It Only Happens in the Movies

Product Information

I'm changing my rating to a 5 stars simply because as soon as I woke up this morning, my first thoughts were of this book! I am in love! The kiss: “Grand gesture kisses. One where they hire out a baseball field, or stop a party to make a huge speech or something. Essentially kisses where there is applause from random members of the public.” I liked Audrey and Harry's relationship while they were working at the cinema. They were really cute together, lots of playful banter and it was easy to see them as a couple. However, their relationship outside of the cinema didn't work, with Harry being either full on or distant with no in-between, constantly hanging out with his friends, getting wasted and smoking weed. Whilst I love reading, I’m ashamed to say that I’ve read very little over the past few months. Having been super busy in my working life, I haven’t really had time to read much nor have I been particularly enticed by any book. Holly actually created the “Wormtail theory”. Next time you think a character is being totally hot and romantic, replace them with Wormtail. Ryan Gosling grabbing somebody’s face and kissing them to shut them up? “Ok we think this is kind of hot.” Wormtail? “No, this is disgusting, I didn’t give you consent to kiss me?!”

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃ Inspired by what she saw, she started writing teen fiction, including the best-selling, award-winning ‘Spinster Club’ series which helps educate teenagers about feminism. When she turned thirty, Holly wrote her first adult novel, 'How Do You Like Me Now?', examining the intensified pressures on women once they hit that landmark. This is literally one of the best representations of sex I've seen in a book. The way characters in this book deal with it are SO well done, not only boyfriends but friends offering support. AMAZING I loved how this book showed that not all love was terrible (like the divorce or her first one) but to also know your worth. Talented actress Audrey (named after Hepburn) has just started working in an indie cinema where she begrudgingly serves gourmet hotdogs to the well-heeled inhabitants of Bridgely-upon-Thames alongside zombie-movie-maker and “player” Harry. When set a Critical Research project by her media studies teacher, Audrey decides to write about “why love is never like the movies”, and boy does she know about the devastating disappointments of real-life love, what with her mum seeking solace in alcohol as a result of her dad starting a new family with someone else, and her own experience with an ex who dumped her a week after she lost her virginity to him. No wonder, then, that Audrey’s left wondering what the point of love is, and the project excerpts that appear as chapter intros wittily expound her views. But this hard-held conviction is put to the test when Audrey agrees to play a “feminist freedom fighter zombie bride” in Harry’s new movie, and finds that she might just be falling for him.While in her other books the stories were just normal - as boring and predictable -, here the normality is a positive thing: Audrey is a normal girl with almost-normal problems, and she falls for Harry, a boy with normal problems; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But it's this normality that makes you love the story even more, as in other great romantic movies - have you ever heard of The Notebook? Vaginismus affects around 17% percent of women between fifteen and sixty-four in the UK, but almost 50% of women with vaginismus are between fifteen and twenty-four, highlighting exactly why this representation is necessary in YA. I’m so grateful to Holly for including this and showing that this isn’t a case of there being something “wrong” with the woman as Audrey believe, but many (often treatable) factors. But, whatever you're going through, I can promise it’ll be one of those books that make you forget your life for a little bit.

Romeo + Juliet is amazing - 90s Leo will always be my favourite - and When Harry Met Sally is just a classical. I also think the A2 Media Studies project was poorly researched. I was on this course just over a year ago. There is a project that you get a lot of freedom with. However it must be on one certain area of the media so not to conflict with the exam and also not to run your teacher too thin as they need to teach theories that can be applied to everyone’s project and talk everyone through how to make the digital pieces to go alongside their essays (we did DVD covers and posters). It is not fair to expect a teacher to juggle thirty different projects that are all so vastly different, there must be some boundaries. Love isn't just a feeling. Love is a choice too. And you may not be able to help your feelings, but you are responsible for the choices you make about what to do with them.” I think the thing that I like the most about this book is how much it makes you think. It challenges the many clichés that you find in romance films, from the bad boy turned good, to dramatic kisses and The Big Obstacle at the end that tests their relationship. I loved how Holly dedicated different parts of the story to different clichés and explored them. First of all, I need to discuss our main character, Audrey. Despite some differences within our familial situation, I felt that Audrey was an extremely relatable character, almost like somebody you are friends with in real life. Throughout the story, Audrey constantly stands up for what she believes in which is a really admirable trait, and isn’t afraid to say no if she doesn’t want to do something, like turning down drugs and alcohol. Audrey understands her worth and wants what ultimately is best for her; I have a lot of respect for her because of this.relationships. They offer this idea of love that isn’t sustainable in normal life. It’s dan…” I was about to say “dangerous” before I looked up to see literally the whole class listening in. My fists clenched. I reached for a lesser word. “It’s…pathetic?” The moment he stops flirting....she can't stop thinking about him- are you kidding me?! SERIOUSLY! I'm sorry but I felt like there was more important stuff that she should have worried about. The whole plot-line regarding her family life or her friendship was much better because hello they are more important than a boy who she hardly knows. Her family and friends are people she knows and that play/ have played a significant part in her life. NOT HARRY. Audrey seems to have a distaste towards sexy girls. I do not know why. I do not understand it. Why is it bad to embrace your sexuality and sensuality? What does that take away from?