Lynn Painter Books in Order: Complete Guide

Looking for Lynn Painter books in order? This guide covers Lynn Painter’s novels in publication order, with the one true sequel path called out clearly so you know which books can be read on their own and which should be read together.

Lynn Painter’s backlist is a little broader than some readers expect at first glance. She writes teen rom-coms, adult romance, and now middle grade, but the common denominators are easy to spot: banter-heavy, high-concept, fast-reading books built around chemistry, humor, and emotional payoff.

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Where to Start?
Lynn Painter Books in Publication Order
Lynn Painter Books by Series & Genre
Lynn Painter Bonus Stories
Lynn Painter Books FAQ

Where to Start?

Better Than the Movies is the best place to start for most readers. It is still Lynn Painter’s signature book, it captures her rom-com voice immediately, and it also sets up the only sequel path in her bibliography that really benefits from being read in order.

Readers who know they only want adult romance can make a case for starting with Mr. Wrong Number instead, since that book shows the older end of her backlist right away.

Lynn Painter Books in Publication Order

Lynn Painter mostly writes standalone books, though one was so popular she wrote a follow-up book to it, which we’ll talk about in a moment. Within that list of standalones, Painter has written both YA and Adult romance novels. We’ll separate these out for you in the next section.

The list below gives you an overview of her whole career from the beginning to the most recently published novel.

One quick note that saves confusion: Accidentally Amy first appeared before its later Berkley edition, which is why it belongs earlier in Lynn Painter’s publication order than some newer retailer pages might suggest.

Lynn Painter Books by Series & Genre

Better Than the Movies Series

At the center of this series is Liz Buxbaum, a hopeless romantic who filters life through rom-com logic, and Wes Bennett, the aggravating boy next door who turns out to be much more than a convenient fake-date option. The first book delivers the high school movie-magic version of their story, while the follow-up catches up with them later and leans more into second chances, growing up, and the messier side of happily-ever-after.

Better Than the Movies (2021)
Nothing Like the Movies (2024)

Standalone Young Adult Books

Painter’s YA standalones are where her teen romantic comedy side really opens up. This is the lane with time-loop chaos, waterpark bets, fake dating, hockey-town nostalgia, and glossy high school setups that read fast without feeling empty.

The Do-Over (2022)
Betting on You (2023)
Fake Skating (2025)
Trust Fall (2026)

Standalone Adult Romance Books

Her adult romances push the same humor and momentum into more overt contemporary romance territory. Wrong-number texting, dating wagers, wedding sabotage, accidental workplace sparks, and fake-dating sports chaos all show up here, which makes this side of her catalog especially good for readers who want quick, witty romance with stronger adult setups.

Middle Grade Books

The Wish Switch is the outlier in Lynn Painter’s catalog, and that is part of what makes it interesting. It keeps her humor and heart, but the focus shifts toward friendship, family, and actual magic, which gives younger readers a way into her work without trying to age down her usual teen or adult rom-com formula.

The Wish Switch (2025)

Lynn Painter Bonus Stories

One genuinely useful thing about Lynn Painter’s official site is that she actually keeps bonus material in one place. I won’t link them all individually, but if you visit the page I linked a moment ago you’ll see them all listed on her site.

Better Than the Movies extras include Wes POV material such as “Wes Bennett’s Vivid Dream,” “Basketball Night,” “Party Scene,” “Liz’s Proposal,” and “Wes and Liz’s College Road Trip.”
The Do-Over extras include “Valentine’s Day #3 (Nick’s POV)” and a deleted scene.
Mr. Wrong Number extras include bonus epilogues for “Wedding Day” and “Colin’s Proposal.”

None of those are required reading for the main books. Still, for fans of Lynn Painter’s characters, they are exactly the kind of extras worth knowing about because they come from the author’s own site rather than random promo material floating around online.

Lynn Painter Books FAQ

Do Lynn Painter books need to be read in order?

Most of them do not. Lynn Painter mainly writes standalones, so you can usually pick the premise that sounds best to you. The one big exception is reading Better Than the Movies before Nothing Like the Movies.

Are Lynn Painter books YA or adult?

Both. She writes teen rom-coms and adult romance, and The Wish Switch adds a middle grade option as well. That mix is part of why her bibliography can look a little scattered until you break it out by audience.

Do I need to read Better Than the Movies before Nothing Like the Movies?

Yes, that is the better way to do it. Nothing Like the Movies can still be followed on its own, but it lands much better when you already know Liz and Wes from the first book.

Which Lynn Painter book should I start with?

Better Than the Movies is the safest starting point for most readers. Readers who only want adult romance can start with Mr. Wrong Number, but the broadest and most recognizable entry point is still Better Than the Movies.

What genre are Lynn Painter books?

Lynn Painter is best known for romantic comedy. Her YA books sit in contemporary teen rom-com, her adult titles fit contemporary romance, and The Wish Switch brings in middle grade with a light fantasy setup built around magic and wish-making.

Looking for more books in order?

If you want more romance authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Romance Books in Order index.