Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren REVIEW

 Love and Other Words

by Christina Lauren

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Synopsis

The story of the heart can never be unwritten.

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.

Review

I enjoyed this one a lot more than I expected, well most of it anyways. After how much I disliked "In A Holidaze" I had no intention of trying Christina Lauren again but this ended up being the book club pick so here I am.

I'm really not a big fan of Macy, or I should say the way that nobody can let go of her. Like, it's been 11 years since she has seen Elliot and his family. Yet 10 years after the last time she spoke to them Elliot finally brings home a girlfriend and his mom can't get her name right because she is calling her Macy! After 10 years! Like what? I get that we're all supposed to love Macy and she is so special but this was laid on so thick that it started taking away from the story.

Another issue I have is Macy's breakup with her fiancé, it was way too easy. Their whole relationship was there more as a statement to her love for Elliot rather than an actual obstacle to face. There was no drama, no emotion, no conflict at all just calmly and quietly done. I feel like the fiancé character was only created so she would have someone to leave when Elliot came around and it was time for them to reunite.

What I dislike about romance in general is how predictable it is. You basically know when you start how things are going to end and ultimately it's just the journey of getting there. While Love and Other Words was also predictable, the journey there was mostly enjoyable. I liked watching everything play out and seeing how the characters got from the beginning to the end. If you're into romance than you'll probably enjoy it more than I did. Personally, I thought it started strong and then lost me in the last 150 pages.