There’s a trope, there’s a swoon-worthy character, and there’s a love story. Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter is the quintessence of a cute romance-comedy. Liz Buxbaum has always believed in love but has outdated ideas on how to get it. She dresses like the main character in a rom-com, listens to romance movie music scores, and always keeps her makeup pristine. So, of course, when her childhood crush Michael Young moves back to town from Texas, sparks are bound to fly. Undoubtedly, his cowboy accent and charm leave Liz desperate for her perfect romance. Left with no other choice, she asks her next-door nemesis Wes Bennett for help. But as time goes on, her feelings for Wes start to change…
Rom-coms are supposed to be lighthearted and funny, and Better Than the Movies doesn’t fail to deliver. Liz and Wes’ adventures are hilarious and heart-warming. A good book, however, goes beyond shallow interests and unreasonable actions–and Painter makes sure of this. In describing Liz’s thought processes and internal motivations, Painter ensures we are able to follow and rationalize Liz’s actions (even if we don’t agree), and we surely empathize with her.
Painter executes the perfect enemies-to-lovers trope: We are left in anticipation with the unmistakable feeling of “FIGURE IT OUT ALREADY!” in Liz and Wes’ interactions, both oblivious to their feelings for the other. And finally, when the switch from enemies to lovers flips, Painter surely will leave goosebumps on your arms.
This simplistic yet honest plot of the novel leaves us with an optimistic view of life. Unlike popular darker romances of today with dark and depressing plot twists, Better Than the Movies lets us view the world with a hopeful perspective. Rather than ending on a cynical note, the (somewhat guaranteed) happy ending keeps us trusting in love, no matter how hard it may seem. Yes, it may be unrealistic to believe that we’ll end up with our own rom-com in real life, but what’s wrong with dreaming?
Despite the fact the novel does not have in-depth symbolism or an intricate storyline, we still squeal at the swoon-worthy interactions between Wes and Liz. In school, we’re often assigned to read sad books with heavy backstories and lots of tragedy. These long, tedious novels prompt tears and unbearably long discussions of plot, theme, and who knows what else! Better Than the Movies is not one of these boring books, instead aligning with various movies from the 90s-2000s heyday of fun romance, such as When Harry Met Sally and 10 Things I Hate About You.
This light read has little to analyze but a lot to enjoy. Sometimes, it’s not important to analyze symbolism and characterization–often, it’s better to just read for fun and foster that inner love for books. What’s the harm in enjoying a traditional rom-com every now and then, no matter how cliche it may be?
Although Better Than the Movies seemingly ended on a final note, Painter has surprised us all with the news of a sequel being released. Nothing Like the Movies is scheduled for release on October 23, 2024, and has us all waiting with apprehension. The novel follows Liz and Wes as college students, after their breakup: For unknown reasons, the two have gone their separate ways and we are left wondering what might have happened to the love-struck couple we knew. Set up to have everything from love triangles to second-chance romance, Nothing Like the Movies has set our expectations high.
Fans hope the sequel is not being released simply for more fame or money, but instead will introduce a new and exciting plot aligned with the first book. Sequels of other similar YA series have received a lot of criticism for unnecessarily dragging out the story. Just a few examples of this “sequel failure” are One of Us is Next from the One of Us is Lying series and The Scorch Trials of the Maze Runner series. The authors may have had the best intentions in mind for these sequels, but confusing plots or redundancy made them flop.
Sequels often reminisce over the first book instead of engaging in a new storyline, which is a horrible way to continue a series. In order for Nothing Like the Movies to be a success, Painter needs to find the middle ground between two extremes that are often seen in such sequels: an excess of details, which can be very overwhelming, or a lack of details, which is uninteresting. The addition of information or characters, the nature of the conflicts, and the creation of a timeline that aligns with the original plot—all of these are details that can make or break a sequel.
Ultimately, Better Than The Movies is short and cute, the perfect combination for a happy read that romance lovers will enjoy. There are no hard emotions or “gray area” moments, and the simplicity of it all is refreshing. At the same time, there are well-thought-out character motivations and reasonable plot turns: a perfect balance of complexity and clarity. In some ways, Liz’s life is entertaining and relatable as she navigates through loss, laughter, and love.
