nothing like the movies🍿⚾️
4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

EEEK!! Thank you so much to Netgalley for sending me an eARC of this! This book was probably my most highly anticipated book this year and it didn’t disappoint. I forgot how much I missed Liz and Wes. I wanted MORE! 🤩

I was a little taken back at the fact that they were no longer dating at the beginning of this book. Yes it’s part of the summary but it made me so sad not seeing them together😭 Obviously time has passed and their characters have changed. I liked that Lynn Painter wrote them more maturely because they were older and had more life experiences. Liz was very stubborn in this book, more stubborn that I anticipated. When she starts to loosen up, you can see old Liz come back to life. ❤️ Wes was his typical goofy self however we see a much more deep and emotional side of him that we haven’t before. This book was a lot more depressing and sad at some parts then I was expecting. BUT…. it added so much more depth to the book and characters which I love. 🥹

I think Wes playing baseball was such a fun part of this book. After reading this, it left me wanting to read more baseball romances haha. I feel like the romance didn’t happen until way late in the book but I’m glad we got to see their fun banter again. I’m just greedy and want more and more of them.

THE SOUNDTRACK. Guys you’re not gonna wanna miss it. The music mentioned in this one is EVERYTHING🤌🏼🤌🏼

I want more and more of Liz and Wes. They are so perfect together and no one does it like Lynn Painter. This will have you kicking your feet and giggling over and over again.

MAKE SURE TO PREORDER THIS BOOK!! It comes out September 24th😍 Who has already ordered this?!

3.75 ⭐️ Wow, this was definitely a completely different tone than the first book. I enjoyed the dual POV and getting to know Wes more than we did in Better Than the Movies. I liked that we got more of his life with his family and it made me understand him and what he was going through way more. However, I do think by like the halfway point of the book it did feel like it was being a bit dragged out. Could you argue that this book wasn’t completely necessary? Yes. I can see some people maybe not enjoying it. I do appreciate the realistic part of this book that touches on unexpected things happening in your life that impact the relationships you have with others, especially in your formative college years. Overall, I did still have a good time reading more of these characters!

I loved this book so much! It was beautifully written as a second chance romance with dual POV and I loved being along for the ride of Wes and Liz. It had me so emotionally invested and I'm glad I was able to receive the ARC for this book.

Thank you to NetGallery for the complimentary digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Lynn Painter has quickly become one of my favorite authors to read. She is funny and the story always has great characters with a believable plot. This one is a sequel and fun to see where the characters, Liz and Wes are going to end up. Definitely a book to read and recommend!

Wes and Liz are college freshmen. Wes is pulling out all the stops to try and win Liz back, but Liz can’t be persuaded. This book continues from where Better Than the Movies ended, that was such a cute book, and this was just ok. It felt like the story should not have been drug out as a sequel and should have just been left alone.

YES! This YA delivers. I was rooting for Liz and Wes throughout this entire story! Told through alternating perspectives of Liz and Wes, the story picks up 2 years after "Better than the Movies" left off. And much has changed in the lives of the lovebirds as they navigate college and life overall. Wes essentially has to win Liz back after a personal fallout where everything came crashing down and he lost it all. Now, 2 years later, he's ready to face his demons, pick up a baseball again, and win back the girl of his dreams. As the story unfolds, what happened is described by both character's perspective and then there is what really happened. However, as time has gone by, Liz has grown and changed--little Liz is no longer--and she does not want to pick up where they left off. Can Wes get back the girl of his dreams...and what really happened to our star crossed lovers?
5 stars

Lynn Painter does it again! this book is incredible and I can not wait for everyone to read it. She has a way of reading to make sure you read her books in one setting!

What a perfect sequel! I’m always worried about contemporary follow-ups because they just mean creating more conflict between the characters - but this worked SO well! It was lovely being back with Liz and Wes and watching them find a way back to each other. I’m docking a star simply because I felt like there was perhaps one too many things keeping them a part and the break up plot could’ve been simplified, but I loved it regardless.

such an amazing book. although I was skeptical of the second chance in this book lynn painter did a fantastic job writing it. i love wes and liz so so much. i enjoyed reading nothing like the movies. 10/10 recommend it

This book was absolutely wonderful. A sequel like this can be tricky to make feel natural, but Lynn Painter nailed it. My heart hurt for the characters as we saw flashbacks of their breakup and the heartache that came after. Wes is such a golden retriever character, but the depth that the heartache gave him was just right. This book had me hurting, laughing, and loving right along with the characters.

Earlier this week, I finished a digital ARC of Nothing Like the Movies! @lynnpainterbooks , true relatable icon, always has her finger on the pulse of the best music and legendary rom-com quotes. I absolutely love this new installment’s curation of songs and quotes. My friends and I read Better Than the Movies during our senior year of high school and it became one of our all-time favorite books. Fast-forward: We are now going to be juniors in college (crazy!!), just like our aspiring music supervisor protagonist Liz Buxbaum. It was interesting to see two of my favorite characters against a college backdrop, although my favorite part of the book takes place in a more nostalgic setting. (🤐)That could just be me needing an escape from reading about the realistic stress of college while being in college though! Nonetheless, it’s just that: realistic. While I know it’s hard to picture the characters you know and love in a different setting and stage of their life, I highly recommend putting on your favorite soundtrack and going in with an open heart. Because who can resist more WesLiz content?! Thank you to @netgalley for the digital ARC! Nothing Like the Movies is out October 1st!

"Nothing Like the Movies" is the second book in Lynn Painter's "Better Than the Movies" series. This book is centered around college students Wes and Liz. Wes, dealing with the traumatic death of his father, breaks up with Liz right before college starts and completely blindsides Liz and derails their plans. Liz tries to move on but is completely heartbroken. After dealing with his own issues, Wes is determined to win Liz back. Knowing Liz is a rom-com fan, Wes implements some of the swoonworthy moments from Liz's favorite movies.

I enjoyed reading about the popular rom-com moments Wes was recreating in an attempt to win Liz back and thought that was a really cute idea. However, I found it hard to keep up with all the characters in the book as they were so many side characters. I also wasn't quite sure if I was actually invested in Wes and Liz's happily ever after. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

this was such a good second book in the series! i almost loved it more than the first since wes and liz were in college! very relatable and adorable! perfect story line and ending! definitely recommend for anyone who loves a cute romance novel!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Was BTTM perfect and could’ve been a standalone? Yes.
Did I still eat NLTM up? YES.

WesLiz banter is always perfection 🩷

- fake dating
- second chance
- forced proximity
- slow burn

Thank you, NetGalley x Simon & Schuster for this ARC 🥰

Romantic, funny, and honest sequel to Better Than the Movies. The characters are both likable and quite three dimensional. The chemistry and anticipation between the main characters is palpable and it will leave you cheering for more.

I loved the first book and this was such a sweet extension of their story. I couldn’t put this book down. I love these characters and I was rooting for them all along. This book has great tension and a lot of funny moments.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The title may be Nothing Like the Movies, but this book is EVERYTHING!

From the title alone I figured not all was well with WesLiz, but was I expecting that curveball?? Absolutely not. Cue being crushed and VERY tempted to throw my phone across the room and curse our beloved Lynn Painter’s very name.

However, nothing safe is worth the drive, and I deeply appreciate how palpable and tangible every moment turned out to be. Wes is everything. Every. Single. Thing.

This book was a great follow-up to the first book. It was full of emotion and heartbreak, and it was so entertaining to read. The reason why I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 was because the author brought up too much about Liz’s mixed feelings and it clogged up the book. Other then that, the book was great to read and was one that I couldn’t put down.

I am... underwhelmed? I was REALLY excited for this because I LOVED Better Than the Movies.

Wes and Liz head to college! And shortly after... break up. A few weeks into their first year, Wes finds out that his dad passed away. After the funeral, he chooses to stay back in Nebraska to help his sister and mom. Liz stays at school. Out of nowhere, Wes breaks up with Liz. Fast forward 2 years, Wes decides its time he goes back to UCLA, if his coaches let him play again. Liz is crushing life and has an amazing internship with a documentarian. Her job is to create a "Hard Knocks" style documentary about the UCLA baseball team. Wes gets to UCLA and is waiting for an organic moment to run into Liz, which comes in a way he wasn't expecting. What will Liz do when she knows he's back on campus?

Like I said, I was underwhelmed and just feeling meh about it. There were some scenes and some lines that I really enjoyed, but the back and forth of Liz and Wes was not my favorite. It was honestly darker than I was expecting. Painter had talked about losing a parent young in BTTM, but this talked more about the trauma of it all. IDK I just wanted to finish it and get it over with.

I also feel like his sister was NEVER mentioned in BTTM??? I didn't even realize he had one?? Also she kept saying they were driving "cross country" and IDK I think of cross country as completely across the country to the west coast lol.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Again, this was so good! I am glad that Lynn Painter gave us more Wes and Liz. I cant say too much or I will spoil the story, so Ill leave it simple. This is a must when it is released.

This was a wonderful close to their story. It was interesting to see their lives into college. It was sad to see Wes go through hard times, but I was glad that he overcame those struggles (don't want to give any spoilers).

Liz is depicted as a strong determined woman who knows what she wants and I love that. I am glad that she has a dream and goal to aspire to.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC of this beautifully written story!