Love and Other Words

A great read filled with deep emotions and love. Love how it tells the story of then and now simultaneously.

Emotive and passionate read yet again from Christina Lauren. The characters are all very likeable, great story unfolding throughout. Elliot is a swoon worthy book boyfriend! Thank you

It’s a good story and keeps wanting to read the book

Truthfully, I didn't know what to expect from this. I have had a bit of a bumpy relationship with Christina Lauren throughout the years and I think it speaks volumes for my growth as a person and as a reader overall. I started with their Beautiful Bastard series and absolutely adored it, and quickly gobbled up the rest of the series. But then I hit a wall wherein I simply didn't want to read any romance novels whatsoever and I ended up abandoning the series at Beautiful Secret (thankfully I'm getting back into my romance mood now), and then I abandoned their other series (Sweet Filthy Boy?), because of the same reason. When they came out with Autoboyography, I was straight onto it and really liked it. I felt it knocked their dynamic out of whack a little bit, just because it was so different to what they usually did - but without comparing it to their other works, it really was a fantastic book and something that is very necessary in young adult literature. So, honestly, I was a little sceptical when this one emerged... But I couldn't stop myself from buying it. When it arrived in the post, I picked it up and started reading. I fell in love with this story immediately - there were no pauses to think and consider whether I liked what I was reading - the book just settled straight into my heart and it felt incredibly right in my soul. I absolutely adored this book, and it isn't one that I'll be forgetting any time soon. In fact, I would go as far to say that it is a book that I will go back to at some point in the very near future. I added a lot of sticky tabs throughout and I genuinely do look forward to going back to them and reading my favourite parts again. There are some massively important topics covered in this one - and I think they definitely, 100% hit the mark on women's fiction.

This book was a cute and easy read. I enjoyed the way it was told in the past and present, but I found there to be a little lack of tension. I know it's a romance and they don't really have heaps of tension, but I feel like the characters needed a little bit more fleshing out? I don't know if that's the right word, but I felt Macy was lacking a bit in the present. And I don't know, maybe that's how it was designed, to reflect the way that she was feeling, but I feel it could have been more. I liked the ending, and her connection to Elliott seemed very natural, and cute. Overall, a sweet, and nice read. Nothing profound but you're not really expecting that going in to this sort of book.

Great read! It was an easy read. Super soapy and made my heart melt! If you’re looking for a quick pick me up romance - this is it!

Beautifully written, intriguingly by two authors, the language is fresh and the observations on life and matters of the heart are spot on. The story is told from Macy's viewpoint. Macy has been hurt by life's sadness from an early age and, as a young teenager, finds a firm friend in Elliot. He is a wonderfully likeable hero and Macy describes Elliot's searing honesty and vulnerability so movingly. A heart-wrenching story with a tension-filled finale which explains everything. Scattered throughout are references to books and words. There really is everything to love in this book

Ugh where do I even start. Such a beautiful book. The yearning was there. The couples story touched my soul. This is an unforgettable read!

This book was such an easy read. I loved it and I am searching for another book with the same feelings. There was a massive twist at the end, which left me wanting to cry.

Loved this book, smut is not for me though. It is a cute little romance story and exactly what I needed at that moment.

Ho pianto come una bambina leggendo questo libro. Ci sono molto affezionata

Love and Other Words is such a sweet, aching story about loss, forgiveness, first love, and finding that one person who is simply your person— After losing her mother, Macy was no stranger to sadness. Being only ten and motherless often made her feel like a pariah among her friends. No one quite knew what to say to her or how to understand the grief she carried. And then there was Elliot. The boy who loved to read. The boy who was unapologetically nerdy and completely secure in being exactly who he was. From the moment Macy caught him trespassing in her closet, he understood her. I absolutely loved Elliot’s honesty. There was something so refreshing about a character who actually said what he felt. He loved Macy openly, wholeheartedly, and seemingly from the very beginning. Their friendship grows into that beautiful kind of first love where the other person becomes home. Books, words, quiet moments, growing up together—it all felt so tender and genuine. Until one night changes everything. My heart broke realizing that it wasn’t simply what happened between Macy and Elliot that tore them apart. There were circumstances surrounding that night that Macy changed life as Macy knew forever. Leaving her carrying grief, anger, guilt, and heartbreak for the next eleven years. Then Elliot sees her in a coffee shop. ELEVEN YEARS LATER. And somehow, it feels like nothing has changed. The easy conversation is still there. The connection is still there. And the chemistry? Completely undeniable. Except Macy is now engaged and still hasn’t figured out how to move beyond the night that changed the course of her life. Macy has spent years carrying a sadness that, in so many ways, only Elliot has ever been able to reach. And Elliot? There is no frustrating miscommunication about how this man feels. He loved her then. He loves her now. There has only ever been Macy. Eleven years didn’t change that. I loved the way the story moved between then and now, slowly showing us how two lonely, book-loving kids became everything to each other while making you desperately need to know what happened to separate them and break them so completely so young. And when all the pieces finally come together, the heartbreak of their lost years hits so much harder. Can some people simply become part of you so completely that time, distance, anger, and heartbreak ever truly erase them. Can you find a live that completes you at 13? Macy and Elliot were complicated. They were heartbreaking. They needed forgiveness—from each other and from themselves. But most of all, they were always each other’s person - body and soul!

How the hell did it take me this long to read this?? 🥹 This book was just 𝘀𝗼 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹! Elliot and Macy’s love was crystal clear through it all and you could feel the passion in every single word! This felt like a hug in the best way possible! I loved the dual timeline and that it was just the simplest kind of love, with no grand gestures or anything. It felt so real and the characters were so normal and relatable, which made it easy to connect to it! From the moments they met as teenagers, I was instantly in love with them, and watching them grow up and get to know one another was heartwarming. Their time among the books and the way they interacted with each other was just precious. This is a slow read, but in my opinion is definitely worth it. I cried more than I expected but I just really connected to the story and I honestly couldn’t have asked for anything more!