Better Than The Movies: A Review

Post date: May 29, 2025

By Victoria Nadeau

Let’s be honest, we all need a little bit of escapism, especially when we’re buried under piles of work or just mentally drained. Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter is the kind of YA rom-com that hits just the right spot if you're craving humor, heartfelt emotion, and that slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers trope we all secretly (or not-so-secretly) love.

The story follows Liz Buxbaum, a hopeless romantic who has always imagined her life playing out like a classic rom-com. Think 10 Things I Hate About You meets To All the Boys I've Loved Before. She’s quirky, a bit dramatic, and absolutely obsessed with happy endings. Her long-time crush, Michael, moves back to town just before prom, and she’s determined to make him fall for her. But there’s a twist: to get close to Michael, she has to team up with her infuriating next-door neighbor, Wes Bennett—the boy who has been annoying her since childhood.

You probably see where this is going, but trust me, it’s not just about who ends up with whom—it’s about grief, growth, and discovering the kind of love that doesn’t need to be perfect to be real.

What Worked (and What Didn’t)

The banter: The dialogue between Liz and Wes is witty, fast-paced, and full of chemistry. If you’ve ever been into books with sarcastic characters who secretly care too much, you’ll eat this up. One of my favorite lines is when Wes teases Liz about her over-the-top romantic fantasies:

“You do realize you’re living in a real-life rom-com with zero grasp of reality, right?”

Emotional depth: The book isn’t just fluff. It deals with Liz’s grief over her mom’s death, her fears about change, and the idea that life (and love) might not look exactly like the movies. That emotional layer grounds the story and makes Liz a more relatable character.

Romantic tension:

Painter does an excellent job of pacing the romance. It’s not rushed, and it feels earned. The payoff is a chef’s kiss—satisfying without being cheesy.

What didn’t work as well:

Some of the supporting characters felt a little flat, especially Michael, who was more of a plot device than a person. I found myself wondering why Liz was ever into him in the first place. Also, the prom subplot felt a bit cliché at times, though that might be intentional, given how much the book leans into rom-com tropes.

This book has blown up on BookTok for a reason—it’s heartfelt, funny, and full of those "aww" moments that make you want to reread your favorite scenes. Lynn Painter has been called "the queen of modern rom-coms" for YA, and Better Than the Movies shows why.

In Liz’s words:

“Life isn’t a movie. It’s better. Because it’s real.”

If you're into romantic comedies that blend laughs with heart, this book will feel like a warm hug. Skip the movie adaptations (if they ever make one), because this book truly is better than the movies.