If you’re looking for a light and fun read, you can never go wrong with an adorable rom-com, and most of Lynn Painter’s books are no exception! 🥰 This summer, I’ve been devouring any adorable love story I can find to brighten up the monotonous days. From fake dating to forced proximity, I’ve read just about anything you can imagine. So, I know best how it feels to find a love story that wraps around you like a warm hug just when you need it most. 

The perfect example was Better than the Movies by USA Today and New York Times Bestselling Author Lynn Painter. I was so pleasantly surprised that a sequel came out for it in October 2024! Given my love for the first book in the series, I was determined to read all of the author’s rom-coms before the release of her latest novel. 

Here’s a ranking of my favorites and why I loved them so much. If you’re in need of some cute love stories to warm your heart, too, or can’t wait to check out Nothing Like the Movies, this reading guide is for you! 🎁

Your Collection of Lynn Painter Books 

Lynn Painter Books In Order 📚

1. Happily Never After  

Their name? The objectors. Their job? To break off weddings as hired. Their dilemma? They might just be in love with each other. 🤭

When Sophie Steinbeck finds out just before her wedding day that her fiancé has cheated (yet) again, she desperately wants to call it off. But because her future father-in-law is her dad’s cutthroat boss, she doesn’t want to be the one to do it. 

Her “savior”, Max, comes into her life as a professional objector, whose role is to attend weddings and announce the phrase that no couple (usually) wishes to hear during their ceremony: “I object!”The two love cynics start working together, going from wedding to wedding, and Sophie’s having more fun than she’s had in ages. As Sophie and Max spend more time together, they realize that they actually like each other. 🥰 But of course, no one admits it, because love doesn’t exist, after all (or so they say).

This novel ticks off almost all the boxes of a classic rom-com with an adorable twist. The typically romantic wedding setting serves as a backdrop for the hesitant love story of the two cynical wedding objectors. When they first meet, they could’ve sworn that true love doesn’t exist. But as they spend more time together at every wedding, they realize that maybe falling in love could be a possibility for both of them as long as it’s with each other.🤭

What makes Happily Never After especially engaging is the witty, natural dialogue between the characters. It fills each page with a fun, flirty tone that makes it nearly impossible not to smile as you read. So, if you’re looking for a book with a light-hearted vibe and a happy ending, then this Lynn Painter book has it all! 

2. Betting on You

When seventeen-year-old Bailey starts a new job at a hotel waterpark, she’s less than thrilled to see an old acquaintance is one of her coworkers. 😱

Bailey met Charlie a year ago on a long flight after her parents’ divorce. Charlie’s cynicism didn’t mix well with Bailey’s demure and mindful personality, and his endless blabbering was the frustrating finishing touch on an already tense journey. 

Bailey and Charlie are complete opposites. But with nearly everything about Charlie irritating Bailey, she slowly starts to enjoy hanging out and gossiping with him about the guests and their coworkers—especially two who keep flirting with each other. Bailey and Charlie make a bet on whether or not the pair will actually get together. He insists that a man and a woman can’t just be friends, but Bailey is determined to prove him wrong. 😁

As Charlie tries to deny the growing feelings he’s developed for Bailey, they start fake dating to stop the annoying interactions between Bailey’s mom and her new boyfriend. However, Charlie has a secret—one involving Bailey and another bet he may have made. 🫢

Could they really have something together, or has Charlie’s secret doomed them before they could even start?

There’s just something about playful bets and fake dating that takes the edge off of reality. As they share passions and pains together during work, they get closer. But the same thing that brought them together—a silly bet, could be the very thing to break them apart. Betting on You is the perfect combination of tension and playfulness, making it a perfect end-of-summer romance book. If you’re in the mood for a fun-loving vibe story with a dash of rivalry and secrets, this is one of Lynn Painter’s books you cannot miss. We bet it’s worth adding it to your Bookly TBR! 😉

3. Mr. Wrong Number

Things get textual when a steamy message from a random wrong number turns into an anonymous relationship.

Bad luck has always followed Olivia Marshall, or maybe she’s just the screw-up her family thinks she is. 😑 But when a “what are you wearing?” text from a random wrong number turns into the most thrilling (yet, anonymous), relationship of her life, she starts believing her life is not as bad as it seems.

Colin Beck has always considered Olivia just as his best friend’s annoying little sister. But it all starts to change when she moves in with them after one of her worst runs of luck. He realizes she’s turned into a completely different and alluring distraction.

He’s sure he can keep his distance, until he discovers she’s the irresistible Miss Misdial he’s been sort of sexting for weeks—oops. 🫢 Now he has to decide whether to turn the heat up or ghost her before things get (too) messy.

Is there anything better than reading about a couple falling in love? Yes! Reading that the same couple falls for each other not only once, but twice! The two characters’ adorable blossoming relationship develops both in-person and through text. As they form a closer bond across their screens, they’re thrust into a forced proximity living situation that makes it even more difficult to ignore their growing chemistry. 🥰

No matter what mood you’re in, this Lynn Painter book will for sure move you in all the good ways. It’s got almost every romance trope you could imagine, woven together smoothly and naturally to give you comforting vibes only. Dual POV, mixed-up numbers, forced proximity, brother’s best friend, or a total declaration of love—the perfect mix guaranteed to get you out of any stubborn reading slump! And while you’re at it, make sure you don’t miss out on any detail, take notes while you read so you don’t get anything mixed up. 😌

4. The Love Wager

Two people make a wager on who can find love first, not realizing what they should truly be wagering on is each other. 

Hallie Piper is ready for a fresh start. After belly-crawling out of a hotel room (mistakes happen, right?!), she decides to fully embrace adulthood. She finds a new apartment, gets a new haircut, and a new wardrobe. But when she logs onto a dating app thinking she’ll find her new true love, she meets Jack, the guy whose room she actually snuck out of. 🫢

After agreeing they are absolutely not interested in each other, Jack and Hallie realize they’re each other’s perfect wing-person in their search for true love. So they start talking about their dates, often even conveniently arranging them at the same restaurant so that if the dates don’t go well, they can grab tacos together afterward. 

🌮 A little (funny) spoiler: they get a lot of tacos together.

There’s an underlying lovers-to-friends-to-lovers plot that continues to develop as Jack and Hallie attempt to find their true matches. But with every failed date and flirty interaction, they become more aware of the potential for finding their true match in each other. 🤭

Things get an expected turn when they agree to be fake dating for a weekend wedding, and since then, all bets are off. As they behave like a true couple, the lines begin to fade, leading them both to view each other as a highly appealing choice. There’s absolutely no way you’ll be able to stop reading this Lynn Painter book! Get ready to be captivated, as the main couple will sweep you off your feet and steal the spotlight from the first chapter. Their every interaction is filled with witty dialogue, sizzling chemistry, and all the feels. You won’t regret wagering your time on this romance that might make you believe in love again. 💗

5. Better than the Movies

Perfect for fans of Kasie West and Jenn Bennett, this sweet and funny teen rom-com follows a hopelessly romantic teen girl and her cute yet obnoxious neighbor as they scheme to get her noticed by her untouchable crush.

Daydreamer Lix Buxbaum fell for Michael long ago. However, her cool and distant crush never truly noticed her before he moved away. So when he gets back in town, he finds Liz will try everything to catch his attention—and perhaps secure him as her prom date—even if it means becoming friends with Wes Bennet. 

The annoying neighbor next-door might appear to be the perfect main character for Liz’s romantic comedy daydream, but Wes has been nothing but a nuisance to her since their childhood days. All his pranks involving frogs and severed lawn gnomes don’t exactly qualify him as a suitable boyfriend. 👎 Yet, it seems that Wes and Michael are bonding, which gives Liz the connection she was looking for to enter the game. But as Liz and Wes plot together to get her noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she finds that she actually enjoys being around Wes. Wait, what?! 🫢 As they get closer, she needs to reevaluate everything she thought she knew about love, and the very essence of a Happily Ever After. 

There’s nothing sweeter than a love letter to love, and Lynn Painter’s Better than the Movies is here to deliver! 💌 The romance-obsessed Liz Buxbaum lives her life like a rom-com and invites you to get your own taste of it, too. Every page is packed with rom-com references and lovely twists that will have you hugging your copy with joy, literally!  

Even though this novel is YA, it has absolutely everything you could wish for in a rom-com. This is one of those Lynn Painter books with something every teen and adult will love. 🥰 But don’t take our word for it. Add it to your Bookly App TBR today! 

And finally…

6. Nothing Like the Movies

In this highly anticipated sequel, Wes and Liz struggle to balance their feelings for each other with the growing pains of being college students. 

For a few movie-like months, Wes had his dream relationship with his dream girl, the strong-willed girl-next-door Liz. But just as the two were about to set off on their freshman year at UCLA together, disaster struck. Wes was left dealing with the fallout, which ultimately meant losing Liz. 😓

Fast forward several months, Wes and Liz find themselves together in college. 

After the most heartbreaking fallout, Wes plans to win her back using all the romantic gestures that he knows she loves. Only to find out that Liz is not having it. 🫢 Wes now has to get a backup plan up his sleeve to reconnect with her. What’s even worse is that Liz has a new guy friend. 

Even so, Wes refuses to give up, constantly adjusting his clever ideas and working hard to capture Liz’s attention and rekindle her feelings for him. Will his efforts prevail or stay buried along with a broken heart?  💔

A story full of romantic gestures and declarations could never be a letdown, and Nothing Like the Movies promises to give you all the feels! From numerous Taylor Swift references to adorable attempts at rekindling a relationship, this book is the ideal companion when you need to feel that summer haze again and again. 🥰

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Get your library card, favorite book tote, or e-reader, and start enjoying these delightful stories packed with love, friendship, and heartwarming romance. 🥰

Whether you’re a rom-com newcomer or a die-hard love stories fan looking for new romance recs, this collection comes in perfectly! Check it out and let us know if it hit the right spot for you as it did for us. 😌

This reading guide was written by our Bookly Pro Reader, Adylin.💙

Check Out More Romance Book Collections And Spice Up Your TBR! 

Stop, drop, and read romance! 💌 These sizzling hot contemporary romance books are definitely worth your TBR. If you’re in need of a feel-good break, cozy up with some heartwarming romance titles that are too good to miss out on. You’ll thank us later! 🤭 

If you’re slightly behind with your reading goal before choosing your next romantic escapade, we’ve got just the tips & tricks for you on how to increase your reading speed while still maintaining comprehension. 

Best of luck, and let’s crush all those 2025 reading goals together! 📖💪

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