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Better Than the Movies

Discover the swoonworthy tiktok sensation

by Lynn Painter

Ranked #51 in 100 Most Popular BookTok and Bookstagram Books

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About Better Than the Movies

Perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Ali Hazelwood, this “sweet and funny” (Kerry Winfrey, author of Waiting for Tom Hanks) teen rom-com is hopelessly romantic with enemies to lovers and grumpy x sunshine energy! Liz hates her annoyingly attractive neighbour but he’s the only in with her long-term crush… Perpetual daydreamer and hopeless romantic Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar—and maybe snag him as a prom date—even befriend Wes Bennet. The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbour might seem like a prime candidate for romantic comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in. But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must re-examine everything she thought she knew about love—and rethink her own ideas of what Happily Ever After should look like. Better Than the Movies features quotes from the best-loved rom-coms of cinema and takes you on a rollercoaster of romance that isn’t movie-perfect but jaw-dropping and heart-stopping in unexpected ways. Pre-order Nothing Like the Movies, the swoony sequel to Better than the Movies and don't miss out on The Do-Over and Betting On You from Lynn Painter!

Reader guide at a glance

Use these edition facts and spoiler-light notes to decide whether this book fits your mood, time, and preferred reading experience.

Audience
Young adult
Commitment
Standalone or self-contained
Estimated reading time
8.0 hours at about 40 pages per hour
Length
Standard-length read
Best for
Readers seeking coming of age, he falls first, funny, young adult

Why readers are finding Better Than the Movies

Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter, published in 2024, is a 315-page book for readers who prefer to browse by the experience of a story, not only by its sales category. Its strongest discovery signals include Coming of Age, He Falls First, Funny, Young Adult.

This edition also appears at number 51 in our researched social reading top 100, reflecting current discussion across BookTok alongside longer-running reader interest. The ranking uses one verified English-language print ISBN per work so retailer links, cover metadata, and search results point to a real edition rather than a workbook, translation, or duplicate collector version.

Print ISBN
978-1-398-53653-1
Published
2024
Pages
315

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