Love and Other Words: 5 Stars

I have to say, novels by Christina Lauren really sneak up on you. I'll admit in the last few novels of hers I've read I expected it to be a fluffy romance novel. However, I've been pleasantly surprised to find much more depth and intensity. Below I will give a brief summary of Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren followed by my personal thoughts and recommendation.

Summary

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren is the story of two young lovers, Macy and Elliott. The novel is written on a dual timeline. The before, and the after. The before takes place when Macy and Eliott first meet at the ages of 12 and 13 to the ages of 17 and 18. The after is 11 years later when Macy and Elliott have an accidental run-in at a coffee shop after no communication for 11 years.

Macy lost her mother when she was very young causing her to be less open to the outside world. Afraid of opening up or letting someone in for fear of losing them. As a way to escape everyday life, her father purchased a weekend/vacation home about an hour away from their home in Berkeley California. This is where Macy first meets Eliott.

Eliott, while having the same passion and interest in reading as Macy, has a different outlook on life. Growing up in a noisy household with three older brothers, Eliott is a believer in talking about feelings and resolving issues.

Where Macy puts up a door, Eliott climbs through a window. The two quickly form an unbreakable friendship that over time, turns into a life-changing romance.

There seems to be nothing that can tear the couple apart. That is until that one night. Those unspoken words. A horrible mistake. Macy's entire world shatters around her and eleven years later, she still hasn't recovered.

We read as Macy and Eliott reunite and try to piece together the remains of their shattered parts. Conversations are finally had, truths are discovered, and hearts are held in limbo between broken and repaired. All this and more in Christina Lauren's novel, Love and Other Words.

My thoughts

As said earlier, I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. I thought it was relatable, understandable, and a wonderful story.

A lot of the time I find myself getting annoyed when the main point of contention between characters is based on miscommunication. However, in this novel, the miscommunication was very understandable.

Macy's reaction to the events at hand was, in my opinion completely understandable and realistic. Macy experienced heartbreak, trauma, and overwhelming loss all in one night. I think considering everything that happened Macy's lack of communication and willingness to discuss tough issues is absolutely justifiable.

My one point of disagreement in the novel is when Eliott said his behavior didn't warrant Macy completely shutting him out for eleven years. Fair warning, this is a spoiler alert... Eliott cheats on Macy. He goes to a party on New Year's Eve, gets extremely drunk, and sleeps with a girl from his school. That is how Macy finds him when she shows up at the party. In my opinion, if the person who claims to love you, betrays that love by cheating, you are more than within your rights to walk away.

If you find the love of your life, don't do something stupid that warrants you losing it.

Other than my annoyance with Eliott, I did enjoy this novel and I would recommend giving Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren a read.

For more reviews like this, visit my profile. As always, thanks for reading!

Leah Lawrence