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I had Better Than the Movies on my to-read list for a long while and since I’ve been spending more time on Bookstagram, I’ve seen it all over. It’s often been recommended by “no-spice” accounts for not having sexual content. And it sounded really fun, so yeah, let’s dive in!
At first, I was a bit worried that it was going to be one of those books that somehow a bunch of people love but I didn’t. It felt so-so getting started. Obviously, we know it’s formulaic, but will it be so fun it won’t matter? That is always the question.
But as I got solidly into this young adult romance book, I was happy to find it was truly entertaining.
Here’s the story: Liz Buxbaum is 18 and just about to finish high school. Her mom, who died around the time she was 8, loved rom-com movies. So Liz loves them too, and they remind her of her mom. She hasn’t had much romantic experience herself, so she relies on what she’s gleaned from movies.
Liz and her neighbor, Wes, have bugged each other for years. The past few it’s been a fight over a parking spot on the street. There’s just one good one, and each has a car to park. Wes manages to grab the space and annoy Liz pretty much constantly.
Now, just a couple of months before graduation, a new guy comes to school. It’s a dream come true for Liz because Michael had lived in their neighborhood years before. She thought he was pretty great when they were little, and now he’s handsome and super nice. Prom is coming up soon, and she would love it if he could take her. And since Wes is already hanging out with him, Liz decides she’s going to have to swallow her pride and ask Wes for help.
Thus begins a whole scheme that includes a bit of fake dating, a splash of makeover, advice, and various kinds of plotting. It means Liz has to spend a fair amount of time with her annoying neighbor. But she starts noticing that he’s actually not so bad. And he’s pretty good-looking. And he’s even… fun.
You can guess how things go from there.
The more the book went on, the more I enjoyed it. Wes is particularly entertaining, and the development of the friendship between him and Liz is just delightful. A lot of cute banter and just-missed-moments.
I will definitely join others who recommend Better Than the Movies as a really fun YA romance. However, I can attest that while it does not have any “sex scenes,” it does include intense kissing and some references to sex. I don’t consider that “clean”; moreover, it has strong profanity. I guess the people recommending it as some form of “clean” were referring only to actual spicy scenes and not taking into account other content.
Rated: High. Profanity includes 10 uses of strong language, 90 instances of moderate profanity, about 30 uses of mild language, and about 130 instances of the name of Deity in vain. Sexual content includes talk about sex, some vulgar references, some intense kissing, and hands wandering under clothing. Teens drink alcohol at a party; a couple smoke cigars briefly.
Click here to purchase your copy of Better Than the Movies on Amazon.
