BETTER THAN THE MOVIES follows Liz, a hopeless romantic in love with rom-coms, who wants her childhood crush, Michael, to ask her to prom. But since he just moved back and still sees her as the little girl she was before he left, she needs the help of her neighbor—and enemy—Wes, to make Michael see her differently. But as the two conspire in an attempt to make Michael fall for her, Liz realizes maybe her idea of the perfect guy isn't exactly what she's always thought.

I cannot scream about this book enough. It is literally PERFECT. I laughed A LOT, and fell in love with the characters. The best part? There was a love interest in literally almost every single scene, and as someone who lives for pining and tension, that made the book for me! The main character lost her mom, and while the story is about her trying to Get The Guy, it's also about dealing with her loss, grieving, and moving forward.

Highly, highly recommend! I'll honestly probably read it again!

This novel brought me great joy during a time when I needed some cheering up.

Liz lives in a world she believes her mother would want. Her mother passed away several years ago, and Liz has a perfectly good step-mother. Liz feels getting close to Helena would be replacing her mother, so she keeps distant. Liz tries to be her mom in some ways. She watches the rom-coms that her mom loved, and Liz loves them in return. She wears vintage clothing that sets her apart. She constantly thinks of music as a score to life as it is in a movie. Sounds fine, except it's now her senior year when major life events happen. Liz puts everything off because her mom isn't there to be a part of them. I'm making it sound like a depressing, realistic, serious novel. It is not. It's actually rather funny.

Liz crushed on Michael when he lived in town. She thinks she'll probably never see him, but he's back! She sees their romance as a rom-com and even begins a movie score to follow their relationship. The problem is that he sees her as Little Liz, as she was when she was young. Her next door neighbor agrees to help her get Michael. Wes, to Liz, is her nemesis. He continually annoys her on purpose. They argue over the parking spot in front of their houses. She finally has a plan. He can have the parking spot if he agrees to help her. They pretend to date to show Michael she is dating material. Wes even takes her shopping and offers suggestions to be a little "less Liz."

Fate obviously doesn't not want Liz and Michael to get together. The disasters that ensue make the reader laugh aloud. Liz handles these missteps well and even has a sense of humor about them. Wes seems to understand Liz and can help her adjust with the changes by giving suggestions that show he understands how to help her. Liz eventually has to face reality about college, her step-mother, and her love life. My only real criticism are the occasional cuss words. These would be suddenly thrown in and jar me from the story. They didn't fit her character or the rest of the writing style. Ultimately, the novel was a joy to read.

This was a super cute read. It captured all the high school feelings… the angsty vibes, the romanticizing of everything and the urge to find more out in the world. It followed the age old troupe of a girl hating a boy next door and then falling for him. The tie in of rom coms was cute but got a little stereotypical. Cute story about navigating high school romance, friendships and all in between. If you’re a YA fan and like this type of story, I recommend picking it up!

What sets Better Than the Movies apart from Rom-Coms I’ve read in the past year or so is that this book knows exactly what it is. It’s not trying to masquerade as a serious, contemporary romance. It’s a romantic comedy deeply entrenched in romantic comedy allusions. From the films, to the music choices, to the swooning moments experienced by the protagonist, Lynn Painter has crafted a feel-good book centered around searching for that ultimate “foot popping kiss” type of love.

I definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a palette cleanser or just a book to make you laugh and roll your eyes in equal measure.

Liz Buxbaum is 3000% a fanatical romantic. She lives and breathes romantic comedies, not only because she’s hopelessly romantic, but because it’s the only way she can feel close to her mom who has passed away.

Wes Bennet is the snarky, foul, antagonist in Liz’s soon-to-be-love-story now that her childhood crush has moved back to town, and she fears he’ll stop at nothing to prank Liz mercilessly just to sabotage her.

But as a fake-dating scheme ensues and bets are made, Liz is stupefied by Wes’s good-guy nature and earnest behavior. Even though she’s been crushing on Michael Young since they were in grade school, she can’t help by notice that she is *noticing* Wes in a whole new light. Maybe he’s not the antagonist after all? Or maybe he’s the bad boy player she always knew he was?

Wes is the boy-next-door who has taken pleasure in annoying Liz since they were children. It’s pretty obvious from the start that he’s using the tried and true method of all little boys who want to get a girl’s attention. However, it isn’t until Michael (her girlhood crush) moves back to town and Liz bribes Wes to help her get Michael to ask her to prom that she begins to see Wes in a new light. When they decide to fake a relationship to get Michael to notice her, it’s inevitable that real feelings will surface. Is it possible that Wes was the right one all along?

This is a sweet, sweet enemies-to-lovers YA romance that deals with Liz’s prolonged grief over losing her mother at a young age and the unconscious way she dresses like her mom and imagines life and love to be like the rom-coms they enjoyed together. (This same relationship mirrors the adult one in Waiting for Tom Hanks.) It’s also about friendship and the pleasure of discovering someone who sees and admires the real you. There’s so much to recommend this debut novel, and Painter’s sophomore effort will be hotly anticipated by teens who love romances. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Simon & Schuster BYR through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I am a sucker for the enemies-to-lovers trope so Better Than the Movies was right up my alley. I absolutely loved, Loved, LOVED it! This YA rom-com was so much fun to read and ridiculously cute! Having quotes from rom-com films at the beginning of each chapter that was relevant to the story was such a nice touch. The writing was wonderful and Liz’s voice was engaging and felt genuine.

One concept Better Than the Movies has that made it stick out to me from all the contemporary romances I’ve been reading lately is how so many rom-com tropes are mixed into the story, and they’re incorporated so well that the story doesn’t get muddled at all. Enemies-to-lovers, boy next door, fake dating, etc. all my favorites are here and I couldn’t be happier! Seriously, thank you Lynn Painter for this gem of a book because I enjoyed every minute reading this.

I loved the witty banter and will-they-won’t-they moments between Liz and Wes, and especially the moments where Liz’s perceptions of Wes were challenged when she began spending more time with and getting to really know him. I also loved how Wes wasn’t the typical jerk who suddenly changed because he fell in love with the heroine. Instead, we start off with this inaccurate image of him thanks to Liz’s biased narration and slowly start to see the real Wes right along with Liz as the layers start to unravel. Ugh, SO. GOOD!

I’m not even bothered by some of the predictability because rom-coms need to follow a certain flow of story and induce a happy, satisfied feeling by the end of it to be classified as one. Better Than the Movies a YA rom-com done right and has all the elements of a feel-good, heartwarming, funny, and incredibly adorable story that you just want to reread when you’re feeling down or just want a mood boost. I highly recommend this if you love a good rom-com like I do!

Audiobook Review 🎧 Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Rating: 10/10
Narrator: 🎧🎧🎧🎧 🎧/5
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

"Sometimes we get so tied up in our idea of what we think we want that we miss out on the amazingness of what we could actually have." - Lynn Painter, Better Than the Movies

This book gave me all the feels. It was perfectly charming and heartfelt! I appreciated all the rom-com movie references combined with the authentic emotions of grief from losing a parent. This is easily one of my favorite YA books of 2021!

This friends-to-lovers story will have you rooting for Liz and Wes. I loved Wes so much! If only he were older (and real), he would make the best book boyfriend!

The narration was so fun and added additional elements to all the character's personalities. I would highly recommend checking this book out, especially the audiobook.

Thank you, Simon Audio, for this gifted audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This YA book did not disappoint! Finally a book that is a fun escape, has a memorable story line and characters, and still had few surprises throughout!

A delight from beginning to end. Wes: adorable! Liz: smart and also adorable! (Not that Wes isn't smart.) The '80s and '90s references are a great entry point, but what really makes this book is the deft handling of Liz's emotions, her grief around losing her mom as well as her developing feelings for Wes. Loved it.

Very cute! This book is just what I needed for a light read to Kick off a summer vibe. Great romcom.

Cute, likeable characters and storyline. Lynn Painter's story was the perfect escape and the rom-com references were on-point! I enjoyed this light-hearted read in one sitting. Highly recommend.

If fake dating and frienemies had a young adult baby…you would get Better Than the Movies by @lynpainterkirkle . This book had me from the start.

Liz “Libby” Bauxum is a senior in high school who works part time in a bookstore. She’s still reeling from the death of her mom when she was ten and her father’s remarrying. Prom is coming up and her childhood crush moves back to town. Her dream is going to prom with Michael Young. Next door is Wes. This has been her lifelong feud, but he is friends with Michael. Wes just might be her ticket to getting Michael to ask her to the Prom.

This book pays tribute to all the romcom movies and their amazing soundtracks. We all dream that our lives would be like the movies. We just need to learn not to lose track of what is right in front of us.

Painter writes fantastic story about not missing out. I laughed out loud at Libby’s disastrous moments with the boys. I had tears as she works through the grief from her mother and acceptance of her stepmother.

If you love romcom, YA and coming-of-age, this is the heartwarming story you’ve been waiting for.
Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Better Than the Movies was the best YA romance I’ve read in a long time. If you like enemies to lovers and fake dating tropes, you will love this book. Liz makes a deal with her neighbor, Wes, to give him the parking space they’ve been fighting over in exchange for him helping her impress her longtime crush, Michael. Liz eventually starts to realize that she might not want Michael after all, but it might be too late.

I read this in one sitting, it was so good. I kept hearing great things about this book and I am so glad I picked it up. Lynn Painter will definitely be an auto-buy author for me now.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Liz Bauxbaum is a hopeless romantic. From old school romcom classics, like When Harry Met Sally to some of the most popular power ballads of the 1980s, she loves it all. Most of that is wrapped in the memory of her late mother, the opitome of a lady. But in real life, Liz's romance game falls dismally shy of flourishing. Until her long time crush Michael moves back into town, and Liz finds herself blind and determined to peak his interest. But this will require the help of her long time neighbor and sworn enemy, Wes. Together they plot to land Liz her man... until lines between acting in love and falling in love begin to blur...

So. Freaking. Cute. I flew through this book and loved everything about it. Liz is the perfect amount of adorable and quirky and Wes is the mushy jock you just can't help adoring. Plus, the playlist at the end of the book had some pretty solid song recommendations! Will definitely be recommending to my students who enjoy romcoms.

I loved this book. It's hard to get into YA contemporary fiction, but when there is a deeper theme woven into the story and high school drama, it keeps me captivated. This one certainly has that. I loved Liz and her unique personality and style. The romance trope wasn't my favorite but I ended up enjoying how everything came together. There was a lot of clarity and personality written into the characters. This book is a sweet feel-good story with depth.

This book is like a fun fizzy drink on a hot day: refreshing, bright and sweet. While the premise is nothing new, a girl asking her annoying, "bad boy" neighbor for help getting her crush to notice her, the relationship between Lizzie and Wes makes you not care that you've read/seen something like this before.
The way Lizzie and Wes act with each other is the highlight of the book. Their banter is outstanding on every level and it becomes clear through their banter that they know each other so well, because the right buttons were always being pushed. Wes is a stand out YA love interest because he really gets Lizzie and cares for her enough to put himself on the backburner to see her get what she wants.
The emotional depth of the book was a pleasant surprise. Lizzie lost her mother at a young age and as senior year unfolds, finds herself missing that presence all the more. She has such strong memories and longing for her mother that it stunts a relationship with her step-mother (the "Lorelai Gilmore brand" of mom that honestly feels a little over done). As Lizzie experiences all the senior milestones she also grapples with this loss in a way that is natural and impactful.
Overall, a great read that will keep you entertained and engaging until the last word.

Thanks to NetGalley for this book. I absolutely loved it. I especially loved how songs were incorporated into scenes—I always asked my home device to play the songs so I could get a feel for the scene. The storyline was mostly predictable but it was completely enjoyable. I was rooting for the characters.

Once I picked up Better Than the Movies I just couldn't stop. This book was everything I was expecting and more! For all rom-com fans out there I definitely suggest picking this one up!

Our main character Liz is a big rom-com fan and used to watched them all with her mother. Liz is waiting for her perfect meet cute and love of her life. So when Michael moves back she sees all of her dreams coming true. It was so much fun reading her thoughts of how everything was going to happen. She wanted this so much that she was even willing to call in the help of the annoying next door neighbor. All of the references to rom-coms and even the fact that Liz creates soundtracks for everything in her life had me flying through the book even faster.

Better Than the Movies isn't only all fun. Liz is still processing the loss of her mother and with all the senior milestones around the corner it isn't easy. I can't imagine going through all of that without my mother and I just wanted to give Liz a hug. That being said this book is the perfect balance of serious and fun. There were many touching and emotional moments, but the same amount of moments that made me laugh.

We have to talk about Wes though. The annoying next door neighbor. He was a lot of fun and I loved that we slowly got to know him! He's definitely my kind of bookboyfriend, haha. It was interesting to see their relationship and friendship grow during the story. Better Than the Movies has a great set up for romance. It may have been a bit predictable, but it just fit the story and characters very well. Besides the romance aspects of the story family also played an important part as Liz was still dealing with all of the emotions after losing her mom.

All in all, Better Than the Movies was an amazing book! I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this author to be able to find out when she writes more books. Which I hope will be many more!

This a very cute YA rom-com. While it kept me turning the pages and enjoying myself as I read, it was underwhelming. The main character, her best friend, the bad boy neighbor...all felt like they were younger copies of characters I’ve read in other books. Overall a light, cute, quick read but just not my favorite

Thanks NetGalley for the advance copy!

Better Than the Movies was pretty much the book I expected when I started reading it. It was the story of a girl that loves rom-coms and wants her life to play out like one. Ever since her mother passed away she held on to the romantic theory that this was possible and she refused to let it go. And I understood that to a point but it slo pushed the boundaries a little for me because Liz wasn’t always easy to like or connect with. Everything to her was black and white so she refused to see what Wes, the boy next door and also right out of a romantic comedy, was trying to show her. She was so wrapped up in her fantasy it made her hard to root for. But with that said I should also say I really loved the last 40/45% of the book. I feel like the plot and the characters hit their stride at that point and it had me wishing the beginning was as good as the end. But all in all an enjoyable read for a rom-com lover.