For readers who love romantic comedies — in any medium — Better Than the Movies delivers a strong return: quippy banter between Liz and Wes, sustained will-they-won't-they tension, and a grief subplot that Common Sense Media described as movingly and realistically woven into the story. Ellis Cochrane, reviewing for The Independent, argued the novel transcends its age-category label. The honest caveat, flagged by School Library Journal critics, is that genre-literate readers will find the plot's direction predictable early on — but for readers who want sincere celebration of the romcom form rather than subversion, its sustained bestseller status reflects genuine, broad appeal.

Best for ages 14 and up. Common Sense Media places the appropriate reading age at 14+, noting the presence of kissing, some sexual innuendo, mild swearing, and a teenage keg party (at which the main characters consume little or nothing). Younger teens may also miss a meaningful portion of the film references that define Liz's voice, as they skew toward titles aimed at older audiences.

Better Than the Movies

by Lynn Painter

A teen romantic who idolizes classic rom-coms schemes with her frustrating neighbor to win back her childhood crush — with feelings landing exactly where they shouldn't.

$7.57 on Amazon

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At a glance

Pages384

First published2021

SettingContemporary small-town America, senior year

AudienceYA (12-18)

ISBN1534467637

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Lynn Painter

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Better Than the Movies

Name: Better Than the Movies
Author: Lynn Painter
ISBN: 1534467637

by Lynn Painter

LuvemBooks Verdict

Best for: Romantic-comedy devotees — teens and adults alike — who want a high school romance that gleefully stacks every beloved trope (fake dating, enemies-to-lovers, the big misunderstanding) while also sneaking in a genuinely affecting grief subplot.

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Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter is a high-energy YA romance following Liz Buxbaum, a romcom-obsessed high schooler who schemes with frenemy Wes Bennett to win her long-term crush — only for the plan to upend everything her movie-perfect blueprint promised. A BookTok phenomenon with 40 months on the New York Times YA Paperback Best Seller List, the novel earns its following through sharp banter, a genuinely affecting grief subplot, and an affectionate command of classic romcom tropes. The key caveat: readers already fluent in the genre will clock the ending early, and younger teens may miss some of the film references that define Liz's voice.

Is it worth reading?: For readers who love romantic comedies — in any medium — Better Than the Movies delivers a strong return: quippy banter between Liz and Wes, sustained will-they-won't-they tension, and a grief subplot that Common Sense Media described as movingly and realistically woven into the story. Ellis Cochrane, reviewing for The Independent, argued the novel transcends its age-category label. The honest caveat, flagged by School Library Journal critics, is that genre-literate readers will find the plot's direction predictable early on — but for readers who want sincere celebration of the romcom form rather than subversion, its sustained bestseller status reflects genuine, broad appeal.
Similar books: Readers drawn to Better Than the Movies will find a similar blend of romantic tension and high school setting in The Summer of Broken Rules by K. L. Walther and If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin, both of which balance romance with deeper emotional undercurrents. Lynn Painter's own Fake Skating offers another dose of her signature banter and enemies-adjacent dynamic for readers who want to stay in her world. For YA that pairs romance with grief and emotional depth, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is a natural companion, while The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky suits readers who want high school coming-of-age with genuine emotional weight.
Who should read this?: Better Than the Movies is designed for readers who love romantic comedies — whether on screen or on the page — and want a high school romance that takes the genre seriously enough to both honor and interrogate it. Liz Buxbaum's movie-literacy is central to her voice, so readers with a fondness for classic romcom films will get the most out of the cultural texture Painter builds in. Ellis Cochrane's review in The Independent argues the novel works beyond its YA category, making it a strong pick for adults nostalgic for the genre as well. Readers seeking subversion or unconventional storytelling are likely to find the familiar trope architecture more limiting than charming.
What age is it for?: Best for ages 14 and up. Common Sense Media places the appropriate reading age at 14+, noting the presence of kissing, some sexual innuendo, mild swearing, and a teenage keg party (at which the main characters consume little or nothing). Younger teens may also miss a meaningful portion of the film references that define Liz's voice, as they skew toward titles aimed at older audiences.
Tell me about the adaptation: Netflix announced a film adaptation of Better Than the Movies in May 2026, with director Julia Hart attached and co-writing the screenplay alongside her creative partner Jordan Horowitz. No release date has been announced as of that announcement. The adaptation follows the novel's remarkable commercial trajectory — 40 months on the New York Times YA Paperback Best Seller List and a sequel, Nothing Like the Movies, already in readers' hands.
About Lynn Painter: Lynn Painter is an American contemporary romance author.
How does it compare to Fake Skating?: Both Better Than the Movies and Fake Skating are contemporary romances by Lynn Painter that lean into familiar tropes with banter-driven energy, making them natural companion reads for fans of her style. Better Than the Movies carries an additional layer of emotional depth through Liz's grief over her late mother, a thread Common Sense Media praised as movingly and realistically portrayed. Readers who connect with the romcom self-awareness and enemies-adjacent dynamic in one book are likely to enjoy the other, though Better Than the Movies has the broader cultural footprint — 40 months on the New York Times YA Paperback Best Seller List and a Netflix adaptation in development.

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Better Than the Movies centers on Liz Buxbaum, a senior in high school and devoted romantic comedy fan whose passion for the genre was inherited from her late mother. When her long-term crush Michael moves back to town, Liz recruits her lifelong frenemy and next-door neighbor Wes Bennett to fake romantic interest in her as a way of drawing Michael's attention. As the scheme unfolds, miscommunications and mounting secrets complicate the plan, and Liz's feelings for Wes shift in ways her romcom blueprint never anticipated. The novel weaves in classic devices — fake dating, enemies-to-lovers tension, a makeover sequence — while grounding the comedy in Liz's real grief over her mother's absence during senior year.

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Editorial Review

Lynn Painter's Better Than the Movies is a young adult romance novel that follows Liz Buxbaum, a romcom-obsessed high schooler who enlists her lifelong frenemy and next-door neighbor Wes Bennett to help win her long-term crush Michael — only to find her feelings shifting in an unexpected direction. Originally published by Simon & Schuster in May 2021 and reissued in paperback in July 2022, the novel became a BookTok phenomenon and has spent 40 months on the New York Times Young Adult Paperback Best Seller List as of March 2026.…

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Lynn Painter on Better Than the Movies

Author Lynn Painter discusses her publishing journey and the creation of her YA romance novels on Simon Teen's Off Book podcast.

Uploaded by Simon Teen, 2025 · Watch on YouTube

Sending Wes and Liz to UCLA

Painter notes that she originally chose UCLA for Liz because of its music supervisor program and for Wes because of its baseball team. Since she had not planned to write a sequel at the time, she was later challenged by having to research and map out the campus.

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Fake Skating

Lynn Painter

Same author, same sharp banter — a fake-dating setup that trades small-town senior year for the rink, delivering the same enemies-to-lovers momentum.

Painter brings her signature comedic voice to a fake-relationship premise built on wit and romantic tension that escalates in satisfying, slow-burn stages. Readers who loved Liz and Wes's combative dynamic will find the same push-pull chemistry here, packaged in a sports setting that adds fresh stakes. Best for fans who want more of Painter's humor without retreading the exact same story beats.

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If He Had Been with Me

Laura Nowlin

Childhood neighbors become something more across senior year — quiet grief and slow-building romance mirror Better Than the Movies's emotional core almost beat for beat.

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The Summer of Broken Rules

K. L. Walther

Grief-tinged summer romance with a frenemy energy and family warmth — for readers who want the same emotional balance but swapped into a vacation-house setting.

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The Fault in Our Stars

John Green

Witty, pop-culture-fluent YA romance where grief isn't background noise — for readers ready for a story that puts loss at the center rather than the edges.

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The Summer of Second Chances

K. L. Walther

Second-chance summer romance from the same author as The Summer of Broken Rules — same warm, banter-driven tone for readers who want more of that emotional wavelength.

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Noah Can't Even

Simon James Green

If the tropey romcom structure felt too familiar, this UK YA delivers the same chaotic high-school energy and sharp comedy with a genuinely unpredictable plot and fresher genre riffs.