Book ~ "Not Like the Movies" (2020) Kerry Winfrey

From Goodreads ~ 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.

Chloe works in a coffee shop owned by Nick.  She's good at what she does but she has a lot on the go ... her father is in a home with Alzheimer's and Chloe is his sole caregiver.  She is working on getting her BA degree online.  Her best friend, Annie, recently wrote a screenplay fictionalizing the attraction between Chloe and Nick, which is attracting unwanted attention.  Plus Annie is getting married to Drew, an actor, and in addition to being her maid of honour, Chloe has promised to make a bunch of pies and pompoms for the wedding. The attraction between Nick and Chloe can't be denied but she doesn't have time for a relationship, which adds even more pressure.

This was a cute light story and is the second in the Waiting for Tom Hanks series ... I read the first one last week.  It works as a stand alone and you don't have to read the first one in the series to know what's going on.  It’s written in first person perspective in Chloe’s voice. I like the writing style … it was a fun read and I look forward to reading others by this author.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "Waiting for Tom Hanks" (2019) Kerry Winfrey

From Goodreads ~ Can a romcom-obsessed romantic finally experience the meet-cute she always dreamed of or will reality never compare to fiction, in this charming debut adult novel from Kerry Winfrey.

Annie Cassidy dreams of being the next Nora Ephron. She spends her days writing screenplays, rewatching Sleepless in Seattle, and waiting for her movie-perfect meet-cute. If she could just find her own Tom Hanks - a man who’s sweet, sensitive, and possibly owns a houseboat - her problems would disappear and her life would be perfect. But Tom Hanks is nowhere in sight.

When a movie starts filming in her neighborhood and Annie gets a job on set, it seems like a sign. Then Annie meets the lead actor, Drew Danforth, a cocky prankster who couldn’t be less like Tom Hanks if he tried. Their meet-cute is more of a meet-fail, but soon Annie finds herself sharing some classic rom-com moments with Drew. Her Tom Hanks can’t be an actor who’s leaving town in a matter of days ... can he?

Annie has dreams of being a screenwriter … she is in the process of writing one and does this at the coffee shop where her best friend works. Annie knows the plotlines of every romcom and looking for her Tom Hanks … the kind of hero character who was in “Sleepless in Seattle”, “While You Were Sleeping”, “You’ve Got Mail”, etc. To earn a living while she is writing her screenplay, she picks up freelance writing contracts writing about obscure topics.

A movie is being shot in town and her Uncle Don knows the director. He manages to get Annie a job as the director’s assistant … being an assistant involves getting a lot of coffee so she’s back and forth to the coffee shop a lot. Annie meets the star, Drew, and takes an instant dislike to him, assuming he is arrogant and pompous. But has they start hanging out together, she gets to know the real Drew and she wonders if he could be her Tom Hanks.

This was a cute light story and is the first in the Waiting for Tom Hanks series. I’ve seen the movies that Annie talks about hundreds of times so knew what she was talking about. It’s written in first person perspective in Annie’s voice. I like the writing style … it was a fun read and I look forward to reading others by this author.