Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Gallery Books
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Paperback, 403 Pages
Published April 2018
Paperback, 403 Pages
Published April 2018
Summary: 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 bookish 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 devouring 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.
I've been a big fan of Christina Lauren ever since I picked up THE UNHONEYMOONERS and loved it (you can read my review here!), and then immediately made it my goal to read their entire backlist. So when I decided to pick up one of their earlier works, LOVE AND OTHER WORDS, I had several friends immediately telling me to get the tissues ready, because this was going to be an emotional one. Let me tell you -- they were all completely right. And now I need to buy more tissues. So without further ado, let's get onto the review!
As the summary explains, this story is told through a dual-timeline, past and present, following Macy, who moves into the summer house next door to Elliot, a boy her age. Throughout the years, you get to watch Macy and Elliot grow from strangers to friends to companions to first loves, and in the present-day, you see Macy struggling in a relationship that she isn't satisfied with, with hints that something terrible happened in her and Elliot's past to break them apart. Throughout the story, you get to see present-day Macy and Elliot solve their problems while also learning about what shattered their world in the first place.
I really, really liked this book. I really liked the idea of having two totally different linear narrative that intertwined with each other, especially when I would be reading scenes from the present that would suddenly make sense in the past because of the clues that the reader was given. It was a really fascinating experience to see young Macy and adult Macy side by side, as well as young and adult Elliot. As the book continues, I found it hard to put it down as I was constantly drawn into the drama that kept unfolding between the characters in the present day as the drama in their past becomes more and more revealed. It made for a really great read!
My favorite character in this book was definitely Elliot. As always, a book that features characters that are avid readers is always something that I really love. The way he loved to spend his summer afternoons just sitting side by side with Macy reading really warmed my heart, and I just thought that he was so hopelessly dorky and hilarious and sweet and cute, and I just loved seeing him on the page. I also love how open and honest he always is about everything, all of the time. I feel like I really connected with him as a reader!
(MAJOR SPOILERS IN THIS PARAGRAPH -- SKIP TO THE NEXT ONE TO AVOID THEM!) Let me just tell you, by the time I got to the end of the book, I was flying through every single page because I just had to know what was going to happen next. I knew that her dad died, and she hinted that it was something tragic, but I had no idea that it was a) due to a really horrific car accident, and b) that it happened LESS THAN 24 HOURS after Macy and Elliot fell apart. I think that the way that reveal was teased throughout the book was brilliant, with subtle mentionings that give you a hint that something is amiss, but the full story really hits you like a tidal wave when you finally figure it out.
(More spoilers -- go to the next paragraph!) The only thing I wasn't super excited about was the fact that it felt like several story lines were left unfinished by the time I got to the end of the book. I wondered what happened with Sean, like I knew they broke up but it kind of just fizzled out, and Sabrina -- did she end up telling her about her and Elliot's reunion? And isn't the moving in together thing happening a little too fast? Don't get me wrong -- I'm a huge hopeless romantic, so I absolutely loved it, but after putting the book down for a little bit and thinking on it more, I'm kind of wondering if maybe things happened a little too quickly. But that's just me! Like I said, I really enjoyed reading this book and thought it was brilliantly done, and that twist at the ending really took my breath away and brought a few tears to my eyes. I'm so glad they got their happy ending, even with all of the bumps along the way.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading LOVE AND OTHER WORDS. If you're looking for a sweet, adorable, yet also super tear-jerking read, then I'd definitely recommend picking this up. As I make my way through the rest of Christina Lauren's backlist, I think it's safe to say that this book was one of my favorites.
As the summary explains, this story is told through a dual-timeline, past and present, following Macy, who moves into the summer house next door to Elliot, a boy her age. Throughout the years, you get to watch Macy and Elliot grow from strangers to friends to companions to first loves, and in the present-day, you see Macy struggling in a relationship that she isn't satisfied with, with hints that something terrible happened in her and Elliot's past to break them apart. Throughout the story, you get to see present-day Macy and Elliot solve their problems while also learning about what shattered their world in the first place.
I really, really liked this book. I really liked the idea of having two totally different linear narrative that intertwined with each other, especially when I would be reading scenes from the present that would suddenly make sense in the past because of the clues that the reader was given. It was a really fascinating experience to see young Macy and adult Macy side by side, as well as young and adult Elliot. As the book continues, I found it hard to put it down as I was constantly drawn into the drama that kept unfolding between the characters in the present day as the drama in their past becomes more and more revealed. It made for a really great read!
My favorite character in this book was definitely Elliot. As always, a book that features characters that are avid readers is always something that I really love. The way he loved to spend his summer afternoons just sitting side by side with Macy reading really warmed my heart, and I just thought that he was so hopelessly dorky and hilarious and sweet and cute, and I just loved seeing him on the page. I also love how open and honest he always is about everything, all of the time. I feel like I really connected with him as a reader!
(MAJOR SPOILERS IN THIS PARAGRAPH -- SKIP TO THE NEXT ONE TO AVOID THEM!) Let me just tell you, by the time I got to the end of the book, I was flying through every single page because I just had to know what was going to happen next. I knew that her dad died, and she hinted that it was something tragic, but I had no idea that it was a) due to a really horrific car accident, and b) that it happened LESS THAN 24 HOURS after Macy and Elliot fell apart. I think that the way that reveal was teased throughout the book was brilliant, with subtle mentionings that give you a hint that something is amiss, but the full story really hits you like a tidal wave when you finally figure it out.
(More spoilers -- go to the next paragraph!) The only thing I wasn't super excited about was the fact that it felt like several story lines were left unfinished by the time I got to the end of the book. I wondered what happened with Sean, like I knew they broke up but it kind of just fizzled out, and Sabrina -- did she end up telling her about her and Elliot's reunion? And isn't the moving in together thing happening a little too fast? Don't get me wrong -- I'm a huge hopeless romantic, so I absolutely loved it, but after putting the book down for a little bit and thinking on it more, I'm kind of wondering if maybe things happened a little too quickly. But that's just me! Like I said, I really enjoyed reading this book and thought it was brilliantly done, and that twist at the ending really took my breath away and brought a few tears to my eyes. I'm so glad they got their happy ending, even with all of the bumps along the way.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading LOVE AND OTHER WORDS. If you're looking for a sweet, adorable, yet also super tear-jerking read, then I'd definitely recommend picking this up. As I make my way through the rest of Christina Lauren's backlist, I think it's safe to say that this book was one of my favorites.
No comments
Please note that if your comment doesn’t appear right away, it’s because we have to approve it. Make sure to click the Notify Me box so you can check back once your comment has been approved! ❤️