#BookReview : Waiting for Tom Hanks (Waiting for Tom Hanks #1) by Kerry Winfrey @BerkleyPub #WaitingforTomHanks #ChickLit / / adorable, refreshing, sweet, and entertaining #romcom

*** Note: I received e-copy of this book as a winner of Goodreads group challenge. Many thanks to YA Buddy Readers’ Corner. ***

Synopsis

Can a romcom-obsessed romantic finally experience the meet-cute she always dreamed of or will reality never compare to fiction, in this charming debut adult novel from Kerry Winfrey.

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?

Review of Waiting for Tom Hanks

Waiting for Tom Hanks was lovely and entertaining romcom that revolved around Annie Cassidy’s search for her own Tom Hanks- her true love like romcom movies and Tom Hanks she adores. It was about being realistic with expectations, taking risk in life, having faith in real love, family, and friendship.

Writing was refreshing, gripping, highly entertaining. It was first person narrative from Annie’s POV. Small town setting of Ohio’s German village was lovely. Plot was predictable but amazing and I loved hate-to-love arc.

It started with Annie’s tragic lonely life with her freelance writing job, her love for romcoms movies, what drew her towards it, and her dream of meet-cute with Tom Hanks like true love but she was far from finding it. When she got job on movie set in neighbourhood, she hoped she would get her meet-cute at last but then she bumped into the lead actor, Drew Danforth, it turned into meet-fail as Drew is known for Hollywood prankster who doesn’t take anything seriously and he was nothing like Tom Hanks of romcom. I was curious to see if Annie’s dream will come true or all her fascination and dream was going to hurt her or someone else, will she find her Tom Hank in Drew, and what will happen at the end of film shoot.

All characters were lovable, realistic and developed. I loved all characters. There wasn’t any unlikable character unless you count person behind Hollywood Gossip site who would bribe or call people for information about stars. It made things juicy and dramatic.

Annie was lovely. She was romcom crazy. She had degree in film studies and wanted to work in movies ever since her graduation but she didn’t want to leave behind her Uncle Don she lived with in her mom’s house, and her best friend Chloe. She feared taking risk in life and moving out of town. She depended a lot on her dream of meet-cute and movie-like romance that would come in her life and make it hopeful. I agreed with Chloe more than once, she needed to give non-movie, non-Tom Hanks like person a chance but at the same time I loved Annie’s view towards romcoms and I loved how she didn’t just see love and happily-ever-after but also the hope of being happy in life. I loved how she understood Drew more as she spent more time with him, how admitted her mistake of being too judgemental and believing what gossip column said about him, and the way she realised she needed to move out, live life and take a chance for her dream to come true.

Chloe was lively, quirky and refreshing character. I didn’t feel her like side character. She was as much part of book as Annie was the only difference was it was Annie’s romcom and Chloe’s romcom is going to be in next book but we know Chloe in more detail in this book. I loved her realistic view, supporting Annie at every step and made her see her mistake at the same time. She was best friend everyone would like to have in life. I laughed at her banter with Annie and Nick. I can’t imagine how she couldn’t see adoration behind serious and gloomy faced of Nick. I would love to see how she would react to it once she would see that in screenplay Annie was writing in next book.

Drew was charming. He was fun, joyful character. He got his name ‘Hollywood prankster’ for a reason but behind his noncaring, fun nature there was more depth to his character. He was caring, loving person who loved and adored his family. I was touched by his past, his loss and his relationship with his grandfather. I admired him for respecting Annie’s wish and understanding her.

This had everything that cheesy romance novels have but what made it different and refreshing was lots of references of romcom movies (When Harry met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, Hallmark Christmas movies, Pillow Talk, You’ve Got Mail, The Wedding Singer, 27 Dresses and so many more) and not just movies but of actors and actresses and situations in those movies and the ingenious way they were intertwined with Annie’s story. I can tell you can enjoy all those references even if you haven’t watched movies mentioned here.

Romance was sweet. I loved how Annie and Drew met, their growing sexual tension and chemistry and banter, and how they got to know each other more as the story progressed. There was presumptions, misunderstanding, mistakes, fight, break-up and make up everything you would love in romcom. What more interesting was there wasn’t just Annie and Drew’s chemistry in book but we also see Nick and Chloe’s banter filled chemistry through Annie’s eyes as well.

Turns were great. I could predict them all but not the climax and the end. It was best part in the book. I felt sad, laughed and smiled and adored everything happened from climax to end. I loved Annie’s big gesture and her speech at the end. End was simply perfect. I can’t wait to read next book.

Overall, Waiting for Tom Hanks was adorable, refreshing, sweet, and entertaining romcom. I highly recommend this book to fan of this genre.

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What do you think about the book and review? Have you read this book or going to add to TBR? Which romcom movie you loved most?

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