Love and Other Words

I read this whole book in less than 24 hours. I love how vulnerable the charters are, the story flowed so well, small twists, and it was also kinda cute!

I am really enjoying books written by Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, the talented duo behind the pen name Christina Lauren, and Love and Other Words is another beautiful example of their work. This novel highlights exactly why they are such a strong and successful writing team. One of the things I appreciate most about Christina and Lauren’s books is that the romance is built from the very beginning, not rushed or suddenly resolved in the final chapter as so many modern romance novels tend to do. The reader is given time to truly experience the characters’ journey, allowing the chemistry to develop naturally, meaningfully, and beautifully over the course of the story. I also deeply appreciate their refreshing approach to intimacy. They don’t spend half the plot focused on explicit sexual encounters or exhaustively describing every detail. Instead, when the characters do become intimate, it is written with restraint and taste, keeping the emotional connection at the center of the story. This makes the romance feel more authentic and emotionally satisfying. The writing itself is beautiful, emotional, and heartfelt. The characters are well developed, the story is engaging, and the emotions feel genuine rather than forced. Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings have a wonderful ability to capture love, nostalgia, and longing in a way that truly resonates. I listened to this book on audio and found the story itself very engaging and entertaining. The reason I did not rate it 4.5 stars is due to the narration — at times it felt more like whispering than speaking, which became somewhat distracting. Because of this, I would recommend reading the physical or ebook version for the best experience. I may revisit this book in the future, as I believe it could be an even stronger read outside of the audio format. Overall, Love and Other Words is a touching, thoughtfully written romance that further proves how well Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings work together. A beautiful story that stays with you long after it ends.

I rarely leave reviews but, wow, this story had such a grip on me from start to finish. Macy and Elliot's story has it all - friendship, passion, lust, tragedy, grief, forgiveness, that deep SOUL connection. And all of it was written so so beautifully. I'm now in search for my next read and am genuinely worried it won't capture me like this one did! 😄

I'm a bit biased when it comes to this story just because I felt I was reading my own love story with my husband. The flashbacks to them being young getting to know each other and then falling in love is so beautifully sweet. The way they talk to each other and the aspect of learning how to navigate romantic and intense feelings is done so well. I love this story and highly recommend it!

This book started so strong - I really wanted to love it. The first 75% had me hooked, but the end was a bit of a letdown. The good: Macy and Elliot’s coming-of-age romance was genuinely beautiful. Their friendship evolving into something deeper, especially in the wake of Macy’s loss, was tender and well-paced. The alternating timelines between past and present worked wonderfully in showing just how deeply Elliot loved her, even if the ending later made me question why. Some of the emotional plot twists had real potential, and I appreciated that the book kept me turning pages. I finished it in under 24 hours, which is always a sign of a good story to me. And hey, as someone from a big, chaotic, loving Greek family, seeing Elliot's almost identical situation was enjoyable. The not-so-good: *** SPOILERS BELOW *** I bought this hoping for a compelling love triangle, but what I got felt more like an unnecessary plot device. Sean was so obviously wrong for Macy from the start that he felt like filler. I get the “safe vs. passionate love” contrast, but he was so disinterested in Macy (and vice versa), was it even "safe"? Their relationship lacked emotional pull, which made Macy's decision too simple. There were enough challenges to Macy & Elliot's second-chance romance that Sean's involvement could have easily been cut from the story. There was no triangle. There was a wildly out-of-character moment from Elliot during his brother's wedding. I could have almost bought the impulsive (cringey) hookup on the reception grounds. Almost. It COULD have been a lightbulb moment - I need you NOW - we've wasted too much time already, thing. But his actions immediately after negated that. To go cold and walk off on Macy? Whiplash. One minute, he’s desperate to have her; the next, he’s all "Getting a Lyft back? Cool! Have a great life". Even worse, five minutes later, he was back at Macy's cabin as the sweet, devoted, caring man we had come to know throughout the story. The inconsistency felt lazy and sloppy. Some readers felt like Macy was expected to "just forgive" Elliot after the Emma/New Year's Eve incident. I didn't get that sense at all, but on a much heavier note, let’s be clear: Elliot was sexually assaulted. He was too intoxicated to know who he was with, so he was too intoxicated to give consent. If the same thing had happened to a female character, we’d call it what it was. The fact that this wasn't acknowledged, let alone processed, was deeply troubling to me. It felt like a major misstep and took the book's rating down really fast for me. And then there's the eleven-year communication gap - it felt unbelievable. They didn't lose contact in 1994—it was 2014. A simple Google search could’ve gotten them back in touch. Elliot was bright, and if he was as desperate to set things straight as the story suggests, he would have found Macy and been at her doorstep, insisting she hear him out. To me, this undermined the emotional weight of their separation. Finally, the ending felt far too rushed for a story that otherwise took its time. After everything—Macy’s grief, the tragic revelation about Duncan, their history, the betrayal, the guilt - then they’re suddenly deciding to live together in just ten days? I believed in their love, but I didn't believe that timeline. This was a couple that needed time, healing, and probably a good therapist, not a quick, happy-ever-after. So why 4.0 stars? Because despite its flaws, the core of the story—the deep, aching love between Macy and Elliot was compelling. I wanted them to make it. I'm glad they did. In my mind, I’ve rewritten the ending slightly to make it more believable and complete. With a bit more nuance, this could’ve been a truly excellent book. Instead, it was good… but not quite great.

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 read Roomies by Christina Lauren this year and loved it so I bought Love and Other Words on release day. I couldn’t wait to dive in. The first 80% of the book I absolutely loved! While reading I felt so many emotions coursing through me. I felt like I was the heroine and I felt her heartache, struggle and love. I fell head over heels in love with Elliot. But then the last 10-20% of the book happened. SPOILERS (DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVENT READ THE BOOK) The book has a HEA which I’m very happy about. But the whole premise of this book is that these two soul mates are torn apart by some mistake or misunderstanding and haven’t spoken in 11 years. When it’s finally revealed what actually happened (which they drag out until almost the end of the book) I felt like I was reading a different book. I tend to spoil books for myself by reading ahead. With this book I didn’t want anything spoiled. I was so hooked to the story and I kept thinking “I have no idea where this is going” and it excited me so much. But when the truth is revealed it is ridiculous. The mistake Elliot made was completely out of character. He never drinks and parties (or it’s not mentioned). So for him to wake up naked and confused about what happened the night before is odd behavior. On top of that to find out he slept with someone he knew, who “he thought was Macy” was so completely ridiculous I almost wanted to stop reading. My heart broke because I was so in love with this book. I loved the depth of this book and for that to be a huge part of the reveal just felt like a slap to the face. It felt so out of place. Because they drug it out the reveal so long I thought it was going to be huge! But a guy getting drunk and hooking up with someone was not the reveal I was waiting for. It just wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. I understood Macy’s heart break with her father and how it tied into that night with Elliot but Elliot’s mistake just didn’t make sense for his character. Also how Elliot had no idea about her father’s accident seemed odd. Like he never googled her or anything?? You would’ve seen that tragic accident on the news or online or heard about it in town. Just seemed odd to me and not very well thought through. So in summary the first 80% of the book was 10 stars for me. The last 10-20% was 2 stars. Otherwise I enjoyed most of this book and would still recommend it.

I fear I am going to slump so bad after this book. Their is no better book boyfriend than Elliot. I felt so connected to Macy. Especially when it came to het grief and pain, of losing too much at once. I cried so much. I want o relive reading it all over again.

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

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!

Achei lindo e sensível. Nao consegui parar de ler.