Better Than the Movies: TikTok made me buy it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I picked this up on a whim, not expecting much, just a light read to dip my toes back into YA after years away. What I got was a delightful surprise: a story so well-written, so emotionally resonant, and so full of charm that I found myself completely swept away. YA often has great ideas, fun plots, lovable characters, but the execution can feel too juvenile for adult readers. Not here. Lynn Painter nails the tone with sharp dialogue, layered characters, and a narrative that balances comedy, romance, drama, and nostalgia in just the right proportions. It reminded me of the time when I was the target audience for YA, and somehow made me feel like I still am. Even though it’s written for teens, this book speaks to anyone who’s ever had a crush, a complicated friendship, or a soundtrack to their coming-of-age. If you’re in your 30s, 40s, or beyond, don’t let the genre label fool you, this one’s for you too. It brought back memories I didn’t know I’d tucked away, and made me laugh out loud more than once. I thoroughly enjoyed it and immediately dove into the sequel. Five stars from me, and I can’t wait to explore more of Painter’s work. If this is what YA can be, I’m officially back in.

I enjoyed this book way more than i expected to. It was a slow start for me but within about 4/5 chapters I was hooked. I read 80% of it in one day. *may contain spoilers* At first you meet Liz who is over the top girly and obsessed with rom-coms. Something she shared with her mum, who passed away when Liz was younger. She bumps into an old crush from her childhood and decides he's her destiny. So she cuts a deal with her annoying/hot neighbour Wes to help land him. The sickly-sweet over the top girliness of Liz's nature was a bit much in the beginning but i couldn't help but like her. All of us who grew up watching rom-coms all secretly wished for grand gestures and perfect meet cutes. I felt for her navigating important milestones without her mum. The book has a lot of heart and it's just an enjoyable read from start to finish. I loved Wes, he wasn't over the top cruel like some leading men, he was the right balance. There are a couple of lovely scenes written between the two that made me nostalgic. The only reason i gave this 4 stars and not 5 is because i really didn't like Jocelyn's character. She was really judgemental. But other than that this is a really great story filled with embarassing moments, sweet exchanges and grabbing-my-face-while-reading-because-i-can't-believe-she-said-that moments. At one point i even yelled "no don't say that!". If that's not the mark of a good story then i don't know what is!

Great book,amazing for teenagers trying to start reading. Was so intrigued that I had to buy the second one-nothing like the movies-. Excellent condition

okay so I did enjoy this book, I liked the banter and the sweet and cuteness of it but I felt that it was quite hard to pick back up. It wasn't amazing but the ending kind of made up for the rest of the book. I wasn't a big fan of the tropes so if you like these tropes then you'll probably like it more than I did

❝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.❞ Liz and Wes grew up as next door neighbours. Wes was always messing with and tormenting Liz and this continues as they enter Senior Year of High School. When one of their childhood friends (and Liz’s crush) moves back into the neighbourhood, Liz needs Wes’ help to secure him as her prom date. Liz starts to question if Michael is really for her and starts to see Wes in another light. This book was just so amazing! This was my first Lynn Painter book and I was not disappointed. The perfect holiday read. The whole time I was just waiting on Liz to realise her true feelings. I really loved Liz (even though I wanted to shake her a few times) and my heart honestly broke for what she was going through coping with the loss of her mum. Liz and Wes were just so funny and cute. I especially loved how he was always there for her - like giving her clothes when she needed them and more.

Good book

A heartwarming and witty YA rom-com that totally lives up to its title! Lynn Painter does a fantastic job blending humor, romance, and teen drama. The main characters are lovable, and the slow-burn romance is super satisfying. It’s a feel-good book that left me smiling for days. Definitely a must-read for fans of sweet, swoon-worthy stories.

After all the hype this book went through, I was expecting a more exciting ending. Although the book itself was cute and easy to read, I think my expectations were too high because I thought it would be something super exciting. It turned out to be just a good book for one day. Although I will still read more books by this author because I liked the writing style.