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Waiting for Tom Hanks #1
Waiting for Tom Hanks
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?
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?
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 11, 2019
About the author
Kerry Winfrey
7 books1,543 followersKerry Winfrey is the author of the adult romantic comedies WAITING FOR TOM HANKS, NOT LIKE THE MOVIES, VERY SINCERELY YOURS, and JUST ANOTHER LOVE SONG, as well as the teen romantic comedies LOVE AND OTHER ALIEN EXPERIENCES and THINGS JOLIE NEEDS TO DO BEFORE SHE BITES IT. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her family. You can find her on Instagram @kerrywinfrey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,422 reviews
March 2, 2023
ARC provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.
“My Tom Hanks is out there, and I’m not going to settle until I find him.”
I’m not going to lie to you all, I have been dreading writing this review. This is probably the book that has disappointed me the most in 2019, so far. I thought it was going to be a cute romcom about a girl, working on a movie set, falling in love. And I suppose it was, but it also has so much bad and infuriating things also in this story.
Waiting for Tom Hanks is about a girl named Annie who (you guessed it) is in search of her life’s romcom hero, who she thinks she deserves to be swept off her feet by. And what better way to look for prospects, than to work on a movie that your uncle pulls strings for you to be the director’s new assistant. And on her first day at set, she meets Drew, the star of this romcom that is being filmed.
“If there was ever a man who was the complete and polar opposite of Tom Hanks, it would be Drew Danforth.”
The best character was easily Annie’s uncle, Don, who was probably pansexual, but the author didn’t put it on page. But he also runs a weekly D&D group, and you all know that is very much something I am passionate about. Also, he was just kind hearted, and showed unconditional love, and I truly always wanted the best for him.
The second best character was Chloe, who is Annie’s best friend, and who is on page bisexual. I have no idea why she would be friends with Annie, but I am happy she was part of the story, and I’m happy the author is going to write about her in the next book.
Annie was just the worst, and being in her head was so unpleasant to read from. From fake *wokeness* to white feminism, to just being dramatic and jumping to so many ridiculous conclusions, from pity party to just doing so many hurtful and dumb things, she is easily the worst main character I’ve read about in 2019. Annie needs to learn boundaries, and respect, and *plot twist* at the end of this book was so horrible, that I can’t even believe that beta readers would not say how horrible it felt to read.
I suppose I should talk more about the white feminism in this book. The white director wanting to film a movie about an interracial relationship, because he is now in an interracial relationship felt really bad. You should want to promote diversity all the time, in all walks of life, not just went it mirrors your life and impacts you and your white-self. Every single time Drew talked about being a feminist because of his feminist mom and how he opened doors and walked girls home made me want to die. Even though I did feel bad for Drew through most of this, because Annie was so insufferable. Also, all the main characters in this book are white! To keep bringing up how *woke* you are, when your entire book is about two heterosexual people, who are white, with all white friends, it doesn’t feel good to read. Especially when the only person of color is a very minor side character (yet, the star of the very movie) who was only written to help the main character very awkwardly at the end of this book. Telling and showing are two very different things, and when you put such an emphasis on telling, while never showing, it makes for a really horrible reading experience. Bringing up how whitewashed media is constantly is just going to make your whitewashed book more obvious.
Overall, this just wasn’t for me. I should have known by the 100th Tom Hanks metaphor by page 50 to just DNF this, but I didn’t. There are so many other amazing romcoms out there, many of which are also being published through Berkley. I just really wouldn’t waste your time on this one, unless you like hurtful main characters, who think they deserve the world, and Tom Hanks movies getting brought up every page.
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The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
Content and Trigger Warnings for loss of a loved one and talk of cheating in the past (not MCs).
December 8, 2020
The Written Review
The May Reading Vlog (aka tier listing 30+ books) is up! Now that you know where this one ranks, click the link to check out the rest!
This book was a solid 3 stars...There were fun bits but gosh, the main character grated my nerves.
BUT THEN I GOT TO THE END - and now I can't really rate it above 1-star.
Normally I don't mention stuff that happens in the end of a book in a review - cause hello spoiler.
But when that stuff completly eclipses the rest of the book, I think it should get mentioned. Just be aware of spoiler tags.
I am so mad at that bit where she
What ON EARTH was that?
How could she even have the balls to play it off as an "oopsie" moment? And the side characters claiming he would get over it and come back cause she's such a catch?
Like I get she was only intending to
but even then, that's an instant relationship end for me. How can she act like it wasn't a HUGE violation of privacy and trust?
And when she does the grand gesture, she DOESN'T grovel. It's all about love and realizing he was her Tom Hanks all along.
Pardon my vulgarity, but, can you imagine how people would've reacted if genders were reversed? Some guy just
I don't know guys, that one moment just completely eclipsed my minimal enjoyment of the book and really threw the double standards of men vs women in my face.
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June 16, 2019
Super cute! The rom-com nostalgia in Waiting for Tom Hanks is strong so don’t be surprised when you get the urge to watch all your favorite romantic comedies from the past few decades to keep the feel-good vibes flowing. Not a bad way to spend a weekend...or a sick day. Just sayin’.
My favorite quote:
“It doesn’t matter how someone in a romantic comedy affords their absurdly nice house, or whether or not their profession makes sense, or if technically they’re sort of stalking someone they heard on a call-in radio show. What matters is that they have hope. Sure, they find love, but it’s not even about love. It’s the hope that you deserve happiness, and that you won’t be sad forever, and that things will get better. It’s hope that life doesn’t always have to be a miserable slog, that you can find someone to love who understands you and accepts you just as you are.”
Audiobook narrated by Rachel L. Jacobs.
My favorite quote:
“It doesn’t matter how someone in a romantic comedy affords their absurdly nice house, or whether or not their profession makes sense, or if technically they’re sort of stalking someone they heard on a call-in radio show. What matters is that they have hope. Sure, they find love, but it’s not even about love. It’s the hope that you deserve happiness, and that you won’t be sad forever, and that things will get better. It’s hope that life doesn’t always have to be a miserable slog, that you can find someone to love who understands you and accepts you just as you are.”
Audiobook narrated by Rachel L. Jacobs.
June 14, 2019
3.5 stars
Easy, Breezy, and a little Cheesy!
Waiting for Tom Hanks is a sweet story about a woman who is waiting to find true love and experience her own romantic comedy.
Annie is 27 years old and stuck in her comfortable world in Ohio--she wants to be a screenwriter but is unwilling to leave her childhood home to try her hand at working in the movies. She spends her time freelance writing in her friend’s coffee shop waiting to meet Mr. Right. Annie is obsessed with romantic comedies and compares every man she meets to the heroes in her favorite films, especially those starring Tom Hanks. She is waiting to have her “meet cute” and find her leading man, but it just hasn’t happened yet. When a movie is finally being filmed her town, starring handsome movie star Drew, Annie finally gets the opportunity to experience her “meet cute,” but it turns out that life isn’t always like the movies and Annie struggles to meld reality with her fantasy.
This is a fun and quick read with some charming, quirky characters and witty banter. It had more depth than I thought it would (based on the title). I found Annie’s character endearing. I was a little nervous for her at first, but once I was able to peel back the layers to learn more about why she is obsessed with rom-coms, I began to root for her. Similar to rom-coms, there are some embarrassing, over-the-top moments when the characters confront and express their true feelings. Other moments were a little too sappy and cheesy for my taste, and I had to partially cover my eyes and look away from the words! Outside of these moments, I found Waiting for Tom Hanks to be an entertaining, lighthearted, quick read. I am looking forward to Kerry Winfrey’s next book featuring Nick and Chloe (Annie's friends).
I received an ARC of this book from Edelweiss and Penguin Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.
Easy, Breezy, and a little Cheesy!
Waiting for Tom Hanks is a sweet story about a woman who is waiting to find true love and experience her own romantic comedy.
Annie is 27 years old and stuck in her comfortable world in Ohio--she wants to be a screenwriter but is unwilling to leave her childhood home to try her hand at working in the movies. She spends her time freelance writing in her friend’s coffee shop waiting to meet Mr. Right. Annie is obsessed with romantic comedies and compares every man she meets to the heroes in her favorite films, especially those starring Tom Hanks. She is waiting to have her “meet cute” and find her leading man, but it just hasn’t happened yet. When a movie is finally being filmed her town, starring handsome movie star Drew, Annie finally gets the opportunity to experience her “meet cute,” but it turns out that life isn’t always like the movies and Annie struggles to meld reality with her fantasy.
This is a fun and quick read with some charming, quirky characters and witty banter. It had more depth than I thought it would (based on the title). I found Annie’s character endearing. I was a little nervous for her at first, but once I was able to peel back the layers to learn more about why she is obsessed with rom-coms, I began to root for her. Similar to rom-coms, there are some embarrassing, over-the-top moments when the characters confront and express their true feelings. Other moments were a little too sappy and cheesy for my taste, and I had to partially cover my eyes and look away from the words! Outside of these moments, I found Waiting for Tom Hanks to be an entertaining, lighthearted, quick read. I am looking forward to Kerry Winfrey’s next book featuring Nick and Chloe (Annie's friends).
I received an ARC of this book from Edelweiss and Penguin Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.
August 7, 2019
Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey is a 2019 Berkley publication.
An adorable ode to classic Rom-Coms!
I am pleased to see this book was so well received! Rom-Coms were considered circumspect back in their prime, but after a while they became the 'Barry Manilow' of movies, eliciting all manner of hand waving and eye rolls from the super intelligent, who are too smart to indulge in something so sentimental and sweet, playing the tired old 'unrealistic' card. Blah, Blah, Blah! I don't care! I loved those movies!!
I’m so happy to see people are looking back on those wonderful ‘feel good’ movies with fond nostalgia these days and are maybe beginning to relax and realize that a little light gentle fun won’t hurt you- in fact it’s good for the soul!!
That said, I must, with great chagrin, admit that at times this book was a bit too silly, even for me. The author did do an amazing job of recreating the 1990s Rom-Com format and atmosphere, which also means it was occasionally corny.
The characters are zany, quirky, and downright weird at times, but they are also funny and sweet. The story is predictable, of course, but that's part of its charm.
We find comfort and escape with these stories. They lift our spirits, restore hope, and leave us enveloped in a warm fuzzy glow, but most importantly, they make us smile.
This book pays tributes to all the great classics- not just ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ or ‘You’ve Got Mail’. I was happy to see the author mention, “While You Were Sleeping’ (Bill Pullman!!!!!) which is my all -time favorite, although ‘When Harry Met Sally’ is a pretty close second- but of course- even stuffy snobs love Tom Hanks!
Overall, this story is super light and easy, very fun and…. It made me smile!
4 stars
An adorable ode to classic Rom-Coms!
I am pleased to see this book was so well received! Rom-Coms were considered circumspect back in their prime, but after a while they became the 'Barry Manilow' of movies, eliciting all manner of hand waving and eye rolls from the super intelligent, who are too smart to indulge in something so sentimental and sweet, playing the tired old 'unrealistic' card. Blah, Blah, Blah! I don't care! I loved those movies!!
I’m so happy to see people are looking back on those wonderful ‘feel good’ movies with fond nostalgia these days and are maybe beginning to relax and realize that a little light gentle fun won’t hurt you- in fact it’s good for the soul!!
That said, I must, with great chagrin, admit that at times this book was a bit too silly, even for me. The author did do an amazing job of recreating the 1990s Rom-Com format and atmosphere, which also means it was occasionally corny.
The characters are zany, quirky, and downright weird at times, but they are also funny and sweet. The story is predictable, of course, but that's part of its charm.
We find comfort and escape with these stories. They lift our spirits, restore hope, and leave us enveloped in a warm fuzzy glow, but most importantly, they make us smile.
This book pays tributes to all the great classics- not just ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ or ‘You’ve Got Mail’. I was happy to see the author mention, “While You Were Sleeping’ (Bill Pullman!!!!!) which is my all -time favorite, although ‘When Harry Met Sally’ is a pretty close second- but of course- even stuffy snobs love Tom Hanks!
Overall, this story is super light and easy, very fun and…. It made me smile!
4 stars
December 9, 2020
Many thanks to Berkely for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
Maybe your problem is you spent so much time thinking about your past that you didn't spend any time thinking about your future.
Ahh, this was so good. I’m really relieved that I loved because I think Berkley would officially ex-communicate me if I didn’t. I think the key selling point for me was not only the hilarious moments but the meta-ness of the whole book.
➸ Annie - We follow Annie, a romcom
➸ Chloe - Even if you didn’t like Annie, you’ll still like Chloe. She was definitely one of the best characters and I am so, so excited to see her get her own novel in 2020. She played the best friend role so well. She was funny and kind. Augh, I wish I had a friend like Chloe.
➸ Drew - Honestly, I don’t know how much longer I can stand having crushes on fictional crushes because, deep down, I know that I’ll never be able to meet them. Drew is the exact person I would avoid in real life but opposites attract (?) Also, something I like to do is google to see if I can find what I think a character would look like so they’re even more real inside my head and I found one. So here it is. (you’re welcome)
[Credit: River Viiperi]
As I mentioned, this novel is super unique. It was so unlike the romcoms I’ve read this year. Because Annie is so obsessed with romcoms, there is a sh*tton of pop culture. Most books won’t actually bring up real movies or actors which makes them feel kind of distanced from reality but this one brought up so many. From When Harry met Sally to Sleepless in Seattle, there are so many real-life references which made the book feel even more realistic. Annie is constantly referencing romcoms and talking about how she needs to stop comparing her life to them because her life isn’t a rom-com… even though we all know it is. crazy.
I also really loved the relationship between Drew and Annie. Sure, it was the cheesy yet lovable enemies-to-lovers romance but it was still enjoyable. I think the fact that the author used every cliche in the book, which is usually annoying, just endeared the reader because it fit the meta-ness of the book so well.
Overall, this book was so well written. It’s funny, clever and meta. If you’re looking for a light-hearted rom-com to melt your heart, Waiting for Tom Hanks is your book!
Bottom Line:
4.5 Stars
Age Rating: [ PG-13 ]
Cover: 4/5 ~ Characters: 5/5 ~ Plot: 4/5 ~ Audio: 3/5
Reps: [NONE]
Publication Date: June 11th, 2019
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Romance/Comedy
➵ Waiting for Tom Hanks - ★★★★★
➵ Not Like the Movies - ★★★★☆
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June 9, 2019
From the moment I set eyes on the title, I knew I had to read this one.
I mean come on, who doesn’t love Tom Hanks...or want their happily ever after! Right!?🤷🏻♀️
Annie is waiting for her Tom Hanks to sweep her off her feet...just like in the movies. Because Annie’s fantasy world is a Rom-Com.
Meanwhile she risks watching her whole life slip past, as she assures herself her (Rom-Com) love story is right around the corner.
A quirky and fun romp. A tad predictable but it still worked. I loved all the references to the ‘90’s Rom-Coms. Some I remembered vividly and fondly and a few I can't wait to watch again.
If you’re looking for a fun beach read that will keep you smiling...then look no further!
A buddy read with Susanne!
Thank you to Elisha at Berkley Publishing for an ARC to read and review.
I mean come on, who doesn’t love Tom Hanks...or want their happily ever after! Right!?🤷🏻♀️
Annie is waiting for her Tom Hanks to sweep her off her feet...just like in the movies. Because Annie’s fantasy world is a Rom-Com.
Meanwhile she risks watching her whole life slip past, as she assures herself her (Rom-Com) love story is right around the corner.
A quirky and fun romp. A tad predictable but it still worked. I loved all the references to the ‘90’s Rom-Coms. Some I remembered vividly and fondly and a few I can't wait to watch again.
If you’re looking for a fun beach read that will keep you smiling...then look no further!
A buddy read with Susanne!
Thank you to Elisha at Berkley Publishing for an ARC to read and review.
July 24, 2019
4 Adorable, Rom-Com Dream Come True Stars!
You guys, I devoured this book in 1 sitting in the span of a few hours! Was it predictable and full of rom-com cliches - Yes! Yes it was! AND that's why I totally loved it. It was a perfect light-hearted, escape from reality. Is life anything like a rom-com? Absolutely not, which is why so many of us love them so much. Isn't it nice to gush over a meet-cute, know the banter between the main characters is obviously flirting before they know it, survive that misunderstood, plot twist moment where it can all come crashing down only to live happily ever after. I don't know about you but I need a little of that in my life every now & then and friends Waiting for Tom Hanks delivered it all and then some.
I found the side cast of characters enjoyable and the references to some of my all time fave rom-com movies were such a plus! See Annie is obsessed with her life being like a rom-com, which in reality would be pretty delusional but come on - this is a fun book and honestly, who hasn't fantasized about their life taking on a rom-comesque (I totally made that up but it should totally be a word!) or fairytale ending once or let's be real - a few hundred times. 🤣 It can't just be me! Right?!
So thank you Kerry Winfrey for the great escape you provided me with your book. I honestly can't wait to read Nick & Chloe's story in Not Like the Movies . 💖
You guys, I devoured this book in 1 sitting in the span of a few hours! Was it predictable and full of rom-com cliches - Yes! Yes it was! AND that's why I totally loved it. It was a perfect light-hearted, escape from reality. Is life anything like a rom-com? Absolutely not, which is why so many of us love them so much. Isn't it nice to gush over a meet-cute, know the banter between the main characters is obviously flirting before they know it, survive that misunderstood, plot twist moment where it can all come crashing down only to live happily ever after. I don't know about you but I need a little of that in my life every now & then and friends Waiting for Tom Hanks delivered it all and then some.
I found the side cast of characters enjoyable and the references to some of my all time fave rom-com movies were such a plus! See Annie is obsessed with her life being like a rom-com, which in reality would be pretty delusional but come on - this is a fun book and honestly, who hasn't fantasized about their life taking on a rom-comesque (I totally made that up but it should totally be a word!) or fairytale ending once or let's be real - a few hundred times. 🤣 It can't just be me! Right?!
So thank you Kerry Winfrey for the great escape you provided me with your book. I honestly can't wait to read Nick & Chloe's story in Not Like the Movies . 💖
June 9, 2019
4 Adorable Stars for “Waiting for Tom Hanks!”
The Perfect Feel Good Rom-Com!
Annie is a gal who LOVES romantic comedies. When I say love I mean LOVE. She has watched every romantic comedy ever made and has all of the lines memorized. Tom Hanks is her favorite romantic lead. “Sleepless in Seattle,” “You’ve Got Mail.. you name it! In fact, she is looking for a guy “just” like him in real life. Her very own Tom Hanks and she believes with all of her might that it’ll happen, that she will find him.
When Annie gets a job on a movie set in her very own hometown, well, the perfect “meet-cute” seems like it’s bound to happen!
Full of endearing, funny and altogether sweet (and swoon-worthy) moments, “Waiting for Tom Hanks” is sure to make even cynics like myself believe. I loved being reminded of my favorite romantic comedies from the 80’s and 90’s (“While You Were Sleeping” and of course, “When Harry Met Sally”). If you are looking for a light, easy read that has several laugh-out-loud moments, I recommend “Waiting for Tom Hanks” - it will definitely make you smile!
This was a buddy read with Kaceey and we had so much fun reading it!
Thank you to Elisha at Berkley Publishing Group and to Kerry Winfrey for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on Goodreads on 6.8.19.
Will be published on Amazon and Twitter on 6.11.19.
Excerpt to be published on Instagram.
The Perfect Feel Good Rom-Com!
Annie is a gal who LOVES romantic comedies. When I say love I mean LOVE. She has watched every romantic comedy ever made and has all of the lines memorized. Tom Hanks is her favorite romantic lead. “Sleepless in Seattle,” “You’ve Got Mail.. you name it! In fact, she is looking for a guy “just” like him in real life. Her very own Tom Hanks and she believes with all of her might that it’ll happen, that she will find him.
When Annie gets a job on a movie set in her very own hometown, well, the perfect “meet-cute” seems like it’s bound to happen!
Full of endearing, funny and altogether sweet (and swoon-worthy) moments, “Waiting for Tom Hanks” is sure to make even cynics like myself believe. I loved being reminded of my favorite romantic comedies from the 80’s and 90’s (“While You Were Sleeping” and of course, “When Harry Met Sally”). If you are looking for a light, easy read that has several laugh-out-loud moments, I recommend “Waiting for Tom Hanks” - it will definitely make you smile!
This was a buddy read with Kaceey and we had so much fun reading it!
Thank you to Elisha at Berkley Publishing Group and to Kerry Winfrey for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on Goodreads on 6.8.19.
Will be published on Amazon and Twitter on 6.11.19.
Excerpt to be published on Instagram.
June 24, 2019
I'm between 4 and 4.5 stars.
"...I'm starting to think that the movies I've dedicated my life to may have lied to me. Nora Ephron herself may have indirectly lied to me. Tom Hanks, as much as I've trusted him, may have lied to me. Because I have it all: the sympathetic backstory, the montage of humiliations minor and major, unrealized career aspirations, the untamed pre-makeover hair. But still, I wait. Single, lonely, Hanks-less."
Annie Cassidy believes in love. Or more accurately, she believes in the love she has seen in the romantic comedies she grew up watching. She and her mother used to watch all those movies, from the screwball comedies of the 1930s and 1940s to the holy grail, the movies written by Nora Ephron which starred Tom Hanks— Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail .
Annie knows that her parents, who are both deceased, had a storybook romance, and she believes one is waiting out there for her, too. All she needs to do is to find her Tom Hanks, the steadfast, kind, romantic man from the movies, maybe one who even owns a houseboat. She's even ready for their meet-cute.
When Annie gets a job on a movie being filmed in her town, as an aspiring screenwriter of rom-coms, she feels like this may be the break she needs. She meets the film's handsome leading man, Drew Danforth, but isn't impressed by his prankster ways, or that he always seems to be around to witness her most embarrassing moments. She discovers that he's a far more sensitive, complex man than she imagined, but no matter how much she may be attracted to him, he is not her Tom Hanks, especially since he'll be leaving town as soon as filming is complete.
Are Annie's expectations unrealistic, or can she find the man she's been waiting her whole life for? Have the movies she loves so much given her false hope, and caused her to pass over the right person? Annie makes some surprising and painful discoveries, and she wonders whether it's even worth wanting romance, or whether she should just give up waiting for it.
Waiting for Tom Hanks is absolutely adorable and it reads just like a romantic comedy. You can pretty much tell what's going to happen from the very start, but the characters are goofy and charming (including several of the supporting characters) that you may find yourself completely hooked, like I did. Kerry Winfrey knows her rom-coms, and honestly, this book would make the perfect movie.
Sure, the book is a little hokey, but it was such a fun read that I devoured it in the course of a plane ride. I'm definitely looking forward to Winfrey's next book, because I just enjoyed this so much! If you're a rom-com fan, or just a fan of romance, Waiting for Tom Hanks may be for you!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2018.html.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
"...I'm starting to think that the movies I've dedicated my life to may have lied to me. Nora Ephron herself may have indirectly lied to me. Tom Hanks, as much as I've trusted him, may have lied to me. Because I have it all: the sympathetic backstory, the montage of humiliations minor and major, unrealized career aspirations, the untamed pre-makeover hair. But still, I wait. Single, lonely, Hanks-less."
Annie Cassidy believes in love. Or more accurately, she believes in the love she has seen in the romantic comedies she grew up watching. She and her mother used to watch all those movies, from the screwball comedies of the 1930s and 1940s to the holy grail, the movies written by Nora Ephron which starred Tom Hanks— Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail .
Annie knows that her parents, who are both deceased, had a storybook romance, and she believes one is waiting out there for her, too. All she needs to do is to find her Tom Hanks, the steadfast, kind, romantic man from the movies, maybe one who even owns a houseboat. She's even ready for their meet-cute.
When Annie gets a job on a movie being filmed in her town, as an aspiring screenwriter of rom-coms, she feels like this may be the break she needs. She meets the film's handsome leading man, Drew Danforth, but isn't impressed by his prankster ways, or that he always seems to be around to witness her most embarrassing moments. She discovers that he's a far more sensitive, complex man than she imagined, but no matter how much she may be attracted to him, he is not her Tom Hanks, especially since he'll be leaving town as soon as filming is complete.
Are Annie's expectations unrealistic, or can she find the man she's been waiting her whole life for? Have the movies she loves so much given her false hope, and caused her to pass over the right person? Annie makes some surprising and painful discoveries, and she wonders whether it's even worth wanting romance, or whether she should just give up waiting for it.
Waiting for Tom Hanks is absolutely adorable and it reads just like a romantic comedy. You can pretty much tell what's going to happen from the very start, but the characters are goofy and charming (including several of the supporting characters) that you may find yourself completely hooked, like I did. Kerry Winfrey knows her rom-coms, and honestly, this book would make the perfect movie.
Sure, the book is a little hokey, but it was such a fun read that I devoured it in the course of a plane ride. I'm definitely looking forward to Winfrey's next book, because I just enjoyed this so much! If you're a rom-com fan, or just a fan of romance, Waiting for Tom Hanks may be for you!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2018.html.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
June 5, 2019
This was pure fun!
Annie is twenty-seven years old and loves a romantic comedy. These movies are especially important to her for their nostalgia as she watched them with her late mother before she passed away.
Annie’s dating expectations have been influenced by these movies. She’s literally waiting for her own Tom Hanks to send her an email or arrive at her front door.
Annie meets her perfect match, but she may have to figure out how to be his perfect match, too, with all the defenses she’s built up.
I loved the wave of rom com movies that came out in the 90s! So much fun and so endearing! Waiting for Tom Hanks could fit right in among those movies. It’s charming, sweet, and oodles of fun. I also get the feeling there may be a second book in the works based on the amazing supporting key players here.
Overall, this was a quick, warmhearted, charming read, perfect for summer, and an especially good match for rom com fans!
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
Annie is twenty-seven years old and loves a romantic comedy. These movies are especially important to her for their nostalgia as she watched them with her late mother before she passed away.
Annie’s dating expectations have been influenced by these movies. She’s literally waiting for her own Tom Hanks to send her an email or arrive at her front door.
Annie meets her perfect match, but she may have to figure out how to be his perfect match, too, with all the defenses she’s built up.
I loved the wave of rom com movies that came out in the 90s! So much fun and so endearing! Waiting for Tom Hanks could fit right in among those movies. It’s charming, sweet, and oodles of fun. I also get the feeling there may be a second book in the works based on the amazing supporting key players here.
Overall, this was a quick, warmhearted, charming read, perfect for summer, and an especially good match for rom com fans!
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
January 4, 2019
I think this book is good but honestly I'm pretty biased.
June 27, 2019
Sweet, charming, & a purely lighthearted pleasure!
WAITING FOR TOM HANKS by KERRY WINFREY was such an engaging, fun, wonderful, amusing, quick, and endearing rom-com tale that was a pure delight to read. I pretty much had a smile on my face the whole time I was reading this book.
KERRY WINFREY delivers a well-written, highly entertaining and enjoyable read here with lovable, quirky and realistic characters. I was totally smitten with these characters and this storyline that had me eagerly flipping those pages as fast as I could.
This was more than your classic rom-com tale as it’s written in such a way that felt so refreshing and new. I thought it was such an ingenious and interesting angle using Tom Hanks references from those beloved romantic comedies throughout this novel. What Tom Hanks represents and stands for in this story is absolutely swoon-worthy and so perfectly meaningful. I think we can all attest to wanting our very own “Tom Hanks” love story!
I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t get enough of this feel-good story and quirky characters.
Norma’s Stats:
Cover: Fun, quirky, charming, and an effective representation to storyline. Love the cover art!
Title: Intriguing, adorable, clever, and a fabulous representation to storyline.
Writing/Prose: Well-written, engaging, captivating, humorous, fluid and charming.
Plot: Refreshing, fun, delightful, adorable, lighthearted, fast-paced, absorbing, enjoyable and highly entertaining.
Ending: A swoon-worthy ending that left me feeling quite content, happy and satisfied with.
Overall: 4.5 Stars! I adored this extremely engrossing, enjoyable & entertaining book right from the very start and had me laughing out loud numerous times. Would highly recommend!
Thank you so much to Elisha at Berkley Publishing and to Kerry Winfrey for gifting me a copy of this absolutely adorable and enjoyable book. It was an absolute pleasure spending time with this book!!!
Review can also be found on our Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee Reading book blog:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/
WAITING FOR TOM HANKS by KERRY WINFREY was such an engaging, fun, wonderful, amusing, quick, and endearing rom-com tale that was a pure delight to read. I pretty much had a smile on my face the whole time I was reading this book.
KERRY WINFREY delivers a well-written, highly entertaining and enjoyable read here with lovable, quirky and realistic characters. I was totally smitten with these characters and this storyline that had me eagerly flipping those pages as fast as I could.
This was more than your classic rom-com tale as it’s written in such a way that felt so refreshing and new. I thought it was such an ingenious and interesting angle using Tom Hanks references from those beloved romantic comedies throughout this novel. What Tom Hanks represents and stands for in this story is absolutely swoon-worthy and so perfectly meaningful. I think we can all attest to wanting our very own “Tom Hanks” love story!
I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t get enough of this feel-good story and quirky characters.
Norma’s Stats:
Cover: Fun, quirky, charming, and an effective representation to storyline. Love the cover art!
Title: Intriguing, adorable, clever, and a fabulous representation to storyline.
Writing/Prose: Well-written, engaging, captivating, humorous, fluid and charming.
Plot: Refreshing, fun, delightful, adorable, lighthearted, fast-paced, absorbing, enjoyable and highly entertaining.
Ending: A swoon-worthy ending that left me feeling quite content, happy and satisfied with.
Overall: 4.5 Stars! I adored this extremely engrossing, enjoyable & entertaining book right from the very start and had me laughing out loud numerous times. Would highly recommend!
Thank you so much to Elisha at Berkley Publishing and to Kerry Winfrey for gifting me a copy of this absolutely adorable and enjoyable book. It was an absolute pleasure spending time with this book!!!
Review can also be found on our Two Sisters Lost in a Coulee Reading book blog:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/
June 23, 2019
Cliche as hell. Annie is one of the most annoying protagonists I’ve read from so far this year. She is 100% convinced that her life is a romantic comedy and that her “Tom Hanks” will fall into her lap one day and they’ll have a “meet cute” like in the movies. I’m a huge fan of romantic comedies too, but I’m not delusional.
This romance had absolutely no passion and it has one of my least favorite qualities in a male love interest: a rich super famous actor who is so wild and crazy in the media but has a heart of gold. Insert eye roll here.
It gets bonus points though for mentioning my two favorite celebrities Jake Gyllenhaal and Taylor Swift in the same sentence so there’s that.
Book #5 for Romanceathon is complete!
This romance had absolutely no passion and it has one of my least favorite qualities in a male love interest: a rich super famous actor who is so wild and crazy in the media but has a heart of gold. Insert eye roll here.
It gets bonus points though for mentioning my two favorite celebrities Jake Gyllenhaal and Taylor Swift in the same sentence so there’s that.
Book #5 for Romanceathon is complete!
June 11, 2019
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
FLOOOOOAAAAT for Pub Day!
Normally I wouldn’t be posting a review so many months in advance of a book’s release (heck, let’s face it – normally I end up failing miserably and reading half of the ARCs I receive after their release date), but there was zero chance I wasn’t going to talk about this one on Valentine’s Day.
The story here is about Annie. Ever since she was a little girl she has dreamed of the moment she would meet-cute her one true love. She was always sure it would come in the form of a true “a ha” moment – with a man who may or may not live on a houseboat, possibly with a child, maybe after tragically being widowed. Either that or it would be in love to hate form via e-mail correspondence or some form of social media where she sparred unknowingly with the man who was to be her soulmate. But has Annie become so wrapped up in the fantasy that she won’t be able to recognize the real thing when she sees it???
As I told my husband, I have been waiting for Tom Hanks to come for me for the duration of our 22-year marriage (and after going on a .gif hunt for this maybe I’ve been waiting for Meg Ryan too????). There was zero chance I wasn’t going to do whatever was necessary in order to obtain this title. There was also zero chance I wasn’t going to then proceed to crap my pants in fear that I would hate it/it wouldn’t live up to my expectations. Luckily there was absolutely nothing to fear. Waiting for Tom Hanks was EXACTLY what I wanted it to be: a classic PG style rom-com, only in print format rather than projected on the silver screen. (However, please note this should immediately be optioned and someone should be calling Chris Pratt’s agent to see how many zeroes he would like at the end of his check in order to play the male lead.) If nothing makes your Grinch heart turn to goo like moments like these . . . .
Get your dollars ready come June.
Happy Hallmark Holiday everyone!!!!!
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Oh, and Berkley? As you know, this was a two-book deal. No pressure or anything, but if I don’t get the second one as soon as it is available?
FLOOOOOAAAAT for Pub Day!
Normally I wouldn’t be posting a review so many months in advance of a book’s release (heck, let’s face it – normally I end up failing miserably and reading half of the ARCs I receive after their release date), but there was zero chance I wasn’t going to talk about this one on Valentine’s Day.
The story here is about Annie. Ever since she was a little girl she has dreamed of the moment she would meet-cute her one true love. She was always sure it would come in the form of a true “a ha” moment – with a man who may or may not live on a houseboat, possibly with a child, maybe after tragically being widowed. Either that or it would be in love to hate form via e-mail correspondence or some form of social media where she sparred unknowingly with the man who was to be her soulmate. But has Annie become so wrapped up in the fantasy that she won’t be able to recognize the real thing when she sees it???
As I told my husband, I have been waiting for Tom Hanks to come for me for the duration of our 22-year marriage (and after going on a .gif hunt for this maybe I’ve been waiting for Meg Ryan too????). There was zero chance I wasn’t going to do whatever was necessary in order to obtain this title. There was also zero chance I wasn’t going to then proceed to crap my pants in fear that I would hate it/it wouldn’t live up to my expectations. Luckily there was absolutely nothing to fear. Waiting for Tom Hanks was EXACTLY what I wanted it to be: a classic PG style rom-com, only in print format rather than projected on the silver screen. (However, please note this should immediately be optioned and someone should be calling Chris Pratt’s agent to see how many zeroes he would like at the end of his check in order to play the male lead.) If nothing makes your Grinch heart turn to goo like moments like these . . . .
Get your dollars ready come June.
Happy Hallmark Holiday everyone!!!!!
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Oh, and Berkley? As you know, this was a two-book deal. No pressure or anything, but if I don’t get the second one as soon as it is available?
June 11, 2019
4.5 stars
Waiting For Tom Hanks is another book that took me out of my normal and it was one I didn’t really have high hope of controlling my eyes from rolling. Well, let me tell you just how much I loved this one. There might have been some dancing going on after reading this with the way this one wrapped up. I was so pleased by that ending. Maybe there is hope for this unromantic sole.
Waiting for Tom Hanks is a fresh modern take on a rom com and if I was to sum it up in one word it would be irresistible. However, there is so much more to this one. The story has all the plot elements to a rom com and at times it did feel it was going to go in the direction of those predictable, overused plot lines but nope Kerry Winfrey keeps it fresh, spinning a very interesting, entertaining, hilarious, heartfelt story here.
I loved the colorful, quirky and very likable characters in this story and the dynamics between them. I really enjoyed following Annie through her conflicts and adventures as she searches for her Tom Hanks.
I loved the ending, did I mention that already. It was on the super romantic side that is known in rom com but in such a unique comical way. I was at the edge of my seat, rooting for our couple and thoroughly entertained by the dynamics between these characters. I highly recommend!
I received a complimentary copy from Elisha at Berkley Publishing.
This was my pick for the prompt Short & sweet: Read a book with less than 100 pages (or a book you can finish in one sitting) from the Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge. I read it in one sitting but I did fall asleep halfway through. In the Traveling Friends group, a few of us agreed it still counted. Lol
From our blog
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/2...
Waiting For Tom Hanks is another book that took me out of my normal and it was one I didn’t really have high hope of controlling my eyes from rolling. Well, let me tell you just how much I loved this one. There might have been some dancing going on after reading this with the way this one wrapped up. I was so pleased by that ending. Maybe there is hope for this unromantic sole.
Waiting for Tom Hanks is a fresh modern take on a rom com and if I was to sum it up in one word it would be irresistible. However, there is so much more to this one. The story has all the plot elements to a rom com and at times it did feel it was going to go in the direction of those predictable, overused plot lines but nope Kerry Winfrey keeps it fresh, spinning a very interesting, entertaining, hilarious, heartfelt story here.
I loved the colorful, quirky and very likable characters in this story and the dynamics between them. I really enjoyed following Annie through her conflicts and adventures as she searches for her Tom Hanks.
I loved the ending, did I mention that already. It was on the super romantic side that is known in rom com but in such a unique comical way. I was at the edge of my seat, rooting for our couple and thoroughly entertained by the dynamics between these characters. I highly recommend!
I received a complimentary copy from Elisha at Berkley Publishing.
This was my pick for the prompt Short & sweet: Read a book with less than 100 pages (or a book you can finish in one sitting) from the Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge. I read it in one sitting but I did fall asleep halfway through. In the Traveling Friends group, a few of us agreed it still counted. Lol
From our blog
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/2...
June 11, 2019
This was fun, but it definitely didn't live up to the expectations that I had for it :c sad life.
October 2, 2019
When I saw this title I almost peed myself. I have TOTALLY been waiting for Tom Hanks.
Don't tell my husband...oh wait. He would totally dump my hateful self for Jennifer Aniston so I am not feeling too bad.
This book sounds like pure fun. Annie spends her days dreaming about finding her "Tom Hanks" since she loves rom-coms and he is totally one of the most lovable characters in them. She also has the sads because she lost her mom who taught her the loving of the Cult of Nora Ephron movies.
She's the one who spent Saturday nights sobbing on the end of Sleepless in Seattle, showing me that true love sometimes involved a little bit of light stalking and a lot of encouragement from Rosie O'Donnell.
.
Annie happens to be a wanna be screen play writer too by the way. So her quirky uncle gets her a job when a rom-com movie comes to town. Convenient huh?
*Spoiler alert*
Don't go expect a totally original story when you go into this book and it might be a better experience for you than I had.
I kid...I didn't spoil anything.
Anyways...so there is super cute movie actor in the movie and stuff happens. Quirky friends are in the plot and blah blah blah.
I kept wanting a bit more.
I didn't feel any sparks flying from my book with these two. I totally think they just peed on Tom Hanks.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
Don't tell my husband...oh wait. He would totally dump my hateful self for Jennifer Aniston so I am not feeling too bad.
This book sounds like pure fun. Annie spends her days dreaming about finding her "Tom Hanks" since she loves rom-coms and he is totally one of the most lovable characters in them. She also has the sads because she lost her mom who taught her the loving of the Cult of Nora Ephron movies.
She's the one who spent Saturday nights sobbing on the end of Sleepless in Seattle, showing me that true love sometimes involved a little bit of light stalking and a lot of encouragement from Rosie O'Donnell.
.
Annie happens to be a wanna be screen play writer too by the way. So her quirky uncle gets her a job when a rom-com movie comes to town. Convenient huh?
*Spoiler alert*
Don't go expect a totally original story when you go into this book and it might be a better experience for you than I had.
I kid...I didn't spoil anything.
Anyways...so there is super cute movie actor in the movie and stuff happens. Quirky friends are in the plot and blah blah blah.
I kept wanting a bit more.
I didn't feel any sparks flying from my book with these two. I totally think they just peed on Tom Hanks.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
April 5, 2019
A very special thanks to Penguin Random House Publishing for providing me with a free copy of this book. I was under no obligation to read and review this book.
Waiting For Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey is an adorable love letter to romantic comedies. While reading this book I realized that I haven't watched a rom-com in a long time. I used to watch movies like While You Were Sleeping, 50 First Dates, How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days, and Brown Sugar at least once a week. Somewhere along the way I just stopped being interested in them or Hollywood simply stopped making good ones. I think the last rom-com I watched was probably How to be Single and it was awful.
Waiting For Tom Hanks is about Annie Cassidy a die hard rom-com lover who is looking for her perfect man. A man who's sweet, sensitive, and possibly owns a houseboat. She's looking for a man like a Tom Hanks character. Obviously this man doesn't actually exist but she just might have found her perfect man when she meets Hollywood heartthrob Drew Danforth.
This book is just as predictable as those sugary sweet 90's rom -coms but that's the point. It would spoil anything to tell you that of course she gets the guy but the fun is in the chase.
I really needed this book! I have been feeling awful all week and I needed to turn my brain off and just escape real life. I got this book in the mail yesterday and I devoured it.
Waiting For Tom Hanks is the perfect fun summer beach read!
Waiting For Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey is an adorable love letter to romantic comedies. While reading this book I realized that I haven't watched a rom-com in a long time. I used to watch movies like While You Were Sleeping, 50 First Dates, How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days, and Brown Sugar at least once a week. Somewhere along the way I just stopped being interested in them or Hollywood simply stopped making good ones. I think the last rom-com I watched was probably How to be Single and it was awful.
Waiting For Tom Hanks is about Annie Cassidy a die hard rom-com lover who is looking for her perfect man. A man who's sweet, sensitive, and possibly owns a houseboat. She's looking for a man like a Tom Hanks character. Obviously this man doesn't actually exist but she just might have found her perfect man when she meets Hollywood heartthrob Drew Danforth.
This book is just as predictable as those sugary sweet 90's rom -coms but that's the point. It would spoil anything to tell you that of course she gets the guy but the fun is in the chase.
I really needed this book! I have been feeling awful all week and I needed to turn my brain off and just escape real life. I got this book in the mail yesterday and I devoured it.
Waiting For Tom Hanks is the perfect fun summer beach read!
June 29, 2020
3 stars
Annie is a 27 year old who lives at home with her uncle. She’s obsessed with romantic comedies and that’s probably why she’s still single. She has huge expectations for the love of her life (when he comes along). She is waiting for her Tom Hanks and it’s hard to find someone to measure up to that level of greatness.
When a filming crew comes to town, Annie gets a job as an assistant to the director. She has a meet-cute with the actor, but for some reason, she can’t see it for what it is. Annie is a bit oblivious sometimes and is still searching for that one guy (even though it’s pretty obvious he’s standing right in front of her all along).
Drew is an actor but he’s much more that that. He’s a great guy and he’s very down to earth. As a reader, I could tell he was falling for Annie. I think everyone except Annie could tell. This book was predictable for me in many ways, but that’s not necessary a bad thing. It was an easy read that I read in one day so it definitely kept my interest.
If you are a fan of rom-com movies, you will probably love this book. I like rom-coms, I do, but for some reason when I read romance I don’t want it to read like a rom-com. I want something a little more… realistic I guess? I liked the characters (especially her best friend Chloe- I’ll be reading her book! And her uncle was amazing), but the heroine irked me at times. And the last 20-30% was a little extra for me.
Overall, I did enjoy this book. The writing was great and I liked the hero and some of the secondary characters loads. If you are in the mood for a sweet and funny rom-com, I would recommend checking this one out!
Annie is a 27 year old who lives at home with her uncle. She’s obsessed with romantic comedies and that’s probably why she’s still single. She has huge expectations for the love of her life (when he comes along). She is waiting for her Tom Hanks and it’s hard to find someone to measure up to that level of greatness.
When a filming crew comes to town, Annie gets a job as an assistant to the director. She has a meet-cute with the actor, but for some reason, she can’t see it for what it is. Annie is a bit oblivious sometimes and is still searching for that one guy (even though it’s pretty obvious he’s standing right in front of her all along).
Drew is an actor but he’s much more that that. He’s a great guy and he’s very down to earth. As a reader, I could tell he was falling for Annie. I think everyone except Annie could tell. This book was predictable for me in many ways, but that’s not necessary a bad thing. It was an easy read that I read in one day so it definitely kept my interest.
If you are a fan of rom-com movies, you will probably love this book. I like rom-coms, I do, but for some reason when I read romance I don’t want it to read like a rom-com. I want something a little more… realistic I guess? I liked the characters (especially her best friend Chloe- I’ll be reading her book! And her uncle was amazing), but the heroine irked me at times. And the last 20-30% was a little extra for me.
Overall, I did enjoy this book. The writing was great and I liked the hero and some of the secondary characters loads. If you are in the mood for a sweet and funny rom-com, I would recommend checking this one out!
"Maybe it's time you stopped waiting around for Tom Hanks to show up. Maybe this time you have to be your own Tom Hanks.”
Read
May 19, 2019And... DNF/NR
I feel like I've been DNF'ing all over the place lately but this one, I fear, is going to give me permanent resting bitch-face if I don't skedattle with a quickness.
Why, you ask?
Two words: Annie Cassidy
Annie is a pill. I can abide a grump but a pill is a whole different ball of wax. Were Annie an actual person she would be one of those people that you duck into an alley or bend quickly to tie to your shoes so she doesn't spot you.
Otherwise you're going to be there for awhile . And you can bet she's going to roll out the 'poor me' because ALL THE REASONS card.
I don't want to harsh on her any harder than I already have but she clearly was rubbing me the wrong way from the "meet cute" with actor Drew Danforth where she spills her hot coffee all over him then sits there gawping at him like a starstruck groupie rather than apologizing!!! like a decent person. Instead she runs away then begins to somehow twist everything around in her head that he's to blame presumably because he's a movie star who threw a monkey wrench into her delicate equilibrium.
He's a jerk, he's constantly "berating" her, he's got some sort of clandestine ulterior motive that involves humiliating her and every single word he utters is disingenuous and cause for ire and rudeness.
Were she just a bitch I could accept this behavior but she's supposedly the "good girl" who's friendly to everyone, can always be counted on to do the right thing and gets along with virtually everyone else.
Maybe it gets better. Maybe love turns her into a likable person worthy of Drew's love. Maybe I'm really depriving myself of something here. But I cannot deal with these sorts of contrivances that are meant to give her some sort of hidden depth in the form of vulnerability but read as clichéd and trite.
If I could skip Annie's parts and just read Drew or all the secondary characters this probably would've gone better but the whole thing seems to be from Annie's POV. Which is too bad since I was liking Drew and the rest of them a helluva lot more than Annie. I'd even go so far as to say if Chloe gets her own book I would try that, especially if Nick is the love interest.
However, this one is not recommended but my opinions are my own and YMMV.
An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I feel like I've been DNF'ing all over the place lately but this one, I fear, is going to give me permanent resting bitch-face if I don't skedattle with a quickness.
Why, you ask?
Two words: Annie Cassidy
Annie is a pill. I can abide a grump but a pill is a whole different ball of wax. Were Annie an actual person she would be one of those people that you duck into an alley or bend quickly to tie to your shoes so she doesn't spot you.
Otherwise you're going to be there for awhile . And you can bet she's going to roll out the 'poor me' because ALL THE REASONS card.
I don't want to harsh on her any harder than I already have but she clearly was rubbing me the wrong way from the "meet cute" with actor Drew Danforth where she spills her hot coffee all over him then sits there gawping at him like a starstruck groupie rather than apologizing!!! like a decent person. Instead she runs away then begins to somehow twist everything around in her head that he's to blame presumably because he's a movie star who threw a monkey wrench into her delicate equilibrium.
He's a jerk, he's constantly "berating" her, he's got some sort of clandestine ulterior motive that involves humiliating her and every single word he utters is disingenuous and cause for ire and rudeness.
Were she just a bitch I could accept this behavior but she's supposedly the "good girl" who's friendly to everyone, can always be counted on to do the right thing and gets along with virtually everyone else.
Maybe it gets better. Maybe love turns her into a likable person worthy of Drew's love. Maybe I'm really depriving myself of something here. But I cannot deal with these sorts of contrivances that are meant to give her some sort of hidden depth in the form of vulnerability but read as clichéd and trite.
If I could skip Annie's parts and just read Drew or all the secondary characters this probably would've gone better but the whole thing seems to be from Annie's POV. Which is too bad since I was liking Drew and the rest of them a helluva lot more than Annie. I'd even go so far as to say if Chloe gets her own book I would try that, especially if Nick is the love interest.
However, this one is not recommended but my opinions are my own and YMMV.
An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 26, 2019
4.5 stars!
Alright y'all, this review is going to be full of You've Got Mail gifs so here we go!
Waiting for Tom Hanks is about Annie, a young woman obsessed with romantic comedies and searching for her own "Tom Hanks". Not the actual Tom Hanks, but the metaphorical version of him where he's the perfect man in romantic comedies. When she finds out a romantic comedy is going to be filming in her neighborhood, she gets a job on the set where she meets leading man Drew, the opposite of Tom Hanks.
I loved this book, I actually made myself put it down so I could get enough sleep for work the next day. Had it not been a working day, I would have read this until well into the evening because it was a total page turner. A great enemies to lovers romance, this book was more than just a romance book, it was an ode to rom com films. And obviously I love rom coms more than I knew I did, because I knew Every. Single. Rom. Com. Reference in this book.
One of the better books I've read this year, I am now a Kerry Winfrey fan and excited to read more of what she has to come. And even though this book takes place in winter, it is the perfect beach read for this summer!
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Follow me on ♥ Facebook ♥ Blog ♥ Instagram ♥ Twitter ♥
Alright y'all, this review is going to be full of You've Got Mail gifs so here we go!
Waiting for Tom Hanks is about Annie, a young woman obsessed with romantic comedies and searching for her own "Tom Hanks". Not the actual Tom Hanks, but the metaphorical version of him where he's the perfect man in romantic comedies. When she finds out a romantic comedy is going to be filming in her neighborhood, she gets a job on the set where she meets leading man Drew, the opposite of Tom Hanks.
I loved this book, I actually made myself put it down so I could get enough sleep for work the next day. Had it not been a working day, I would have read this until well into the evening because it was a total page turner. A great enemies to lovers romance, this book was more than just a romance book, it was an ode to rom com films. And obviously I love rom coms more than I knew I did, because I knew Every. Single. Rom. Com. Reference in this book.
One of the better books I've read this year, I am now a Kerry Winfrey fan and excited to read more of what she has to come. And even though this book takes place in winter, it is the perfect beach read for this summer!
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Follow me on ♥ Facebook ♥ Blog ♥ Instagram ♥ Twitter ♥
July 5, 2019
WAITING FOR TOM HANKS is a light & cute story about a young woman so obsessed with romantic comedies that she's holding out on love until she meets her perfect Tom Hanks. Annie is an aspiring screenwriter living in Ohio with her quirky uncle. When a film crew comes to town to shoot an upcoming romcom, her uncle uses his connections to get her a job as director's assistant. Will she find her perfect match in Drew Danforth, the film's leading man? Of course, like any true romcom, the road to HEA can be a bumpy & unexpected one.
Overall, I thought this book was fun and occasionally silly, with a grown woman thinking she could eventually live inside one of her favorite films. I never quite understood her rudeness toward Drew, like she was creating a conflict where there shouldn't have been one. I greatly enjoyed the secondary characters, especially her Uncle Don and best friend Chloe.
WAITING FOR TOM HANKS is a charming beach read with plenty of funny moments. After finishing this book, I had to pull out my DVDs of Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail and watch them again. ♥
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, I thought this book was fun and occasionally silly, with a grown woman thinking she could eventually live inside one of her favorite films. I never quite understood her rudeness toward Drew, like she was creating a conflict where there shouldn't have been one. I greatly enjoyed the secondary characters, especially her Uncle Don and best friend Chloe.
WAITING FOR TOM HANKS is a charming beach read with plenty of funny moments. After finishing this book, I had to pull out my DVDs of Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail and watch them again. ♥
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 3, 2019
3.5 stars
I'm actually surprised I enjoyed this one considering I'm not the biggest fan of romantic comedies and that's such a big part of this story. But hey, the clever title reeled me right in. This wasn't a perfect read but I thought it was cute and provided a nice distraction from real life.
To say twenty-seven year old Annie likes romantic comedies is putting it mildly. It's more like she is obsessed with them partly because she grew up watching them with her late mother. Annie is convinced there is a Mr. Right out there for her similar to the type of character Tom Hanks plays when he is paired up with Meg Ryan. But when a new man enters her life let's just say things don't go quite how she expected.
At times Annie is kinda annoying but overall I did like the chemistry between her and her love interest in the book. The story isn't perfect but it was fun which was all I was really hoping for when I picked up the book. I even found myself having a cheesy grin on my face during the big rom com like scenes near the end. The author set the stage nicely for a second book featuring some of the supporting cast in this one and I would definitely be interested in checking that one out as well. Overall, a decent pick if you like romances and are looking for something you aren't meant to take too seriously.
Thank you to First to Read for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy! I was under no obligation to post a review and all views expressed are my honest opinion.
I'm actually surprised I enjoyed this one considering I'm not the biggest fan of romantic comedies and that's such a big part of this story. But hey, the clever title reeled me right in. This wasn't a perfect read but I thought it was cute and provided a nice distraction from real life.
To say twenty-seven year old Annie likes romantic comedies is putting it mildly. It's more like she is obsessed with them partly because she grew up watching them with her late mother. Annie is convinced there is a Mr. Right out there for her similar to the type of character Tom Hanks plays when he is paired up with Meg Ryan. But when a new man enters her life let's just say things don't go quite how she expected.
At times Annie is kinda annoying but overall I did like the chemistry between her and her love interest in the book. The story isn't perfect but it was fun which was all I was really hoping for when I picked up the book. I even found myself having a cheesy grin on my face during the big rom com like scenes near the end. The author set the stage nicely for a second book featuring some of the supporting cast in this one and I would definitely be interested in checking that one out as well. Overall, a decent pick if you like romances and are looking for something you aren't meant to take too seriously.
Thank you to First to Read for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy! I was under no obligation to post a review and all views expressed are my honest opinion.
June 11, 2019
Waiting for Tom Hanks what a breathe of fresh air for a new author!!
Ok let me start out by saying I've been getting into romance so much lately and this definitely feeds that romance withdrawal.
I have seen my fair share of movies with Tom Hanks... Big, You've Got Mail, Splash, and Sleepless in Seattle. I was under the impression that Tom Hanks was just the title for this novel. I was a little thrown for a loop how many times "Tom Hanks" was mentioned in this book and all the references for his movies/rom-com's. I was a tad annoyed but towards the end of the book I realized that this added to the uniqueness of this rom-com! ;).
Annie is waiting for her Tom Hanks and "meet cute" moment to arrive. A romantic comedy is happening in her hometown and she lands the job as the director's assistant. She meets the main actor Drew and spills hot coffee all over him. Is this her "meet cute"?!
This was sweet, engaging, fast, and funny rom com. I would recommend if you're looking for a light and fluffy romance.
4 stars!
I'm looking forward to reading Kerry Winfrey's next book!
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: 6/11/19
Published to Goodreads: 6/3/19
Ok let me start out by saying I've been getting into romance so much lately and this definitely feeds that romance withdrawal.
I have seen my fair share of movies with Tom Hanks... Big, You've Got Mail, Splash, and Sleepless in Seattle. I was under the impression that Tom Hanks was just the title for this novel. I was a little thrown for a loop how many times "Tom Hanks" was mentioned in this book and all the references for his movies/rom-com's. I was a tad annoyed but towards the end of the book I realized that this added to the uniqueness of this rom-com! ;).
Annie is waiting for her Tom Hanks and "meet cute" moment to arrive. A romantic comedy is happening in her hometown and she lands the job as the director's assistant. She meets the main actor Drew and spills hot coffee all over him. Is this her "meet cute"?!
This was sweet, engaging, fast, and funny rom com. I would recommend if you're looking for a light and fluffy romance.
4 stars!
I'm looking forward to reading Kerry Winfrey's next book!
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: 6/11/19
Published to Goodreads: 6/3/19
January 5, 2020
SO cute and fun! These lighthearted feel good romcoms are my comfort food. Sometimes it’s just nice to read a book filled with charming characters, doing silly things. A little over the top, a little cheesy, but a lot of fun! Annie is the ultimate romcom lover. She is consumed with having a meet cute and meeting her very own Tom Hanks, Houseboat and all. When a romcom movie is being filmed in her town she just knows that this is her big chance. What ensues is a delightful story filled with charm, whimsy, and humor.
Annie was a likable character even if her head was in the clouds. Drew was a great love interest even if Annie didn’t think so. I loved all the secondary characters as well and I’m excited that there is a follow-up to this book with Chloe and Nick. Next time you’re in the mood for a romcom this is your book! Not only is the book totally adorable there are also tons of Tom Hanks movie references.
This book in emojis. 🎬 ☕️ 💞
*** Big thanks to Berkley for my copy of this book ***
Annie was a likable character even if her head was in the clouds. Drew was a great love interest even if Annie didn’t think so. I loved all the secondary characters as well and I’m excited that there is a follow-up to this book with Chloe and Nick. Next time you’re in the mood for a romcom this is your book! Not only is the book totally adorable there are also tons of Tom Hanks movie references.
This book in emojis. 🎬 ☕️ 💞
*** Big thanks to Berkley for my copy of this book ***
November 17, 2021
This story relies too heavily on 90s rom-com movies. The characters and situations from those movies are constantly referenced and applied to the various scenarios in this story. As a result, the plot feels repetitive and lacks originality.
Annie is so obsessed with living her life as if in a rom-com, that she comes across as self-absorbed and immature. The supporting characters were ok, but couldn't do much to help the story. I wish they'd been more well developed, instead of merely playing roles in Annie's rom-com life. Overall, this story felt like a patchwork of various rom-com movies, rather than the fun and quirky story I think it was intended to be.
I recently enjoyed Very Sincerely Yours, so I expected to like this story. I don't think I'll read Book 2 in this series, but look forward to future stand-alone releases by this author.
Annie is so obsessed with living her life as if in a rom-com, that she comes across as self-absorbed and immature. The supporting characters were ok, but couldn't do much to help the story. I wish they'd been more well developed, instead of merely playing roles in Annie's rom-com life. Overall, this story felt like a patchwork of various rom-com movies, rather than the fun and quirky story I think it was intended to be.
I recently enjoyed Very Sincerely Yours, so I expected to like this story. I don't think I'll read Book 2 in this series, but look forward to future stand-alone releases by this author.
August 7, 2019
Okay, Waiting for Tom Hanks somewhat redeemed itself in the last 50 pages!
I was planning on going with 2 stars on this because I had serious issues with the main character, Annie Cassidy. But because she kind of *air quotes* gets less annoying at the end and all the other characters in this were fun and charming, I’m going with 2.5 stars!
Honestly, I might be in the minority on this one. Romantic comedies aren’t my thang. This book is based on that concept too. I will watch a few when I’m bored or a bit sad, but I don’t watch them on a regular basis. I find them unbelievable and mostly ridiculous.
YES! I'm still a romantic and very much in love with my husband. I'm not that cranky! :D
Take for instance the movie Under the Tuscan Sun.
I really enjoyed that movie and it just felt more realistic to me. *shrugs*
Like I said, I’m likely the wrong audience for this book.
Waiting for Tom Hanks is about an obsessed rom-com woman who basis her whole love life on a romantic comedy. She wants Sleepless in Seattle or When Harry Met Sally for an epic love relationship. And nothing else won’t do.
She thinks that she’s in a relationship with a guy after going on 2 dates. I felt like she was an inexperienced 16-year-old that didn’t have a clue on dating and relationships. I really didn’t see the attraction or draw that Drew Danforth had for her. I’m not being mean, just being honest with this review.
I’m sure Kerry Winfrey was going for cute and funny with this book but if the main character is ridiculous and annoying, it’s not going to work for me. I loved the characters of Drew Danforth, Uncle Don and Chloe though. I really enjoyed those characters in this book. They were all sweet, funny and original. That saved the book for me!
Recommended to contemporary romance fans.
You might like Annie more than me. That will make all the difference in Waiting for Tom Hanks in my opinion.
I was planning on going with 2 stars on this because I had serious issues with the main character, Annie Cassidy. But because she kind of *air quotes* gets less annoying at the end and all the other characters in this were fun and charming, I’m going with 2.5 stars!
Honestly, I might be in the minority on this one. Romantic comedies aren’t my thang. This book is based on that concept too. I will watch a few when I’m bored or a bit sad, but I don’t watch them on a regular basis. I find them unbelievable and mostly ridiculous.
YES! I'm still a romantic and very much in love with my husband. I'm not that cranky! :D
Take for instance the movie Under the Tuscan Sun.
I really enjoyed that movie and it just felt more realistic to me. *shrugs*
Like I said, I’m likely the wrong audience for this book.
Waiting for Tom Hanks is about an obsessed rom-com woman who basis her whole love life on a romantic comedy. She wants Sleepless in Seattle or When Harry Met Sally for an epic love relationship. And nothing else won’t do.
She thinks that she’s in a relationship with a guy after going on 2 dates. I felt like she was an inexperienced 16-year-old that didn’t have a clue on dating and relationships. I really didn’t see the attraction or draw that Drew Danforth had for her. I’m not being mean, just being honest with this review.
I’m sure Kerry Winfrey was going for cute and funny with this book but if the main character is ridiculous and annoying, it’s not going to work for me. I loved the characters of Drew Danforth, Uncle Don and Chloe though. I really enjoyed those characters in this book. They were all sweet, funny and original. That saved the book for me!
Recommended to contemporary romance fans.
You might like Annie more than me. That will make all the difference in Waiting for Tom Hanks in my opinion.
June 11, 2019
Title: Waiting For Tom Hanks
Series: Standalone
Author: Kerry Winfrey
Release date: June 11, 2019
Cliffhanger: No
Genre: romance, rom-com
As a huge fan of rom-com movies, and someone who has probably seen almost all of Tom Hanks' classics, I didn't hesitate when I saw this book. I knew I wanted to read it. Of course the bright and adorable cover didn't hurt either. Having never read this author before, I had no idea what to expect when opening this up. This probably sounds strange to say considering my rating, but I actually do think that she's a talented writer. But there's a difference between being a good writer and storytelling effectively and that's where my problem lies. I had several big issues with the book:
1) How the enemies to lovers trope was created/developed
2) The heroine's childish and illogical behavior towards the hero got very, very annoying. (one and two are connected)
3) How her rom-com obsession is in actuality more of an unhealthy fixation. It ruled her entire life and affected every thought process and decision throughout her day.
I knew from the synopsis that Annie would be obsessed with rom-coms. I just had no idea that it would be presented in the way that it was. I was so down for being served a heaping smorgasbord of movie references. However I knew within the first couple of chapters that I didn't like Annie's thought pattern on them at all. She thinks and behaves as if she is living inside of a movie and everything she does has to be like a movie she saw. Every potential boyfriend she meets has to be just like a hero in a movie she saw. Her living situation, her job...everything revolves around creating a scenario that will lead to the perfect meet-cute with the perfect man. I'm sorry but life doesn't work out that way and her constant weird thoughts made her sound like she'd lost touch with reality. This goes beyond her loving rom-coms because of her fond memories tied to her mother. Or her parents' once in a lifetime romance that has erected impossibly high standards. She's created a fantasy world because of it.
Annie finds out that there will be a big budget romantic movie filmed in her town, and her friends urge her to get a job on set. Drew Danforth is the male lead, and when she hears he's the star she immediately starts a judgmental tirade about his character. He's the complete opposite of Tom Hanks, he's "too good for hollywood," he's ridiculous, a slob, and his worst sin: he's a prankster. He's a privileged jerk who doesn't take life seriously or appreciate his success. All this based on gossip sites and times she saw him on TV. She doesn't know the man! You can imagine how grating this would get when she insults someone she's never met before, and it only got worse from there.
Through her uncle's highly coincidental connection, she's able to land a position as assistant to the director. (She's an aspiring screenwriter. Wouldn't he have mentioned this to her before?) Far from her imagined meet-cute, her first meeting with Drew is uncomfortably awkward and every interaction thereafter goes downhill. She snaps at him and misinterprets every word out of his mouth making her appear like a shrew. Bluntly put, this guy is FAR from a jerk and does not deserve her attitude. She got so bad that I had to skim over a couple of their conversations because she wouldn't stop insulting him. Even when he tried to open her car door she makes a ridiculous claim about his reason.
“Oh, my God,” I mutter, and I’m about to swing my door open when he opens it for me. “You don’t have to do that,” I snap, about to tell him not to make fun of me by opening the door as if I’m the famous person and he’s my driver.
I believe this was all in order to create an enemies to lovers trope, but there was no sexy banter, no logical explanation for how she felt. There was no antagonism on his part, not even when he was unfairly insulted. They weren't enemies, it was one person making assumptions about another and getting angry all the time. In other words, it all felt manufactured and fell flat. As for Drew, he didn't seem to be affected at all by her behavior and somehow developed a crush on her through all of it. I really couldn't understand why. Because of all of these things I had a hard time getting through the first half of the book. She finally did realize that she was wrong about him, but once their flirting kicked in, I didn't have any investment in their HEA. The ending was very over the top and the conflict at the end that was caused by an accidental text made me cringe so hard.
To sum things up, I do like the author's humor and there were sporadic moments in there where I was entertained by her friends' relationship with each other. But unfortunately the heroine was unlikable for too long, the movie theme was set up too strangely, and I didn't feel the chemistry I should have. Many will disagree with me, maybe some will relate to how I felt. I was really disappointed and wish I could have loved it more, but I think I can safely say that this particular story wasn't the right fit for me.
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April 22, 2020
Annie is a Nora Ephron-obsessed writer who dreams of both writing a rom com and finding a Tom Hanks of her own to love. Those dreams begin to come true when a Hollywood film crew invades her Columbus neighborhood to shoot a new romantic comedy featuring a handsome sitcom star … who Annie believes to be an overgrown manchild who cares more about on-set pranks than acting.
But as Annie gets to know the people on set better, her life starts to take on an eerie resemblance to some of her favorite movies.
This familiar story feels fresh and fun in Winfrey’s hands, and absolutely oozes charm.
(In this closed-door romance, the sexy stuff is present, but mostly happens off screen.)
But as Annie gets to know the people on set better, her life starts to take on an eerie resemblance to some of her favorite movies.
This familiar story feels fresh and fun in Winfrey’s hands, and absolutely oozes charm.
(In this closed-door romance, the sexy stuff is present, but mostly happens off screen.)
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