It all started when I was watching booktuber Haley Pham back in 2023. She mentioned an author I’d never heard of before, and a book that sounded like it was made for me. Of course, I bought it almost immediately, and somehow read all 349 pages in the space of three days. Concerning? Maybe. But Better Than The Movies was my introduction to Lynn Painter, and it remains one of my favourite books of all time. Maybe that makes me biased when I talk about the Lynn Painter Effect, but maybe it also makes me highly qualified in explaining how her works have impacted a generation of readers.
My journey into Painter’s work isn’t just a personal one - it’s a collective experience felt by countless readers.
Lynn Painter has written a collection of YA romances that feel like films. They’re cinematic masterpieces on paper. They’re heartbreaking and fun in equal measure, and they always leave readers with a resounding feeling of hope and the comforting concept of being understood. Rom-coms have always had a universal appeal, pulling at the heartstrings of audiences to remind us of our first experiences of falling in love, falling apart, and piecing ourselves back together again. Painter’s writing is a cultural experience, not because it redefines the rom-com genre, but because it embraces its essence and speaks to the hearts of those who love it.
Her books serve as therapeutic healing for every girl who has been told love never happens like it does in films.
Lynn Painter's Mission
Her writing amalgamates everything that makes a rom-com work: personal growth, second chances and unexpected connections. She takes classic tropes and intertwines them into something new - enemies to lovers and fake dating commonly making appearances in her novels.
Lynn Painter's YA books are tailored for rom-com lovers, Taylor Swift enthusiasts, the playlist makers and those searching for happy endings. She provides a safe haven with relatable characters that reflect parts of our personalities. Painter's protagonists often reflect the relatable quirks and values of her readers, allowing her to create an emotional connection to her audience. Her books serve as therapeutic healing for every girl who has been told love never happens like it does in films.
Connection to Classic Rom-Coms
Painter’s stories are rooted in classic rom-com traditions, drawing inspiration from the literary canon and the late-90s to early-2000s “canon” of romance films.
Better Than The Movies, draws inspiration from the classic Austen tale Pride and Prejudice (even down to names - ‘Elizabeth’ Buxbaum and Wes ‘Bennett’). However, it also has the most obvious connection to rom-coms. Each chapter opens with a quote from a different beloved rom-com, making readers feel immediately at home.
The Do Over is your classic time loop romance, a la Groundhog Day. However, Painter portrays an important twist, emphasising the beauty of imperfection, as opposed to striving for the ‘perfect day’.
Betting On You celebrates the beloved ‘betting’ trope popularised by 1999 films 10 Things I Hate About You and She’s All That, though it has also been dubbed a spin on When Harry Met Sally, offering a nod to their dynamic friendship turned romance.
Lynn Painter draws inspiration from the classics that her readers know and love to create stories that remain in your heart even after you’ve finished reading. Her ability to modernise these classic tales makes her novels feel simultaneously nostalgic and remarkably new.
The Musicology of Literature
A soundtrack makes or breaks a good rom-com. The best rom-coms have unforgettable soundtracks - think Bridget Jones’ Diary, Clueless and 10 Things I Hate About You. Painter draws on the emotional impact of music to enhance her work. Each of her books is accompanied by its own soundtrack (listed at the back), with memorable songs that define the stories.
In Better Than The Movies, Paradise by Bazzi reflects the story’s tone and is perhaps the most important track, making an appearance twice. The song still holds a place in my heart. I can’t listen to it without thinking about Liz and Wes. Mac Miller’s Up All Night accompanies an unforgettable chapter of embarrassing moments at a party: moments which truly define the beginning of Liz and Wes’ story. Taylor Swift’s New Year’s Day is also an extremely memorable track, reflecting the fear of losing someone you love because of something you did to hurt them.
In Betting On You, All Too Well holds the most important musical memory, perhaps with one of the most memorable moments in the novel being Bailey and Charlie singing All Too Well (10 Minute Version) at karaoke. However, a subtle reference to Karma in the line “Karma was supposed to be a cat, dammit, not this” certainly made me laugh, highlighting how cleverly Painter inserts musical allusions into her work.
Of all the Lynn Painter books, perhaps the most Taylor Swift inclined is The Do Over. While its most blatant reference is to The Last Great American Dynasty with protagonist Emilie Hornby’s “I had a marvellous time ruining everything” tattoo (in stark contrast to her original perfectionist personality), the soundtrack of Emilie and Nick references nine Taylor tracks in total.
In the acknowledgements section of The Do Over, Lynn Painter explained the Taylor Swift obsession in her novels, stating “thanks to Taylor Swift - for writing songs that feel like books”.
That’s what is so special about Lynn Painter’s work: her books are interspersed with music. The songs dabble with the emotional resonance of the reading experience, intrinsically interlacing the experience of reading certain sections with songs, in the same way that we often link songs to our memories of love, heartbreak and happiness. Music and memory go hand in hand, even in literature.
The Lynn Painter Effect touches the heart and soul of her readers. It makes you grateful for the little things - for songs that explain exactly how you’re feeling and characters in fiction that make you feel less alone. Her writing explores the teenage experience and a love of love itself. We’re all “confused little love lovers” as Better Than The Movies puts it - but maybe that’s the best way to see the world.