It Only Happens in the Movies

This story focused a lot on real life and I think that is great. It's all so realistic, and really all the things they said about love in movies: I can relate! The ending was a tad bit sad, but great. It was exactly what I expected to happen, but for once, I didn't really mind. In my opinion, it projected love as what love really is like.

I absolutely loved this book. As soon as I finished it I wanted to read it again straight away.
I loved how anti-romance Audrey is. Throughout the book she starts to let her guard down, but ultimately she follows her head not her heart. It's not surprising really after everything she has experienced in her life.
I couldn't put this book down, and I didn't want it to end.
I need to go and buy more books by Holly Bourne. If this book is anything to go by, I will not be disappointed.

I quite liked this one. All throughout the book I was anticipating things and yet, I was surprised multiple times because the unexpected happened!

The drugs, the cheating...this guy wasn’t really considerate of her at times. And so I’m so happy with the ending :)


The latest lines in the last chapter are great.

It Only Happens in the Movies, by Holly Bourne, is a smart and thoughtful take on romcoms and Hollywood love stories. Audrey is a protagonist dealing with real emotional trauma, from her parents' messy divorce, her father's abandonment and her mother's mental instability, and a particularly awful breakup of her own. So when she meets the excessively charming Harry at her new movie theater job, she doesn't need to be warned by everyone who knows him to stay well away. Still, he seems irresistible...

Bourne fills this otherwise typical teen story with more honesty and reality than most books manage, taking down one unhealthy Hollywood glossification of romance and relationships after another, like Audrey's reaction to being told she's not like other girls: “I am like other girls, Harry. Don’t misinterpret my hatred of romance as some kooky, laid-back, manic pixie nonsense. I am damaged. I am not cute. I am emotionally fucking traumatized right now, okay? ... that’s why I seem different. That is not sexy.”

Clever, feminist, moving - there's a lot going on here, and all of it rolling toward a fabulous, refreshing ending.

Content warnings: divorce, parental neglect, suicide attempt, self-harm, alcoholism, sexual assault

Thank you to NetGalley and HMH for the advance review copy.

This novel was fantastic! As someone who loves romances, both in books and in movies, this books was the cutest.

Characters- The characters in this novel were so cute. Audrey was a drama student, and as someone who also loves theater, I wanted to keep reading the moment I found that out. Harry was a character who started off as a bad boy and then was really sweet when you get to know him.

Plot- I loved the story. Sure, it was trope-heavy at times, but that’s kind of the point of the story. I loved the sweet elements, as well as the real elements of the story as the plot progresses.

Writing- I loved the writing in this novel! I’m going to read more writing from Holly Bourne.

Romance- This was opposites attract kind of a story. The end had me in tears, and I melted at the end. The build-up of the romance was also sweet.

Recommend for/ Enjoyment- I recommend this for those that enjoy RomComs, and those that love a good YA novel. I really enjoyed this.