Better Than the Movies Book Review
Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter book review and recommendation with NO SPOILERS
Date: 8-31-25 Post Written By: MK Overall Rating: 9.2/10
Book Cover Rating: 7.1/10
(My personal opinion)
Title: Better Than the Movies
Author: Lynn Painter
Pages: 356
Genre: Young Adult, Romance
Subplots: Contemporary Romance
Romance Level: 2/3 (no spice, but prominent part of plot)
Series: Better Than the Movies #1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
First Published: 2021
Goodreads Rating: 4.26/5
Number of Goodreads Ratings: 692,138
Amazon Rating: 4.5/5
Number of Amazon Ratings: 23,662
Common Sense Media Age Recommendation: 14+
Movie/TV Show?? : No
Book Type: Standard
POV Type: Single, Third Person
Generally: Sweet, heartfelt high school romance book
Hook: Liz Buxbaum has lived in Omaha for all her life. She will never forget all of her wonderful summers growing up in Omaha. Constantly playing and having fun with the other neighborhood kids. Some of the most notable: Joss- Liz’s now best friend, Michael- Liz’s forever crush, and Wes- Liz’s childhood tormentor. Now, Liz is finally a senior in high school. And this year, Michael, who moved away for a few years, returns. Liz is shocked. This must be her sign she is truly meant to be with him after all! Except, he has no reason to pay any attention to her. So, she turns to help. Wes. The boy who was constantly ruining her little library, scarring her with bugs, and generally annoying her for her whole life. Since Wes is close to Michael, she thinks he can help her get noticed by Michael. Their plan: Fake dating. If Liz pretends to be dating Wes….maybe it will get Michael’s attention. Nothing related to teenage emotions is ever so simple.
My Review
Main Characters:
Elizabeth Buxbaum- Liz is the definition of a hopeless romantic. She pours over old rom-coms, and practically lives by their advice. She has a unique style and personality- but is unashamedly herself. Liz is also very passionate about music.
Wesley Bennett- Wes is Liz’s next door neighbor. He tormented her when they were kids playing together. Honestly, he still does. They are constantly arguing over one thing or another. Wes is an amazing baseball player.
Michael Young- Michael was Liz and Wesley’s neighbor as kids. Then, he moved to Texas for a few years. But, now he has moved back. Liz has had a crush on him for as long as she can remember.
I absolutely loved these characters! I loved how they each had layers and depth to them. They all grew significantly throughout the book and it was noticeable. I don’t know if I would quite consider Liz relatable to me…. but she definitely could be for others. Regardless, she felt very personable, and I really cared about her.
Character Rating: 10/10
Setting:
This book takes place in Omaha, Nebraska
There was no real spotlight on this book’s setting- except for the fact that Liz and Wes were next door neighbors. This made the setting slightly more important. I felt that this book really didn’t need a focus on the setting outside of that- so I was content. It certainly wasn’t setting focused or atmospheric necessarily, but I wasn’t missing out on anything.
Setting Rating: 9.4/10
Plot:
Okay, this is super hard for me. I LOVED this book, so I really don’t want to say anything bad about it. PERSONALLY, romance novels with no plot outside of the romance side of them are infuriating. To be honest, this book didn’t have much else to it. There were definitely moments of frustration about the utter lack of anything but romantic drama, but at the same time I did enjoy myself. It was a sweet, easy romance read. I think people looking for a simple, happy romance book will really enjoy the plot, but if you are looking for a book that is more complex (honestly even slightly more complex) beyond the romance side of it…. this probably isn’t the book for you.
Plot Rating: 7.1/10
Writing:
Wow! I see why Lynn Painter is such a well known romance author! The writing was super interesting to follow, easy to read, and really made me invested in the book! It had more depth and substance than some other romance books I’ve read while still feeling like a comfort read.
Writing Rating: 9.6/10
Ending:
Ahh! I loved this ending! It was so sweet! It made me smile and I’m so excited to read the next book (And probably a ton of Lynn Painter’s other books)!!
Ending Rating: 10/10
The Overall:
Overall, I really loved this book! It was a sweet, heartwarming romance. While it honestly didn’t have much plot past the romance, I could look past that and enjoy this book. I loved these characters so much too! They had so many layers and were full of depth that I loved. I also absolutely loved Lynn Painter’s writing and am super excited to read more of her books in the future!
Overall Book Rating: 9.2/10
I would strongly recommend this book
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Lynn Painter loves rom-coms and writing romance novels
She writes books targeted towards tweens, teens, and adults
For more information, view Lynn Painter’s website: lynnpainter.com
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So, was the Better Than the Movies book worth the hype??
Yes! I absolutely think it was! It was a sweet, heart-warming book. I understand people’s complaints about lack of plot, but I still think this book was exciting and interesting. Yes, I would have loved just a bit more outside plot, but still think this was a FABULOUS book with or without it.
What did you think of this book??
Reach out below anytime! Whether to share your opinion of this book, comment on mine, ask for similar suggestions, or ask for more clarity/spoilers for this book. I’d love to answer any questions, share more opinions, or hear your thoughts!! Thanks so much!!
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