Most second-chance romance novels are so predictable that the book does not deserve to be written, much less read. But Nothing Like The Movies stands as an exception.
Nothing Like The Movies is the sequel to Better Than The Movies. Lynn Painter, the author of both novels and many others, seemingly has become a master at romance. With her main characters often participating in witty banter and swoon-worthy moments, her novels provide the reader with the comforting feeling of watching a rom-com.
In Better Than The Movies, leading couple Liz and Wes found each other through a multitude of circumstances, including them being neighbors. These brought them closer together until they were undeniably attached by the end of their senior year of high school.
At the end of the novel, they were heading off to UCLA to continue their lives together, with Liz looking into music production and Wes on a baseball scholarship.
Enter the sequel, Nothing Like The Movies, where all of that is ruined within the first two weeks of freshman year. Wes’s father passes away, and he has to move back to their hometown to help out his sister and mother. While juggling things a 19-year-old should not have to handle, an overwhelmed Wes breaks up with Liz.
Liz is shocked and feels betrayed by Wes because she has no clue what she did wrong or how bad Wes’s life has become back home. Two years later, Wes is back at UCLA as a freshman and on his baseball scholarship. The only thing missing is Liz, so Wes dedicates himself to getting her back.
As Wes and Liz find their way back to each other, themes of grief, mental illness, heartbreak, and friendship become defining qualities of Nothing Like The Movies. It makes this heartwarming sequel, featuring one of the best rom-com couples, definitely worth the read.
