NOTHING LIKE THE MOVIES BY LYNN PAINTER // spoiler-free book review: finally reviewing one of my fave 2024 reads & taking a nap on the highway because,,, wesliz!!!

I need someone to whack me over the head this point. I’ve run out of excuses for myself and I’m tired of it. Cross all of your fingers and toes I can start reviewing books closer to when I read them,,,

ICYMI this *author interview* – click to read

Anyways, many tears in this one, let’s get into this godforsaken book!

Title: Nothing Like The Movies
Series: Better Than The Movies book #2
Author: Lynn Painter
Page count: 442
Date published: 1 October 2024
Genre: Young adult contemporary romance

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Synopsis:

For a few beautiful months, Wes had his dream girl: the strong-willed girl next door Liz. But right as the two were about to set off for college 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 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 rom-com-worthy grand 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.

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Big thanks to Simon & Schuster for the eARC via Edelweiss! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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STAR RATING: (5 out of 5 stars)

I am god’s favourite with my eARC, and yes I will be obnoxious and brag about it. 

I will also now be taking a nap on the highway. Screaming, crying, throwing up, this book is over?

Crying in the club over this book and Lynn Painter shouting me out on Goodreads about adding Wes & Liz’s College Road Trip which I added so I can yell about. Then I peaked when everyone started liking my review about it. Then I peaked again at Lynn’s shoutout. Guys, me and this series go way back and I am currently unwell that it’s over.

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Like, seriously unwell. Screaming, crying, throwing up unwell.

In all honesty, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, I am head empty about this book. Struggling to put words together in actual fact. I also don’t think this is my favourite “story” told in this world, if that makes sense? But I just loved being in between the pages of this book that I didn’t care all that much that the plot didn’t plot as much as the Road Trip. My heart was in my throat for these two love lovers and that was enough.

Okay, back to crying now. And begging Lynn for another epilogue because this series isn’t over? What do you mean? Shut up, you lying liar.

Let’s start with the writing, which was lovely as always. Funny and effortless and witty. Ate and left no crumbs if you ask me.

I’m seeing a lot of complaints about the character development in this boo,k and I… disagree. I think it worked that the characters felt different, because they were. I would’ve loved to live in delulu perfect land where nothing ever goes bad ever but that’s not going to be the case. So it made sense that the characters changed over time, and I liked seeing those changes and the ways in which Liz and Wes moved around those changes

I also loved that we got lyrics in this book, super cool addition.

LizWes are just,,, oof so stinking perfect, and I love them together so much. Their relationship is so pure but also passionate, and it scratches something in my love-loving heart. They just work so well together. I love their humour and the way their personalities just fit together. And I think this just makes us feel hopeful and seen and it’s why we love them so much.

Enough sap. I’m also here for the angst *smirks*

I briefly touched on my critiques of this sequel, but I did think that mental health could’ve been dealt with more clearly. Someone else mentioned this, and I am in 100% agreement that Lynn missed that chance and the book would’ve benefited from this conversation. This is a personal expectation, but I also expected there to be a conversation on sex, which there wasn’t, but I would’ve wanted to see that. Maybe also a tad rushed towards the end?

Nonetheless, the book still killed me, so go away and leave me alone for 5-7 working days

I don’t have to convince you to read this book so I’m literally just going to yeet out of here and reread for the sake of my serotonin levels. Please respect my feelings at this time.

Moment of silence for my journal spread 

“I am just Wes fucking Bennett, Lib, the guy who can’t remember a single day in his life when he didn’t love you.”

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“I’m not sure if things got quiet or loud, blurry or hyperfocused, but I know the universe changed as I looked at Liz, everything melting into impressionistic streaks of fuzzy background colors.”

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“No one wore lovesick like my Libby.”

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“You’re looking at me like I’m nuts, honey, and you’re right. I am. I am out of my mind when it comes to you.” I said, shrugging because it was a fact. “When I’m near you, the way I feel steals the breath from my body. It’s like I breathe for you. like I exists to exist alongside of you. I know those feelings are probably too big and too scary and put way too much pressure on you, and I’m sorry for that. Truly. But it’s the way I feel. The way I’ve always felt.”

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“He had on glasses—he only wore those when his eyes got tired—and his blue baseball cap was on backward, making him look… gaaaaah so annoying.”

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“Want. What a ridiculous word. Because the want that I felt when she’d lifted her lips to me like an offering was so much greater than four pathetic letters. I mean, people wanted things like coffee and new cars, right? How could the same word be used for what I felt when she looked at my mouth?”

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“The dude looks at you like he knows he’s going blind in an hour and he’s trying to memorize every detail of your face.”

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“There was never anyone else for me but you.”

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HAVE YOU READ THIS SERIES? DO YOU LOVE IT? WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER? WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ROM-COM? I’D LOVE TO KNOW!