Love and Other Words

This was my first Christina Lauren book so I had no expectations starting this story. But let me just say how impressed I was with the detail, the emotions, the suspense, I loved this story. I loved Elliot and his passion for life, books, learning, Macy!!! I loved the stark contrast of the family dynamics as well. I’ve already ordered several more of her books since I loved this one so much!!! It’s a must read for everyone in my mind!!!! Read it in 24 hours.

So this was my response first Christina Lauren Novel. I've heard really good things about it.The charactersI absolutely loved the character development of both Elliot and Macy.I love their shared love of reading and word. I love the slow burn element of their story. I relate to Macy's struggle in so many. I love the way grief is realistically portrayed. It's so raw and real and that's how grief is.I love how Elliot was always a steady force in her life.I thought the spice level in this book was very well done. It was definitely open door, but nothing too graphic. The spice was definitely present, but it didn't happen too quickly. The spice was definitely not the central focus.I normally don't like dual timelines or dual POV. But in the case of this book, it just worked.Macy and Elliot's relationship was definitely complicated. Not only did they have a lot of history, they also had a lot of baggage to sort through. From both the past and the present.I thought the writing was excellent. I was pulled into the story very early on. I especially love that Macy's mother wrote her husband helpful advice as Macy went through different mile stones. I also loved her relationship with her father. He was a man of few words, but it was very obvious he loved his daughter very much.This is a book I won't soon forget.

Love and other words is truly a special book.Christina Lauren did an excellent job portraying both characters especially Elliot. Also loved how Macy is in the medical field. Felt I could relate being in a similar profession.Macy, a pediatric resident is engaged to a well known artist who has a child. Things are going smoothly until she runs into an old childhood best friend/lover (Elliot) at a coffee shop. The story unfolds with two timelines. One is in the past from Macys POV when her mother dies and her father finds a weekend home to help heal their family. The other is in the present again from Macys POV when her and Elliot run into each other after 11 years. The story unfolds from there and their love story gets SO good. I could seriously not stop reading.This is a perfect best friends to lovers and second chance romance trope! This really showed how a strong friendship can overcome the biggest obstacles.I gave this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars because for one it took me surprise with all the emotional aspects that seriously had me tearing up!! I adore and admire the special friendship and connection between the two main characters Macy and Elliot which created a love for each other that is absolutely unmatched. This book left me with a big smile at the end. Highly recommend!

I'm in love with the story of Elliot and Macy. As someone who loves to read and loves words this was everything to me. Thank you for Elliot's perspective at the end.

This book was easy to love, even as some of it rubbed me the wrong way. It feels as though I fell into this world, and I'll never completely fall out.Christina Lauren masterfully and gracefully depicted the pitfalls of grief, the complications of love, and the beauty of second chances. I love that they were able to show an appreciation for words and books through the characters in a way that didn't feel forced. I loved the guessing I played in my head, all the while kind of already knowing the deep secrets the characters were withholding. I did not love the Sean relationship, which was just weird, even though I get the angle they were going for. I did not love Elliot's easy dismissal of an adult friend/girlfriend of five years in favor of a childhood one from more than a decade ago. I did not always love Elliot, and truly believe he was in the wrong not only in his mistake, but in his assumption that he deserved to give an explanation. And yet... I wholeheartedly loved this book. I think it should be noted that this one is very obviously not going to be for everyone, but for those whom it fits, you'll never forget it.

This book blew me away! It was so good. I loved reading how Elliot and Macy became instant friends as children. I think the jumps in time back and forth were done fantastically. I really enjoyed how they grew up together in the sense that they talked about everything and continued to be best friends in high school but wanted more. The tragedy and heartache was all done very well. I’m so glad this story had a happy ending. This was one of my favorite reads this year.