Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Better Than the Movies

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Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter

57 reviews

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.

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hannahwhiteyy's review against another edition

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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

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psliz's review against another edition

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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!

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ophycore's review against another edition

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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

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alli4byu's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted relaxing 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? N/A

5.0

So, so good. It had everything I would want - chick flick references, song references, boy next door, frenemies to lovers, fake dating (sort of), amazing character development, not a ton of spice (which is my preference) but still swoon worthy. I laughed out loud at several parts and I loved Liz's inner dialogue. The relationship developed was so wholesome and pure.

I love making playlists so it was fun to relate to Liz in that way. As an added bonus, it was set in the midwest! I grew up in Iowa so the fact the setting was in the Omaha area really was just the cherry on top!

This book was overall amazing - I am just getting into reading and it'll be hard to top this I think!

READ THIS BOOK. It's a true delight.

RATING: PG-13 for relatively frequent swearing, underage drinking and smoking and a reference to sex. Closed-door.

Content Warnings