Nothing Like The Movies is the sequel to "Better Than The Movies" and the relationship between Wes and Liz continues, which is great, because they were really cute in the first book. This one took a while to get going and there were life problems for maybe the first half of the book, but then the story picked up and it was just as sweet as the first. Definitely recommended for fans of the first book. This is another must-read for Painter fans.

Wes and Liz from Better Than the Movies are one of my all time favorite enemies-to-lovers couples so I was excited to come back and visit this world in the follow up Nothing Like the Movies to see what this duo has been up to since graduating from high school.

After all of the good times in that first book, let me just say that I was not at all prepared for how much of an emotional read Nothing Like the Movies is. Instead of being off at UCLA having the time of their lives together, tragedy stuck and Wes had to drop out. Not only that, but he also broke up with Liz! It takes Wes two years to finally be ready to come back to college and he is not only on a mission to get his college plans back on track, but he’s also determined to win Liz back.

I had a love/hate relationship with Wes in this book. I wanted to thump him on the head for the way he broke Liz’s heart. I understand that his heart was in the right place, but how dare he hurt her like that. That said, my heart also absolutely broke for Wes because of all that he went through from the moment tragedy crushed him and his dreams. No one that young should have to deal with everything he had to deal with. I’m used to reading pure comedy from Lynn Painter in all of her books, so as painful as some of Wes’ journey was, I loved seeing this more dramatic and emotional side to Painter’s writing.

Even though the story had some emotional weight to it, there were still a lot of fun moments and definitely rom-com worthy moments. Liz has really come into her own at school, finding some wonderful & hilarious friends, as well as an amazing internship. While Wes’ journey resonated with me more, I still loved seeing so much growth in Liz’s character as well.

If you enjoy books about second chance romances, books about finding your way after experiencing grief and loss, and books that feature lovable characters who experience tremendous character growth, you’ll want to check this one out (and Better Than the Movies if you haven’t read it!)

Better Than The Movies is THE book that made me fall in love with reading romcoms and with Lynn Painter’s writing in particular. Many books later, I was so excited to get my hands on this ARC. I have had so much trouble getting through it though and I’m left harboring complicated feelings.

I felt so deeply for Wes and his love for Liz. He seemd to have matured through what he had gone through and still desperately loves Liz. However, I could not relate to Liz in anyway. She was borderline childish in all of her behavior but especially towards Wes. Like, I genuinely didn’t even understand why Wes was breaking his back to get back with her. It was so disappointing. Overall the story left me feeling good in the end but it was an extraordinarily painful road to get there.

We really didn't need a sequel to the first book, and they could have ended it on there! However, it was a quick fast read!

Short synopsis: Wes and Liz were inseparable as kids, then Wes breaks her heart out of nowhere. Now, thrown back into college together Liz is tasked with filming the UCLA Baseball team, and Wes is their new pitcher.

My thoughts: So I actually haven’t read the first book in this series, but now I need to! I adored Wes and Liz, as they navigated their past trauma and found forgiveness in their new growth.

I thought Wes’s grand gestures were equally over the top silly and completely sweet. I liked that he wanted to learn the “New Liz.” And I also liked that Liz made him work for her forgiveness, he hurt her and she deserved to be angry with him.

Overall, a fun story with great pop culture references, big feelings, and character growth. I especially loved the movie quotes at the beginning of each chapter. My Rom-Com loving heart now wants to go re-watch all the movies mentioned. And…. There is a playlist. I love a book with a playlist!

There are a couple triggers including loss of a parent and big parental expectations.

Read if you love:
- Childhood friends to lovers
- Second chance romance
- Sports romance (baseball)
- College life
- Grand gestures

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

As someone who really really liked the first book (BTTM), I had high hopes for this one. I loved Wes in the first book but this one just disappointed me. He was a gem in the first book and soooo unlikable in this one. And the miscommunication trope needs to be stopped. There is nothing more infuriating for readers, I swear. Not to mention the cheating trope sike out is also just so exhausting to read about. Can we have a second chance romance that doesn’t involve red flag characters who don’t know how to communicate like actual adults?

I love love loved the first book though so I really do think Lynn is a great author. This one just wasn’t it for me.

Loves this book! I was so excited to read it and it dis not disappoint, i really liked the writing style and the fact that Wes was thinking about Lizz

"For a few beautiful months, Wes had his dream girl: strong-willed girl-next-door Liz. But right as the two were about to set off to UCLA to start their freshman year together, tragedy struck. Wes was left dealing with the fallout, which ultimately meant losing Liz in the process.
Flash forward months and months later and Wes and Liz find themselves in college, together. In a healthier place now, Wes knows he broke Liz’s heart when he ended things, but he is determined to make her fall back in love with him.
Wes knows Liz better than anyone, and he has a foolproof plan to win her back with the rom-com worthy big gestures she loves. Only…Liz will have none of it. Wes has to scheme like a rom-com hero to figure out how to see her. Even worse, Liz has a new friend…a guy friend.
Still, Wes won’t give up, adapting his clever plans and going hard to get Liz’s attention and win back her affection. But after his best efforts get him nowhere, Wes is left wondering if their relationship is really over for good."

SO excited to read this one. I'm not usually a romance fan but my daughter talked me into reading "Better Than the Movies" and I was so excited about the sequel! It does not disappoint! Lynn Painter writes her characters so fully and the setting is so well done. Her books are just such an enjoyable read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

Just as cute as the first one. I am so happy the sequel lived up to the hype
The characters were just as swoon worthy and relatable as ever

2 stars

This was one of the biggest disappointments this year. Especially considering how much I loved the first book.

To start, quite simply this book did not need a sequel. At the end of BTTM the characters had significant growth and their story arcs were finished. We didn't need more of their story at least not this long. It also felt like all that the characters had gone through was for nothing because their break up shouldn't have happened after the growth they had in the first novel. This book felt a lot to me like a cash grab.

The characters. Liz felt like a new person, and yes I understand how her situation could change her, and she's older now, but the reason I loved Liz was because she believe in happily ever after, no matter how hard it gets. I loved her dresses and pastels because she was confident, but her going back on all her old beliefs didn't feel true to her whole "I was unaffected by the breakup" attitude. Wes I also just didn't love like I loved in the first book, he felt different and some lines I think I was meant to love I really just didn't.

The plot. Okay so literally nothing happened? Nothing I felt of interest at least. Reading this I just did not care, it felt like it dragged on for far too long and quite frankly I don't believe the characters are going to stay together which really sucks because I loved the first book.

Thank you NetGalley for the E-ARC

Thank you @simonteen for the digital ARC. Lynn Painter's book Better Than the Movies is one of my all-time favorite YA books, so when I found out there was a sequel to Wes & Liz's story coming, I was so excited. When I read the synopsis and saw that this book starts with them broken up, I was a little sad. Nothing Like the Movies is so good though!! The way Wes pines for Liz...I was rooting for him so hard. I also really liked the way Wes' story of what happened in the past unfolded. Lynn Painter knows how to write swoony funny stories. NLTM had those elements plus some heart-string-pulling moments as well. If you loved Wes & Liz in book 1, you’re going to enjoy “the college years” story as well.

I absolutely loved Better Than the Movies so I went into this one expecting more of the same. But why on earth was Wes so problematic? Walking red flag. I'm super disappointed in this sequel.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely loved this book! From the very beginning, I felt a strong connection to Liz; her personality felt perfectly captured throughout the story. It had a cinematic quality that made me envision it as a movie, and the storyline kept me completely engaged. Wes’s journey added so much depth, particularly his struggles with family responsibilities and mental health. It showcased a beautiful blend of substance and romance that resonated with me.

What truly stood out was the character development. Liz navigated heartbreak while staying true to herself, evolving in a way that felt both realistic and relatable. I often find that romances transitioning from high school to college can struggle with character identity, but this book excelled in that regard. Watching Liz grow into her own person was a refreshing change, and it felt like a genuine portrayal of the complexities of young adulthood.

I can’t stop thinking about this book—I even searched for a physical copy at my local romance bookstore! The narration was fantastic, and I’m tempted to listen to the audiobook again to capture the magic all over.

Additionally, I loved the hints of other potential romances, like Clark’s budding connection with his sister and the interactions involving Brooks and Liz's roommate. It left me eager for more, and I would love to see spin-offs featuring those characters.

Overall, this book was a delightful read that struck the perfect balance between emotion, character growth, and romance. I highly recommend it and can't wait to dive back into this world!

An adorable sequel! Not quite as good as the first, but I appreciated the emotional substance. It was great following along as Wes healed and fought for Liz. The pop references were perfection!

Thank you to #netgalley and Simon & Schuster for my advanced copy of Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter. I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Liz and Wes had been freshmen at UCLA and in love, but then Wes’s dad died and he was forced to leave school. He broke up with Liz and broke her heart. Now it’s two years later and Liz is a junior working an internship covering the baseball team and she discovers Wes is back in her life. He is back at UCLA as a freshman and back on the baseball team too. You have forced proximity and fake dating and many failed grand romantic gestures. There are dual POVs and I love that. Wes appears to Liz as so sure of himself, it isn't until you are in Wes's POV that you realize he is so very unsure of himself, but he wants to win Liz back. I found this to be a touching and sweet second chance romance. No spice. I enjoyed every minute.

I loved Better Than The Movies and was eager for more of Wes and Liz! Do I think this sequel was 100% necessary? No. However, there were still several aspects of the book that I enjoyed!

This book was a lot more mature than BTTM and I appreciated the additional backstory on Liz and Wes and seeing them in an adult setting. I think we see a lot more depth in Liz and Wes that we were potentially missing in BTTM.

The book did drag at a few points and it felt like the romance and tension were lacking. I found myself getting bored a few times throughout especially since it was obvious they would reunite in some way, it was just a waiting game until when that would actually happen.

Overall this was a quick and enjoyable read if you are looking for more of Wes and Liz!

This book started out strong and felt different from the first. The characters had changed and grown. I was really into it but I think it took too long for the romance to develop. The relationship started feeling cliche and rushed but the book was over. I still liked it overall but I wish it didn't wrap up so quickly.

There were moments of this novel that I really enjoyed - Wes and Liz have so much history - but there were also elements that just felt like too much and stalled the story for me. At the beginning of the novel, there were other things to focus on beyond Wes and Liz's relationships like him coming back to UCLA to play baseball and Liz's internship - but that quickly got pushed to the side to repeatedly go over past events that did not do a lot to move the story along. Overall, entertaining, and I think my older students would enjoy it!

Thank you to everyone for this early gifted copy of Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter!

If you loved the first book, Better Than the Movies, you'll love jumping back into our favorite characters and their love story.

Liz and Wes are older and in college, and we find them working through things together again. I wasn't a huge fan of the miscommunication trope, but I still loved this book as much as the first one. I loved the humor and friendship within this story.

These books were clean, some cussing, but no spice. I would feel comfortable recommending this to people!

If it’s possible, I think I loved this even more than Better Than the Movies!

Between the end of Better Than the Movies, and the beginning of this sequel, two years have passed by and our lovely Liz and Wes have broken up (I know, I know, bear with me). But Wes is back in LA after an extended stay back in Omaha to deal with family issues. Our man Wes has one mission: get Liz back (okay and maybe kick some ass on the baseball mound).

I absolutely loved getting the dual POV from both Liz and Wes, but especially seeing how down bad Wes is throughout the book. The book really fleshes out Wes’s complicated relationship with his father and how it ultimately impacted his relationship with Liz. There is so much growth for both characters, I really enjoyed seeing them develop separately and come back together in more mature version of their relationship.

Overall I would highly recommend reading this if you enjoyed Better Than the Movies (especially if you loved Wes as much as I did!)!