Reviews with content warning for Cursing - Better Than the Movies

Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter

85 reviews

kenziekfoster's review against another edition

4.75

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

camillewhowrites's review against another edition

4.0

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: Yes

Content Warnings

den1elle's review against another edition

3.0

funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

If you're like me and typically don't really like romance books, and think this will change you're mind, it really didn't for me. Was it a good book, yeah. But just really wasn't for me. It was predictable and felt like the same thing happened over and over. I see why some people enjoy it, but again it was like a "it's not you it's me" kinda thing. So if you like light-hearted books or fluffy romance (No spice) this book is for you. So try it out, because it wasn't bad. It just wasn't one I would find super enjoyable. It was like okay. But again, if this is your type of book go ahead. But for the girls and boys who typically don't enjoy romance, this probbaly wont be for you. Just try it if you're thinking about it.

Content Warnings

haileyfischer1776's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I LOVED IT SM!!!

Content Warnings

aasiya_m's review against another edition

4.25

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Better Than the Movies – Book Review

⭐️ 4.25/5 Stars

Spoiler-Free Summary:

Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter is a sweet, lighthearted high school rom-com perfect for fans of cheesy romantic comedies. The story follows Liz Buxbaum, a high school senior still grieving the loss of her mother, who passed away years ago. Liz finds comfort and identity in the rom-com movies she watched with her mom and wholeheartedly believes she’ll have her own “happily ever after.”

When Michael, her childhood crush, suddenly moves back to town, Liz is convinced he’s “the one.” But to catch his attention, she enlists the help of her annoying (yet charming) next-door neighbor and lifelong nemesis, Wes Bennett. As the two spend more time together, lines begin to blur between fake schemes and real feelings.

My Thoughts (Spoiler-Free):

I liked Better Than the Movies—though not quite as much as Picking Daisies on Sundays by Liana Cinotti, which I had just finished before this and gave five stars. Compared to that, this book felt a little underwhelming. The plot was very predictable: girl likes boy, enlists another boy to help, ends up falling for the helper instead—classic rom-com structure. And while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it did make the story feel somewhat flat and formulaic.

Liz, the main character, honestly frustrated me. At times she was oblivious, selfish, and out of touch with reality—but her actions stemmed from unresolved grief. She clings so tightly to her childhood and her mother’s memory that it clouds her judgment and relationships. While it makes her more understandable, it didn’t always make her likable.

Wes, however, completely carried the book for me. His banter with Liz was consistently adorable and made me smile throughout. Their dialogue was funny, flirty, and genuine—one of the book’s strongest elements.

Rating Breakdown:

🧠 Plot – 7.5/10. The story followed a classic rom-com formula, which made it feel repetitive and predictable. There wasn’t much new or original about the main conflict—girl chases the wrong guy, ignores all the signs, and ends up realizing her feelings too late. It also wrapped up a bit too neatly at the end, with a last-minute resolution that felt rushed and overly idealistic.

👩‍❤️‍👨 Characters – 8/10. Liz’s character development was frustrating. She lacked self-awareness for most of the book and often prioritized her fantasy over her real-life relationships. That said, her flaws are rooted in genuine grief, which made her more layered. Wes was by far the standout—funny, thoughtful, and clearly in love with Liz from the start. His loyalty, even when it hurt, made him easy to root for. He brought most of the charm and humor to the story.

✍️ Writing Style – 8.5/10. Lynn Painter’s writing is witty and accessible. Her dialogue was a highlight—it felt authentic, clever, and brought the characters to life. I especially enjoyed the romantic-comedy quotes she included at the beginning of each chapter, which gave the book a thematic cohesiveness and some extra flair.

⏱ Pacing – 9/10. Super bingeable. The book moves quickly, and it’s easy to fly through in one or two sittings. Painter keeps the momentum going with short chapters and well-timed plot points.

🏫 World-Building – 8/10. The high school setting was stereotypical but purposeful. Lynn Painter uses common teen and rom-com tropes to paint a familiar but fun backdrop. While nothing about the world was particularly unique, it served its purpose and reflected Liz’s internal world well—stuck between childhood fantasy and adult reality.

🔥 Spice Level – 2/10. This is a clean romance, which is one of the reasons I picked it up. There are only two kisses in the entire book, both near the end. There’s no physical intimacy beyond that, making it appropriate for younger readers or anyone looking for a sweet, wholesome love story.

💘 Tropes – Enemies to Lovers. Childhood Crush. Fake Dating-ish / Scheming Together. Boy Next Door. One-Sided Love. Grumpy x Sunshine (mildly)

Spoiler Summary & Thoughts:

I think my slightly lower rating comes from reading Picking Daisies on Sundays right before this—it set the bar pretty high emotionally. That said, Better Than the Movies was still enjoyable, just not as deep or memorable.
Liz’s obsession with Michael felt unrealistic and borderline delusional. He barely had a personality, and it was clear from the beginning that he wasn’t meant for her. Her constant pursuit of him—while pushing Wes aside—made me cringe, especially since it hurt Wes, who was doing everything to support her. I didn’t enjoy how she kept seeing that Wes was caring for her whenever she was hurt and Micheal wasn’t but blew it off until the end where she suddenly realized she was feelings for Wes. She also hurt her best friend Joss by ditching her repeatedly just to chase a fantasy. Her tunnel vision was exhausting.
What really frustrated me was the ending: the last chapter wrapped up everything way too cleanly. After all the miscommunication and drama, Wes and Liz kiss and suddenly everything is perfect? It felt like a shortcut. I wish there had been more time spent on them confronting their feelings and rebuilding what was broken.
Wes is the soul of the story. Even when he knew Liz was choosing someone else, he helped her anyway—because he cared about her happiness more than his own. His humor, kindness, and quiet heartbreak made me root for him so hard.
The book also dealt with grief in a surprisingly raw way. Liz’s grief over her mom wasn’t just background noise—it actively shaped her choices. She didn’t want to create new memories if her mom couldn’t be there to witness them. That hit me hard. It explained why she clung to the idea of “movie love” so desperately—because it was tied to her mother, not just romance.

Final Thoughts:

Better Than the Movies is exactly what it promises to be—a cheesy, comforting rom-com with a lot of heart and humor. It’s not revolutionary, but it delivers on the fun and gives you plenty of swoony moments along the way. If you love a light, low-angst romance with witty banter and a sweet male lead, this is worth picking up.

While Liz drove me a little crazy, Wes made up for almost all of it. And even though the story followed a familiar formula, I’m definitely interested in reading more from Lynn Painter in hopes of finding another gem—especially if it’s got more Wes-type characters in it. It is a good book to get you out of a reading slump.

Content Warnings:
Graphic: Death of a parent & grief (Liz’s grief of her mother dying is a big part of the story as it literally makes up her character)
Moderate: Cursing (it was used in everyday conversation and was a bit over the top)
Minor: Sexual Content (just kissing). Alcohol & vomit (happens in one scene where they’re at a party). Car accident (also happens in a short amount of time, nothing gruesome) Blood (happens after she gets hit with a basketball in the face)

Content Warnings

torireads_13's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

OH. MY. GOODNESS. This book! AMAZING! Everything I could wish for in a book! I loved it so much! The plot was amazing! The characters and ugh! Wes Bennett!!!!!! He was such a good character!!! And LIZ? I’m peaches for this book! So good! If anyone is questioning whether they should read it the answer is yes!
The reason for a 4.75 rating rather than a 5 is because of the language. Language was a bit strong for me. But otherwise LOVED the book!

Content Warnings

kenners13's review against another edition

4.5

funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

A fun high school romance
Spice: 1/5 (steamy kissing/making out)
Swearing: 5/5 (contains f*ck, h*ll, d*mn, sh*t, excessive use of G*d)

Content Warnings

grace310's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

agc_mer's review against another edition

4.75

emotional funny lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

fios_reading_corner's review against another edition

4.5

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

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