Overall ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ 4.25 Goodreads average, about 915,000 ratings
- ✓ Get It verdict from Kirkus
- ✓ 40 months on NYT YA paperback list
- ✓ Liz's lying dominates the criticism
Better Than the Movies Review: Heat, Ending and Who It's For
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Verdict: A warm, funny YA rom-com carried by a boy next door almost every reader adores, held back by a heroine whose lies to her friends and family wear thin for a loud minority and a plot built openly from the tropes it celebrates.
Best for: Teens and adults who love classic rom-coms, want a closed-door romance with banter and real grief underneath it, and can forgive a narrator who makes the wrong call for most of the book.
Heat level: ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5, closed door: Common Sense Media lists a couple of scenes of passionate kissing and nothing more; romance.io's band could not be confirmed)
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.9/5, a 4.25 Goodreads average across about 915,000 ratings, pulled down because the most repeated complaint, Liz's scheming and lying, comes from three-star readers as well as one-star ones, and because even fans call the plot familiar)
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, Fake relationship scheme, Boy next door, Childhood rivals, Love triangle, Rom-com obsessed heroine, Grief and a lost parent, Prom deadline, Slow burn.
Better Than the Movies is Lynn Painter's young adult debut and the first book in a two-book series, a closed-door contemporary romantic comedy set in suburban Nebraska, where rom-com devotee Liz Buxbaum asks Wes Bennett, the neighbor she has been feuding with since childhood, to help her land her longtime crush Michael before prom, and finds that the boy she recruited as a tool is the one who actually sees her.
The numbers are big. Goodreads shows a 4.25 average from about 915,000 ratings, the highest-rated full-length novel on Painter's author page. Simon & Schuster published it on May 4, 2021, at 368 pages, with a 7th grade and up label, and Kirkus gave it a Get It verdict. The 2022 paperback took off on BookTok, and as of March 2026 it had spent 40 months on the New York Times young adult paperback list. A Netflix film is now in the works. Readers agree on Wes. Where they split is Liz, and how much patience you have for her decides how you'll feel about the whole book.
What Is Better Than the Movies About?
This is a high school romance about a girl who has learned what love looks like from the movies her late mother loved, and who keeps trying to stage her own life like one. Liz narrates with dry, self-aware humor, chapters open with lines from films, and the references run from When Harry Met Sally to To All the Boys I've Loved Before. The comedy is broad, with pratfalls and party disasters, and the romance runs on a long, kissing-only slow burn.
Underneath the jokes sits grief. Liz has not made peace with her mother's death, she keeps her stepmother Helena at arm's length, and she hides things from her best friend Joss. Kirkus, The Nerd Daily and Common Sense Media all single out that thread as the thing that lifts the book above a list of tropes. It's also the source of the behavior critics find hardest to like.
What Makes This YA Rom-Com Romance Work
- Wes as the love interest: Kirkus calls him appealing, a three-star Goodreads blog review calls him super sweet, and even a 3 out of 10 student review calls him one of the only tolerable characters.
- The banter: The Nerd Daily, The Contented Reader and School Library Journal all praise the dialogue, and The Contented Reader says the chemistry jumps off the page.
- The grief thread: Kirkus credits Liz's unresolved grief with keeping her from being an annoying stereotype, and The Nerd Daily calls her struggle with her stepmother very realistic.
- The love letter to rom-coms: Film quotes open each chapter, and Kirkus says the book packs every conceivable trope into one plot and delivers exactly what the title promises.
- Age range and safety: Simon & Schuster labels it grade 7 and up, Common Sense Media rates it 14+ for swearing, and the romance stops at kissing throughout.
Book Synopsis
Liz Buxbaum is a high school senior who lives in headphones, dresses in vintage and believes in the kind of love her late mother watched on screen. She has had a crush on Michael since they were kids, and when he moves back to her Nebraska neighborhood in time for senior year, it feels like the opening scene of the movie she has been waiting for. There's one problem. Michael is now friends with Wes Bennett, the boy next door who has spent years irritating her.
Liz decides to use the enemy. She strikes a deal with Wes: he helps her get Michael's attention, and the plan follows rom-com logic, which includes Wes acting as if he's interested in her so that Michael notices. Wes goes along with it, teasing her the whole way, and Liz starts spending far more time with the neighbor she claims to hate than with the boy she claims to want. Prom is the deadline she sets for her happy ending.
At home things are harder. Her dad and stepmother Helena keep trying to reach her, and Liz keeps finding reasons to be somewhere else. With her best friend Joss she starts leaving things out, then telling small lies to cover the plan. As the scheme gains ground with Michael, Liz begins to notice that the parts of her days she likes best are the ones Wes is in, and that the movie she has scripted may not be the one she is living.
Our Review
Wes is why this book has close to a million ratings. He's funny, patient and plainly fond of Liz long before she works it out, and Painter lets the reader see it a step ahead of her narrator. Reviews that agree on nothing else agree on him: Kirkus, a five-star blog, a three-star Goodreads blog review and a student who rated the book 3 out of 10 all name Wes as the best thing in it.
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The second strength is the way grief sits under the comedy. Liz's devotion to rom-coms is how she holds on to her mother, and her coldness toward Helena is how she avoids letting go. Kirkus says the dry wit and the unresolved grief keep Liz from being a stereotype, and The Nerd Daily calls her struggle realistic. When the book slows down for Liz's family, it earns the tears readers report.
Where it struggles is Liz herself, and that's the dominant complaint by a clear margin. GeekMom flagged her lying at every turn to her best friend before even finishing the book. A three-star review on Goodreads describes her scheming and mistreating friends for a romance, and a student reviewer at The Shield found her frustrating, cold to the parents who care for her and selfish in how she uses Wes. Kirkus, which liked the book, still notes that her lies cause real hurt. Behind that come smaller issues. The Nerd Daily says Joss is too thin for her falling out with Liz to land, the same Goodreads review calls the physical comedy juvenile, and Kirkus observes that all the characters seem White by default.
Reset one expectation before you start. The marketing and the Netflix coverage sell an enemies-to-lovers romance, and the feud is real, but it's a childhood rivalry, not hostility. Wes is on Liz's side from early on. If you want sparring with an edge, this will feel gentle. If you want a sweet boy next door and a heroine who is the last to know, that's the book.
The other reset is heat. This is a YA novel published for grade 7 and up, and the physical side stops at kissing. Readers who found it through adult BookTok lists and expect an open door will not find one, and the book is better understood next to Kasie West and Jenn Bennett, the authors Book Binge compares it to, than next to adult rom-coms.
Our honest note: A sweet, funny teen rom-com with a boy next door who deserves the hype and a heroine whose lies cost her a share of readers' patience. Read it if you love the movies it quotes and can wait for Liz to grow up; skip it if a narrator who keeps choosing the wrong thing makes you put books down.
| Element | In Better Than the Movies |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Liz Buxbaum, a rom-com obsessed high school senior, and Wes Bennett, her lifelong rival and next-door neighbor |
| Core tropes | Enemies to lovers, fake relationship scheme, boy next door, love triangle, slow burn |
| Setting | A suburban Nebraska neighborhood and high school, in the run-up to senior prom |
| Heat level | 1/5, closed door; kissing only, per Common Sense Media and Age Rating Juju |
| Series | Book 1 of 2; complete arc with no cliffhanger; sequel Nothing Like the Movies (2024) follows Liz and Wes in college |
| Content notes | Death of a parent in a drunk driving accident (before the story), grief, frequent swearing, a keg party with underage drinking, brief cigar smoking, a minor car accident |
How Spicy Is Better Than the Movies?
Not spicy at all. This is a closed-door YA romance. Common Sense Media lists a couple of scenes of passionate kissing between Liz and Wes and some joking sexual references, and Age Rating Juju lists kissing as its only sexual content and rates the book 12+. We score heat 1 out of 5. We couldn't confirm romance.io's band, but every source we checked agrees nothing goes past kissing, and All About Romance rates the sequel at kisses only too.
The swearing is the bigger consideration for younger readers. Common Sense Media rates the book 14+ and counts frequent mild profanity with a few stronger words, while Simon & Schuster markets it to grade 7 and up and Kirkus to ages 12 to 18. Parents of 12 and 13 year olds may want to know about the language and the keg party. Adults who prefer a clean romance can read it without worry.
Who Should Read This Book?
You'll likely love it if: you grew up on When Harry Met Sally and To All the Boys I've Loved Before, you want a closed-door teen romance with real banter, and a patient, funny boy next door is your weakness.
You may want to skip it if: a heroine who lies to her best friend and freezes out her family makes you want to shake her, you need adult heat, or a plot made from familiar rom-com beats feels like a rerun to you.
In short: the YA rom-com BookTok made famous, with a beloved hero and a frustrating heroine, best for trope lovers and teens rather than readers chasing surprise.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (October 2026)
In 2026 the conversation around Better Than the Movies is about the movie. Netflix's adaptation was announced in May, with Julia Hart directing, and in July Beatrice Kitsos and David Iacono were cast as Liz and Wes, both names fans had pushed for. That has sent a new wave of readers to a book that already had about 915,000 Goodreads ratings and a run of 40 months on the New York Times young adult paperback list, including two months at number one. Its growth came from BookTok after the 2022 paperback, which Wikipedia credits partly to influencer Haley Pham. Reddit, StoryGraph and romance.io blocked our access for this review, so the reader view here is built from Goodreads, blogs, school and library reviews, Kirkus and Common Sense Media.
Why readers love it: Readers love Wes first, by a long way. Even negative reviews carve him out as the one character they enjoyed. After him come the banter and the rom-com references, which a five-star review from The Contented Reader calls some of the best YA rom-com dialogue it has read. The grief thread is the third pillar: reviewers from Kirkus to The Nerd Daily say Liz's loss of her mother gives the jokes weight, and Common Sense Media praises the book's message about honesty and leaning on family and friends.
What readers argue about and complain about: The argument is about Liz. The repeated charge is that she lies and schemes, sidelines Joss and treats Helena and her dad badly, and it comes from GeekMom, a three-star Goodreads blog review and a 3 out of 10 student review alike. The second complaint is familiarity: that same three-star review calls the book a rehash of high school tropes, and The Nerd Daily, which scored it 8.5 out of 10, still admits the clichés are there. A smaller set of readers object to the slapstick and to the dated film references, which one reviewer says may lose readers who didn't grow up on 1990s and 2000s movies. Defenders answer that Liz's flaws are the point, and Kirkus and The Nerd Daily both say her mistakes read as authentic for a grieving teenager who makes amends.
The series question worth asking first: Better Than the Movies ends with a complete arc and no cliffhanger. A companion novella, Better than the Prom, has a 4.33 Goodreads average from about 53,000 ratings. The full sequel, Nothing Like the Movies (2024), jumps to college after Liz and Wes have broken up and turns into a second chance romance. It rates lower, 3.99 from about 279,000 ratings, and reviews split: All About Romance gave it a B+, while a Boston Public Library teen reviewer felt the characters had changed so much it was like reading about two new people. If book one's ending satisfied you, you can stop there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Better Than the Movies spicy?
No. It's a closed-door YA romance and the physical content stops at kissing. Common Sense Media notes a couple of passionate kissing scenes and some joking sexual references.
What age is Better Than the Movies for?
Teens and up. Simon & Schuster labels it grade 7 and up, Kirkus lists ages 12 to 18, and Common Sense Media says 14+, mainly because of frequent swearing and a keg party.
Is Better Than the Movies enemies to lovers?
Loosely. Liz and Wes have feuded since childhood, but it's a playful rivalry. Wes is kind to her early on, so expect more boy next door than true enemies.
Does Better Than the Movies have a happy ending?
Yes. Book one wraps up its romance with no cliffhanger. The sequel, Nothing Like the Movies, opens after a breakup, so some readers prefer to stop after book one.
Is Better Than the Movies being made into a movie?
Yes. Netflix announced an adaptation in May 2026, directed by Julia Hart, with Beatrice Kitsos as Liz and David Iacono as Wes. No release date had been announced as of September 2026.
Do I need to read Better Than the Movies before Nothing Like the Movies?
Yes. The sequel depends on Liz and Wes's history, and All About Romance recommends reading book one first for the backstory.
If You Loved Better Than the Movies, Read These Next
Our reviewed list is mostly adult romance, so each pick below comes with more heat than this book. For a fake relationship that turns real between two people who think they know each other, try The Love Hypothesis. For years of pining between two people who already know each other well, read People We Meet on Vacation. And for rivals whose banter carries the whole book, go to The Hating Game.
For more books at this age and heat, browse teen romance by age and closed-door romance, or see more fake dating romance and enemies to lovers romance.
The Bottom Line
Better Than the Movies sets out to be the teen rom-com its heroine wishes she were living, and it mostly gets there. What works: Wes, the banter and the grief that gives the jokes weight. What doesn't: a heroine whose lies wear on a vocal share of readers, a plot built openly from familiar beats and slapstick that skews young. If you love the films it quotes and want a clean, sweet romance, it earns its fame. If Liz's choices would drive you up the wall, read the reviews of the sequel before you commit to two books of her.
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Better Than the Movies ranks as a top-tier closed-door YA rom-com, strongest in its boy next door and its grief, constrained by a heroine many readers find exhausting and a familiar plot, and best approached as a comfort read for trope lovers rather than a fresh take on the genre.
The Evidence Scorecard
Eight dimensions, each scored out of 5 from the reader and critic evidence above. Overall is anchored on the reader ratings and adjusted for how much the recurring complaints cost the reading experience. Heat describes how explicit the book is; it is not a quality judgement. Every line marked ✓ is a checked finding, including the limits. How we assess books.
Romance ★★★★☆ 4.1/5
- ✓ Wes praised even in negative reviews
- ✓ Banter singled out by School Library Journal
- ✓ Will-they-won't-they tension builds to prom
- ✓ Rivalry softer than enemies to lovers suggests
Characters ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ Wes called appealing by Kirkus
- ✓ Liz's dry wit lifts her above stereotype
- ✓ Supporting cast escapes archetype, per Kirkus
- ✓ Liz called selfish and frustrating by critics
Writing ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ Film quotes open each chapter
- ✓ Quippy dialogue praised across reviews
- ✓ Lexile HL750L, quick and easy read
- ✓ Slapstick humor called juvenile by some
Emotional impact ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ Grief for Liz's mother anchors the comedy
- ✓ Stepmother conflict called very realistic
- ✓ Honesty and family support themes praised
- ✓ Joss falling out lacks weight, per Nerd Daily
Heat level ★☆☆☆☆ 1/5
- ✓ Closed door, kissing only
- ✓ Common Sense Media notes passionate kissing
- ✓ Age Rating Juju lists kissing only
- ✓ Romance.io band not confirmed by us
Ending ★★★★☆ 4.2/5
- ✓ Complete arc with no cliffhanger
- ✓ Kirkus says Liz makes proper amends
- ✓ Drama kept minimal before a satisfying close
- ✓ Sequel reopens it with a breakup
Re-read value ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ BookTok staple since the 2022 paperback
- ✓ Audiobook runs 10 hours 37 minutes
- ✓ Netflix film driving new and returning readers
- ✓ Sequel rates lower at 3.99
Sources We Checked
- Goodreads: Lynn Painter author page (ratings for her books)
- Wikipedia: Better Than the Movies (publication, reception, bestseller run, adaptation)
- Wikipedia: Lynn Painter
- Simon & Schuster: Better Than the Movies (publisher details, grade level, narrator)
- Kirkus Reviews: Better Than the Movies
- Common Sense Media: Better Than the Movies
- Age Rating Juju: Better Than the Movies
- The Nerd Daily: Better Than the Movies review
- GeekMom: Better Than the Movies review
- Goodreads blog: Better Than the Movies review, a rehash of rom-coms
- The Shield: Better Than the Movies book review
- The Contented Reader: Better Than the Movies review
- Book Binge: Sunday Spotlight, Better Than the Movies
- AudiobooksNow: Better Than the Movies audiobook (narrator, runtime)
- Newsweek: Better Than the Movies film adaptation announced
- The Express Tribune: Netflix finds its Liz and Wes
- Fangirlish: Everything we know about Netflix's Better Than the Movies
- All About Romance: Nothing Like the Movies review
- Boston Public Library: teen intern review of Nothing Like the Movies
- Goodreads Q&A: spice in Nothing Like the Movies
Checked October 6, 2026. Ratings and counts change; the numbers above are as of that date.
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