and to get my hands on an advance copy via Netgalley. While it was fun to revisit these characters, as with many sequels in the rom-com world, it's just hard to re-capture the magic and the swoons. It's like when Jim and Pam finally get together in The Office - what's left for the romantic tension? In this case, it's a breakup, and now two years later Wes is trying to recapture Liz's heart after breaking it. What I loved about the first book was that the next-door neighbor enemies-to-lovers antics were cute and fun, and that Liz was just a delightfully dorky, totally relatable high school girl. The enemies-to-lovers/second-chance romance interactions in this sequel are more antagonistic and baggage-filled, and I just didn't fall in love with the characters and their relationship all over again, as I had hoped I would.

I loved Better Than the Movies and didn’t realize it needed a sequel, but Nothing Like the Movies was cute!

When I first read this book’s plot summary, I was immediately sad and almost didn’t want to read it—why did Wes and Liz break up???😭😭

But had I not read it, I wouldn’t have fallen more in love with Wes. Justice for Wes!!!!! I did hate how it took about 75% of the book to get to the juicy stuff, but I still really enjoyed it. (No real spice other than some steamy makeout sessions, fyi.)

Overall, cute but sad lil book!!

(Thank you, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

I don't know how to feel. On the one hand, I just don't think Better than the Movies needed a sequel, and if it did, I'm not sure this was the *right* sequel. BUT. I enjoyed this! I will always love Lynn Painter, so of course I was going to think this was good. And while I'm totally ok with the fact that Wes and Liz changed between high school and college, they also just feel different. And so if the story is different and the characters feel different, couldn't this have just been a different and unrelated book?

Having said that though, it sounds like I didn't like this. But I really did! It was just as fun and cute and sweet as you expect from Lynn Painter. I'm happy I read it, and I will be (attempting) to put it in the library because I think my kids who love BTTM will happily pick this up too.

I’m honestly a bit disappointed in the outcome of this book after loving Better than the Movies so much!!😭😭😢 I felt like I was not reading the same characters that existed in the previous book at all :/
Although I understood Wes’s POV, I honestly didn’t like all the pop culture references (yes, sometimes too much pop culture is WAY too much) and all the TS references made my head HURT (and I love her).
I also was just not a fan of the break up, it felt so off and forced and I was just not feeling it :/

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

Ohk I wanted to love this one so much as I adored BTTM but this one just felt like it dragged on for me. Too much unnecessary kinda drama, too long & just ultimately, I'm so glad they get their HEA (again) but it just didn't feel like I needed to read this sadly. There were some swoon-worthy moments & I do love the dual perspectives, but honestly I think this just wasn't the book for me & thats ok .

“It seemed I was destined to spend the rest of my life thinking about the girl who wasn’t sure if she wanted to think about me at all.”

In this highly anticipated sequel to Better than the Movies, Wes and Liz are no longer the perfect couple. Right when they started their freshman year together at UCLA, tragedy struck, pulling them apart. Two years later, Wes returns to UCLA in a healthier place and determined to win back Liz. But, Wes left Liz heartbroken, and now she wants nothing to do with him. She even has a new guy friend. When she ends up working with the school baseball team Wes is on, Liz is forced to spend time with him—and it’s clear they still have a connection. In an effort to regain her love, Wes creates clever plans and rom-com worthy schemes. As he continues to fail, Wes can’t help but wonder if she’ll ever love him again.

As an avid romcom reader and lover of all Lynn Painter books, I was not happy when I found out Nothing Like the Movies was a second-chance romance. Better than the Movies was truly the perfect YA romcom, and no one wanted to believe that Wes and Liz had broken up after their story ended. However, Nothing Like the Movies might be Lynn Painter’s best book yet. It was more than just a cute love story like the first book. This sequel held so much emotional depth. After having his entire life turned upside down two years ago, Wes Bennet wasn’t just getting a second chance to win back Liz; he was getting a second chance at the life he always wanted on the UCLA baseball team. Liz too had changed in the years they’d been apart, and she was working towards her dreams by helping to create a documentary about the baseball team. What was so important about this new chapter in their story was that they both had grown and changed in their time apart, yet there was still an undeniable spark between them. Though it was written in dual POV, Wes felt like the main character. I loved that he was still just as in love with her as he had been over two years ago. Wes was chasing his dreams while chasing the girl of his dreams, and as the reader, all I wanted was for him to make them come true. Nothing Like the Movies was one of those books that sticks with you long after you’ve read it. To everyone who has been impatiently awaiting its release, you won’t be disappointed.

Cuteness! This book is made of 100% cuteness.

I loved BTTM, but I think I might’ve loved Nothing Like the Movies even more 🥹 Lynn Painter is one of my favorite authors, and her YA books all have the sweetest stories, quirkiest vibes, and the most lovable characters. I loved finding out what Liz & Wes have been up to, and this is easily one of my new favorite second-chance romances!

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Lynn Painter for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers & Lynn Painter for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh, Wes and Liz. Liz and Wes. If only we knew what mature tribulations awaited you two after we finished Better Than The Movies.

I REALLY loved this book. Once again, Lynn Painter knocks it out of the park. With her layered musical references, including just the right amount of Taylor Swift easter eggs, we get to watch Wes and Liz go through the growing pains of being 20, heartbroken, far, from home and in love.

Dear Lynn, please hop on over and put on your Adult Romance hat and give me Ross & Lilith!!!

This book had me smiling and giggling🤭 Nothing Like the Movies takes place years after the events of Better Than the Movies, and while it had many sad, heartbreaking moments, it was also so fun and lighthearted and sweet. Lynn Painter’s YA books feel like you’re watching a rom-com movie, and this one was no exception. LOVED getting Wes’ POV - this really felt like his story and I was here for it. And of course, I loved that we got even more rom-com quotes with every chapter. Wes and Liz are so cute, and I had such a fun time reading this.

All that being said, this book does have A LOT of language and crude humor, more than I prefer, especially for YA. But this book is closed door, nothing spicy except for a few passionate kissing scenes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for sending me an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

Ahhh this was cute 🥹 I loved being back with Wes and Liv. This book was heartbreaking and romantic all the same. This was different than your typical second chance romance book in the sense that the couple doesn’t get together until essentially the very end of the book, which means there was no opportunity for a third act breakup, which we love. I enjoyed the fact that we got to see these two characters in a different light because the growth from high school to college is so real.

Nothing Like the Movies is the long-awaited sequel to Lynn Painter’s Better Than the Movies, a sweet, clean, YA second chance romance. I wish I had reread the first before I began this one, not because it can’t stand alone, but because I wanted, fresh in my mind, Wes and Liz’s origin story and the place where they left off.

Liz and Wes were next-door neighbors in Omaha, and Wes enjoyed antagonizing her as all little boys do when they like a girl. It wasn’t until their senior year, when Liz’s old crush Michael moved back, that she and Wes faked a relationship in the hopes of getting Michael to finally notice her. As so often happens, after spending so much time together, they realized that their feelings had gone from frenemy to love. This story picks up as Liz is entering her third year at UCLA where she started with Wes as a freshman until his father’s sudden death forced him to drop out and quit a very promising baseball career. So, imagine Liz’s surprise when she sees that he’s back and eager to rekindle their relationship despite breaking her heart (and his own). Liz, in a misguided attempt to dissuade him, fakes another relationship, this time with her very platonic roommate Clark. When her new internship has her enmeshed with the baseball team, filming their every move in the preseason, it becomes harder and harder for her to ignore Wes’s efforts, especially when she finally learns the truth about what happened that led to their breakup.

Although I didn’t find this sequel quite as entertaining as Better Than the Movies, I think it’s because of the suffering these two delightful kids went through to find their way back to each other. Wes is quite clueless when he thinks he can just work his charm on Liz and she’ll fall back into his arms, but she’s not having it. I enjoyed watching each of them excelling, Liz with her sports video productions and Wes with his exceptional pitching (when he can get his head back in the game after recalling his father’s critical comments). There’s a good balance of humorous banter and painful vulnerability, and side characters provide encouragement and guidance to help Wes and Liz recognize the truth of their complicated feelings. I also enjoyed the rom-com movie quotes at the start of each chapter, my recognition proof of my unapologetic love for the genre. Once again, Painter has demonstrated why she’s a star in the YA romance world. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Simon & Schuster BFYR through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I feel like I'm in the minority when I say I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I was going to. I'm just going to come out and say just because so many authors are writing sequels to their most popular books, doesn't mean you have to either. I also hate to say this, but I felt like this was kind of a rip-off of Past Present Future by Rachel Lynn Solomon with the whole long-distance relationship aspect but minus the great mental health rep & adult-ness of that book. The Liz and Wes you loved in the first book is no longer seen in this book. Liz is somehow more immature than the first one, being whiny whenever Wes is around, and is just trying to truly hurt him after what she thinks happen for them to break up. Wes is truly a horrible person in this book. The mental health rep was trash when you truly needed it the most. The romance between Wes and Liz was absolute crap. Losing a parent doesn't mean you go and treat the people who love like crap. He's a liar, a manipulator, and just lacked any sort of depth. The communication SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE. The one thing that I wanted the most was just someone to talk to besides my family, but yet Wes leaves Liz out of everything when I know Liz would have dropped everything to be there for Wes throughout the whole book. They could have easily worked on the long-distance thing and somehow would have came out stronger. Honestly, Liz would have been so much better without Wes in her life because it just makes you realize that they wouldn't overcome any big hurdle in their relationship.

I guess losing both parents in your lifetime makes you realize a lot of stuff that books like this should cover, and this was not it. If you LOVED Better Than the Movies, I don't think this one is for.

3.5 ⭐️ (rounded up)

First and foremost, a big thank you to NetGalley, Lynn Painter, and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

I went into Nothing Like the Movies expecting something fresh, so I was surprised to find it continues the story of Wes and Liz. While the continuation was a fun twist, I found myself wishing for a deeper dive into Joss's or Michael's stories instead.

Overall, the book was good—not love at first sight, but certainly enjoyable. I felt it lacked the romance and comedic flair that I had hoped for. However, it still had its cute moments and would be a nice read for fans eager to see more of Wes and Liz’s journey. If you loved their first book, this one might be right up your alley!

Thank you to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster for the eARC!

Words cannot express how much I Ioved BETTER THAN THE MOVIES & I could not wait to be back in the world of Wesley Bennett, but this book broke my heart into a million little pieces. I’m sure it’s hard to write a sequel about a couple that is so loved & also give them a plot line that’s worth reading about but this one hurt. It felt like some of the nostalgic high school romance that I loved in the first book was undone in this one. I think this book was a good, realistic view of what a high school romance might look like as characters age and I appreciated the growth they both showed & how far they’ve come. It had the classic witty banter you can find in all of Lynn Painter’s books as well as many new, lovable side characters. Lynn Painter’s style of writing is refreshing, nostalgic, & easy to read. Ultimately I loved it because I love Wes & Liz but selfishly I kinda just wanted them to stay in their perfect little bubble. If you’re a fan of BETTER THAN THE MOVIES then you should absolutely pick this one up.

This eARC was given in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

This is my second Lynn Painter book, and she’s quickly becoming a favorite! Nothing Like the Movies dives into Wes and Liz’s second-chance romance after their heartbreaking breakup. Wes is on a mission to win Liz back, and his sweet but sometimes clumsy efforts had me rooting for him the entire time. Liz is a bit more guarded in this one, but that just makes their reconnection feel even more real and emotional.

Painter mixes in her usual humor, which balances out the heavier themes of loss and growth. If you enjoy slow burn, emotional romance, this is a must-read!

Tropes:

Second chance romance
Slow burn
Grand gestures
Emotional growth
College setting

I'm a little biased, because I will buy anything that Lynn Painter writes, but his book holds a special place in my heart. Better than the Movies was the first Lynn Painter book I read, and I instantly fell in love with Liz and Wes. With Nothing Like the Movies, we have a more mature version of Wes and Liz, and a traumatic event that wedges them apart. I love the dual pov. Wes is a holy interesting character, and I love to see his thoughts.

The description of this book made it sound like it would be a light-hearted rom-com, but both characters ended up being nothing like they were in the first book in the worst ways. Wes did not make any successful movie-like big gestures as promised. Overall the book was a flop.

Most of the book was talking scenes. Even when they were in an interesting setting the descriptions weren’t there. Then it immediately went to Liz and Wes just talking or in an inner monologue griping about each other. It felt like nothing was happening in most of the book. The side characters were barely developed, and it felt like they were just there to be in there. I had no idea how to tell any of Wes’s roommates apart, they all seemed like the same guy.

I am a self-proclaimed nickname extraordinaire, so I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Liz had too many nicknames. Liz, Lizzie, Libby, Lib, Bux, Buxxie, Buxbaum, Elizabeth etc. It started getting distracting.

Some of the language that Wes used in his POVs about winning Liz back came off as creepy. I wish we didn’t have his POV. He was going after her like she was some prize to win back. It wasn’t attractive to me, it was a red flag and not in a fun romance book way. Also, lowkey Wes scootering around gave me the ick.

So many things didn’t add up. For one why would Liz not help Wes through the emotional turmoil of his dad dying when she had gone through losing her mom?? How was she so shocked when she found out he had such a difficult few months when his dad first died and he moved home?

Wes said throughout the book how tight money was but bought 200 daisies and a bag of candles and then took Liz to an extremely expensive restaurant? That makes no sense. There wasn’t even a throwaway line about how she was worth spending the money on, it was just glossed over.

Does nobody ever tell Wes that Liz faked her relationship with Clark?? How can she say he is a liar and she does that and never tells him the truth? Double standards much?

There was so much telling and now showing. Another review said they felt like this was more of a first draft and I couldn’t agree more.

I almost DNF’d this book so many times. It was like pulling teeth to finish. At the end of the book, I started rooting for them to break up and go no contact because they were being so toxic and annoying. For all the people saying maybe they didn’t like this book because they aren’t the target age anymore stop gaslighting yourselves! There are sooo many good YA books out there, including Better Than The Movies, but Nothing Like The Movies wasn’t it.

I don’t wanna be a complete hater. There were some things in the book that I did like:
I loved the beginning where they kept missing each other, but I wish that part was longer so the tension built more.

I liked the drive Liz and Wes both had for their passions. Liz with filming and Wes with pitching. The scenes where they talked about how much they loved their passions were my favorite and much more believable than when they talked about liking each other at all.

Clark and Lilith. Both of their characters were wholesome and I liked how much they looked out for Liz.

I liked that Liz was the baseball filmer, that was a fun and unique way to force proximity between her and Wes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing for the ARC.

When I read Better Than the Movies I quickly fell in love with Wes and Liz. The opportunity to read Nothing Like the Movies early was something I had to jump on! While it was heartbreaking that the pair I love so much broke up, this story was one that needed to be told! It deals with life after loss, super heavy topic. If you’re into slow burn, angsty second chance romance, give this book a read!