LYNN. PAINTER. DOES. NOT. MISS. WITH. YA. ROM-COMS.

Buckle up everyone, because Lynn throws us some curveballs (excuse the baseball puns ⚾️).
We’re following our favs, Wes and Liz, in this beautiful and heart-wrenching sequel to Better Than the Movies. But life and circumstance has torn these two apart, for 2 WHOLE YEARS?! Luckily, it seems the universe also ships Bennet and Buxbaum like the rest of us, so they’re brought back together (maybe forced back together, like two polarizing magnets).
What follows is a journey of grief, anger, sadness, the lowest of lows - but also, new friendships, laughter, healing, second chances. If there’s one thing Lynn Painter does spectacularly, it’s making you feel the entire spectrum of emotions while reading her books. I loved the added complexity of grief, loss of a loved one, and coming of age in BTTM, and it was just MORE in this one. More grown up, more to process, more to identify with. I’ll definitely be coming back to this beautiful duology. ❤️

Thank you x million to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for this incredible ARC!

Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter is a wonderful standalone romance. (IMO, since I haven't read Better Than the Movies). Liz and Wes, former lovers who have changed greatly since their relationship ended, meet again at UCLA. Wes wants to win Liz back with a big gesture, showing he’s grown and that their love deserves another chance.

The characters are well-drawn and relatable, and Painter’s writing mixes humor with emotional depth. The story is a sweet exploration of how love can evolve and how people can change. It’s a great read for anyone who enjoys a heartfelt romance with a touch of drama.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read Nothing Like the Movies!

I absolutely adored this book! It was so fun to revisit Wes and Liz’s story and those one was just as sweet and fun!

The start is emotional as is their story throughout but I so enjoyed each of the characters growth and love as they are growing up!!

I’m speechless.

I didn’t know what to expect going into a book knowing that Liz and Wes weren’t together. Liz has been at college trying to move on and focus on the future, Wes has been trying to build his life back up after a devastating loss. Yet, they are still Liz and Wes no matter how hard they fight it. Watching their story unfold and seeing Wes be unashamed of how much he still loves her was everything. I laughed, I cried, I yelled at them, I was speechless.

Lynn Painter knows how to write banter and sarcasm and a teasing love story that is everything I could have ever wanted in a book. This was the perfect way for their story to play out, from high school kids to the way they grew up apart and were reunited at UCLA. I knew this book was going to be good after falling in love with Better Than the Movies and Painter did not disappoint. 5 stars. Easily.

While I loved that the story continued, the first book was just perfection. This was a little slow to start, but as I kept reading I enjoyed it!

This didn't quite live up to "Better Than the Movies" for me. I was interested in the story of Wes and Liz finding their way back to each other after significant changes, but the writing felt more "adult" to me than "young adult". I love the inclusion of all the songs and I liked the way it was a reversal of the first book in that Wes was chasing Liz more in this one.

I love second chance romance. But most of this book didn’t read like a second chance. I loved it. Loved seeing them after high school and what’s changed and all the challenges they went through. But it felt like just a regular story until the last third of the book. I wanted more of the Wes and Lizzy that we got in the first book. As always though I’ll read anything and everything Lynn Painter puts out.

The hopeless romantic in me loved this series! I need both made into movies, stat! I also need spin offs of some of the friends, please. This was a great sequel to Better Than the Movies. My heart broke for the characters in the beginning and then I was rooting for them at the end. Great MCs! Also, loved the dual POV and the playlist at the end! *chef’s kiss*

I loved seeing where the characters ended up. I was bummed to see they had broken up and mad at them but glad it all worked out in the end.

This was a great sequel to Better Than The Movies. The sudden shift between the two books was a little jarring, but was still okay. I truly enjoyed the characters, but I didn’t love the miscommunication trope. The banter was good and the ending was sweet.

Painter’s sequel is a fantastic continuation of Liz and Wes’s story! After a split caused by Wes’s family issues, Liz has thrived in her own space at UCLA, while Wes has been back in Omaha. When Wes returns to try and rekindle their relationship, he finds Liz has become the cool, independent figure he didn’t expect.

The book beautifully captures the essence of their second chance romance, with emotional depth and nostalgia. I loved seeing both familiar and new characters, and the soundtrack choices added an extra layer of impact. This sequel offers a perfect blend of romance and sports, making it a must-read for fans of the series!

Dont worry! Trust Lynn Painter! I honestly think she wrote the most beautiful sequel. I was skeptical of a second book..2 YEARS..cmonn!:(
She honestly knocked it out of the park with this one! You will cry,you will laugh and honestly you may get angry at our wonderful Wes and Liz. Lowkey may need to put the book down and squeal into your pilllow at certain points . Its all part of their development and adventure. This book healed apart of me. Life is tough and sometimes we are gonna have setbacks but it’s how you overcome that makes us, who we are. You will eventually get to where you need to be or who you should be with…
Wes bennett pov..enough said👀
Thank you sooo much for the arc @Lynn Painter @Simon and Schuster.. I LOVE YOU AND YOUR BOOKS!!. 💕💐🤩

I adored this sequel by Painter! We pick up where Liz and Wes left off at UCLA, however things have changed and they’re no longer together. Wes had some family things happen requiring him to leave Bruins baseball and Liz in sunny LA, and something transpires that causes him to break up with her. While he’s back in Omaha, Liz has found her groove with capturing sports content, working on her major and interning for her career role model. When Wes gets a chance to try again as a freshman, he discovers his ex girlfriend has become the cool, anti-romance girl that all the baseball guys find super chill and not the “Little Liz” Wes remembers.

It was so fun to be back with Liz and Wes, with old characters we love and new characters we adore. I especially loved the cameo back in their hometown. The second chance, get your girl back narrative was written so well. Wes bringing the beat? The pining? The flashbacks? The chosen soundtrack songs to bring ultimate pain? Painter crushed it and anyone who loved book one will love book two. Plus, who doesn’t love a little sports romance?


It’s a highly recommend, five star read from me!!

Lynn Painter DOES NOT MISS! Nothing Like the Movies was sweet, fun, clever, and hard to put down.

In this sequel to Better Than the Movies, Wes has lost his father and believes he has also lost his baseball career, college prospects, and Liz, the love of his life. But a second chance at pitching for UCLA makes him hopeful, and even determined, for a chance to get Liz back. But Liz isn’t exactly the hopeless romantic he remembers, and Wes has his work cut out for him trying to win her over.

Painter is a master of banter and does a great job of creating chemistry between Wes and Liz while also developing some very lovable secondary characters. Her books have a page-turner quality that made me constantly trying to fit in one more chapter before I put it down. Highly recommend anyone who loves a YA romcom!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publishers for this advanced copy!

I am so grateful to have received a NetGalley ARC of this book, and I am so happy to share my love for this couple. Liz and Wes are simply two of my favorite book characters of all time, and this story did not disappoint.
To start off, I was SO excited when I heard that Wes and Liz would be getting a sequel. And let me just say, this book will not disappoint if you've read Better Than The Movies.
Wes's POV is something that I desperately needed in my life. We all know that men written by women are superior, and seeing the inner monologue of Wes had my heart melting. It reminded me of why I fell for Wes Bennett in the first place. I love his story as well. He really developed as a character throughout the story.
Liz definitely developed throughout this story. In the beginning, I realized that Liz was going to be different than she was in the last book. I loved her in this book! The small character developments for Liz that happened in between the two books was very visible throughout the story, and I think that the author did a great job of showcasing how two people change and go through things, and relationships may also change.
Overall, I rate this book a 4.5 stars. I don't have any complaints about the book. It was such a good second book to Wes and Liz, and I absolutely adored this story!
I recommend this book to people who love romcoms and Taylor Swift, but make sure you read Better Than The Movies before this book!

SO. GOOD. I love Wes and Liz and was so excited to read about them again. Incredibly follow-up to Better Than the Movies!

I loved ‘Better than the Movies’ and my obsession with Liz and Wes began. I was so excited and nervous to read the sequel ‘Nothing like the Movies’ but It did not disappoint. It follows Wes and Liz in college and their second chance romance. My heart broke and then was perfectly put back together reading this. Wes is still ‘chef’s kiss’ and I love the grown-up Liz. Midnights album just felt appropriate with 12:13 💛. Thank you @lynnpainterbooks, for giving us Wes and Liz and can’t wait to read what you put out next. Thanks for this ARC @netgalley @simonteen

So good! I don’t think I liked it more than the first one but it is still really fun! My only critique is that it definitely should not be marketed as YA. It’s more of a new adult book. The writing is phenomenal and the references to pop culture is so fun!!

Better than the Movies was a Grade A, YA romance. Adding a sequel was always going to be difficult. For me, Nothing Like the Movies just didn’t hit the way I was hoping it would.

The writing itself was great. I loved the callbacks to Better Than The Movies & the actual ending was as sweet and satisfying.

Unfortunately, the storytelling and conflicts got a bit redundant. Wes and Liz’s arguments felt circular, they weren’t making any progress. At one point, I had a hard time picking the book back up to read.

Nothing Like the Movies may have a case of, “did this book really need a sequel?” It was great to be in Wes & Liz’s world again, I just don’t think we needed to go back.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The views expressed here are my own.

*note: I will post the review on social sites after publication.

Wes and Liz finally had their storybook romance, right as they were about to start college together. But then tragedy befalls Wes's family. He drops out, and she is forced to put him out of her mind. A couple of years later, Wes finds his way back to college and his dream of playing baseball. Just as much as he wants to resume his dreams of college baseball, Wes is determined to win Liz back. Liz, however, seems to have changed. Wes is not ready to give up. But as he tries the best rom-com approaches to win her back, he must confront the possibility that their romance is truly in the past.

This is a sweet and touching story. Like her other novels, the author captures the highs and lows of young adulthood and the ways that life does not, and sometimes does, resemble a rom-com.

Highly recommended!