The Book That Got Me Out of a Reading Slump

When it comes to leisure reading, it sometimes takes me a few weeks—or even months—to finish one book. Between working, going to the gym and navigating day-to-day life, it’s hard to set aside hours just to read. But when I picked up Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter, my world became that book.

It’s the sequel to Better Than the Movies, which surprisingly took me almost a month to finish. The sequel? I read it in two days. I couldn’t put it down, and it was all I thought about when it wasn’t in my hands.

Nothing Like the Movies continues Wes and Liz’s love story from the first book. Better Than the Movies was a cute read. Liz, the protagonist, is a hopeless romantic who grew up watching romance movies with her mom—until her mom passed away. Grieving her mother while trying to survive her senior year of high school proved challenging. While her friends shopped for prom dresses and planned for senior week, Liz was just trying to make it to graduation.

Then her childhood crush, Michael Young, moves back to Omaha, Nebraska, and Liz becomes determined to get him to ask her to prom. When she realizes they don’t share many classes, she strikes a deal with her next-door neighbor, Wes—whom she can’t stand due to his immature behavior. If Wes talks her up to Michael enough to score a prom date, he’ll get the coveted single street parking spot for life.

We all know where this is going: Wes and Liz spend more time together and end up falling in love (though Liz doesn’t know Wes has been in love with her since childhood). While Better Than the Movies is full of cute moments and witty banter, it’s also predictable. The twist—Liz going to prom with Michael instead of Wes—was unexpected, but the way she and Wes finally come together makes up for it. The writing is entertaining, packed with Taylor Swift references and sappy movie quotes, but it reads like a book written for readers under 18.

On the other hand, Nothing Like the Movies feels more mature. There’s no explicit content, but the emotional build-up as Liz and Wes reconnect after their college breakup is everything. After Wes’s father dies, he leaves UCLA and returns to Nebraska just two weeks after moving to Los Angeles. Long distance doesn’t work—at least not for Wes. So, he lies and tells Liz he cheated to help her move on, even though he didn’t.

Two years later, Wes returns to L.A. to restart his baseball career and win back the love of his life. The push and pull between Liz and Wes had me smiling so much my cheeks hurt. Despite facing his own struggles—including the weight of his late father’s constant criticism—Wes always keeps Liz in mind.

Painter’s writing in the sequel is elevated, witty and cheesy in the best way. Her portrayal of Wes as a lovesick baseball player is heartfelt and believable. He works relentlessly to win Liz back, and just when you think he might give up, Painter gives you another reason to root for him.

What sets the sequel apart is the dual perspective. Unlike the first book, which is told only from Liz’s point of view, Nothing Like the Movies alternates between Liz and Wes. Seeing both sides makes their story even more compelling.

Nothing Like the Movies is a five-star read—and an absolute must for fans of heartfelt, second-chance romances.