Review: 3* 'Tummy Flip Test' Stars
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 25, 2014
Cute story! Fans of romantic movies will really enjoy this one. I thought this was more 'chick lit' than romance, but it is still a fun romantic story with some over the top silly moments you might remember from some of your favorite movies.The StoryKensington Shaw is about to marry Bradley, the only problem is he doesn't pass the TFT: 'Tummy Flip Test'. But he is successful, everyone loves him, and he is ready to start that family she wants so much. Her hard-to-please mom even likes him, and her overly competitive sister-in-law Ren actually approves. He is perfect, right?Then one day Shane, a British hunk and 'the one who got away' seven years ago, shows up at her office and turns everything upside down. You see, Shane still passes the 'Tummy Flip Test', BIG TIME. And he has never forgotten Kensie. Now he is determined to prove he is the right man for her, and uses their shared love for romance movies as leverage.“So what should I be waiting for exactly?” Swallowing hard, I wait. I can’t believe I asked that. Shane takes a step forward and turns, stopping me with his hands. Warm copper eyes level to mine with intensity. “Me. You should be waiting for me.”My ThoughtsLOVE LIKE THE MOVIES was a fun and witty romantic story that leverages a lot of great scenes from popular romance movies. I felt a bit lost as I haven't watched all of the movies referenced (or I have long forgotten most of the movie!), but I still really enjoyed the premise. (And now want to watch many of theses movies!)It is told through Kensignton's POV, so in addition to the romance storyline we also watch her journey as she deals with her many (many!) family problems, with her work issues and possibly losing her job, with her questionable friends who may not have her back, and with Bradley's jealousy and his less-than-noble character.The best parts (of course!) are the scenes with Shane and their heated moments as they re-enact different scenes from their favorite romantic comedies. Oh, they get a bit corny, but in a cute and sweet kind of way. You will be cheering for Shane by the end.Unfortunately, Shane is a quiet and under-developed character, mostly because he really didn't get a lot of dialogue. He gets surprisingly few speaking parts for being the main 'hero' of the story, but we do get the benefit of Kensignton reminiscing about their previous relationship which helps us get to t know him better. Still, we never get a solid idea of what he is thinking, but what we do see is sweet, romantic, and convincing.Final NotesThe sensuality / steam factor was pretty low. It's a bit more than kissing, but not by much. If you are looking for a hot and steamy contemporary, this isn't it. But if you are in the mood for a cute, sweet romance with some light humor and a bit of corny romance movie memorabilia, you will enjoy this one.Lastly, I should mention that Kensington does NOT cheat on Bradley, and this isn't a love triangle. Both of which I was very thankful for!