A great sequel! I really enjoyed the first book but I liked the sequel even more! Lynn Painter does it again! Lots of demand for this book in my library. Lynn, keep writing books!

I don’t have enough words to express my love for this book. I didn’t know how Lynn Painter was going to make a sequel to a book that ended in a happily ever after(how could one ever doubt it?!), but she pulled it off in the best way.

This sequel is absolutely perfect in every single way. I love these two and I could read 800 more books about them and their love.

If you’re a fan of second chance romance - this book will be your dream come true. Everything I love in that trope was there.

What I didn’t expect reading this was to be choked up numerous times. This one is emotional and raw, and you are right in there with the characters and all of their vulnerabilities.

It’s also so damn sweet and left me swooning, giggling and kicking my feet out in pure joy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Infinity stars)

I was introduced to this author by one of my students, and I LOVED Better Than the Movies. This book was a great follow up. On e of my favorite parts about this story was not even the main love story, but the stories of all the side characters. I could read book after book about all of the side characters in this novel. I also loved that a lot of this book felt really realistic. There was real tension, and it was not just a happily ever after from the beginning. It deals with college romance in a very real way, and I loved the banter between the characters. I also loved that the characters had changed from the last book- it really shows how people change as they grow up. Loved this book!

This was a cute book about second chances. If you love YA romance you simply have to read Painter’s young adult titles. It was missing the mark after the first, and took me wayyyy too long to finish because it just wasn't hooking me.

Read if you like:
- Rom-coms
- Dual POV
- Family dynamics
- Best friend groups
- Pop culture and T. Swift references
- Quirky MCs
- Heartfelt moments
- Reuniting with loved characters

I’m hooked on this author/series! This sequel did not disappoint! I loved the tension between these two in the first book, and boy does that tension continue! Add in another love interest and more funny banter, this is a total winner. Loved it!

I was so excited when I saw this book announced and even more excited when I was approved for an early copy. Unfortunately, I think these characters were better off with just one book. I am a Wes stan, he was my favorite part of Better Than The Movies - but I don't recognize this Wes at all.

4.5 ⭐️! Did this book have to exist? No. Did i love it anyways? Yes. My heart literally felt like it had been squeezed by the end of this book. I do think this book makes their relationship deeper and it was really beautiful.

I read this book about a full month ago, and I've been letting it marinate in my head to really figure out my thoughts, and I will say, it's gotten a little better with time for me.

I think my major problem with this book was my expectations going in. I loved the romance and meant-to-be-ness of Better Than the Movies, and so I was expecting much different things from this book, especially in that I was expecting to go into this story quickly, I thought it would take place maybe a couple of months after the events of Better Than, and that is not the case. This takes place four years later, and in those four years, a lot of resentment and anger has built up between these characters.

I didn't reread Better Than the Movies in preparation for this book, and that was a good decision on my part. Going from the happy ending to the devastation of Nothing Like the Movies would have made me instantly DNF. In my mind, for the first half of this book it's the opposite of a love story. And I had a pretty big issue with that.

Besides that being a major issue for me, I also had some mild issues with the pacing. From the first page, Wes wants to win Liz back, but he doesn't actually do anything to try and accomplish that goal until a good 70% through the book. It's not even that he's attempting and gets shot down until that one scene about 50% in where they finally connect emotionally, it's that he literally stares at her and pines for her from a distance whining about how he wants to get her back, and then 3/4 through the book he finally starts to try to reach her with things that he knows about her. (To very varying success) I know that he was being "respectful" because he thought she had a boyfriend, but I'm sorry, as a woman, having an ex show up, and just be kind of weird around you to the point when you fake a relationship because you don't want to deal with it... that's a problem for me.

It ends with forgiveness and a rekindled romance, which I understand, but with the amount of resentment that Liz had built up over 4 years, it happened way too easily.

Now that I've complained, let me speak about the things that I did like about this book.

Firstly, Liz is still amazing. From the head in the clouds 18 year old to the kind of cynical 22 year old, she is still just amazing. I loved seeing how she has grown and seeing her really succeed in her life. She deserves nothing less.

And, by far, the best thing about this book, were the side character friendships! The baseball team rallying around Wes and Liz equally. The support in the hijinks that Wes pulls. Their friendship is just so wholesome and so fun and i just love them. Same thing with Liz's roommates. Including the fake boyfriend who was so down for anything, so observant and just ready to step back the moment that he felt it was in Liz's best interests.

Finally, I'll leave with a comparison. Earlier this year I read Past Present Future by Rachel Lynn Solomon, which similarly to Nothing Like the Movies, follows a couple established in a previous book as the happy ever after is not a clear as it was at the end of the first book. I rated it similarly to Nothing Like the Movies for really different reasons, but I will say if you enjoyed Better Than, and Nothing Like the Movies, I would go and read Today, Tonight, Tomorrow and Past Present Future by Rachel Lynn Solomon, because they are similar and different.

Interesting plot, good character development, great romantic buildup and a happy ending. Lovely read. Thank you, Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, for giving me the ARC in exchange for my honest review

- thank you Simon and Schuster/ netgalley for providing me with a digital arc for this book -

WOW

LYNN PAINTER YOU'VE DONE IT AGAIN

I will say that I loved the first one more but I am a sucker for happy endings and people finding their way back to eachother so this one hit that soft spot of mine.

I peronsally loved seeing them in a different setting, they're now in college - living completely different lives and they have to navigate "re-meeting" eachother because of that but I will never get over all the sweet little moments between Liz and Wes, I could truly never get enough it's just written so beautifully.

AND HOW DAAARE YOU LYNN, GIVE US A SCARE WITH THAT ENDING.

"Trust me, Lib," I said, picturing her lips. "In a crowd of million ski masks, I'd still be able to find you."

4 stars all around!!

--- netgalley comments---

personally I love lynn's writing so I think the formatting, the storylines and everything were perfect. I will absolutely recommend this book to anyone that listens

-- goodreads review link > https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6811043287

So so so good!!! These books always get me out of a reading slump!! Thank you again for the ARC I finally got my hard copy this week from target 😍

Our favorites from Better Than the Movies, Wes and Liz, are three years older, in college, and *gasp* broken up. We soon learn that Wes's father died shortly after their freshman year began and he left UCLA and headed back home to help his family, only to break up with Liz over the phone a few months later. But now, Wes is back at UCLA, as a 20-year-old freshman and a rising star pitcher on the baseball team. And he and Liz can't help but continue to cross paths, as Liz is the team's videographer, which Wes is ecstatic about because he is determined to win her back. Meanwhile, she's less than thrilled about their forced proximity.

Better Than the Movies was one of my top reads the year it came out and continues to be a favorite. Indeed, everything Lynn Painter puts out--be it her adult or YA novels--always manages to make my top ten lists for the year. This book is no exception. I was baffled out she could break up our lovelies and bring them back together without tearing out my heart, and, well, she didn't--I was tearing up as I read. Wes and Liz are endgame, though, and anyone can see that, including all of Wes' teammates, Liz's roommates, and even Liz's fake boyfriend. The history and connection and chemistry between these two is off the charts and I'm hoping there's some NSFW new adult fanfiction out there on the internet somewhere... or Lynn, if you're listening, maybe a newsletter subscriber perk or preorder incentive? I will read anything Lynn Painter writes and was so happy to finally see this novel come to fruition.

Thanks to Simon Teen for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 10/10

Who is this Wes? Certainly not the thoughtful, quieter, emotionally tuned in man from the first book. This one is angry and demanding of attention and pushy when he doesn’t get his way. 3/4 the way through the book and both characters are still wondering how their second chance is going to work. there are MAJOR red flags in their relationship and I wish we had spent time addressing the mental health growth that had to have happened in the two years since the end of BTTM. We get it, Liz is different and a cool girl™️ now. she likes ~sports~ and is so ~chill~. The number of times that was repeated was painful. And Wes is a completely different person through his grief and struggles, but instead of a patient and grown up different, he’s worse different somehow. Honestly pretty disappointing and filled with tropes after the depth (YA depth but still) we saw in BTTM. I was also waiting for them to bond over or even TALK about the fact that they both lost parents very young. I don’t think Liz’s late mother is mentioned beyond one scene in the cemetery. They kept acting like it had been YEARS since they last talked and dated, but two years is not that long at all. It still feels like 2022 to me.

Whatever, the least we deserve after this is a Clark and Sarah spinoff.

Unfortunately, I don’t think this book lived up to its predecessor for me. The first book had so much depth and that really fell short in this one. It wasn’t a bad read at all, but I almost feel as though this didn’t need a duology because it muddied up how beautifully the first one wrapped up.

I devoured the first book in one sitting. This book took more time because I couldn't connect with the character as much. It was still a solid read, and I liked the overall story line.

Lynn Painter is one of my favorite Romance authors. Her characters in this book does not disappoint, Wes and Liz are amazing and cute and everything that I wanted for them.

This one has fake dating, second chance romance, minor touch on substance abuse, loss/grief, PTSD, second chance at life goals, and more.

Quick read and easy to fall in love with the characters.

Thank you NEtGalley for the ARC

After the heartfelt and engaging first installment, Nothing Like the Movies sadly doesn’t quite measure up. The story picks up with Wes and Liz navigating their Junior year at UCLA, but the emotional depth and charm that made the first book shine seem to have faded in this sequel.

Lynn has done it again! Such a cute, heartfelt book. I loved the first book, but this one took the cake!

"Nothing Like the Movies" by Lynn Painter is a fantastic read! The story is engaging and filled with humor, making it hard to put down. The characters are well-developed and relatable, which adds depth to the romantic plot. Painter's writing style is easy to follow, and the witty dialogue keeps things entertaining. This book is perfect for anyone who loves a lighthearted romance with a touch of fun. Highly recommended for a cozy reading session!

A worthy, sweet, and engaging sequel that captures the spirit of "second time around" that so many of us would love to find with a former flame.