Waiting for Tom Hanks

Annie Cassidy dreams of becoming a screenwriter and meeting her own Tom Hanks-type romantic lead like those in her favorite rom-com movies. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her uncle and works on her screenplay while taking freelance writing jobs. An opportunity arises for Annie to work on a movie being filmed in her neighborhood. The production brings Hollywood to her doorstep, including leading man Drew Danforth, who seems to represent everything Annie dislikes about modern romantic comedies. As Annie navigates the realities of a film set and her personal relationships, she must reconcile her idealized vision of love with the complexities of real-world romance. She discovers that life rarely follows a predictable script. The novel explores the influence of pop culture on modern relationships and questions whether holding onto rigid expectations prevents authentic connections. Through Annie's journey, the story examines the gap between fantasy and reality in both love and life.

Readers call this a light romantic comedy that pays homage to 90s rom-coms while sometimes falling into predictable tropes. The book maintains a 3.7/5 rating on Goodreads (45,000+ ratings) and 4.2/5 on Amazon (1,200+ ratings). Readers appreciated: - References to classic romantic comedies - Clean romance without explicit content - Quick, easy reading experience - Supporting characters, especially Annie's best friend Chloe Common criticisms: - Main character Annie comes across as immature and judgmental - Romance feels forced and unrealistic - Too many references to Tom Hanks become repetitive - Plot follows predictable romance formulas Multiple reviewers noted Annie's obsession with rom-coms borders on unhealthy, with one Goodreads reviewer stating "her fixation on Tom Hanks and movie-perfect romance made it hard to connect with her character." BookPage praised the "sweet charm" while Publishers Weekly highlighted the "meta commentary on romantic comedies."

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🎬 Author Kerry Winfrey was inspired to write this book after watching countless romantic comedies during a particularly difficult winter in Ohio 💝 The protagonist Annie's obsession with Tom Hanks stems from watching romantic comedies with her mother before she passed away, making it a deeply emotional connection rather than just a celebrity crush 🎥 The book references over 20 different romantic comedies throughout its pages, creating a treasure trove of movie recommendations for rom-com fans ✨ The fictional movie being filmed in the story, "Don't Forget to Kiss Me," deliberately incorporates classic rom-com tropes as a loving homage to the genre 📚 Though the book is set in Columbus, Ohio (the author's hometown), many scenes take place in a coffee shop inspired by real locations in German Village, a historic neighborhood in the city