LOVE LIKE THE MOVIES by VICTORIA VAN TIEM

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Reviewed by Jenny & Gitte

Jenny & Gitte: 4.5 wonderfully swoony stars!

“But life isn’t a movie.”

Jenny: I’ve just been completely swept away by a story! Now, I LOVE my chicky flicks! So much so, my friends and I regularly go to the “Chicks at the Flicks” sessions at the movies and swoon over the latest romantic offering. Yes, they’re predictable and cutesy, but wow!

“It doesn’t matter if a romantic comedy follows a predictable course, we respond because it’s rooted in truth. In magic.”

I do love the lead up to the final moments of these films….sigh…..So, when I saw Love LikeThe Movies was centred around some of my favourite chick flicks, I was sold. This definitely sounded like something we needed to read didn’t it Gitte?

Gitte: Absolutely Jenny, I love the movie theme in this story and I love the movies mentioned and how they were woven into this swoon worthy romance. This right here is your quintessential love story, this is pure romance at its basic definition; the kind that leaves you with a smile on your face, a spring in your step and your heart in a puddle on the floor. It’s sweet, funny and oh so romantic.

‘Today was supposed to be one of those special moments you always remember. The big feel-good scenes like you see in the movies. Where the Dad can’t believe his little girl is getting married and the mom sheds happy tears. Instead, I’m the only one with tears, and my moment ended up on the cutting room floor.’ – Kenzi

I picked this story up and read it in one sitting, caught up in sentimental memories with butterflies in my belly. I would LOVE for this story to be turned into an actual movie. I’d be first in line for sure. The originality was flawless in its execution; a heart-warming quick read that’ll have you taking a trip down memory lane of romantic chick flicks and bring your own of when and where!!

Jenny:  Absolutely! This would make a perfect movie!! It certainly made me want to sit and watch those movies all over again! I know I read this with a big dopey grin on my face the whole way through! To have some of my favourite movies referenced and re-enacted in such a way made me all weak at the knees. Oh I do love a good romance! Shane Bennett….oh my goodness, what I wouldn’t give to have a Shane Bennett in my life…well, for one thing I wouldn’t have to rely on my girlfriends to sit through chick flicks because Shane would be right at my side reciting the lines with me…oh big heavy sigh!! This guy was romance swoon material and then some! I adored him!  Did he sweep you off your feet too Gitte?

Gitte: Oh yeah, Shane swept me up and carried me through each romantic scene from my younger years, making me want to drop everything and have a movie marathon watching them all over again.

“You’d say you ‘didn’t want to just be in love, you wanted to be in love in a movie.’ Remember?” – Shane

It’s funny because I was reciting lines and visualising scenes as and when they were mentioned and it made me chuckle and realize how much these movies mean to me. The Dirty Dancing scene specifically; it’s been my favourite movie since I saw it for the first time as a teenager when it came out and I still watch it at least once every month reciting the lines word by word. I mean, how many of us hear; ‘I carried a watermelon’ and immediately think of Johnny and Baby!!!! I want a Shane Bennett – a pure romantic at heart….sigh!

Jenny: Yes Gitte! I completely agree! It really brings it all back doesn’t it? You’re in the scene of that movie and seeing it all the Kenzi’s eyes! It’s just wonderful! Whilst this was indeed a cute romance which I completely adored, it offered more than that to me. Kensington ‘Kenzi’ Shaw didn’t realise she was lost in herself until her ex Shane Bennett appeared on the scene after 7 years. What follows is a lot of soul searching with Kenzi finding the girl she used to be and not the girl she had unwittingly become. It was pure delight watching Kenzi come into her own and witness her growth as she went on her journey of self-discovery.

‘And who I’m rescuing is……Me. The girl with paint in her hair who still believes in the fairy tale, only this is the grown-up version. Because maybe there’s not a happy-ever after with someone, maybe it’s about being happy with yourself.’ – Kenzi

So yes, like the romance movies I cherish so dear, Love Like the Movies could, at times, be a little predictable but that didn’t hamper my enjoyment of this delightful book one little bit. Not at all, because my heart had a warm fuzzy glow and this book was exactly what I needed and I couldn’t help but indulge myself in the sweetness, the cuteness and the sheer romance of it all. And… THAT EPILOGUE!!! OMG!!! SWOOOOOOOOOOON!!!!!! Just you try and wipe this big dopey grin off my face. I was in epilogue heaven! That epi Gitte? My romance dream come true!  I need a movie marathon! Now! Did that just melt your heart?

Gitte: That epilogue made me swoon till I was ALL swooned out, Jenny. I wanted to be Kenzi so bad right there and then or at least part of it somehow, well I guess I kind of was really as a reader. It was brilliant and so cleverly written. I could honestly visualise it and my jaw hurt from smiling, and my eyes brimmed with happy tears.

“I always felt special when I was with him…”

Actually, the whole story made me feel like that. Yeah sure, it was sugar sweet at times and a tad predictable but that was neither here nor there, because overall it had me laughing at the funny banter, the quirkiness and melt at the romance.

“Me. You should be waiting for me.”

I could relate completely too to so many aspects of this story, it was beautiful and evoked sweet memories. Excuse me whilst I go line up the DVD’s and make myself some popcorn…I’m going on a rom/com – chick flick binge…….

J&G: So, if you love romance movies and you’re in the mood for a captivating, delightful, sweet and swoony romance that will leave your heart glowing, Love Like the Movies is just what you need. We were completely swept away with this one!

“Remember, you’ll hurt me if you don’t trust me. Isn’t that the line?”

This book is sheer romance. If steam is a pre-requisite for your reading enjoyment, you won’t find it here. However, what this book lacks in steam it more than makes up for in romance, fun, escapism and a couple of warm and beautiful characters with movie references that will have your heart jumping for joy and have a big smile plastered on your face!

‘I wanna chase after Shane and declare, Big mistake. Big. Huge’ – Kenzi

This is the perfect Sunday afternoon, curl up and read a book, way to while away your time. Now we’re off for a BIG movie marathon of our favourite romance movies with smiles on our faces and a wonderful warm glow!

ARC provided for in exchange for an honest review.

LOVE LIKE THE MOVIES by VICTORIA VAN TIEM
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