Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey Pages: 320
Published by Berkley on July 7, 2020
Series: Waiting for Tom Hanks #2
Genres: adult, Romantic Comedy, Romance, contemporary
Source: Paperback from publisher
Also in this series: Waiting for Tom HanksWhat happens when your life is a rom-com...but you don't even believe in true love?
Chloe Sanderson is an optimist, and not because her life is easy. As the sole caregiver for her father, who has early onset Alzheimer's, she's pretty much responsible for everything. She has no time—or interest—in getting swept up in some dazzling romance. Not like her best friend Annie, who literally wrote a rom-com that's about to premiere in theaters across America...and happens to be inspired by Chloe and Nick Velez, Chloe's cute but no-nonsense boss.
As the buzz for the movie grows, Chloe reads one too many listicles about why Nick is the perfect man, and now she can't see him as anything but Reason #2: The Scruffy-Bearded Hunk Who's Always There When You Need Him. But unlike the romance Annie has written for them, Chloe isn't so sure her own story will end in a Happily Ever After.
Not Like the Movies is a romantic comedy and is the second book in a series of interconnected standalones in the Waiting For Tom Hanks Series from author Kerry Winfrey. I read Waiting for Tom Hanks as a re-read right before Not Like the Movies and I was so glad that I did, because seeing Annie in Chloe’s story was even better for me because I had just read her story. And like the first book, Not Like the Movies is an adorable romcom featuring heartfelt characters that put a big smile on my face. I liked it even more than the first book in the series.
Not Like the Movies takes place some time after the events of the first book. Annie has written a rom com movie called Coffee Girl and has announced that it is based on the true story of Chloe and Nick, her boss from the coffee shop. Only problem is, even though everyone can plainly see the sparks between Chloe and Nick, they haven’t actually dated in real life. But Not Like The Movies is their story and I was there for all of their banter. Not Like the Movies is a completely character driven novel, which as you know if right up my alley. I saw so much of myself in Chloe that it was so easy for me to relate to everything she was going through.
Chloe is a helper. She takes on all of the problems of the people around her and she tries to help everyone. The main person she is helping is her dad, who has Alzheimers. Taking care of a loved one with a memory related disorder is extremely difficult and taxing on family, so I really appreciated seeing how that was taking a toll on her. On top of her father, she also has a mother who walked out on her and a brother that moved away and is only recently back in town, plus her college classes and her job at the coffee shop. Needless to say, she has a lot going on. And she is reluctant to accept help because she knows everyone else also has a lot going on. View Spoiler » I felt like I got Chloe, so I was rooting for her and Nick in a big way. I love how helpful and understanding Nick is. Their story is completely adorable and was a great mix of real life drama with rom com moments, with plenty of great movie references.
Bottom line: If you are a romantic comedy movie fanatic like I am, I think you would really enjoy all of the little movie references as you watch this rom com come to life. This book was a lot of fun. I liked it even more than the first book, and I am personally hoping that there will be a third so we can check in on Annie and Chloe again!
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2020 New Release Challenge
- Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge 2020
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