Kerry Winfrey

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?

Waiting for Tom Hanks

Shanthu

“That would be more like Notting Hill, and honestly, Julia Roberts was kind of a jerk in Notting Hill. A beautiful jerk, but still a jerk.”

“She looks wistfully out into the street. “A girl can dream, Annie.”Staring at my future place of employment is making me feel kind of shaky, so I link my arm in hers. “Come on. Let’s go make fun of Nick for the next fifteen minutes.”I spin us around and immediately collide with a wool-coat-clad chest. My coffee flies out of my hand and drenches the person in front of us.“Whoa!” he shouts, and when I look up I topple 

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?

Sarah Sammis

The set up reminded me fondly of This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith (2013). The problem for me, though, is that so much of Annie's motivation is drawn from her in depth knowledge and love for Ephron's comedies. I'm not personally a fan, although I've seen some of her films.

Ena Kalkan

very cute and fun book to read. i enjoyed all of the rom-com references the author threw in there as i’ve enjoyed watching those movies several times. but it was a quick one for me to finish and it didn’t really leave a long-lasting impression on me once it was all over. in my opinion, there just wasn’t enough ... depth, i guess, to any certain thing in the story. it felt all extremely rushed.

Melissa Palmer

I am not a big romance reader but the premise of this one interested me. Annie loves "rom-coms" and feels that she would be settling if she doesn't wait for her own Tom Hanks to show up. Little does she know he will.....but will they get their happy ending? Not just sap, there are interesting characters and enough bumps in the road to keep readers engaged. I borrowed this book from the public library.

Denaiir

1.5 very bored stars
this one was painful to go through and 100% of the credit goes to my insomnia for finishing it, because I didn't mind falling asleep while listening and even hoped I would. 
The constant references to romcoms were just too much, the main character was annoying as hell, the final plot twist was horrible, the whole book was a mess. The only thing that saved it from being a 1-star was uncle Don. 
Hearing the main character referring to her life with words such as "meet cute" was not quirky and cute, it was sad and weird. There were WAY too many references to romcoms and was so tiring. Her whole life revolves around those romcoms and I just don't get how a person would be that delusional, so I just didn't want to have anything to do with her. 
The writing and narration were ok.

Samantha Chavez 

One good thing about this book is that it’s erased all my past and future embarrassments because nothing I have done or ever will do could be as bad as the things Annie intentionally did.

Isabella

Joana da Silva

19th book read while I'm still home because the Covid-19 is still out there.
Ugh, I love a rom-com based on famous rom-coms so much. I thoroughly enjoyed this book even if the plot was pretty predictable (something that sometimes shatters my heart and prevents me to enjoy the rest of the book). I think it might be because I saw Drew as Jacob Elordi in my mind and I'm always ready for some J. E. time.

Connor 

Tbh this is probably more of a 4/4.5 but dammit, we’re in a pandemic and this one made me laugh.

Gisela Ayala 

I NEEDED THIS. This was sweet and funny and charming. It's super predictable but that's what you get with this type of book. But the heart wants what it wants.

Shan

It took me a bit to get into & it is your typical romcom, but so cute!

Sophia Rabon

by far the best rom com book i’ve ever read! not dirty or gross, but still so cute that it gives you butterflies! love love love it!!

My Tom Hanks is out there, and I’m not going to settle until I find him.”

– Kerry Winfrey, “Waiting for Tom Hanks”

I read this book a while ago, but for some reason, I never wrote a review. Which makes no sense since 

This book is so cheesy and cute. I think 

 It made me imagine what it would be like if my life would suddenly become a romantic comedy 

This book may not have all the ingredients for an extraordinary plot, but at the time, it was my perfect read. “Waiting for Tom Hanks” is so much fun and by the time you are finished with it, you’ll want to watch all the rom-coms. Especially the ones featuring Tom Hanks.

Annie Cassidy is the main character, and I love how her dating expectations come from endlessly watching romantic comedies. I totally understand her! That’s exactly me, but with books. She meets this hot actor and… I’ll stop there; I’m sure you don’t want any spoilers.

, this is the book for you! I definitely recommend it!

Gabriela

My Tom Hanks is out there, and I’m not going to settle until I find him.”
– Kerry Winfrey, “Waiting for Tom Hanks”

I read this book a while ago, but for some reason, I never wrote a review. Which makes no sense since I loved it with all my heart ❤️

This book is so cheesy and cute. I think I was smiling from page 1 to 259. It made me imagine what it would be like if my life would suddenly become a romantic comedy sighs

This book may not have all the ingredients for an extraordinary plot, but at the time, it was my perfect read. “Waiting for Tom Hanks” is so much fun and by the time you are finished with it, you’ll want to watch all the rom-coms. Especially the ones featuring Tom Hanks.

Annie Cassidy is the main character, and I love how her dating expectations come from endlessly watching romantic comedies. I totally understand her! That’s exactly me, but with books. She meets this hot actor and… I’ll stop there; I’m sure you don’t want any spoilers.

If you are in the mood for a cute and extremely romantic story, this is the book for you! I definitely recommend it!

Jaclyn

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for providing me with an ARC!! 

THIS WAS SO ADORABLE AND CUTE!!! A literal romantic comedy wrapped up in all the warm fuzzy feelings. This story follows Annie, a writer who is obsessed with rom coms and finding true love, which she finds while working on the set of a romantic comedy with hearthrob Drew. It has all the fun cliches, an awkward hilarious meet-cute, the denying or the feelings, misunderstanding, and a grand gesture that will leave you with a huge smile on your face.

I loved following Annie as she tries to get her life together and figure out where she wants to go. At 26, I related so much to her and her story of self discovery. That being said, I really really wish we had some more romantic moments with Drew and Annie. It’s very PG13, fade to black and I wanted more for the epilogue!! It’s such a slow burn that it takes FOREVER for them to finally get together and when they do, I felt it kind of rushed right into the misunderstanding and we didn’t get to fully enjoy them being together. Don’t get me wrong, we did have some really adorable moments and I really liked them getting to know eachother as friends first, but I expected a bit more steaminess when they finally got together.

I also really loved Drew and how funny he was. I really enjoyed the banter when they first met. I liked how such a GOOD GUY he was. And he said all the perfect things!! I liked how they would talk about romantic comedies and how tv shows and how much movies and television affect both of them. I loved how they were able to connect in that way. Although I do things at times the constant talk of romantic comdies and Tom Hanks was a bit excessive. It felt like it was on literally every page and in the beginning it was fun but towards the middle part, Annie got a tad bit frustrating. But I really appreciated the fun twist at the end!! IT WAS SO SO SO CUTE!!!!! Ahhhh!! 

I loved how she had friends and family too! I LOVED the side characters and everything at Nicks. It reminded me a bit of Lukes from Gilmore Girls. So much fun and I would get excited every time Annie would go there. So many hilarious moments in that cafe and I’m dying for Chloe and Nicks story! I SHIP IT SO SO HARD!!! They were already making my heart ache!! I’m ready for that book and I need it ASAP! 

Anyways I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for something light, sweet, and with a lot of heart! It’s the perfect book to cozy up with and read in between some Tom Hanks movies! Can’t wait to read more from Kerry!

Jenni Clements

SO CUTE. All the movie references are perfect. The plot is predictable but perfect. An easy weekend read and I can’t wait for #2!

Liz Carpenter

Bubble gum pop in book form, and prime "beach read" material. Don't take it seriously, and enjoy the snappy dialogue.

Gabriella LePage

I adored Winfrey’s Waiting For Tom Hanks! It was deliciously predictable in that way you want rom-coms to be predictable.

You have Annie, a gal who narrates her life as if she’s in a rom-com film (err...or rather who wants to find her own rom-com love); and Drew, Hollywood heartthrob who comes to town to film, you guessed it, a rom-com.

I adored Annie’s spunk and drive. She was a fun character to follow through Columbus, OH (more specifically German Village, which gave me all the small town vibes I love so much) alongside her pack of pals and dating woes.

It does hit you a little over the head with her clumsiness (how did she fall so much?!) and her obsession with Tom Hanks (did anyone else cringe a little during the speech at the end?). Yet, this little 2 day escape was exactly what I needed. A good ‘ol messy love story.

If you’re looking for a fun pick-me-up, this is it. It’s perfect for fans of Hannah Orenstein and Jasmine Guillory.

Yerim Oh

DNF @ 20% 

Honestly, I really wanted to like this book but I had an eerie feeling I wasn’t going to right from the beginning. I understand that the premise of this book is about a girl who lives her life expecting her Prince Charming to pop out straight from a rom-com and while other books/movies/etc. have played on this concept, this book took it too far and the cliches are so overdone. If you took a shot for every Tom Hanks reference, you would be completely drunk by the end of the first chapter. 

The main character is one of the most annoying and intolerable heroines I’ve read about in a long time. If she was my friend in real life I would be giving her a “come back to reality” harsh talk every day of my life and probably would stop being her friend. I even tried to skip some chapters to see if I would be intrigued or even remotely enticed to continue reading but it was a big fat nope.

Esther

cheesy? yes. infuriating at times? yes.
nonetheless a fun read? also yes.
 Waz up. A truly baffling spelling in this, the age of the predictive text.
 “Hon,” Chloe says. “No one’s going to make a podcast about your life unless you murder someone or get murdered by someone. And even then, the bar is pretty high these days.”

Mimi

** spoiler alert **
           This is the book that got me out of my romance book slump! 

Waiting For Tom Hanks is about Annie and all she wants is her own Tom Hanks and a HEA rom com romance. Don't we all? 

While there are problems with the book such as saying his name way too many times and how ridiculous she was in thinking that a rom com hero was the only way to find love. 

I feel like the true story in this book is not just the romance but annie's growth from someone who feels that everyone is always going to leave her and that love needs to be perfect to realizing that love will never be perfect and nothing could ever stop heartbreak. And isn't this what we want from an MC. Personal growth?

Linda Quintanilla

Waiting for Tom Hanks will bring back all of the 90s rom-com fans. 
You will get all of the references because Annie is determined to find her rom-com. It is going to be a journey for her since she is kinda of her worst enemy at times. She seems to be stuck in her head most of the times that you want to shake her and stop being clueless about her mistakes. I just need her to own up and be adult.
Besides Annie mistakes, her romance story is cute to read. It's not must-read but it is a cute rom-com if you are in the mood for it.
Waiting for Tom Hanks will retell Annie journey for her own rom-com.
3 Stars

laura

* I got this book for review for my honest thoughts*
This book did not wow me. I thought the concept was cool and I normally love books about falling in love with a movie star but I felt like this book was not unique in any way. I wanted to feel more connected to the main characters. It literally felt like reading a "romantic comedy" but because thy kept pointing out the elements in the novel, It just made me more obvious what the situations were. I liked the side characters and was invested to finish it, but it took me awhile to read. I would consider reading more by this author in the future maybe.

Kath Lau

Thanks to Berkley Pub for my free copy. This did not affect my overall opinion of the book.

Waiting for Tom Hanks is about a 27-year old woman named Annie who is obssessed with romantic movies and thinks that her Mr. Right (Tom Hanks-type) is just around the corner waiting to sweep her off her feet.

I haven't seen most of the 90's rom-com movies that were mentioned (like You've Got Mail and While You Were Sleeping) in this book so I didn't get all the references but reading them was still enjoyable. It actually made me want to watch some of Nora Ephron's movies. I enjoy watching rom-coms but I'm not as obsessed as Annie. Speaking of Annie, I personally didn't like her. I thought she's too dramatic (in a very annoying way) and juvenile most of the time. Drew, the love interest, felt bland to be honest. I didn't feel the chemistry so it's quite hard for me to root for them. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy enemy-to-lover story but I personally didn't like how it was delivered in this book. There were some scenes I liked but throughout the story it became quite repetitive. This isn't a bad read. There were some funny and adorable moments which made me really laugh. I also liked the "coffee house squad" and really enjoyed all their scenes. My favorite characters were Annie's bff Chloe, and uncle. This was a very light and easy read. If you're a fan of Nora Ephron's movies then you would probably love this book.

There'll be a sequel featuring Chloe and I'm excited for it!

Lisa W.

To be completely honest this was a DNF but seeing how I forced myself to get through 81% of it I’m going to give myself full credit. 

Typically I never do this. I either finish the book or I don’t and don’t mark it as complete. I rarely give less than a three and certainly try my best not to give it lower than a 2. However this book is completely deserving. 

I am a fan of rom-com movie and totally love romantic books. This was neither. Waiting for my Tom Hanks was a total nuisance. The main character was extremely delusional to be a grown woman. At the age of 27 you should not live your life based on fictional characters and then compare your revelation of reality to finding our Santa clause isn’t real. 

I can’t even bother addressing any of the other characters because they were subpar. 

I lasted way longer I should have and wish I had something nice to say.

Waiting for Tom Hanks

Reviews

Highlights