Book Review: Better than the Movies

I’ve been wanting to read Lynn Painter’s Better than the Movies for a while and finally did. I’ve only heard amazing things about the book and I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Lynn Painter so far so I was so excited to read this YA romcom.

I cannot talk about this book without gushing. It was just what I needed after reading back to back emotional, heart aching reads. It is so fun, swoony, adorable, and all the things!

Liz Buxbaum is a senior in high school and loves all things romance and romcom. She loves music, movies, and dresses in a quirky way but doesn’t care what others thing about her – she marches to the beat of her own drum. Her neighbor, Wes Bennett has been her nemesis since they were in elementary school. As kids all the neighborhood kids would hang out and Wes and some of the other boys would tease Liz, pull pranks on her etc. Now as seniors, Liz and Wes are at war over the parking spot in front of their houses. When Michael Young, Liz’s childhood crush, moves back to town weeks before prom Liz is determined to reconnect with him and have a romcom moment for herself and maybe he’ll fall in love with her and ask her to prom. Michael remembers her, but she needs an in. When she realizes that Wes and Michael are friends, she strikes a deal with Wes. He’ll help her get Michael by inviting her out with them to hang out, giving her tips to dress more modern etc., and she’ll let him have the parking spot.

Of course, while Liz and Wes hang out and talk a lot more in order to help her get Michael, Liz realizes that Wes is not the same guy he was when he was a little kid tormenting her with frogs. He’s actually really nice, funny, and now that she’s paying attention he’s actually kind of hot. So after all this time spent with Wes, does she still want Michael?

This book makes my heart happy and it had me smiling so much! I loved it so much that I read all the bonus content after I finished. There’s bonus content with Wes’ POV from prom, Wes’ POV from the party in the book, and bonus content of Wes & Liz’s road trip to California that takes place after the end of the book.

If you’re looking for a feel good YA romcom with enemies to friends to lovers vibes and lots of movie, music, pop culture references, you need to read this! And Lynn Painter is coming out with a sequel for it next year called Nothing Like the Movies!

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