'Better than the Movies' , by Lynn Painter , review

i was quite apprehensive about picking up this book at first. after freshly finishing a new series that left a heated-rivalry shaped hole in my heart, i was itching for a new sweet and fluffy romance to patch the gap, and seeing the hype about this book on tiktok (especially because of it's upcoming movie adaptation) made me curious enough to check it out and see what the fuss was for myself.

this book was literally everything that i expected it to be. innocently wholesome enough to leave me with the 'warm fuzzies' upon finishing. yes, it is very tropey, as wes seemingly admits himself :

'Besides, what's more fun than a story that starts with a fake relationship?'

the :

childhood-friends-to-lovers ,

fake-dating ,

enemies-to-lovers ,

'not like other girls' , and

makeover

tropes have been overdone to death , and in this regard the book is very upfront about telling you what you should expect. that said , i do have to express a degree of gratitude toward this book as it has accompanied me , and soothed me , on many sleepless nights. besides the over-tropification ( is that even a word ? ) i do like the way liz is developed outside of her romantic interests , as a fully rounded and complex character who occasionally acts rashly , says things she regrets , while trying to navigate her grief. yes , a little clichèd at times , but i appreciated this nonetheless.

will i be reading the books to come in the series ? probably , yeah , just because the writing is fun and easy to follow and does not require much effort. also because i'd like to have finished the books before the film adaptation comes out , and i would like to read from wes's pov actually :)

3.75 stars overall. cute , but nothing too extraordinary.