Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey Published by Penguin on June 11, 2019
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Contemporary, Women
Pages: 288
Source: Netgalley
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Goodreads
A rom-com-obsessed romantic waiting for her perfect leading man learns that life doesn’t always go according to a script in this delightfully charming and funny novel.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?
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Why Did I Read?
Well, I love rom coms – especially those 90s and early 2000 rom coms! They’re my go-to movies when I want to rewatch a comfort movie, if I’m having a bad day or just need a fun movie to relax! This one had all the makings of a cute rom-com!
My Thoughts:
For fellow rom com fans, you’ll be treated to so many great rom com references and nods to classic romantic comedy films, and yes, many of them feature actor Tom Hanks, hence the title! I personally really do love You’ve Got Mail and many of the references made me smile. However, while this book had a lot of the makings of a cute romance, it left me feeling a bit disappointed.
Annie, the MC, is obsessed with rom coms and I was totally on board with her story to unfold in a cute rom com fashion but instead of unfolding naturally, things felt a bit forced. Her story didn’t feel natural and the parallels just felt like ticking boxes off a checklist. I think there was too much emphasis on what the formula of a romantic comedy was instead of just showing how her life was mirroring one.
Annie was also really aggressive at the beginning and while I understand the why, it felt a little unnecessarily over the top and well, mean. I just didn’t click with her and her story. There was also sort of an odd second guy thrown in briefly for a short lived love triangle (not even really a triangle but it just felt annoying).
There were definitely some cute moments in the story though! I enjoyed the setting of the town and really liked her BFF Chloe! Drew was also cute and I really liked him even if their chemistry always felt a little off to me.
In Short…
If you love rom coms, you will definitely smile and reminisce about these 90s films as the references come up! This is a cute story, perfect for a summer afternoon, but the execution missed the mark for me. And if you’re anything like me, you’re now longing to go rent one of the 90s rom coms mentioned! Check it out if you’ve got a penchant for romantic comedies, especially those featuring Tom Hanks!
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