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Better Than the Movies #1.5
Better than the Prom
Prom night has arrived, and Wes Bennett couldn’t be less excited.
Not only is he not going with Liz, the girl he’s loved his entire life, but Liz is going with Michael, the guy she’s loved her entire life. Talk about a nightmare.
They manage to avoid each other at the event, but every glance he steals of her in that gown, smiling up at her date, feels like a punch to his solar plexus.
But when she’s waiting for him after he ditches the dance, he realizes that nothing about the prom even matters.
Because Liz Buxbaum, in Chuck Taylors and a sweatshirt under the streetlight that shines above their spot, is actually far better than the prom.
Not only is he not going with Liz, the girl he’s loved his entire life, but Liz is going with Michael, the guy she’s loved her entire life. Talk about a nightmare.
They manage to avoid each other at the event, but every glance he steals of her in that gown, smiling up at her date, feels like a punch to his solar plexus.
But when she’s waiting for him after he ditches the dance, he realizes that nothing about the prom even matters.
Because Liz Buxbaum, in Chuck Taylors and a sweatshirt under the streetlight that shines above their spot, is actually far better than the prom.
30 pages, ebook
First published August 22, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,010 reviews
August 22, 2022
liz: *breathes*
wes:🧎🏼♂️💞🥵🦋🫶🏻🕺🏼👩❤️💋👨
wes is so whipped it’s almost concerning at this point. anyways this was 28 pages of pure serotonin i love them so much 😭
wes:🧎🏼♂️💞🥵🦋🫶🏻🕺🏼👩❤️💋👨
wes is so whipped it’s almost concerning at this point. anyways this was 28 pages of pure serotonin i love them so much 😭
August 22, 2022
Petition for all of Better Than the Movies in Wes's POV✋
August 29, 2022
lizwes supremacy >>>
“buxbaum, i’ve waited my whole life for you.” <3
“buxbaum, i’ve waited my whole life for you.” <3
December 24, 2022
i don’t care that this is only 30 pages if it’s on goodreads i’m counting it for my yearly goal
August 22, 2022
me while reading wesliz:
boy obsessed is THE trope 🤌🏼
cue for other authors to give us fluff, bonus content & male pov✨
lynn painter you are so real for this🥹
boy obsessed is THE trope 🤌🏼
cue for other authors to give us fluff, bonus content & male pov✨
lynn painter you are so real for this🥹
January 7, 2023
this was entirely necessary. wes slayed
August 24, 2022
WHERE DO I FIND WES BEENETT?????
SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP OVER WES😭😭😭 Only GOD knows how much i love wes and lizzz . THANKYOU SO MUCHH LYNN, BUT WE NEED MORE OF THESE TBHH
SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP OVER WES😭😭😭 Only GOD knows how much i love wes and lizzz . THANKYOU SO MUCHH LYNN, BUT WE NEED MORE OF THESE TBHH
March 2, 2024
can everybody force their future sons to read better than the movies so the next gen of boys end up like wess bennet?
April 16, 2023
→ 5 ☆
wes bennett, you're perfect. 💓 i want someone to woo me with coffee and donuts, too.
mwah,
alayla <3
“buxbaum, i've waited my whole life for you. for the love of god, put me out of my misery and let me woo you with coffee and chocolate sprinkles.”
wes bennett, you're perfect. 💓 i want someone to woo me with coffee and donuts, too.
“anything you want, buxbaum. as long as i'm with you it will be the perfect day.”
mwah,
alayla <3
August 22, 2022
4/5
It was exactly what I needed it to be.
It was exactly what I needed it to be.
"When Liz grinned, everything disappeared into a fuzzy, out-of-focus backdrop as she became clarity personified. I’d always thought Liz’s smile made the rest of the world go quiet"
"Anything you want, Buxbaum. As long as I’m with you, it will be the perfect day.
And that was the moment I knew."
January 19, 2024
➳ 5 ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚
wes bennett, on behalf of all delulu girlies, respectfully stop it. seriously. you’re raising our standards 🎀💌🤭
୧ ‧₊˚ 🍓 ⋅ ☆
wes bennett, on behalf of all delulu girlies, respectfully stop it. seriously. you’re raising our standards 🎀💌🤭
୧ ‧₊˚ 🍓 ⋅ ☆
October 24, 2022
If there is one hypocrite in the room, tis me, tis I *dramatically puts a hand on my head*.
I have been clear-cut on my equitability of how Lynn Painter works aren't for me nor Better than Movie ever pleased me. However, I am glad that my fake petty ass still wanted to read this (only because it shorts to be honest), and it is also what I never knew I needed. Having to see the post prom disaster through Wess' point of view actually made it tolerable.
This chapter does not necessarily make me giddy but it also passable to understand what happened as less catastrophe. I am being super theatrical about this but I also specifically pinpoint in my review that the part where Wes brings Alex to the 'Secret Area' as one of the fragment that I enjoy the least since I was bargaining for entirely different fluff stuffs. I still hate that what was illustrated in the cover was not depicted in the book, but this made up for it.
I have been clear-cut on my equitability of how Lynn Painter works aren't for me nor Better than Movie ever pleased me. However, I am glad that my fake petty ass still wanted to read this (only because it shorts to be honest), and it is also what I never knew I needed. Having to see the post prom disaster through Wess' point of view actually made it tolerable.
This chapter does not necessarily make me giddy but it also passable to understand what happened as less catastrophe. I am being super theatrical about this but I also specifically pinpoint in my review that the part where Wes brings Alex to the 'Secret Area' as one of the fragment that I enjoy the least since I was bargaining for entirely different fluff stuffs. I still hate that what was illustrated in the cover was not depicted in the book, but this made up for it.
November 4, 2023
I really don't know what Lynn Painter's secret ingredient is- Oh. Probably Wes Bennett.
This is the cutest novella ever. So swoony and romantic. 30 pages managed to get me all choked up and my heart feels so full. 🥹🩷
Liz threw her head back and started laughing- hard - and it was impossible not to join her. I wondered what she'd think if she knew the quote from Jerry McGuire- You complete me - flashed through my very soul as I watched her laugh.
OMG I LOVE HIM.
This is the cutest novella ever. So swoony and romantic. 30 pages managed to get me all choked up and my heart feels so full. 🥹🩷
Liz threw her head back and started laughing- hard - and it was impossible not to join her. I wondered what she'd think if she knew the quote from Jerry McGuire- You complete me - flashed through my very soul as I watched her laugh.
OMG I LOVE HIM.
September 12, 2022
just give me a whole book from wes’s pov and i can die happy
November 8, 2023
“Buxbaum, I've waited my whole life for you”
that’s it. He’s the standard.
that’s it. He’s the standard.
November 6, 2022
She.Isnt.You gets me Every.Time. 😩
Her face broke into a wider smile , her BEST smile and she said: Really?
The little shit looked pleased , absolutely delighted that she had tortured me, and I tugged on the cord
Me:Its only like 17 hours until you pick me up
Wess: THAT IS AN ETERNITY
Now I was laughing again
Me:Cant you wait 17 hours for me?
Wess:Buxbaum,Iv waited my whole life for you . For God's sake put me out of my misery and let me woo you with coffee and chocolate chips
ARGHHHHH
ARGHHHHHH
ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Im so jealousss .
I love how passionate and funny this was .Wessy forever. READ IT!
Her face broke into a wider smile , her BEST smile and she said: Really?
The little shit looked pleased , absolutely delighted that she had tortured me, and I tugged on the cord
Me:Its only like 17 hours until you pick me up
Wess: THAT IS AN ETERNITY
Now I was laughing again
Me:Cant you wait 17 hours for me?
Wess:Buxbaum,Iv waited my whole life for you . For God's sake put me out of my misery and let me woo you with coffee and chocolate chips
ARGHHHHH
ARGHHHHHH
ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Im so jealousss .
I love how passionate and funny this was .Wessy forever. READ IT!
December 28, 2022
I guess this is the official book ???
so copy-pasting my previous review onto this one !! :D
what a cute short read I physically cannot contain my happiness with this little story, especially since it was in weses perspective.
wes bennett (aka the blue-print) !!
even though it was only a 30 paged short story, it was still so so sweet, always wish there was more, but hey I’ll take what I can get.
liz literally breathes:
wes mf bennett: (´♡‿♡`)
5/5 stars for this little story, and no I’m most definitely not at all biased even though better than the movies is one of my favorite books now and that wes bennett is one of my favorite book boys ever so this short story was going to be phenomenal for me anyways, so definitely not biased! call me crazy for rating a 30 paged short story 5/5, but I said what I said ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
love love love this little addition to the main story, had me smiling the whole time. gonna go jump in front of a car now <3.
so copy-pasting my previous review onto this one !! :D
what a cute short read I physically cannot contain my happiness with this little story, especially since it was in weses perspective.
wes bennett (aka the blue-print) !!
even though it was only a 30 paged short story, it was still so so sweet, always wish there was more, but hey I’ll take what I can get.
liz literally breathes:
wes mf bennett: (´♡‿♡`)
5/5 stars for this little story, and no I’m most definitely not at all biased even though better than the movies is one of my favorite books now and that wes bennett is one of my favorite book boys ever so this short story was going to be phenomenal for me anyways, so definitely not biased! call me crazy for rating a 30 paged short story 5/5, but I said what I said ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
love love love this little addition to the main story, had me smiling the whole time. gonna go jump in front of a car now <3.
August 29, 2022
I am smiling so big right now. Liz & Wes have my freaking heart.🫶🏻
“Buxbaum, I've waited my whole life for you.” 😭💛
“Buxbaum, I've waited my whole life for you.” 😭💛
October 31, 2025
Wes. Freaking. Bennett.
September 22, 2022
I’ll leave you with this quote:
“𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙇𝙞𝙯 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙙, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙗𝙡𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙮, 𝙤𝙪𝙩-𝙤𝙛-𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙥 𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙙”
🦋💕💗💘♥️
“𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙇𝙞𝙯 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙙, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙗𝙡𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙮, 𝙤𝙪𝙩-𝙤𝙛-𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙥 𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙙”
🦋💕💗💘♥️
Read
June 11, 2023buxbaum, i’ve waited my whole life for you.
LOS AMO MUCHO
LOS AMO MUCHO
Read
January 22, 2023Wes Bennett = 👏😍🥵🥺💘
Maar 30 pagina’s vanuit Wes zijn perspectief. Ik lees er liever een heel boek over :)
Maar 30 pagina’s vanuit Wes zijn perspectief. Ik lees er liever een heel boek over :)
September 13, 2024
live laugh love wes
May 21, 2024
5 stars ⭐️
⤷ minor spoilers ahead!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪
wes’s pov hits different 🤭
“When Liz grinned, everything disappeared into a fuzzy, out-of-focus backdrop as she became clarity personified. I’d always thought Liz’s smile made the rest of the world go quiet, but as I watched her give it to Michael, my thoughts were anything but… No, no, no. He wasn’t allowed to smile at her like that… It wasn’t fair. I saw her first. Liz Buxbaum had always been my secret. She was the incredible thing I’d known about but everyone else seemed to miss. The treasure hidden in plain sight, the fortune of a lifetime that was somehow only visible to me.”
BRB SCREAMING CRYING AND THROWING UP RN 😭😭😭
“It is time to come inside, Liz.”
“Um. Can I have five more minutes?”
“To make out with the neighbor under the streetlight for the entire neighborhood’s licentious entertainment? No, I don’t think so.”
“I tried, Liz. I bought you an extra seven minutes, for the record.”
help 😭 this scene was so funny 😂😭
“I want to take you to LaMars donuts at 8am.”
“This helps you how?”
“I get to see you sooner. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I’ve kind of got a thing for you.”
“The hell you say.”
“It’s true. And I just can’t wait that long to see you.”
“It’s only like, 17 hours until you’re picking me up.”
“THAT’S AN ETERNITY.”
“You can’t wait 17 hours for me?”
“Buxbaum, I’ve waited my whole life for you. For the love of God, put me out of my misery and let me woo you with coffee and chocolate sprinkles.”
AAAAAAAAHHH.
“I expected an itinerary or a sarcastic joke to follow, but instead, he gave me everything I’d spent my entire romantic life waiting for.”
“Anything you want, Buxbaum. As long as I’m with you, it will be the perfect day.”
“And that was the moment I knew.”
🥹😭🩷
⤷ minor spoilers ahead!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪
wes’s pov hits different 🤭
“When Liz grinned, everything disappeared into a fuzzy, out-of-focus backdrop as she became clarity personified. I’d always thought Liz’s smile made the rest of the world go quiet, but as I watched her give it to Michael, my thoughts were anything but… No, no, no. He wasn’t allowed to smile at her like that… It wasn’t fair. I saw her first. Liz Buxbaum had always been my secret. She was the incredible thing I’d known about but everyone else seemed to miss. The treasure hidden in plain sight, the fortune of a lifetime that was somehow only visible to me.”
BRB SCREAMING CRYING AND THROWING UP RN 😭😭😭
“It is time to come inside, Liz.”
“Um. Can I have five more minutes?”
“To make out with the neighbor under the streetlight for the entire neighborhood’s licentious entertainment? No, I don’t think so.”
“I tried, Liz. I bought you an extra seven minutes, for the record.”
help 😭 this scene was so funny 😂😭
“I want to take you to LaMars donuts at 8am.”
“This helps you how?”
“I get to see you sooner. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I’ve kind of got a thing for you.”
“The hell you say.”
“It’s true. And I just can’t wait that long to see you.”
“It’s only like, 17 hours until you’re picking me up.”
“THAT’S AN ETERNITY.”
“You can’t wait 17 hours for me?”
“Buxbaum, I’ve waited my whole life for you. For the love of God, put me out of my misery and let me woo you with coffee and chocolate sprinkles.”
AAAAAAAAHHH.
“I expected an itinerary or a sarcastic joke to follow, but instead, he gave me everything I’d spent my entire romantic life waiting for.”
“Anything you want, Buxbaum. As long as I’m with you, it will be the perfect day.”
“And that was the moment I knew.”
🥹😭🩷
August 28, 2022
lizwes my babies!
August 23, 2022
wes serves boy obsessed trope like no one else
August 23, 2022
i believe in lizwes supremacy
June 18, 2025
I love Wes ❤️
February 11, 2023
what was going on 😭😭 why does Liz keep changing genders
February 27, 2024
|| 2.5 stars ||
I feel like this time Wes’s POV didn’t really add anything to the story. I expected a more angsty inner monologue about him having lost Liz and about him missing her, maybe even have him second guessing what he did wrong or could have done differently, but instead most of this novella was just a rehash of the same dialogue from the original book with only a few (very few) thoughts of Wes sprinkled in-between. It felt totally unnecessary and maybe even a little boring with its repetitiveness. I expected a lot more.
Wes just didn’t give me the same obsessed, whipped vibes here as he did in the other bonus scenes I have read in his POV. He seriously didn’t seem like the same guy at all. Apart from him not being as obsessed, the tone of his inner monologue was also different. I can’t exactly explain it, but this was a disappointing read for me.
’Better Than the Movies’ duology:
1. Better Than the Movies - 4.0 stars
2. Nothing Like the Movies - 2.5 stars
Short stories:
1.1. Liz’s Proposal - 4.0 stars
1.2. The Party - 4.0 stars
1.3. Basketball Night - 4.0 stars
1.4. Wes Bennett’s Vivid Dream - 3.0 stars
1.5. Better than the Prom - 2.5 stars
I feel like this time Wes’s POV didn’t really add anything to the story. I expected a more angsty inner monologue about him having lost Liz and about him missing her, maybe even have him second guessing what he did wrong or could have done differently, but instead most of this novella was just a rehash of the same dialogue from the original book with only a few (very few) thoughts of Wes sprinkled in-between. It felt totally unnecessary and maybe even a little boring with its repetitiveness. I expected a lot more.
Wes just didn’t give me the same obsessed, whipped vibes here as he did in the other bonus scenes I have read in his POV. He seriously didn’t seem like the same guy at all. Apart from him not being as obsessed, the tone of his inner monologue was also different. I can’t exactly explain it, but this was a disappointing read for me.
’Better Than the Movies’ duology:
1. Better Than the Movies - 4.0 stars
2. Nothing Like the Movies - 2.5 stars
Short stories:
1.1. Liz’s Proposal - 4.0 stars
1.2. The Party - 4.0 stars
1.3. Basketball Night - 4.0 stars
1.4. Wes Bennett’s Vivid Dream - 3.0 stars
1.5. Better than the Prom - 2.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,010 reviews