Better Than The Movies By Lynn Painter

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Fake dating? Yes, and thank you! Boy next door? Absolutely. 2000s romcom vibes? Sign. Me. Up. Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter was a welcome surprise and the perfect palate cleanser.

Disclaimer: I am a mood reader, and my ratings aren’t technical. It is purely vibes and feels; if that’s your jam, stick around ♥.

I have yet to read Nothing Like The Movies, and I’ll update this review when I finish it. Without further ado, let’s get into my not-so-serious review of Better Than The Movies.

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Better Than The Movies Book Overview

Title: Better Than The Movies
Author: Lynn Painter
Genre: Young adult romcom
Series: Better Than The Movies #1
Published: 04 May 2021
Writing Style: First person (Liz’s POV)
Tropes: Boy next door, fake dating, ‘light’ enemies-to-lovers, he falls first
Spice Rating: No spice
Personal Rating: 4.75 stars
Goodreads Rating: 4.25 stars
Buy it here: Better Than The Movies Book

Synopsis: Liz Buxbaum is obsessed with romcoms, and she wants her love life to be exactly that. So when her childhood crush returns, she is dead set on creating her movie moment by making him fall for her. And what better way than to fake-date your insufferable neighbour? The neighbour you can’t stand, a bad boy who doesn’t fit her romcom narrative. But it turns out Wes Bennett isn’t what she expected…

My Spoiler-Free Vibes Check

The Good

PACING. I enjoy fast-paced books, and Lynn delivered! It made it bingeable and a low-brain-power read, which is sometimes necessary. Like I said, perfect palate cleanser.

BANTER. Give me characters with exceptional banter, and it bumps my rating up immediately. Wes and Liz have impeccable repartee, and I am here for it! Especially over the texts. I mean, I was kicking my feet and giggling.

CHEESY ROMCOM. It was so cheesy, and I ate it up. I am a huge lover of 2000s romcoms, and it cultivated a hopeless romantic heart in my chest. Not only does it hit the mark on the clichés, but the references and the legendary romcom quotes make this read even more enjoyable. *shouting for this book to be screen adapted* (Update: A movie is in development!)

EMOTIONAL DEPTH. Apart from the fun and games, Lynn included some deeper emotional aspects to the story. Liz lost her mother at a young age, and her mother instilled in her a love of rom-coms. Her mother also said to steer clear of the bad boys. In a sense, Liz tried to please her mother throughout her life by chasing the perfect romcom moment. On the other hand, her father remarried a woman who is the complete opposite of her mother, and we see a lot of emotional turmoil following their relationship.

AUDIOBOOK. I actually listened to this book on audio, and the narrator did an amazing job! I’d highly recommend the audiobook for this read.

The Bad

ANNOYING CHARACTER. Liz can be a tad bit annoying at times. She’s a lot. This is the main reason I couldn’t give this book five stars.

DISLIKING LANEY. Maybe I missed it, but why does Liz despise Laney so much? I can’t understand the beef she has with Laney. It feels disproportionate, and this is one of the reasons I found Liz annoying at times.

ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS. Better Than The Movies is marketed as an enemies-to-lovers, and I don’t truly see it. I don’t mind, though; I loved it anyway. But if you are looking for a hardcore enemies-to-lovers, this isn’t for you. It is very light and definitely one-sided.

WES x BAD BOY. Wes is labeled as a bad boy, and I don’t really see it… The man is a golden retriever in my opinion. Maybe my definition of a bad boy is different, but I struggle to see why Liz would see him as a quote-unquote bad boy.

My Thoughts Summary

So, in short:

Better Than The Movies is a great mood read when you need a fluffy, sweet palate cleanser that still contains depth.
It is a solid 4.75 stars.
Perfect no-spice book.
Do I still think about it? Sometimes.
Will I reread it? Maybe.
Do I recommend it? Yes.

SPOILER ALERT

Memorable Quotes

“You look best when you’re you.” ~ Wes Bennett
“Be brave enough to go big,” ~ Helena
“She’s not you.” “What?” “She. Isn’t. You.” “Enemies-to-lovers—it’s our trope, Buxbaum.” ~ Wes Bennett
“A girl will never forget the first boy she likes.”— He’s Just Not That Into You
“But she’ll also never forget the first boy she hates.” — Liz Buxbaum

My Favorite Scenes

VOMIT SCENE. Hear me out, this sounds gross, but it might be my favorite scene in the entire book. Liz gets vomit on at a party, and, naturally, she needs to change… into Wes Bennett’s sports clothes. But the part that got me was when the clothes were too big, and Wes wrapped his hand over her waistband to keep the pants up.

SECRET AREA. Any scene at the secret area was great! The chemistry between Liz and Wes was through the roof, and you could practically feel the tension vibrate between them.

MOVIE NIGHT. I am a microtrope girlie through and through. So give me thigh touching, and I go mental, lol.

CAR KISS. Their first kiss was another memorable scene, and I credit it to a single line Wes said: “You look best when you’re you.” I mean c’mon, show me a girl who wouldn’t swoon over that!

GRAND GESTURE & FINAL SCENE. The scene after prom is another heartwarming moment (and hilarious). When Alex and Wes find Liz at the Secret Area, it was kicking-my-feet-and-giggling-kind-of-funny. Not to mention the romantic revelation and conclusion.

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Final Thought

All in all, I enjoyed reading Better Than The Movies. It was a good time and a perfect palate cleanser. Now, I can’t wait to start Nothing Like The Movies.

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Have a great day wherever you are in the world!

Love, Steph ♥