Imagine a classic rom-com, filled with laughs and longing stares, close-up shots of the characters falling in love because you can see it on their faces, and a lush soundtrack perfect for dancing. Now take the main character and make her a curly redhead with familial drama, and you've got one of Lynn Painter's young adult novels.

Lynn Painter, a New York Times bestselling author, writes YA romcoms that are filled with humor, heart, and swoony moments. Her writing style is truly that of an expanded romantic comedy. She establishes a strong main character who is delightfully memorable and plot lines that snowball endlessly (just like a comedy movie), which makes for a captivating premise.

But it's in the greater moments and exchanges between the main characters that make any novel of Lynn Painter's so much more believable. Without that aspect, one can't root for a romance. It's the interactions and dynamics of the characters that set Painter's works apart from the rest. By letting the love interests converse and discover the other, the reader gets to become fond of and fall in love with them.

Additionally, Painter's YA books are trendy on Booktok, TikTok's literary fandom. The book boyfriends she writes about are ones that lots of readers crush on, as they're truly movie-worthy, with their dramatic gestures and passionate one-liners.

The personally made playlists that are meant to be a soundtrack to the story in each book are also a quality that readers appreciate. The addition makes her work more like a rom-com movie and lets us relive her stories even after finishing them.

In 2024, she will have written her first full-length sequel, which readers are highly anticipating. But before detailing her upcoming work, let's look at the books she's written for teenagers so far.

Better Than The Movies

Painter's debut YA novel reached unprecedented levels of popularity on Booktok and beyond because of its unique style and loveable characters. I picked it up because of its acclaim and was not disappointed.

The book introduces us to Liz Buxbaum, who loves classic rom-coms because it is something she shares with her mother who passed when she was young. She's a hopeless romantic, which is why when her childhood crush and golden boy Michael comes back to town, she makes it her mission to become his girlfriend.

To get Michael to notice and fall for her, she enlists the help of Wes Bennett, her annoying troublemaker of a neighbor. Together Liz and Wes scheme, but in the process, they both start finding unexpected romance with each other.

This book may have every trope imaginable, but I loved it. The buildup to Liz and Wes falling for each other was so well done. The premise itself led to the characters being thrown together in every situation possible, which made the story more interesting and gave Liz and Wes so much time to get to know one another. It made their romance feel more authentic, as they became friends first.

The dialogue between the love interests is very entertaining as well. It's just fun to read and made me laugh out loud many times. It's truly peak enemies to lovers.

And I couldn't help falling for the characters. I connected with Liz because I'm a daydreamer myself, and I found her to be a relatable character who was easy to root for. Also, I still think Wes is one of the best love interests ever written, even after reading many more romance books. The interactions with the supporting cast were great as well, especially the exploration of the relationship between Liz and her stepmother, Helena, as it was interesting to read about and led to lots of funny banter.

Along with that, the ending was so perfect. The resolution was done over a few chapters and included many monumental realizations and grand speeches. It was over the top, just like a movie, but that aspect was wholeheartedly embraced, which made it an exciting experience.

This was one of the best YA books I've read, and it made me want to read more of Lynn Painter's books.

Image Credit: Wei Zeng from Unsplash

Take the Quiz: What’s Your Perfect Skincare Product for the 'Clean Girl' Look?

Take this quiz to discover the perfect skincare product for your “clean girl” routine!

The Do-Over

Lynn Painter goes for a more speculative angle with her second young adult work. The reader follows Emilie Hornby, the girl with a need for a plan and whose opinions often go unsaid. The night after her Valentine's Day has gone up in flames, she's heartbroken and has no idea what the next day will have in store for her.

However, that's the least of her problems because when she wakes up the next day, it's February 14th. She could be worried… or she could take this chance to fix everything that went wrong. But in her pursuit of trying to have her perfect Valentine's Day, she finds herself questioning everything, especially when she meets the mysterious Nick Stark.

Mysterious is the only thing I can think of to describe Nick. He felt stagnant as a love interest when compared to the other book boyfriends Painter has written. That may be because of the plot, which also limited the time that our love interests got to spend together.

This book is perfect if you're looking for a romantic comedy with a story that is unexpected and pegs lots of questions. The twist on the Groundhog Day syndrome was well-written. There's also a sense of adventure as the characters get to explore and run around the city together, finding romance and laughs in unseen sights.

One of the highlights of this book was the unexpected catharsis I received from seeing Emilie defy everyone's expectations of her. She becomes unafraid of saying what she's thinking and starts to take risks. She falls more deeply and unconditionally in love with a boy who appreciates her for who she is.

Because in reality, this side of Emilie always existed, she just never revealed it until now. There's something so movie-like about an arc like that: watching the main character leave everyone stunned as they take back the right to live for themselves rather than trying to be what everyone else wants them to be. It was very satisfying to see.

When I reached the happily ever after though, it didn't feel as magnificent because the book ultimately rushed to get there. The grand gesture that ended this story was too quick along with the lovers' reunion, especially following the relationship conflict which was thrown in with no warning. Lynn Painter's other books usually end on a bold note, but this particular resolution didn't click with me.

This book wasn't my favorite of Painter's, but it was still a good read.

Image Credit: Colton Duke on Unsplash

Betting On You

Painter's third work follows Bailey, who starts working at a waterpark and is dealing with the fact that her divorced mom has a new boyfriend. At her new summer job, she meets Charlie (not for the first time!), her pessimistic enemy who believes that boys and girls can't be friends.

The two form a fast friendship, where they bet on whether two of their co-workers will become a couple and even pretend to date to spite Bailey's mom. But things get even more complicated when they start catching feelings for each other, especially because Charlie has been keeping a secret that could change everything.

This book was plot twist after plot twist, and I loved it! All of the layers make for an engaging story and raise the stakes for the characters and the reader. I wasn't a fan of the twist at the very end, but that's a personal preference.

Painter once again created strong and complex characters who were dynamic and made this book a pleasure to read. Plus, the summer setting made the story more atmospheric and lighthearted. But added to that was more of the male love interest's perspective along with an exploration of his character, which made Betting On You unique from her other works.

It gave Charlie more depth rather than just being a love interest and made him someone who grows as a main character. Along with that, dual POVS are always interesting, so this addition was a personal positive for me.

Like Better Than The Movies, Betting On You lets the reader understand its love interests by having them spend lots of time together. This aspect proved, once again, to be extremely effective.

All in all, this book was another five-star read for me!

Image Credit: Yu Kato from Unsplash

The Sequel: Nothing Like The Movies

Lynn Painter's new book comes out on October 1st. It's a follow-up to Better Than The Movies!

In Nothing Like The Movies, Liz and Wes are broken up only after a few months of dating because of a tragedy that led to Wes ending their relationship. They're both freshmen at UCLA now, and they've found a healthy footing with one another. But Wes is determined to win Liz back, and it's not going to be easy, especially because Liz seems to have moved on with someone else!

I'm not sure how to feel about the fact that the two are broken up. Sequels to YA romances are about the characters navigating their already hard-earned love together. I'm worried that because of its plot, the book may be another version of Better Than The Movies in which the characters go on the journey of falling in love instead of a deeper exploration of Liz and Wes.

But the premise makes it sound like the book will be from Wes's perspective, which is definitely exciting! We didn't get that in Better Than The Movies, so seeing how he is as a character is an intriguing aspect of the story. Romances can often feel one-sided because they only give the perspective of one character, so this twist may even make Liz and Wes's relationship more real.

The college setting could also make for a great story in which Wes has new experiences because of the environment. I love books set in college because of the ultimate freedom that characters get along with the complex themes that can be discovered.

Overall, I'm curious to see how Painter works with her characters after the build-up to a romance. She's certainly proven that she can write two characters falling in love, so I'm ready to see what direction she'll take Liz and Wes in next.

Conclusion

Lynn Painter has certainly made a name for herself as an author with her brilliant writing style and ideas. I highly recommend reading any of her works if you're an avid romance reader or looking for something new to read! If you like her books, you can check out her curated playlists or read her short stories that are centered around the characters in her rom-com stories.