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rylin_marie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this book is so good!!! i looove wes and the whole soundtrack thing is so fun! i absolutely loved this book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Blood, Car accident, and Vomit
samchase112's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.75
I ADORED THIS BOOK! It has all the elements of a perfect YA love story — friend drama, unbelievable love triangle, parent acceptance, coming of age, and (of course) a pitch-perfect book boyfriend. I couldn't stop from racing through its pages long into the night, and was honestly sad when it was finally over. This is the kind of YA book that reminds me why I got into romance in the first place, and I'm so grateful for that.
Reread April 2024
Did a quick reread in anticipation of Nothing Like the Movies, and ahh so happy this is just as good as I remembered. Wes and Liz are an incredible couple, and I cannot get enough of them!! Truly, imagine how insufferable I’d have been if these two existed when I was in middle school or early high school. LOVE!
Reread April 2024
Did a quick reread in anticipation of Nothing Like the Movies, and ahh so happy this is just as good as I remembered. Wes and Liz are an incredible couple, and I cannot get enough of them!! Truly, imagine how insufferable I’d have been if these two existed when I was in middle school or early high school. LOVE!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Vomit
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Car accident
theinstabookworm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
5.0
THE GOOD: This was my first Lynn Painter book and it's a new favourite. I'm a huge music and movie lover and I loved all the pop culture references in this book. I also loved all the bookish references. This book reminded me of the show Lizzie McGuire, and I kept picturing Liz as Lizzie, Wes as Gordo, and Michael as Ethan Craft. I also loved that it's a YA that doesn't read too YA. If you're not a fan of YA, I would still give this a chance.
THE BAD: One thing I didn't like about this book were the long chapters. There's only 19 chapters but the book is 349 pages. The story is also only told from Liz's point of view and I think if Wes's point of view had been included it would have been even better. My copy also could have used another round of editing, as there were quite a few grammar and spelling errors.
Favorite quote: "I just need to know that happily ever after really exists."
THE BAD: One thing I didn't like about this book were the long chapters. There's only 19 chapters but the book is 349 pages. The story is also only told from Liz's point of view and I think if Wes's point of view had been included it would have been even better. My copy also could have used another round of editing, as there were quite a few grammar and spelling errors.
Favorite quote: "I just need to know that happily ever after really exists."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit
Moderate: Alcohol and Death of parent
bri__'s review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
A cute little romance read. A little disappointed in how it was executed though. The main character was very annoying at times with the decisions she made because she COULD NOT communicate and then felt bad for herself afterwards. I also didn't like how the characters around her belittled her for her unique style. However, the main love interest, Wes, is *chefs kiss*. I'm a little sad that I didn't get to see more of them as a couple as I think that would've been really nice to see. I really loved Helena as a character, her and Wes made the book easier to get through. Some of the references through out this book I found a little out of place but still an enjoyable read overall, would recommend for the sake of a cute romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Vomit and Car accident
Minor: Cursing, Alcohol, and Bullying
readingwithmeredith's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Car accident, Alcohol, and Cursing
kendra_taylors_version's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Death of parent, Car accident, and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, and Blood
ashylibrarian's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
4.75
I have recently discovered that I don't particularly enjoy young adult romance. I have never been a huge romance reader in general, and I think I have been finding YA romance especially repetitive in recent months. This one, however, I thoroughly enjoyed.
Better Than the Movies follows mc Liz as she finds out her childhood crush is back in town and her crush is still lingering. Liz recruits the bad-boy-next-door, Wes, to help her win over the heart of that crush, Michael. When things do go according to Liz's meticulous, rom-com-inspired plans, she is left with decisions that could lead to heartbreak and unmendable relationships.
I laughed out loud, cheered, and questioned what was happening so many times in this book. I had fun reading it, and I think that is what made the difference in the enjoyment of this YA romance versus others. I question if the characters made the right decisions in forgiveness, but I suppose when everyone messes up, it's hard to hold grudges.
This is one I will be recommending frequently.
Better Than the Movies follows mc Liz as she finds out her childhood crush is back in town and her crush is still lingering. Liz recruits the bad-boy-next-door, Wes, to help her win over the heart of that crush, Michael. When things do go according to Liz's meticulous, rom-com-inspired plans, she is left with decisions that could lead to heartbreak and unmendable relationships.
I laughed out loud, cheered, and questioned what was happening so many times in this book. I had fun reading it, and I think that is what made the difference in the enjoyment of this YA romance versus others. I question if the characters made the right decisions in forgiveness, but I suppose when everyone messes up, it's hard to hold grudges.
This is one I will be recommending frequently.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Vomit
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Alcohol
hannahwhiteyy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
TWO WORDS: WES. BENNETT.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
THIS BOOK WAS SO. GOOD. I COULD OVERLOOK THE POP CULTURE REFERENCES AND MINOR GRAMMAR ERRORS BECAUSE IT WAS SO CHARMING
WES IS SO BOYFRIEND-CODED!!!!!!!!! AND HE FELL FIRST!!!!!!!! AND THE ICONIC "SHE ISN'T YOU"!!!!!!!!!!
FOREVER SCREAMING ABOUT THIS BOOK
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
THIS BOOK WAS SO. GOOD. I COULD OVERLOOK THE POP CULTURE REFERENCES AND MINOR GRAMMAR ERRORS BECAUSE IT WAS SO CHARMING
WES IS SO BOYFRIEND-CODED!!!!!!!!! AND HE FELL FIRST!!!!!!!! AND THE ICONIC "SHE ISN'T YOU"!!!!!!!!!!
FOREVER SCREAMING ABOUT THIS BOOK
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Death of parent, Mass/school shootings, and Car accident
Moderate: Grief, Blood, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcohol and Fire/Fire injury
psliz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
4.75
the perfect book to read after a 7 month hiatus! i mean, a romcom about romcoms?!! they nailed the romance and the comedy! and liz and wes’ banter!?!! i was so much in my feels, both romantically for them and sympathetically for liz’s grief. however, there was one part of the plot i wish was resolved differently. also, i wish it was dual povs since it would’ve helped us know and understand wes better. but to end on a positive note, that playlist for them is spot-on!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death of parent and Blood
Minor: Vomit, Alcohol, Ableism, and Car accident
ophycore's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Vomit, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, and Car accident
Minor: Drug use