BOOK STATS

Genre: Y/A Novel, Romance, Coming-of-age

Page Count: 349

Personal Rating: ★★★★☆

SYNOPSIS 

Written by Lynn Painter, “Better Than the Movies” follows high school senior Liz Buxbaum, who is obsessed with rom-com movies. Liz wants to rekindle her connection with her childhood crush, Michael, when he moves back into town after seven years and attends her high school. She wants Michael to finally notice her, but she needs someone’s help to figure out how to connect with Michael. Unfortunately, his best friend is Liz’s obnoxious next-door neighbor, Wes, and Liz despises Wes. Wes reluctantly agrees to help Liz, but only to win their ongoing war over a parking spot. As the two work together, Liz slowly realizes that she may have been wrong about who Wes really is and learns what true love is through unexpected ways; a love truly better than the movies.

REVIEW

I never really took an interest in romance novels because I thought they were all a bit dramatic, but I liked how this book embraced the cheesiness and lived up to all of those classic rom-com expectations.With a nod to stereotypical romance tropes, this book was predictable. Wes literally says, “enemies-to-lovers–it’s our trope, Buxbaum.” However, I did not necessarily dislike its predictability. I found the storyline comforting because you knew exactly where it was going, and there was a definite happily ever after. The stereotypical romance tropes, such as falling for the boy next door or kissing in the pouring rain like “The Notebook,” only emphasized Liz’s rom-com fantasies coming to life. 

The detail within the story makes you feel like you are watching a rom-com movie rather than reading a book. Liz’s narrative perfectly depicts a hopeless romantic teenage girl; her struggles with friendships, parents and fear of growing up make Liz an extremely relatable character.

Each chapter begins with a quote from a different popular rom-com movie. All of the quotes were adorable and set the cute tone of the book. I found this to be the perfect touch for a main character centered around loving rom-coms. After I finished reading this, I went through and wrote down all the movies referenced in each chapter. I now have a complete guide to rom-coms and have been chipping away at the list since reading it. So far, my favorite watches were “When Harry Met Sally” and “Love Actually.” 

Throughout the book, there were mentions of songs like Taylor Swift’s “Paper Rings”. Song lyrics are woven into the story, so you know exactly what Liz means when she compares an event to a song. I thought it was a nice detail, but I personally found integrating song lyrics a little cringy because it felt forced. The sappy romantic moments between Liz and Wes are so charming, but then the “aww” factor quickly fades out when the scene ends with “cue the Bazzi,” or lyrics from Billie Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes.”

If this is your kind of thing, though, the author created a Spotify playlist featuring every song mentioned in the story. I think listening to the playlist as you are reading or right after a scene would make the reading experience more immersive.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. If you are trying to get back into reading and you need a quick, lighthearted read, then “Better Than the Movies” is definitely a candidate. I finished the book in three days: it was a low-effort read, and the plot’s action was not so stressful that I felt worse after reading. The writing is easy to understand and feels well-paced. This book is perfect for any romance reader or watched, as well as those looking for a heartwarming escape.