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Better Than the Movies

by Lynn Painter · 2021

"Better Than the Movies" is Lynn Painter's young adult romance about high school senior Liz Buxbaum, a devoted fan of romantic comedies who connects to her late screenwriter mother through old rom-coms. When her childhood… more

First published 2021 · 368 pages · Better Than the Movies #1 · English

28 quotes ★ 4.25 (856,457) Romance

Quotes from the Book

She’s not you.” “What?” “She. Isn’t. You.
1.3k
Enemies-to-lovers—it’s our trope, Buxbaum.
852
I fell in love with teasing you in the second grade, when I first discovered that I could turn you cheeks pink with just a word. Then I fell in love with you.
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You look best when you're you.
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Sometimes we get so tied up in our idea of what we think we want that we miss out on the amazingness of what we could actually have.
454
She’s pretty, but her face doesn’t transform into sunlight when she talks about music.” He did that clench thing with his jaw and said, “She’s funny, but not spit-out-your-drink-in-astonishment funny.” It felt like my heart was going to explode as his eyes moved down to my lips under the glow of the buzzing streetlight. He moved his face a little closer to mine, looked into my eyes, and rumbled, “And when I see her, I don’t feel like I have to talk to her or mess up her hair or do something—anything—to get her to swing that gaze on me.
396
Love is patient, love is kind, love means slowly losing your mind.
320
When I'm around you, I kind of feel like I'm on drugs. Not that I do drugs. Unless you do drugs, in which case, I do them all the time. All of them.
279
I did what I had to. All is fair in love and parking.
247
When I brought my eyes back to his, I knew without a doubt that if we were anywhere else—alone—he would kiss me. He swallowed, and my eyes tracked down to his throat before slowly climbing back up by way of his strong chin, nose, and dark-as-night brown eyes. He raised one eyebrow, an unspoken question, and I realized at that moment that I wanted it. I wanted Wes. Michael had been my endgame, but I couldn’t bring myself to care about that anymore. I wouldn’t run through a train station for Michael. But I would do it for Wes. Holy shit.
227
Do you realize we could’ve been doing this for years if you weren’t such a pain in the ass?” “Nah—I didn’t like you until recently.” “Enemies-to-lovers—it’s our trope, Buxbaum.” “You poor, confused little love lover.” A giggle shimmied through me before I set my hands on his face and said as I pulled him back to me, “Just shut up and kiss me.
216
A girl will never forget the first boy she likes.” —He’s Just Not That into You “But she’ll also never forget the first boy she hates.” —Liz Buxbaum
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Be brave enough to go big.
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Hey—don’t ditch me until I find Michael, okay?” “Call me ‘Wessy,’ and I totally won’t.” I snorted. “Fine. If you ditch me, Wessy, I will stab you with the keg tap.” “My little Libby is such a savage.
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I could say these unfiltered things to him because he didn’t care. Wes Bennett knew what a mess I was underneath it all, and there was a little bit of joy in knowing he saw the real me. Freedom.
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because of things like car accidents and lost loves, life and death and broken hearts, we should grab every moment and absolutely devour the good parts.
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But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you. Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.” —10 Things I Hate About You
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Wes: Make sure you add “Someone Like You” to the Wes and Liz playlist.
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Please don’t ever become a stranger Whose laugh I could recognize anywhere—
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My inheritance was the knowledge that love is always in the air, always a possibility, and always worth it.
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You suppose? What on earth could she possibly be lacking? Do you want bigger boobs or something? Is she not—” “She’s not you.” “What?” “She. Isn’t. You.
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What do you mean, not your type? Because he’s not some character who writes poetry and knows what your favorite flower is?
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I can't talk to you when you're like this." "Happy? Excited? Hopeful?" "Delusional.
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You’re late.” “You’re stunning.” “You’re forgiven.” —Pretty Woman
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So you think that two enemies—in the real world—can magically get over their differences and fall madly in love?
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My favorite thing about music—when you played it loud enough through good headphones (and I had the best)—was that it softened the edges of the world.
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Charm and intrigue can only get you so far, Libby Loo. Those things always disappear, which is why you never, ever choose the bad boy.
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Me: Who cares about meteor showers? If you bring the cherry ciggies, I’m so there. Wes: You’re such a shit. See you there.
48

Did you know?

  • Each chapter opens with a quote from a classic romantic comedy film.
  • The book became a viral BookTok hit after its 2022 paperback release.
  • It spent dozens of months on the New York Times Young Adult Paperback Best Seller List, including time at number one.
  • A 2024 sequel titled Nothing Like the Movies follows the same characters and was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award.
  • In 2026 Netflix announced a feature film adaptation, with Julia Hart directing and co-writing.

About Lynn Painter

Lynn Painter is an American author of young adult and adult romance novels who lives in Omaha, Nebraska. Born in Champaign, Illinois, she attended the writers' workshop at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is a #1 New York Times bestselling author whose books include Better Than the Movies, The Do-Over, Betting on You, and Mr. Wrong Number. She is also a regular contributor to the Omaha World-Herald.

More about the author →

About the book

"Better Than the Movies" is Lynn Painter's young adult romance about high school senior Liz Buxbaum, a devoted fan of romantic comedies who connects to her late screenwriter mother through old rom-coms. When her childhood crush Michael Young moves back to town just weeks before prom, Liz is convinced it is a cinematic sign. To get on his radar she reluctantly strikes a deal with Wes Bennett, the annoying but attractive next-door neighbor who has tormented her since childhood.

The novel plays with and gently subverts the conventions of the rom-com genre, exploring grief and the loss of a parent, the gap between fantasy and reality, and the way real love rarely follows a script. Each chapter opens with a quote from a classic romantic comedy, underscoring Liz's view of life through a movie lens even as her own story refuses to behave like one.

Published by Simon & Schuster in 2021, the book became a major BookTok phenomenon after its paperback release. It spent dozens of months on the New York Times Young Adult Paperback Best Seller List, including time at number one, spawned a 2024 sequel, "Nothing Like the Movies," and was picked up by Netflix for a feature film adaptation announced in 2026.

Key characters

  • Liz BuxbaumHigh school senior and rom-com devotee who is still grieving her late screenwriter mother.
  • Wes BennettLiz's attractive next-door neighbor and longtime nemesis who agrees to help her.
  • Michael YoungLiz's childhood crush who moves back to town shortly before prom.
  • HelenaLiz's stepmother, who wants to be accepted by Liz.

Book details

First published
2021
Length
368 pages
Series
Better Than the Movies #1
Reading time
6 hours
Genre
Romance
Goodreads rating
4.25 (856k ratings)
First line
“My favorite thing about music—when you played it loud enough through good headphones (and I had the best)—was that it softened the edges of the world.”

Critical reception

  • According to Wikipedia, the book gained significant popularity through BookTok following its 2022 paperback edition.
  • Per Wikipedia, it spent many months on the New York Times Young Adult Paperback Best Seller List, including time at number one.
  • Deadline reported in May 2026 that Netflix set Julia Hart to direct a feature adaptation, reflecting the novel's sustained popularity.

If you liked this, read…

  1. 1
    Nothing Like the MoviesLynn Painter's own 2024 sequel continuing Liz and Wes's story.
  2. 2
    To All the Boys I've Loved BeforeAnother beloved YA rom-com built around romantic schemes and genre tropes.

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