Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey

Not Like the Movies is set to publish on July 7th. This is a stand alone romantic comedy from author Kerry Winfrey, whose previous romantic comedy Waiting for Tom Hanks was charming and enjoyable.

This romantic comedy novel is set in a university town of Columbus, Ohio. The romance is subtle and the diverse cast of characters are captivating. There are also some rather hilarious moments with Gary, a regular at the coffee shop, and Mikey Danger, a giant man-baby that Chloe dates for a bit. A grown man who changed his last name to “Danger.” Enough said.

Chloe Sanderson has worked at Nick’s coffee shop for a very long time. She enjoys her job and has a great rapport with customers. The handsome, brooding owner, Nick Velez, has always been there for her and she considers him a great friend. However, Chloe’s best friend Annie has written a screenplay based upon Chloe and Nick and the movie is premiering soon. Thanks to this, Chloe has been recognized as “coffee shop girl” and as such, there is a huge level of awkwardness between Chloe and Nick. Annie didn’t even try to change the movie characters’ names much, opting for Zoe and Rick.

The movie about her life, however, is not the biggest concern for Chloe. Her father has Alzheimer’s and she makes the decisions for his care and visits him frequently. Her mother left when she was younger and Chloe has nothing to do with her. Chloe’s twin brother, Milo, is the Peter Pan type, and he doesn’t do much adulting, leaving Chloe on her own where there father’s care is concerned. In a rare turn of events, Milo and his boyfriend Fred, a male model, have recently moved into town, further complicating Chloe’s plans. Chloe bakes pies and other sweets for Nick’s coffee shop, and she dreams of one day owning her own bakery. She’s always trying to bake the perfect pie. While juggling all of this in her day-to-day life, Chloe has a moment with Nick. They kiss. Though both of them have feelings for each other, they decide it would be a bad idea for a boss and employee to date. Chloe doesn’t want to lose her job while trying to finish up school and take care of her father. Why does Nick have to be so handsome and perfect!?

Fans of Jasmine Guillory and Emily Henry will love this book. Thanks so much to Berkley for the ARC.