5/5 stars. I was so invested in this entire book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lynn Painter, and Simon and Schuster for an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This sequel to Better Than The Movies publishes Oct. 1st!

And my honest review is that I LOVED this story. I was so obsessed with Better Than The Movies, and I was so nervous for me personally that this book was not going to live up to the first... However, I loved this sequel. It made me laugh, cry, and have so many butterflies.

It has been a true JOY to love and read these characters. Liz & Wes truly just make my heart SWOON. Their banter, in classic Lynn Painter fashion, was on a whole new level in this story. I was giggling like a little girl the entire time. But then we explored the themes of grief and we spend so much more time with Wes as he is walking through hard things. Gosh, my heart broke for Wes. I felt his pain and sorrow. To see his character grow and expand into a man from a boy in the first book was just so amazing.

Liz, man she is not little Liz anymore! I will say her character frustrated me the most in this story because she's just stubborn... but I cannot blame her because she is still just as amazing.

I love this world. I love these characters. I am so HONORED to have read this story before it is released to the public.

LIZ & WES FOREVER!!!

Wes and Liz were childhood neighbors turned high school sweethearts, who headed off to UCLA together for freshman year. Unfortunately, their perfect relationship cracked when Wes’s dad passed away, forcing him to drop out of college, move home and take care of his mom and sister. Wes even stopped playing baseball--what got him scholarships to college and what was his whole life before--but baseball was his connection with his dad and he just couldn’t face it.
Fast forward two years later, and Wes has been given a second chance at just about everything--college, Liz, and baseball--but will he be able to convince Liz that he’s back for good this time? Highly recommended for rom-com fans.

What a wonderful five star read! I am a ride or die for Lynn Painter. I’m not going to lie, the stark difference of where Liz and Wes are at in life at the beginning of this book was a little jarring, but I loved how real this book was. I felt like it was able to show grief, loss, love, and guilt in a way that was not too heavy. I loved watching Wes and Liz navigate their lives as now adults and overcoming challenges. Honestly I loved this book so much. I would love to see a spin off series of this book for some of the side characters and maybe even one for Wes and Liz children? I would 100000% read any of those!

Where to even begin. I just finished Nothing Like the Movies a few minutes ago. I got the email that I had received the netgalley a few days ago, and I was so thrilled. I adored Better than the Movies-it was one of my favorite books of 2023, so I was stoked to have the chance to read the second book. I devoured it in a single day, and I couldn't stop turning the pages. Wes broke my heart with his story, and Painter does an excellent job of teasing you with little bits of it at a time in a way that keeps you so hooked from page 1. Liz was still her silly charming self, but she has grown. She has some grit and ambition and angst hiding away Little Liz's romantic personality. Wes really wore his heart on his sleeve for this one, and his declarations of love for Liz were some of the most heartwarming I have read in a long time. Also the epilogue with the jersey???? I am SCREAMING!!!!!!!!!!! I will never shut up about Wes and Liz. Well done, Lynn Painter. 5 freaking stars. (Instagram review to come on pub day once I buy my physical copy!)

I was SO lucky to get to read an ARC of this book.

Before reading this book I was so worried that my expectations were going to be too high because of how much I ADORED Better Than The Movies. I am happy to say that this book did not disappoint. I am writing this with tears in my eyes after just putting the book down because that last page… god. I honestly kept looking for reasons to give this book anything less than 5 stars because I thought I was just being DRAMATIC for loving it so much… but truly it is a big fat 5 star read for me. I love Wes and Liz, and this book hit me in all the feels.


“just know that no matter what you decide, and no matter what happens, I will feel this way about you for the rest of my life”

Lynn Painter’s *Nothing Like the Movies* is a charming blend of humor and romance. With a witty, endearing protagonist and sparkling chemistry between the leads, this novel offers a delightful escape back into the world she made us love the first time! Painter’s engaging writing and clever nods to Hollywood make this book a must-read for fans of romantic comedies and great music. It's a perfect blend of heart and humor that will keep you entertained and smiling from start to finish.

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!