Kerry Winfrey's quick-witted romantic comedy focuses on almost-30-year-old Chloe Sanderson, an overburdened bisexual whose life is in chaos. The Columbus, Ohio, native has a long-absent mother and a father with early-onset Alzheimer's who resides at an assisted living facility. Chloe's twin--her ne'er-do-well, charming, gay brother, Milo--ditched the family to pursue his own whims, leaving Chloe to bear all the responsibility for Dad.
Tending to her father, trying to finish
up her degree and working at a coffee shop--while cultivating her penchant for
baking pies--Chloe is also planning a wedding for her best friend, Annie, who
scripted a rom-com loosely based on Chloe and Nick Velez, the handsome owner of
the shop where Chloe works. With a trailer for the film released, media and
townsfolk start nosing around the café, eager to draw parallels between Chloe
and Nick, sizing up their fictionalized romance. The attention, coupled with a
host of snags, including Milo's unexpected return to town, draws Chloe closer
to the kind, supportive Nick. Is his attention what self-reliant Chloe has been
secretly hungering for? Is she willing to surrender her conflicted heart?
Winfrey uncovers layers of her
characters' lives and longings, burdens and passions. The cast was first
introduced in her novel Waiting
for Tom Hanks, but readers don't need to be familiar with that book to
appreciate this one. Those who enjoy fast-paced, sparring banter will find much
to savor in this sexy story where love may--or may not--conquer all.
Not
Like the Movies: A Novel by Kerry Winfrey
Berkley, $16.00 Paperback, 9781984804044, 320 pages
Publication Date: July 7, 2020
To order this book on INDIEBOUND, link HERE
NOTE: This review is a reprint and is being posted
with the permission of Shelf Awareness. To read this review on Shelf Awareness: Reader's Edition (July 7, 2020), link HERE