In this rom-com about rom-coms, in the spirit of Kasie West and Jenn Bennett, a hopeless romantic teen attempts to secure a happily-ever-after moment with her forever crush, but finds herself reluctantly drawn to the boy next door.
Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar—and maybe snag him as a prom date—even befriend Wes Bennet.
The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor might seem like a prime candidate for romantic comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in.
But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love—and rethink her own ideas of what Happily Ever After should look like.“The Soundtrack of Wes and Liz.”
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Gr 9 Up–Liz Buxbaum is a romantic comedy superfan. She loves the soundtracks and happy endings, of course, but most of all she loves the comfort and connection they provide after losing her mother. Navigating senior year without her mom has been tough, and all Liz wants is to end it with the perfect, rom-com–ready prom night. Lucky for her, her childhood crush has just moved back to town, but the only way to get to Michael is with the help of her detestable next-door neighbor, Wes Bennett. Though Wes has driven her crazy since they were kids, Liz has no choice but to scheme with him in order to get the happy ending she’s always imagined. As with any great romantic comedy, there are twists and turns on the path to love, and Liz must decide whether she wants the picture-perfect ending of her dreams or the one she didn’t expect. While rom-com fans will see Liz’s revelation coming a mile away, Painter makes the journey enjoyable with quippy banter, lovable characters, and enough will-they-won’t-they tension to satisfy readers. The book peppers in several nods to classic romantic comedies that die-hard fans will connect with. Liz is coded as white and Wes’s ethnicity isn’t stated. VERDICT While not much here is fresh or surprising, the novel leans into the rom-com tropes fans know and love. Purchase this enjoyable read for collections where teen romances are popular.–Mary Kamela, Kenmore West H.S., Buffalo, NY
Gr 9 Up-Liz Buxbaum is a romantic comedy superfan. She loves the soundtracks and happy endings, of course, but most of all she loves the comfort and connection they provide after losing her mother. Navigating senior year without her mom has been tough, and all Liz wants is to end it with the perfect, rom-com-ready prom night. Lucky for her, her childhood crush has just moved back to town, but the only way to get to Michael is with the help of her detestable next-door neighbor, Wes Bennett. Though Wes has driven her crazy since they were kids, Liz has no choice but to scheme with him in order to get the happy ending she's always imagined. As with any great romantic comedy, there are twists and turns on the path to love, and Liz must decide whether she wants the picture-perfect ending of her dreams or the one she didn't expect. While rom-com fans will see Liz's revelation coming a mile away, Painter makes the journey enjoyable with quippy banter, lovable characters, and enough will-they-won't-they tension to satisfy readers. The book peppers in several nods to classic romantic comedies that die-hard fans will connect with. Liz is coded as white and Wes's ethnicity isn't stated. VERDICT While not much here is fresh or surprising, the novel leans into the rom-com tropes fans know and love. Purchase this enjoyable read for collections where teen romances are popular.-Mary Kamela, Kenmore West H.S., Buffalo, NY