Just Like The Movies

Pretty, popular Marijke Monti and over-achieving nerd-girl Lily Spencer have little in common-except that neither feels successful when it comes to love. Marijke can't get her boyfriend to say “I love you” and Lily can't get a boyfriend at all. When the girls end up at a late night showing of Titanic, sniffling along with the sinking ship, they realize that their love lives could-and should-be better. Which sparks an idea: Why can't life be like a movie? Why can't they create perfect romantic situations? Now they have a budding friendship and a plan-to act out grand gestures and get the guys of their dreams. It seems like fun at first, but reality turns out to be much more complicated, and they didn't take into account that finding true love usually requires finding yourself first.

‘Smart, sassy and spicy – with an ending to rival any Hollywood rom com...Totally recommended!’ Fiona Harper

Perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Ali Hazelwood, this “sweet and funny” (Kerry Winfrey, author of Waiting for Tom Hanks) teen rom-com is hopelessly romantic with enemies to lovers and grumpy x sunshine energy! Liz hates her annoyingly attractive neighbour but he’s the only in with her long-term crush… Perpetual daydreamer and hopeless romantic Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar—and maybe snag him as a prom date—even befriend Wes Bennet. The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbour might seem like a prime candidate for romantic comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in. But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must re-examine everything she thought she knew about love—and rethink her own ideas of what Happily Ever After should look like. Better Than the Movies features quotes from the best-loved rom-coms of cinema and takes you on a rollercoaster of romance that isn’t movie-perfect but jaw-dropping and heart-stopping in unexpected ways. Pre-order Nothing Like the Movies, the swoony sequel to Better than the Movies and don't miss out on The Do-Over and Betting On You from Lynn Painter!

Everyone wanted to break me. But stars aren't broken, they explode. And I was the ultimate supernova. My name was Jude. They called me Judy. I was beautiful either way. School was basically a movie set. We were all just playing our parts. The Crew, the Extras, the Movie Stars. No one was ever real . . . especially me. I didn't fit any category. All the girls watched me - I could walk so much better than them in heels, and my make-up was always flawless. All the boys wanted to, well, you know . . . even if they didn't admit it. They loved me, they hated me, but they could never ignore me. I only had eyes for Luke. A red carpet rolled out from my heart towards him and this year, on Valentine'sDay, I was going to walk that carpet and find my mark next to him. It would be like a dream. But my dream was going to turn into a nightmare. This is my story. #WEFLTM

Audrey gave up on romance before meeting aspiring filmmaker Harry at the cinema where they work, but soon they are deeply in love--and not like it is portrayed in movies.

"Lily?" My stomach dropped as a tall, dark-haired man stepped into view. Had he been hiding between the trees? "No. Sorry." Gulping, I took a step back. "I'm not Lily." He shook his head, a satisfied grin on his face. "No. You are Lily." "I'm Summer. You have the wrong person." You utter freak! I could hear my pulse crashing in my ears. How stupid to give him my real name. He continued to stare at me, smiling. It made me feel sick. "You are Lily," he repeated. Before I could blink, he threw his arms forward and grabbed me. I tried to shout, but he clasped his hand over my mouth, muffling my screams. My heart raced. I'm going to die. For months Summer is trapped in a cellar with the man who took her—and three other girls: Rose, Poppy, and Violet. His perfect, pure flowers. His family. But flowers can't survive long cut off from the sun, and time is running out...

Rahul Saini is a high spirited young man started as an architect. Passionate about movies, TV series and reading. He wrote his first novel ‘Those Small Lil Things’ in 2008 to national acclaim. He conducts interactive fiction writing workshops for students. He has a keen interest in fine arts and filmmaking. He loves to spend time with his family and friends, and wishes that the whole world could live the life of F.R.I.E.N.D.S.