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sarareadstoomuch's review
4.0
This is the ultimate movie nerd's book!
I'm a movie buff. Before getting super into book reading, I watched a new movie everyday and I still try to! Movies are something special and that's what this book is saying at it's core. How movies connect us in a certain way and how they are able to bring people together.
The love story was great, a grumpy/sunshine trope and a bit of steam in the middle. What's not to love?? Also if you love Brokeback Mountain as much as I do, you'll read this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the earc in return for an honest review.
I'm a movie buff. Before getting super into book reading, I watched a new movie everyday and I still try to! Movies are something special and that's what this book is saying at it's core. How movies connect us in a certain way and how they are able to bring people together.
The love story was great, a grumpy/sunshine trope and a bit of steam in the middle. What's not to love?? Also if you love Brokeback Mountain as much as I do, you'll read this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the earc in return for an honest review.
frazpan's review
1.0
The story - ⭐
The writing - ⭐
Overall - ⭐
The characters felt wooden, the sex scenes were cringey, the plot was just fine but not massively engaging.
I did enjoy some of the movie references but it felt like the author was just nicking bits from their fave romcoms and smashing them all together.
Fave quote - 'Luckily she had tons of time, because tonight’s film was The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, which lasted well over three hours thanks to its twenty-five endings.'
Fave moment - Scattering Matty's ashes
This ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The writing - ⭐
Overall - ⭐
The characters felt wooden, the sex scenes were cringey, the plot was just fine but not massively engaging.
I did enjoy some of the movie references but it felt like the author was just nicking bits from their fave romcoms and smashing them all together.
Fave quote - 'Luckily she had tons of time, because tonight’s film was The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, which lasted well over three hours thanks to its twenty-five endings.'
Fave moment - Scattering Matty's ashes
This ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
aryelweasley's review
4.0
This book slayed my heart on multiple levels. I loved the film references and truly appreciated the importance placed on community and finding one's family outside of blood relations. The concept of finding 'your people'. Loved the character development as the story progressed and the secrets revealed in the aftermath of loss.
unapologetic_romantic's review
2.0
Just Like In The Movies isn’t just a book for movie lovers.
It packs in grief, loss, heartache, romance, tension and forgiveness all into a sweet covered tome. The characters where likeable and I enjoyed the sunshine optimism of our main character Ruby in the face of all the turbulence that has landed in her lap. Our other main character Luke has a lot of issues resulting in him being a closed off, grouchy guy with a cynical outlook on life and pretty much everything. I would have liked more of a build up to their relationship and more of that heat building tension and less about The Wizard of Oz (personal preference on account that the film mostly creeps me out). However I did enjoy and any book with a Spinal Tap reference automatically goes on my good list.
It packs in grief, loss, heartache, romance, tension and forgiveness all into a sweet covered tome. The characters where likeable and I enjoyed the sunshine optimism of our main character Ruby in the face of all the turbulence that has landed in her lap. Our other main character Luke has a lot of issues resulting in him being a closed off, grouchy guy with a cynical outlook on life and pretty much everything. I would have liked more of a build up to their relationship and more of that heat building tension and less about The Wizard of Oz (personal preference on account that the film mostly creeps me out). However I did enjoy and any book with a Spinal Tap reference automatically goes on my good list.
abookishbginning's review
3.0
I have such mixed feelings with this book. For about the first half, I struggled. I didn't care much about the characters. But near the end of the book, my heart was breaking along with Ruby's and I was close to tears. I think the concept of this book was cute, and if you like the movies The Wizard of Oz, About a Boy, Brokeback Mountain, They Way We Were, and The Last of the Mohicans, you will enjoy this story. I think splitting up the different parts of the books in terms of these movies, and starting each section with Ruby and Luke's thoughts on the film was a really creative idea. There are a couple other movie references thrown in there, two of my absolute favorites being "Optimus Primer" and "He was your father, Luke" that were some of my favorite parts of the book. Long story short, if you are a film buff, you will likely catch and enjoy the references.
Please, please go read this book for yourself before reading my thoughts, there are spoilers ahead, and I don't want to sway you with how I felt.
I think I would have been more invested in the story earlier on if the author decided to dedicate the first 10 to 15% of the book to life before Matty dies. Ruby is naturally devastated at the loss of her father figure, but I almost found it hard to relate to her grief having never met Matty before. Sure, she describes what Matty was like, but it would have been so much more effective to actually read his character for myself, then his death would have been as much of a shock to me as it was to Ruby, and I would have felt her pain a little deeper.
Luke's backstory is nothing short of tragic, and I think a trigger warning is in order, as part of his story deals with his father's suicide. But I also almost wish we got more of Ruby's past. She mentions brief details in passing, but I would have liked it if the two character's childhoods got more of an equal balance. It would have been a nice bonding point for the two of them, too, if they both talked more about what their parent's were like, and the hardships they suffered growing up.
There were plenty of sweet moments throughout the book, but I felt like the relationship between Luke and Ruby escalated far too quickly. I mean, one moment, Luke's coming over to fix the boiler in Ruby's flat, and the next he's washing her hair and talking about how turned on they both are. The moments like that didn't quite feel realistic to me. That being said, I think Ruby's pain at Luke leaving was so well done, I mean I was feeling it in my heart almost as much as she was, and that final moment in the bar, and their struggles to move on, brought me close to tears.
I feel like there were too many supporting characters to keep straight. Naturally there's a full staff of the Royale to keep track of, but if the inner circle of employees had been kept to a minimum, and those characters actually got attention, as well traits that set them apart from everyone else, I would have been more invested in the group as a whole. They would have felt like a true, close-knit family, and it would have been a wonderful execution of the found family trope if their characters were more developed, as well as if we actually got to see Luke fall in love with the Royale more.
Overall, I think this was a decent contemporary romance, but there were so many things that were off-putting for the first half of the story that it's strong ending didn't do much to blow me away. Ruby at times felt almost pretentious in her love for certain movies, as if it was a crime against humanity that someone wouldn't like The Wizard of Oz. And Ruby perfectly sums up my thoughts about Luke at the beginning when she says "And that huge stick stuck so far up your bum I'm surprised it doesn't give you lockjaw." Luke was nothing short of an asshole in the beginning, and yes, character development is important, but I felt that he needed some more redeeming qualities. Either that, or establish his tragic past earlier, so we as readers can at least somewhat understand his behavior. He comes around of course, but the fact that he just assumed from the moment he met Ruby that she was Matty's bimbo felt super derogatory towards her and made me seriously dislike his character at first (I mean, the guy didn't even know her and he was set in his opinion that Matty was her sugar daddy). Like I said, the story and the characters pick up in the end, which is why I am so conflicted. With a couple character and story tweaks this book could have been fantastic, but it just wasn't completely for me.
Please, please go read this book for yourself before reading my thoughts, there are spoilers ahead, and I don't want to sway you with how I felt.
I think I would have been more invested in the story earlier on if the author decided to dedicate the first 10 to 15% of the book to life before Matty dies. Ruby is naturally devastated at the loss of her father figure, but I almost found it hard to relate to her grief having never met Matty before. Sure, she describes what Matty was like, but it would have been so much more effective to actually read his character for myself, then his death would have been as much of a shock to me as it was to Ruby, and I would have felt her pain a little deeper.
Luke's backstory is nothing short of tragic, and I think a trigger warning is in order, as part of his story deals with his father's suicide. But I also almost wish we got more of Ruby's past. She mentions brief details in passing, but I would have liked it if the two character's childhoods got more of an equal balance. It would have been a nice bonding point for the two of them, too, if they both talked more about what their parent's were like, and the hardships they suffered growing up.
There were plenty of sweet moments throughout the book, but I felt like the relationship between Luke and Ruby escalated far too quickly. I mean, one moment, Luke's coming over to fix the boiler in Ruby's flat, and the next he's washing her hair and talking about how turned on they both are. The moments like that didn't quite feel realistic to me. That being said, I think Ruby's pain at Luke leaving was so well done, I mean I was feeling it in my heart almost as much as she was, and that final moment in the bar, and their struggles to move on, brought me close to tears.
I feel like there were too many supporting characters to keep straight. Naturally there's a full staff of the Royale to keep track of, but if the inner circle of employees had been kept to a minimum, and those characters actually got attention, as well traits that set them apart from everyone else, I would have been more invested in the group as a whole. They would have felt like a true, close-knit family, and it would have been a wonderful execution of the found family trope if their characters were more developed, as well as if we actually got to see Luke fall in love with the Royale more.
Overall, I think this was a decent contemporary romance, but there were so many things that were off-putting for the first half of the story that it's strong ending didn't do much to blow me away. Ruby at times felt almost pretentious in her love for certain movies, as if it was a crime against humanity that someone wouldn't like The Wizard of Oz. And Ruby perfectly sums up my thoughts about Luke at the beginning when she says "And that huge stick stuck so far up your bum I'm surprised it doesn't give you lockjaw." Luke was nothing short of an asshole in the beginning, and yes, character development is important, but I felt that he needed some more redeeming qualities. Either that, or establish his tragic past earlier, so we as readers can at least somewhat understand his behavior. He comes around of course, but the fact that he just assumed from the moment he met Ruby that she was Matty's bimbo felt super derogatory towards her and made me seriously dislike his character at first (I mean, the guy didn't even know her and he was set in his opinion that Matty was her sugar daddy). Like I said, the story and the characters pick up in the end, which is why I am so conflicted. With a couple character and story tweaks this book could have been fantastic, but it just wasn't completely for me.
bowlergirl81's review
4.0
This was a good and quick read. It was really interesting reading a book set in a movie theatre since I help run one. I liked all the movie references throughout the book. #netgalley#justlikeintheMovies
bookish_bethany's review
4.0
Who’s that? Not me desperately trying to get my @netgalley ratio back up after several request sprees.
Thank you to Netgalley, @onemorechapterhc, and @heidiromrice for the eARC of JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES to review! This book is the perfect read for lovers of reading romance, and movie buffs! It follows Ruby Graham as she tries to cope with the grief of losing her best friend, Matty, while trying to run the independent movie theater they operated together. However, in his will, Matty left half of the theater to Luke, his nephew. While trying to run they business, they discover The Royale is in debt and on the brink of financial ruin…will the two work together to save the theater?
While this book started a bit slow for me, once the romance picked up, it went full steam ahead! I appreciated all the different movie references, the cast of somewhat zany characters, and the hopeful ending readers are left with.
If you’re looking for a (mostly) light, romance full of heartfelt moments, definitely grab JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES!
If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be? Mine would definitely be Singin’ In The Rain! (Gene Kelly…swoon)
CW // suicide; death and grief
https://www.instagram.com/bookish.bethany/
Thank you to Netgalley, @onemorechapterhc, and @heidiromrice for the eARC of JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES to review! This book is the perfect read for lovers of reading romance, and movie buffs! It follows Ruby Graham as she tries to cope with the grief of losing her best friend, Matty, while trying to run the independent movie theater they operated together. However, in his will, Matty left half of the theater to Luke, his nephew. While trying to run they business, they discover The Royale is in debt and on the brink of financial ruin…will the two work together to save the theater?
While this book started a bit slow for me, once the romance picked up, it went full steam ahead! I appreciated all the different movie references, the cast of somewhat zany characters, and the hopeful ending readers are left with.
If you’re looking for a (mostly) light, romance full of heartfelt moments, definitely grab JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES!
If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be? Mine would definitely be Singin’ In The Rain! (Gene Kelly…swoon)
CW // suicide; death and grief
https://www.instagram.com/bookish.bethany/
ratetheromance's review
3.0
JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES was a decent read for me, but fell short where the characters were concerned.
Jake was the only character I felt was written with complexity. He is a great leading man. But Ruby (and all of the supporting characters) felt very one-dimensional.
Ruby is sweet.
Her best friend is feisty.
Her stand-in dad is a cliche of all things gay man in media.
Jake's mother is overly dramatic.
There are no other sides to these characters.
It was a shame because I LOVED the only other book by this author I have read, but JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES just wasn't for me.
RATING:⭐️⭐️⭐️
STEAM LEVEL: Rated R
TRIGGERS:
FEELS-O-METER: 2/5 *has a bit of drama, but still a light read*
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Jake was the only character I felt was written with complexity. He is a great leading man. But Ruby (and all of the supporting characters) felt very one-dimensional.
Ruby is sweet.
Her best friend is feisty.
Her stand-in dad is a cliche of all things gay man in media.
Jake's mother is overly dramatic.
There are no other sides to these characters.
It was a shame because I LOVED the only other book by this author I have read, but JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES just wasn't for me.
RATING:⭐️⭐️⭐️
STEAM LEVEL: Rated R
TRIGGERS:
FEELS-O-METER: 2/5 *has a bit of drama, but still a light read*
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
kylasmv15's review
4.0
“Love is a wonderful gift... Mostly because it’s never ever what you expect it to be. Sometimes it’s fleeting, sometimes it lasts, sometimes it can’t. But each time you unwrap it, it’s entirely unique.”
Just Like in the Movies, is a British Rom-Com, centered on Ruby and her beloved Royale movie theater. Ruby’s best friend and father figure, Matty, unexpectedly passes and leaves her as part owner of The Royale. Ruby wants nothing more than to keep Matty’s life’s work alive, but her new fellow owner, Luke, Matty’s long lost nephew, has other ideas.
What I Loved:
✨All the Movie References - My film loving heart was so full seeing all the various film references interwoven into the story.
✨The Sunshine and Grump Trope - I loved how different Ruby and Luke were from one another - optimistic, movie loving Ruby, couldn’t be more of an opposite to jaded and cynical Luke. Seeing them eventually fall for one another was just so satisfying!
✨The Setting - From scattering Matty’s ashes in Hyde Park to the Royale being located in Notting Hill, I adored how this tale took me on a journey to some of my favorite London locales!
✨The Humor - Romance that makes me swoon as well as laugh, is one of my absolute favorite things. Just Like in the Movies, had me rooting for Ruby and Luke’s romance but also laughing out loud constantly.
✨The Dual Points of View - Getting to see the story from both Ruby’s and Luke’s perspective was wonderful because both had such differing mindsets.
In short, I sincerely loved Just Like in the Movies. From navigating loss to traversing the complicated path to happily ever after, any fan of rom-coms (cinematic or bookish) will find something to love about Ruby and Luke’s story.
Thank you to @harpercollinsuk @onemorechapterhc and @netgalley for the ARC!
Just Like in the Movies, is a British Rom-Com, centered on Ruby and her beloved Royale movie theater. Ruby’s best friend and father figure, Matty, unexpectedly passes and leaves her as part owner of The Royale. Ruby wants nothing more than to keep Matty’s life’s work alive, but her new fellow owner, Luke, Matty’s long lost nephew, has other ideas.
What I Loved:
✨All the Movie References - My film loving heart was so full seeing all the various film references interwoven into the story.
✨The Sunshine and Grump Trope - I loved how different Ruby and Luke were from one another - optimistic, movie loving Ruby, couldn’t be more of an opposite to jaded and cynical Luke. Seeing them eventually fall for one another was just so satisfying!
✨The Setting - From scattering Matty’s ashes in Hyde Park to the Royale being located in Notting Hill, I adored how this tale took me on a journey to some of my favorite London locales!
✨The Humor - Romance that makes me swoon as well as laugh, is one of my absolute favorite things. Just Like in the Movies, had me rooting for Ruby and Luke’s romance but also laughing out loud constantly.
✨The Dual Points of View - Getting to see the story from both Ruby’s and Luke’s perspective was wonderful because both had such differing mindsets.
In short, I sincerely loved Just Like in the Movies. From navigating loss to traversing the complicated path to happily ever after, any fan of rom-coms (cinematic or bookish) will find something to love about Ruby and Luke’s story.
Thank you to @harpercollinsuk @onemorechapterhc and @netgalley for the ARC!