Why ‘Nothing Like The Movies‘ Didn’t Need to Be Written
Following after “Better than the Movies” where Wes and Liz have taken the entire book to admit to their feelings and give into their love – we meet up with them 2 years later after they’ve broken up in “Nothing Like the Movies” – and I hated it.
The Slow Burn Was Strong in #1
I loved Wes and Liz in the first novel! This enemies to lovers type banter with the gradual lead up to confessing their feelings was so sweet. You spend the whole book waiting for them to get on the same page and then a sequel comes out AND — they’re broken up. Barely lasted a few months. What was the point of the first book if they were going to break up anyway? Why did I suffer through the slow burn for this :'(
Liz Was So Different
It felt like she was a totally different person. Gone was the chick flick loving girly girl and in her place we get this jaded tomboy. I understand changing after a breakup and feeling “done with love”. However, her entire wardrobe, interests and friend base changed. I admire her wanting to find herself and be self reliant but I missed the softer parts of her character.
Wes was the saving grace for me since he is as romantic as ever! Without his POV I think this would’ve been a total flop for me. His determination to get her back and his absolute obsession with her made it worth finishing.
What Would I’ve Done?
I think if the author wanted to capitalize on her success with the first book, she should’ve continued the story right from where the first one ended. Portray them having an unforgettable summer and then the struggle they have adjusting to college and the death of Wes’ dad.
I feel the story would’ve at least served a purpose in that case and could’ve added to the relationship you watched develop throughout the first book. ‘Better than the Movies’ is such a slow burn waiting for them to finally admit their feelings for each other, so to have them break up seemingly months later was a let down.
It felt like a lame way to profit off the success of “Better Than the Movies” in my opinion.
Should You Read It?
If you’ve read the first book, then I say NO. I basically had to tell myself this was its own story with nothing to do with the first book in order to finish it because I was so annoyed the whole time.
If I think about it as a standalone second chance romance it was well done. But I don’t think it was necessary or added anything to the Wes/Liz fandom. Sorry but in my brain the first book ends and they live happily ever after.
Favourite quote: “Because our good moments were the crumbs that fed me for seven hundred and nineteen 12:13s when I was alone.“
How sad did it make me?
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