*I received a free copy of Love and Other Words from Gallery Books via Edelweiss. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *
Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren Published by Gallery Books on 10 April 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 416
Format: eARC
Source: Edelweiss
Macy Sorensen is settling into an ambitious if emotionally tepid routine: work hard as a new pediatrics resident, plan her wedding to an older, financially secure man, keep her head down and heart tucked away.
But when she runs into Elliot Petropoulos—the first and only love of her life—the careful bubble she’s constructed begins to dissolve. Once upon a time, Elliot was Macy’s entire world—growing from her gangly teen friend into the man who coaxed her heart open again after the loss of her mother…only to break it on the very night he declared his love for her.
Told in alternating timelines between Then and Now, teenage Elliot and Macy grow from friends to much more—spending weekends and lazy summers together in a house outside of San Francisco reading books, sharing favorite words, and talking through their growing pains and triumphs. As adults, they have become strangers to one another until their chance reunion. Although their memories are obscured by the agony of what happened that night so many years ago, Elliot will come to understand the truth behind Macy’s decade-long silence, and will have to overcome the past and himself to revive her faith in the possibility of an all-consuming love.
Love and Other Words is one of the most poignantly beautiful stories I have ever read! My heart is still reeling, and I want to both laugh and cry at the same time.
Story:
Love and Other Words switches between Macy’s childhood and the present, slowly unraveling all her secret thoughts, fears, loves, hopes, and heartaches. Christina Lauren’s stories just get better and stronger with each book, and I can hardly even write because my feelings are all over the place.
The character development in Love and Other Words is nothing short of amazing. And the friendship between Elliot and Macy when they were children and teens is beautiful. There were just so many little details about them both that made sense to me.
Love and Other Words is also a devastatingly beautiful second-chance-at love story, and I was so immersed in Macy and Elliot’s story I know I’m gong to re-visit them one day.
Characters:
Macy is successful, smart, witty, and lovable. However, she doesn’t appear very happy in her present life. In her past, she was rather happy, though, even though her mom died when she was 10. And she gets even happier once she meets Elliot.
Elliot is my new favorite male lead. He’s a bit nerdy, extremely smart, sensitive, funny and he has a favorite word for everything!
Elliot’s whole family was awesome, the parents, the sisters and brothers, they all wanted only what was best for Elliot.
Writing style :
Love and Other Words is written in first person point of view from Macy’s perspective. It switches between the past and the present, and that way, the readers got the full scope of Macy’s story – even if some memories were kept until the very end.
Feels :
Love and Other Words brought all the feels. And this story is one of the most beautiful I have ever read.
I would disappear into the background when they touched like this, feeling like I was witnessing something sacred.
It’s strange enough to see him from the back, and I’m watching him with such intensity that for a second, I convince myself that it’s actually not him after all. Maybe it could be anyone – and after a decade apart, how well do I really know his body, anyway?
Love and Other Words - a fantastic, heartbreaking story about a second chance in love #Review Click To TweetReading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 18 Contemporary Romance
- 18 COYER Winter
- 2018 NetGalley and Edelweiss Challenge
- 2018 New Release Challenge
About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.
YES! This book absolutely slayed me with all the feels. It was so so good! I loved Eliott and Macy so much! Glad you loved it too, Lexxie!
Now I have to go find your review, Nick! Totally slayed, but also so totally happy 🙂
Twitter: ailynk
ooo .. .poor guy, someone’s going to get dumped =( let’s hold a minute silence [ you did say she was engaged… so someone is going to get hurt either way]
You’re right… someone is going to get dumped.
Hmm, may have to use some birthday loot on this one, wifey. 😉 You know I’m a sucker for second chance romances and this one sounds very well done!
Haapy Tuesday! {{{big hugs}}}
You should, Brandee! You are going to love every single thing in this story! It’s so well done, and you are going to swoon so hard (after you cry quite a bit, of course 😉 )
Miss you, wifey! {{{hugs}}}
Twitter: teamwork
This sounds so good. I didn’t even know it was coming out. I will have to add it to my TBR!!
It is really good, Megan! You should definitely add it to your TBR! These two writers just keep getting better, and the feelings Love and Other Words evoked in me were very strong!
I’ve been hearing SUCH good things about this one! I’m so glad to hear you loved it too. Elliot sounds fantastic.
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
It is so very good, Lauren! Elliot was great, but so were the other characters 🙂
I’ve been hearing great things about this book! Glad to see you enjoyed it, I do love a good friends-to-lover romance! Love the quote. Great review, Lexxie!
It’s really good, Cyn! You should check it out for sure 🙂