The Parkway West library is the pinnacle of education in our building. There, we socialize, research, explore and read. But looming bookshelves can be overwhelming, and some might not want to tackle the library’s aisles of books. 

Luckily, I’ve read and reviewed four books that live in our library already. Not just any books, but contemporary romantic comedies — otherwise known as “rom-coms” — which have been ranked runner-up, third, second, and first place. Picking up a book that’s not worth the read leads to disappointment, so below is my opinion of four popular rom-com sensations that have made a stir on Booktok and the reading community. Hopefully, after reading this, finding a book won’t be such a daunting task anymore. 

These reviews aren’t meant to spoil the books outright but read at your own peril. It’s impossible to write an honest review without revealing a few things about the story, but still enjoy.

Runner-up: “What Happens After Midnight” by K. L. Walther

Synopsis:

Lily Hopper is a senior in boarding school with only two weeks left until she graduates, but she’s worried she hasn’t gotten the full high school experience because of her goody-two-shoes reputation. When the senior prank comes around and she gets nominated by the anonymous class Jester to help execute it, Lily decides to take the risk.

Little did she know that the Jester was none other than her ex-boyfriend, Taggart Swell, who she’s still undeniably in love with.

“What Happens After Midnight” is a high school second-chance romance book where two teens overcome miscommunications and find their true selves through an adventure. For those who prefer digital reading, the book is only available in our library as an eBook.

Plot:

The book first gives us information about Lily and the school where the entire story takes place. The plot had lots of events in it and was quite simple: there’s a goal and conflicts for that goal. But you do get memories between Lily and Tag throughout the chapters that help add depth and build the relationship between them. 

The story itself is very carefree and adventurous, especially since it pushes the main character out of her comfort zone. It’s very straightforward and mildly thrilling to keep up with. The world-building was also pretty sweet and the reader gets thoroughly immersed in the school’s culture. 

Characters:

The characters in this book lack depth; only the main characters and a couple of antagonists have prominent flaws. However, the relationships between them are adorable. The cliques in the story are truly like realistic high school friends: supportive, funny and mischievous. 

Lily’s friends are also beautifully diverse — each character had their own personality trait that was featured, whether that was comedy, wit, loyalty or kindness. There were also nice touches of representation with a main character having diabetes or the inclusion of LGBTQ+ relationships.

Writing Style:

K. L. Walther’s writing style is concise and readable. It’s another book that I binged in about four hours, just because it’s pretty easy to process. There are a few instances of cussing, but the story is based off of high school seniors so I wasn’t shocked. Otherwise, the writing style was enjoyable, not least because of all the Taylor Swift easter eggs and “Schitt’s Creek” references.

Conclusion:

“What Happens After Midnight” is a fun and carefree read that is a good choice when you don’t want to read something intense. The chapters weren’t too long and the plot was only a little flat. “What Happens After Midnight” earns a 3.5/5 stars.

3. “The People We Meet on Vacation” by Emily Henry

Synopsis:

Poppy and Alex are best friends, besides being the most opposite two can possibly be. Poppy is spunky and wild; Alex prefers to relax and read. But they still managed to become the best friends ever after a car ride home from college many years ago.

Poppy lives in New York while Alex lives in their hometown of Linfield, Ohio, but every summer they take one week of vacation together and have been for 10 years. 

But two years ago, they ruined everything, and contact hasn’t been made since then. Desperate for a taste of happiness once more, Poppy convinces her best friend to go on one more vacation with her and she has one chance to fix everything.

“The People We Meet on Vacation” is a fluffy friends-to-lovers that works to prove love can cover all bounds and rifts in friendships can be mended.

Plot:

The story starts with the main character, Poppy, in New York and flips between the past and the present to build Poppy and Alex’s relationship. It was nicely written and writing the chapters that way allows the reader to see how their friendship was built and why they’re acting the way they are in the future. 

The storyline is easy to follow: Poppy wants to mend her relationship with Alex and does so by convincing him to go on a vacation with her for old times’ sake. I enjoyed that the plot was quite simple because it allowed the book to move between past and present without being too difficult to process.

Characters:

The book is written from Poppy’s perspective. Since the book is mostly comprised of the characters’ travels, there are only so many prominent characters, especially because they’re extremely diverse! Emily Henry finds a way to make them all pop through personality and style. Characters that are only there for a chapter or two leave an impact on Poppy and Alex as they’re reflected on later in the book. 

Each character had their own handful of flaws, which was nice; however, this rom-com is a little bit of a stretch when it comes to realistically bringing two people together. After all, their wants are on opposite sides of the spectrum. I really didn’t think it would work out since Alex wants to stay in one place and raise a family while Poppy wants to travel the world. Regardless, it’s a cute story where two people get their “happily ever after.” It’s a rom-com after all, and happy endings are always possible. 

Writing style:

Henry’s style is super easy to read. I ended up binge-reading the entire book in two days. She uses easy-flowing sentences that are funny and romantic. However, this book does use quite a few cuss words —  but the characters are adults — and there is one main explicit scene. Even then, it’s not that graphic, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re uncomfortable.

Conclusion:

“The People We Meet on Vacation” is a funny and cozy book that I had a lot of fun reading. The chapters didn’t go longer than around six pages and I grew to love all the characters in the story. Though I wasn’t a fan of miscommunications that lasted over a couple of pages. I gave “The People We Meet on Vacation” a 4/5 stars.

2. “Better Than The Movies” by Lynn Painter

Synopsis: 

Rom-com enthusiast and dreamer Liz Buxbaum fell in love with Michael a long time ago, though, her forever crush never noticed her how she wanted him to. But Michael has moved back in town, and Liz is determined to get him to notice her and hopefully become his prom date too. She’ll even befriend her terribly annoying next-door neighbor, Wes Bennet.

Wes has been a thorn in Liz’s side since they were kids, yet Wes and Michael are getting along, and Wes is Liz’s in. But as Liz and Wes’s plan to get Liz noticed by Michael kicks in motion, she’s shocked to realize that maybe Wes isn’t so bad, and maybe she doesn’t know him at all.

“Better Than The Movies” is a small-town enemies-to-lovers story that expresses the complicated feelings of high school students and the importance of being yourself.

Plot:

“Better Than the Movies” kicks off quickly by establishing where each character stands in relation to the protagonist, Liz Buxbaum. It starts with a conflict right away when Liz’s lifelong crush moves back to her hometown. Instantly, we’re thrown into a tangle of her emotions and are eased into her consciousness by learning bits of her past instead of getting it all dumped on us. 

The storyline is solid. There’s a goal, conflicts and little moments that slowly bring the characters together until you’re kicking your feet and just wishing they’d get together already. The plot is a little predictable, but it’s so well written in a cute and fluffy way that I got sucked right into the clichés anyway. 

Characters:

The main character is Liz, but Lynn Painter highlights many other characters as well. She brings out lots of personalities which are seen especially in characters that care about Liz. For example, you learn a lot about her strong relationship with her best friend, even as Liz faces turbulence with her in the events leading up to the climax — the prom. 

Although the story is only from Liz’s point of view, you get to learn a lot about the secondary main character: Wes Bennett. Wes is Liz’s love interest, and readers slowly get to know him through little actions he does that affect Liz’s life without her knowing. These actions include things he said or did in the past that influenced her, which is a beautifully executed technique. Painter does an amazing job gradually revealing his true colors and helps you understand how all the characters are growing and learning. 

Writing style:

Painter’s writing style is adorably sweet and easy to read. Her book even implements modern ‘slang’ between the characters, though their dialogue makes you cringe sometimes, especially when Wes calls Liz a savage. I loved that the book was age-appropriate, which is a little rarer these days when it comes to romance novels. The cussing was kept to a minimum and the story wasn’t explicit in content. 

Conclusion:

“Better Than the Movies” is a nice, cute read that I enjoyed a lot. Granted, the book took a little while to work through. The chapters were a little long, so I had to take a lot of time to sit down and read the book. I definitely enjoyed the story, the clichés, the characters and everything in between. “Better Than the Movies” earns 4/5 stars. 

1. “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus

Synopsis:

Elizabeth Zott is a chemist, and for the early 1960s, she was not an average woman. Unfortunately, her all-male coworkers at Hastings Research Institute don’t care if she’s a chemist or not, except for the brilliant Calvin Evans who sees her not just as a woman, but as a scientist.

Sadly, life refuses to be predicted, and Elizabeth Zott is a single mother and the star of America’s favorite cooking show, Supper at Six only a few years later. But Elizabeth Zott isn’t a TV star, she’s a chemist, and she challenges her audience to change the parameters of what men think women can do.

“Lessons in Chemistry” is a thought-provoking and inspiring novel about feminism and ambition where the mothers of 1960s learn about empowerment.

Plot:

The plot of this book was certainly more intense than your typical rom-com novel. Halfway through the book, Elizabeth Zott experiences some turbulence with her lover, Calvin Evans, and instead we read about her fight for her own rights and how she constantly challenged her male colleagues in the workplace. 

There are a few memory scenes that are fascinating. Every aspect in the plot is engaging, while the storyline and characters have the perfect amount of complexity. One of the most interesting features is the value placed on romance throughout the story and the fact that is the driving force for Elizabeth during the most difficult times in her life. She’s an extremely practical character but still experiences different kinds of love between friends and family.

Characters:

The characters are a motley crew, especially for 1960s America. It’s pleasing to read about Elizabeth as she challenges the thoughts of others. We get to see the side characters that used to oppose her grow into characters that break free from societal restraints and support her.

I absolutely love how complex Elizabeth and Calvin are, especially together, a true power couple! Calvin respects Elizabeth as who she is and they put their brains together to work and research chemistry like abiogenesis. It’s also very interesting to see how characters change their interactions with Elizabeth based on her circumstances, specifically when she is with or without Calvin.

Writing Style:

Bonnie Garmus’ writing style is brilliant. It’s blunt, practical and smart. It reeled me in, and I ended up reading it for hours. The writing is pleasingly challenging to read but also not difficult enough to be boring. Large words that specifically explain what a character is thinking and sentences with deeper meanings about the world were added to really make you think. It provokes thoughts about humankind and society that your basic rom-com doesn’t.

Conclusion:

“Lessons in Chemistry” is an amazing, enjoyably woke book on feminine strength that I had a blast reading. Garmus cusses some, but in ways that feel fitting for the time period. Though her writing has some innuendo and such, it’s very satisfying to finish a few chapters and think about the points Garmus was trying to make. “Lessons in Chemistry” earns 5/5 stars.

….

In conclusion, all of these books were good choices that are worth trying out regardless of how I ranked them. Books are truly personal preference and I enjoyed reading each and every one since they all indulge in different tropes. If you’re interested and looking for a summer read, you should certainly check them out at the library!