BOOKS
Published
Read Time
3 min read
Share This Review
Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter Review: A Charming, Trope-Savvy YA Romcom
Lynn Painter's Better Than the Movies is a young adult romance novel that wears its love of romantic comedies as a badge of honor, following high school senior Liz Buxbaum as she schemes her way toward a dream romance — only to find that real feelings are messier and better than anything scripted. Originally published by Simon & Schuster in May 2021 and reissued in paperback in 2022, the novel became a BookTok phenomenon and has spent 40 months on the New York Times Young Adult Paperback Best Seller List, including two months at number one. Kirkus Reviews called it a "charming, fluffy concoction" that packs every conceivable romcom trope into one goofy plot, and The Independent awarded it four and a half stars — proof, per that review, that YA romance can captivate well beyond its target age range.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Teens and adults who love romantic comedy films and want that same warmth, banter, and emotional payoff translated to the page — especially readers drawn to enemies-to-lovers dynamics layered with genuine grief.
Worth it if
You're in the mood for a self-aware, trope-celebrating YA romance with genuinely funny banter and more emotional substance than the fluffy premise suggests.
Skip if
You're a romcom-savvy reader hoping for narrative surprises, or you find misunderstanding-driven climaxes frustrating — the plot's direction is easy to predict and the final conflict's resolution feels rushed relative to the buildup.
What readers & critics say
Kirkus Reviews praised the novel's knowing, "goofy" deployment of every conceivable romcom trope — fake dating, the makeover, the big misunderstanding — as part of its charm, while Common Sense Media highlighted the banter as "laugh-out-loud funny at times" and Liz's grief as movingly portrayed. Dear Author tempered enthusiasm, flagging the climactic conflict as reliant on a "jump to the worst conclusions" misunderstanding and a resolution that feels rushed.
“This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding.”
— Kirkus Reviews4.5from 28,760 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
Look inside the book
Preview the actual pages, via Google BooksIn This Review
- What Works & What Doesn't
- What the Novel Is Actually About
- Significance and Cultural Reach
- Where the Novel Delivers
- Genuine Limitations
- Who This Book Is For
What Works & What Doesn't
What Works
- Sustained bestseller with 40 months on the New York Times Young Adult Paperback Best Seller List, including two months at number one — a rare mark of lasting reader loyalty
- The enemies-to-lovers banter between Liz and Wes is praised as genuinely funny by Common Sense Media and School Library Journal alike
- Liz's grief over her late mother is noted by Common Sense Media as movingly and realistically portrayed, adding emotional depth beneath the comedy
- Self-aware trope deployment — fake dating, makeover, frenemy-next-door — plays as loving genre homage rather than lazy shorthand, per Kirkus Reviews
- The Independent awarded it four and a half stars, calling it proof that YA romance appeals across age groups
What Doesn't
- The romcom-savvy reader will find the plot highly predictable — School Library Journal notes the story's direction is easy to anticipate for fans of the genre
- Dear Author and other reader voices flag that the climactic conflict leans on a rushed, misunderstanding-driven resolution that doesn't fully match the novel's earlier pacing
- Younger readers less familiar with classic romcom films may miss a meaningful layer of the novel's references, as Common Sense Media notes some cited films target older audiences
Lynn Painter's Better Than the Movies is a young adult romance novel that earns its cultural moment — a BookTok-fueled sensation grounded in a genuinely winning premise and characters readers consistently root for.
What the Novel Is Actually About
Back cover with synopsis, review quotes in heart shapes, and illustration of two figures.
At the center of Better Than the Movies is Liz Buxbaum, a high school senior and devoted fan of romantic comedy films — a passion she inherited from her mother, a screenwriter who died when Liz was a child. Senior year looks like the perfect stage for a romcom of her own: her long-term crush, Michael, has just moved back to town. To attract his attention and secure a prom invite, Liz enlists Wes Bennett — her next-door neighbor, lifelong frenemy, and Michael's new friend — to fake romantic interest in her. Predictably and pleasurably, the arrangement complicates everything. Liz's feelings for Wes begin to shift, while her scheming strains her friendship with her best friend, Joss, and her efforts to keep her stepmom at arm's length during a year full of poignant "lasts" add emotional texture beneath the comedy.
Significance and Cultural Reach
Originally published on May 4, 2021, the novel found its largest audience with the release of its paperback edition, a surge Painter has credited to BookTok creator Haley Pham, who described it as the best romance book she had ever read. That grassroots momentum proved durable: as of March 2026, Better Than the Movies has spent 40 months on the monthly New York Times Young Adult Paperback Best Seller List, including two months at number one — a sustained chart presence that speaks to genuine reader loyalty rather than a single viral spike. A sequel, Nothing Like the Movies, was released in 2024, following Wes and Liz into college, and earned a Goodreads Choice Award nomination for Best Young Adult Fiction. In May 2026, a Netflix film adaptation was announced, with Julia Hart set to direct and co-write.
Where the Novel Delivers
The book's greatest strength, noted across multiple outlets, is the banter between Liz and Wes. Common Sense Media singled out their exchanges as "laugh-out-loud funny at times," and School Library Journal's Mary Kamela cited "quippy banter" alongside lovable characters and "will-they-won't-they" tension as the elements that make the predictable plot genuinely enjoyable. Kirkus Reviews acknowledged the novel's knowing deployment of every conceivable romcom trope — the makeover, fake dating, enemies-to-lovers — as part of its deliberately "goofy" appeal. Beyond the comedy, Common Sense Media noted that Liz's grief over her mother's absence during senior year is "movingly and realistically portrayed," giving the novel emotional grounding that keeps it from floating away on pure confection.
Genuine Limitations
The novel's trope-density is both its charm and its ceiling. School Library Journal noted that readers familiar with romantic comedies will be able to predict the story's direction with little difficulty — a fair caution for anyone seeking genuine narrative surprise. Some readers, as noted at Dear Author, have found the final conflict between Liz and Wes reliant on a "jump to the worst conclusions" misunderstanding and a resolution that feels rushed relative to the buildup. Additionally, Common Sense Media observed that not all readers will catch every film reference woven through the story, particularly since some of the movies Liz invokes were made for older audiences than the book's YA readership — a minor but real barrier for younger teens less steeped in classic romcom cinema.
Who This Book Is For
Better Than the Movies is squarely designed for readers who love romantic comedies and want that experience translated to the page — a book that both celebrates and gently interrogates the genre it adores. Ellis Cochrane, writing in The Independent, gave it four and a half stars and argued that the novel demonstrates you do not have to be a young adult to enjoy YA literature, a sentiment echoed by its broad, cross-demographic readership. Simon & Schuster positions it for readers aged 12 and up, with a grade-level target of 7 through 9, though its BookTok audience has clearly extended well beyond those years. Readers drawn to themes of grief, female friendship, and the gap between fantasy and genuine connection will find that Painter layers enough heart beneath the comedy to make Better Than the Movies more than a one-note genre exercise.
Frequently Asked Questions
is Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter worth reading
If you're a fan of romantic comedies, it's a genuinely fun read — School Library Journal highlights the quippy banter between Liz and Wes, lovable characters, and will-they-won't-they tension as the elements that make even a predictable plot enjoyable. Beyond the laughs, Common Sense Media notes that Liz's grief over her late mother is "movingly and realistically portrayed," giving the story more heart than a typical rom-com confection. That said, if you're hoping for genuine plot surprises, the trope-heavy structure (fake dating, enemies-to-lovers, the makeover) means the ending won't catch you off guard.
what is Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter actually about
It follows Liz Buxbaum, a high school senior and die-hard romantic comedy fan, who schemes to win back her long-term crush Michael by enlisting her next-door neighbor and frenemy Wes Bennett to fake romantic interest in her — only for her real feelings to start shifting toward Wes instead. Underneath the rom-com plotting, the book weaves in Liz's grief over her late mother (a screenwriter who passed when Liz was young), a strained friendship with her best friend Joss, and an uneasy relationship with her stepmom during a year full of emotional "lasts." It's essentially a love letter to the rom-com genre that also gently pokes at why real feelings are messier than anything scripted.
does Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter have a good ending
The ending delivers the satisfying resolution fans of the genre expect, but it does come with a caveat: Dear Author noted that the final conflict between Liz and Wes leans on a "jump to the worst conclusions" misunderstanding, and the resolution feels rushed relative to the slow-burn buildup. Readers who are fully invested in the Liz-and-Wes dynamic will likely find it rewarding enough, but those sensitive to contrived third-act drama may find it the weakest part of an otherwise charming book.
is Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter good for adults or is it just for teens
It has a genuinely broad readership beyond its YA target — Ellis Cochrane in The Independent gave it four and a half stars and argued the novel proves "you do not have to be a young adult to enjoy YA literature," and its BookTok audience has clearly extended well past the Simon & Schuster recommended ages of 12 and up. Adults who grew up loving romantic comedies are arguably the ideal audience, since the book is packed with film references that younger readers may not catch — some of the movies Liz invokes were made for older audiences than the book's core YA readership.
what age is Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter appropriate for
Best for ages 12 and up — Simon & Schuster targets it at grades 7 through 9, and the reading level and themes are suitable for confident middle-school readers. One thing to flag for younger teens: the story is densely packed with references to classic romantic comedy films that were made for older audiences, so kids under 12 or those less steeped in rom-com cinema may miss a big chunk of the book's humor and cultural texture.
why is Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter so popular on BookTok
Its BookTok moment was sparked largely by creator Haley Pham, who described it as the best romance book she had ever read — that grassroots endorsement drove enough momentum to land the book on the New York Times Young Adult Paperback Best Seller List for 40 months, including two months at number one. The sustained chart presence suggests it's genuine reader loyalty rather than a single viral spike, likely because the Liz-and-Wes banter is, as Common Sense Media put it, "laugh-out-loud funny at times" — exactly the kind of quotable, screenshot-friendly content that travels well on social media.
what should i read after Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter
The most direct next read is Nothing Like the Movies, the 2024 sequel by Lynn Painter that follows Wes and Liz into college and earned a Goodreads Choice Award nomination for Best Young Adult Fiction. If you want to stay in the same warm, trope-loving rom-com space with a different story, any YA enemies-to-lovers novel built around snappy banter would scratch a similar itch — the review specifically credits the fake-dating and enemies-to-lovers tropes as central to this book's appeal, so look for titles that lean into those same beats.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- Cited in this review
- 1
en.wikipedia.org
- 2
thewritersblock.org
- Further reading
- 3
Lynn Painter, Wikipedia
- 4
dearauthor.com
- 5
commonsensemedia.org
- 6
yabookscentral.com
- 7
bossybookworm.com
- 8
- 9
thecontentedreader.ca
- 10
aibooksummarizer.com
- 11
Related Reviews
Reviews of books we picked for readers who enjoyed Better Than the Movies.
Reader Comments
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts!