Love and Other Words

Macy met him in a closet.

Standing precariously on the cusp of an adolescence that was already feeling strained and uncomfortable, Macy Sorenson didn’t want to be where she was at that particular moment in time. The awkward and dark home her father deemed appropriate for weekend vacationing didn’t feel like a home at all, it felt like a dungeon. The fact that he’d only wanted to buy the place based upon one of her mom’s rules only served to make the place even more stark and cold; there was no emotion in the purchase save the ones wrapped up in the knowledge that this was a house her mother would never see or know or make her own.

Rule #25 in The Dead Mom’s Handbook to Raising Teenage Girls:

“When Macy looks so third after school that she can’t even form a sentence, take her away from the stress of her life. Find a weekend getaway that is easy and close that lets her breathe a little.”

And so he did.

Dad had followed every rule on the list her mother gave to him, a list given before her body succumbed to cancer. He’d faithfully followed them all to a tee thus far, using his dead wife’s words as a guiding light, so why stop now? Her father had spent years researching the best place to get away to; the best destination for some proper rest and relaxation. A place not too far from home in Berkley, but somewhere that would feel completely out of the way and foreign. A place where Macy could find solace and perhaps some quiet healing.

But do you ever really heal from the wounds set upon the heart? Scars may grow and cover the gaping holes, but they leave with it a toughened state of being. Rough and unsettled.

The house was creaky and needed work, but it had that closet. A closet she could turn into a library, filling it with the books that her mother made her father promise to spoil her with, and right at that moment – it also contained a boy.

Elliot Petropolous, the not-so-quintessential literal boy next door. He was all angles and edges, full to the brim with literary quotes and a disarming sense of honesty and honor. He grew up in a house full of people, and needed his own place to get away. He’d found it in the closet of the empty house next door, and when she opened the closet that day and he saw her staring down at him with a look of unbridled surprise, he felt something tug in the inner corners of his own heart.

The next few summers were spent laying on the floor of the closet-turned-library, the two of them ready companions who allowed themselves to be wrapped up in the adventures of Ivanhoe and the exploits of Robin Hood. Between chapters and and paragraphs about merry men and dragons, the two delved into every facet of one another’s lives . . . nothing was off limits or taboo; the closet was a place where anything could be discussed and where questions could be answered. It was a place where Macy could slice the sutures of her mended heart open and lay them raw and angry, allowing Elliot the chance to sew them back together with tenderness and understanding. Elliot did what no one else in Macy’s life could – he filled the gaps of her very soul, providing an instinctual lubrication consisting of blind acceptance and comfort, of loyalty and a deeply rooted love that was more than love. It was in fact, everything.

What’s your favorite word today, Macy?

Home, Elliot.

Modern-day Macy has no Elliot to brace the falls she takes as she trips and tumbles through adulthood. What she does have are a couple of old friends from high school and college she meet up with on random afternoons when she’s not on rounds at the hospital, a place where she’s working on her pediatric residency and is surrounded by sick children and basket-case parents. She has her boyfriend Sean – scratch that – fiancé; an artist with whom she spends the few hours a night she gets to sleep, hours somewhere between 4 and 7 am, along with a few breakfast meetings a week with his young daughter over Cheerios and orange juice at the dining room table they share in their cozy apartment. She wasn’t sure how it had all happened; one moment she was going on a date with this handsome artist and the next, she was moving in. Less than six months later they were engaged and she supposed she should begin planning that wedding. But . . .

What she doesn’t have – Elliot, her mom, Dad – those things echo like the metal chasms in an abandoned ship run into shore and left to rot; each pulse a painful reminder of the emptiness that resides inside of her no matter what she has tried to fill it with. Nothing can replace the fragments of your soul once they have been ripped from you and scattered to the wind.

One morning over a cup of coffee, while in the midst of a melancholy catch-up session with one of her best friends, Macy looks up from bouncing Sabrina’s baby daughter on her knee and sees him. Elliot. In the actual flesh. His back is to her as he makes his order at the counter, speaking precious words to a barista who doesn’t realize she should be treasuring every utterance the man in front of her is gifting her with. But Macy knows. It’s as if she can feel the very essence that is Elliot; she doesn’t even need to see his face to know it’s him . . . and that fact is somehow comforting; that after 10+ years of a life without someone she once considered her soulmate, she can recognize him just by the very way he holds himself. By the shuffle of his feet as he considers the menu. By the tug on his ear with long fingers and strong hands.

And so when he turns around, the only natural thing for Macy to do is . . . try and hide.

But just as she could sense him, the role also works in reverse. Confronted with her past for the first time in over a decade leaves Macy wrapped in the midst of all things overwhelming and difficult. Elliot re-entering her closely curated life is bringing with it a suitcase full of emotions she has worked so hard to pack away and hide in the darkest corner of her heart’s attic. For with Elliot in her life again, as he has so insisted he will be, Macy must finally face what drove them apart to begin with.

A story told equally in the Then and the Now, Love and Other Words explores first love and the loss of it in a way that is unique and spellbinding. The story is not necessarily coming of age and friendship but rather a building of keystone. To say it is a romance is to cheapen the experience of the this exceptional novel; it is a story of love written in its purest and most innocent form.

When I saw the newest novel by the dynamic duo that is Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings come up for galley, I jumped on it. I read Roomies last year, and fell absolutely head-0ver-heels in love with both their writing style and their character’s personalities. The way these two write is so relatable but it’s more than that – you can actually picture yourself in the same shoes as the person you are reading about. The storylines in both novels I’ve read from them are so true to life that it is uncanny. They have a way of capturing real moments and real feelings in a way that is quite frankly, rare to find in the modern-day world of what is considered a chick-lit or romance novel.

The story is romantic, yes – but . . . it is so complex. Macy is reeling emotionally from the loss of her mother and she finds this boy, this savior . . . but he doesn’t set out to be her knight in shining armor. Instead, Elliot just wants to be her friend. He listens to her, he allows her to be who she is in her rawest form, and in doing that for her, he gives her permission to work through her feelings and come out the other side feeling normal. They are brutally honest with one another and I tell you, it tugged so hard on my own heartstrings that at times, this book was difficult to read. We have all been there – that first love – and those feelings may fade with maturity and time, but that initial rush of love is something that settles within your being for the rest of your life.

The Macy of adulthood is just as complicated and is dealing with a new set of issues. The way the story progressed and laid itself out was perfectly brilliant, a slow and steady melody that came to a booming crescendo at a wedding in a garden that left me breathless and weeping. Yes, I admit it – I cried like a little baby the last quarter of this book. It was like the entirety of the first 3/4 of it had my nerve-endings spiked and electric, and when things finally began to come to light and I was being led down the other side of the mountain, my emotions just broke like a dam.

I have to give this novel 5 out of 5 stars. It deserves nothing less. It was amazing. I loved it.

Loved – loved -loved.

Christina Lauren is definitely the real deal. Auto buy authors for sure. I mean can they write bad books. I have now read three different books in three different genres and they killed it for me each time. So if you couldn’t tell by that I adored Love and Other Words. It had so many things that just worked for me. Let’s go through them shall we?

Macy. Our main character is 28 year old doctor who is engaged and works a ton. She seems to be content with her very stable life. But is she happy? That is something that she struggles with once she runs into her first love – Elliot. She starts to reevaluate her life and what she wants and how she feels. I thought it was very realistic her struggle with her feelings for Elliot as well as the life she created in the present. Her backstory was a bit heart breaking and also very sweet with her dad. Plus she LOVES books and had a library made in her big closet and for that I was truly jealous.

Dual timelines. Love me a present and past format in a book. Especially when you know it is leading to something big – which this one was. We are finding out why Macy and Elliot have been estranged for so long. ANd to be honest it didn’t disappoint.

Elliot. Oh he was just so damn adorable. He was earnest, a bit awkward and totally into Macy which was so sweet (even if it took her a long time to see it). Then as an adult he was all that plus hot. I mean what more do you want???

Macy and Elliot. All the best parts of the book include these two on the pages. Tons of chemistry between them. You couldn’t not root for them!

Secondary characters. This book was deep with lovely characters from Macy’s dad, to all of Elliot’s family to Macy’s friends. They all added to my love for the story.

This was just a book I did not want to put down and was so sad when it ended because I couldn’t get these characters and their story out of my head. I wanted more!! Obviously this was a hit and another 5 star read from Christina Lauren for me.

Author duo Christina Lauren, delivers a second chance romance unlike any you've read before with their latest title, Love and Other Words.

Macy Sorenson met Elliot Petropoulos when she was just thirteen years old, reading in the closet of the weekend home her father purchased in California's wine country. For the next five years they spend weekends and holidays swapping stories and favorite words, while forging an unbreakable bound of the heart. Until that one night eleven years ago, when Elliot shattered that bound and nothing in Macy's life was ever the same again...

Love and Other Words is an all-consuming, transcending story that I simply could not put down! I read all day, and late into the night, enraptured by it's vivid characters and turmulent emotions. The book follows Macy Sorenson as she drifts through her safe, if somewhat indifferent life. With longs hours spent as a pediatric resident, and short hours with her older, artistic fiance and his young daughter. It may not be the life she dreamed of a decade ago, but her heart's not at risk of being shattered from loss or betrayal. Until Elliot Petropoulos walks into the same coffee shop as her. There was a time when Elliot was Macy's everything, now he's a stranger and he has no idea of the reasons behind her decade long silence. But no matter the time and distance that has been put between them, there is no denying the chemistry and love that they still share. Can Macy take the risk of opening her heart again? Sean is safe, no feeling involved. Elliot is a tangle of past and emotions.

I believe Love and Other Words is classified as women's fiction, and it is a moving coming of age, finding yourself kind of story. However, it is also very much a romance. The female protagonist's relationships is one of the two key points that drive the story as it alternates between Then and Now, teenage Macy and adult Macy. So you have all of those new, pent up adolescent passions as well as the mature second-chance, is it as good as I remember desires. The plot flowed impeccably, transitioning well between timelines, building the story to it's eventual climax. The relationships between characters was all-encompassing, and incredibly engrossing.

Bottom line is; Christina Lauren weaves a flawless, poignant tale that gave me all of the feels and left me completely satisfied at the end. For a majority of the story readers are left guessing, just what happened on New Year's Eve eleven years before?! I both loved and hated reaching that final tell all in the story because it meant that I was that much closer to the end. I would recommend this story to any and all romance fans out there, Love and Other Words is not a book to be missed and will definitely be gracing my Best Books of 2018 List at the end of the year!

* I received this copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

In a vein reminiscent of Colleen Hoover, the writing duo of Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings aka Christina Lauren, embark on their first foray into Women’s Fiction with Love and Other Words. This second chance romance, told in alternating past and present chapters, flows with emotion, poetic imagery, and the pain of loss.

“When I lost her, it felt like I was drowning in all the love I still had that could never be given.”

Second-chance love stories always hit me hard, the thought of two people finding their soul mates and then losing them almost too much to take. Macy and Elliot met as young teens, sharing a love of reading. After losing her mother just three years earlier, Macy is emotionally distant with everyone except her father. Elliot is the youngest of 4 boys when they meet, his family loud and boisterous. His no-nonsense approach to everything is exactly what Macy needs. He draws her out during their weekends together, as they hide in Macy’s “reading” closet, growing close, finding their other half in each other.

“I never got to fall out of love. I just had to move on.”

The flashback scenes really carry this story, the young love that grows between Macy and Elliot is rich with their connection. I felt their link, basked in their affection for each other. Hidden away from the world, they explore each other through words and quiet hours spent reading. I loved the intimacy of these moments. Young Elliot has an insight and straight forwardness that’s rarely seen in a young person that’s still finding their way. His bold questions surprise even me, but I adored him for asking them, as did Macy.

“We loved each other, of course, but without Mom we were both sort of lost, arms outstretched as we tried to fumble through each day.”

In many ways, Love and Other Words is really a Young Adult novel. The present day narration from Macy really serves as the window into the love between her and Elliot. With years of heartbreak and misunderstanding overshadowing them, the older Macy and Elliot are strangers when they meet again and I never quite felt their connection. While the flashback chapters could easily standalone, the present day chapters felt empty and never really show me why Macy and Elliot should be together in the now. Even as the book moved toward the revelation of the secrets they’ve both been keeping, I found myself asking questions about who these two characters had become. From Macy’s chosen profession to why Elliot had never searched for her, I felt as though there was too much that was left off the page.

“And because when I find that book that makes me lose myself for just one hour, maybe more, I forget. And because my dad thinks of Mom every time he buys me a book. And because you’re here and I feel about a thousand times less lonely with you.”

The real strength of Love and Other Words is the words. I was captivated by them. The authors capture the sense of loss brilliantly through their imagery. I found myself nodding my head, saying to myself, “yes that is exactly how my heart breaking feels and sounds and looks.”

3.5 Stars for Love and Other Words. Heat level: 2

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for honest feedback.

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren.


Love and Other Words truly brought out the hopeless romantic in me. Macy Sorensen and Elliot Petropoulos haven’t seen each other since they were young teenagers. A decade of silence and these two have a reunion that neither of them expected. The chemistry and love was pronounced in every word, memory and touch that no one would question these two were meant for each other. It was..perfect. 



Yet, we know perfect is just a facade. For the past isn’t as sweet as it is bitter. These two will have to reminisce even the bad parts to move forward..

But once old wounds are open will these two be in each others arm at the end, or on two different paths?



Reviewed on Once Upon An Alpha
**ARC of an Honest Review**

I absolutely adored young Macy. She is a bookworm, shy, sweet and awkward. She and Elliot immediately clicked with their passion for the written word. A tiny closeted alcove became a magical place where they shared, talked and experienced loves firsts. Lauren allows us to understand Macy, and I enjoyed moments from the past, even as I longed to know what drove them apart.
The romantic development in their youth was delightful. Wait until you see Elliot and Macy together. It will make you belive in soulmates! Lauren delightfully shared precious, heart-melting moments. She gave us all the awkwardness of young love. With youth comes fears, uncertainty, and mistakes.
Knowing something tore this young couple apart created an underlying edge to the story. It left me hoping that maturity would allow them to face their past. If two people belong together it was Elliot and Macy.
I worried in the beginning, and if I am honest almost set the book down, because Macy was involved in a serious relationship. But Macy was going through the motions and playing it safe. Once Lauren shared that relationship with us and the way it all was handled I could focus on Macy and Elliot. The drama was kept low as the two worked up to understanding exactly what happened that drove them apart. I laughed, wiped tears from my eyes and felt for not only Macy but Elliot too.
Erin Mallon narrates, and she totally rocked this one. She enhanced my connection and the emotions of these characters. I loved how it brought their story to life. This was my first experience with her, and I will gladly listen to books narrated by her again.

Generally speaking, I tend to shy away from women's fiction. I want to KNOW I'm getting a HEA or even HFN at the end of a book and that's not always the case in that genre. But, when you find out one of your favorite author duos is releasing a new book that sounds really good, no matter the genre, you read it. Or at least I do. That's what happened with Love and Other Words. I regret nothing. 
I'm a sucker for a second chance romance and Macy and Elliot's story made me feel all the feels. Told entirely from Macy's POV, but alternating between the present (when they find themselves back in each other's lives) and the past (when they were the best of friends... and more). It was a great way to learn the entire story. Something obviously went down between them in the past, but it's not clear what and waiting on that revelation, all the while watching these two become close again, definitely drove the story. I was invested. Like, couldn't sit the book down because I needed answers invested. Without getting spoilery, I'll just say I thought I knew where the story was going and I was wrong. So wrong. And I sobbed like a baby at the reveal. 

I loved these characters so much. Macy was a wonderful heroine and I liked her more and more the longer I read. I know I should've been skeptical about Elliot because of the allusions to what happened in the past, but I couldn't. It was so obvious he was still in love with her and would basically die before intentionally hurting her that I couldn't even side-eye him. He was so thoughtful, sweet and swoony. My heart broke because these two were apart and I desperately hoped they could work it out. (And that Macy wouldn't end up with Sean, the man she was engaged to at the time.) I thought the "love triangle" aspect was well-written. I never really connected with Sean, but I'm glad he wasn't demonized in some way to move things forward with Elliot. The way it all went down felt more realistic. 

Love and Other Words was a gorgeous book. It was the perfect mix of angsty and romantic, with a little bit of sexy thrown in, too. It pummeled my emotions and left me an utter disaster, but I was happy and content when it was all said and done. While not a traditional romance, it certainly was a beautiful love story. 

What is your favorite word?

Love and Other words is a second chance love story told in alternating timelines about two people who met and fell in love while growing up and then re-met eleven years later. Macy and Elliot met during an open house when Macy found Elliot reading a book in a closet. Macy's father purchased this second home for them after his wife (Macy's mother). Macy and her father would go to their cabin home on weekends and spend their summers there. Since the day they first met, when she was 13 and he was 14, Macy and Elliott bonded over their love of books and became best friends who fell in love during their teenage years. They could talk about anything and shared a very close bond. Then their relationship ended, and they had not seen or spoken to each other in eleven years. Then the two meet accidentally in a coffee shop, eleven years later. and the spark is still there. There is a complication of course, isn't there always with romance books - and yes, this is a romance book and a coming of age story rolled into one -even if it is classified as something else.

I enjoyed this book from the get-go even though it looks as if it took me 5 days to read. I started this book and had to finish other reading obligations but then tore through this one yesterday. This book is very easy to become absorbed in. I literally could not put this book down. I really enjoyed both characters and really rooted for them, wanting desperately to know what tore them apart eleven years ago.

Love and other words is an easy fast read which sucked me in. There was a time or two while reading this book that I wanted to shake both characters - one more than the other. I enjoyed reading about their friendship when they were younger where it was evident that both wanted to be more than friends and the reader could see them flirting with the idea and watch them get close then retreat, get close, hint around at it, then retreat, until finally they became a couple and then.... READ THE BOOK!

There is a bit of a reveal which I have mixed feelings about. I can't go into detail, so I won’t give any spoilers away, but I thought "you have got to be kidding me" and "seriously, come on". Grrr In some ways this felt cliched but it was successful in making me feel several emotions – just as the characters felt several emotions as well.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I’ve finally read my first Christina Lauren book. Something about this one and the fact it was marketed as women’s fiction worked for me and made me take the plunge. I’m glad I finally did it and I’m also glad it was with this one.

LOVE AND OTHER WORDS is a story about love and second chances at its core. I think it straddles a line between WF and contemporary romance and for me it leans heavily on the romance aspect. If you like a good slow burn story then this is the read for you.

I think fans of Colleen Hoover will find this new Christina Lauren to fall very much in line with that style. In fact, I could barely put this book down. I love when a story that is not overly complicated pulls me in and that’s in great part due to the writing. I was very impressed with the ease in which this is narrated. Once it started, it didn’t let me go until I had finished it.

I love stories about the one that got away and this is like the ultimate example of that. This is a story about two childhood best friends who thought they would be together forever and life took them in different directions. Reconnecting and seeing the opportunity for the future that escaped them while dealing with all the unresolved issues from their past was not an easy road to travel. There’s some angst in this story but I don’t think it was too overdone, which I can appreciate. But it’s definitely not a happy and fun book as I think some of their other books are. It digs a little deeper and stirs up feelings and emotions as you read along. Whether you agree with the characters actions or not.

As with most WF, this story is centered around our heroines journey. Macy is a great heroine but she’s actually not the one that stole the show for me. That is where Elliot comes in. I loved him as a kid, then as a teenager and fell for him as an adult. I just loved everything about him and how deep his love for Macy ran. And as far as supporting cast goes, you don’t want to miss his family. I wish we could find out more and more about them.

LOVE AND OTHER WORDS was addictive from beginning to end. I’m definitely going to be on the lookout for more books by this author duo in the future.

First love is difficult, and you never forget it. But, not everyone has a chance to go back again and experience those firsts with the person they left behind years ago. Macy and Elliot met over books years ago: sharing favorite moments, lines and scenes, that common thread turned to friendship which soon turned to love. Their first love. But now, years later, Mary is a resident in pediatrics with a settled plan, engaged to an older, successful man and setting herself up for an ‘expected’ life. She’s content and secure – both elements she feels are most important at this time, even if her fiancé doesn’t make her heart skip a beat.

Then after an eleven year absence, Elliot appears. Bringing up all of those long-buried feelings of hope, butterflies and excitement that she thought weren’t for her. And of course, Elliot is even more attractive now than before: now that she knows that life isn’t always full of potential and excitement, and finding that one person you can share your deepest secrets and fears with is rare. Of course Elliot is everything she’s missing with her fiancé, things she didn’t even realize she wanted or needed, having pushed the emotions and feelings of that first love into a box.

The authors have used a present / past device here that puts those emotions for both Mary and Elliot (and readers) into easy reach, smoothly presenting the development of their relationship as it happened, as they are restructuring and reacquainting themselves with who they are now, and then adjusting and allowing for the connection, built so long ago to reappear. There are bits of mystery surrounding the end of their young romance, as well as moments that show how both have grown and matured, and perhaps even matured in ways that could find them reliving the past while building to the future. Charming from the start, completely engaging and easy to see the relationship as it builds on two levels: past and present, keeping readers cheering them on and remembering their own firsts. A favorite read for characters, depth of story and the beautiful inserts of ‘past moments’ that help to both deepen and inform their present.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Macy and Elliot met as teenagers, spending summers together and discovering like souls in one another. Becoming the best of friends over the years, sharing a love of reading and words and absolute honesty, friendship turns to something even deeper. Until one unforgettable night that changes everything. Until Macy disappears and cuts off all contact. Until a chance meeting eleven years later.

Now a doctor, and engaged to an older, single father, Macy's life is carefully constructed to avoid any emotional loss or upheaval. Her relationship is easy but lacks any real depth. Seeing Elliot shakes her very foundation and has her questioning her choices. With a supportive best friend urging her to open up to Elliot and tell him the truth about what happened that night over a decade ago, Macy has to decide if she is willing to risk her heart for another chance at a love that meant meant everything to her.

I tumbled hard and fast into Macy and Elliot's story - hurting for them in the present-day chapters and reveling in the past chapters, even though I knew something devastating had to be coming. These were two special people who found one another early in life... until circumstances bisected them. Teenage Macy and Elliot had this delicious push and pull, where they both knew they had feelings that exceeded the bounds of friendship, but were hesitant to jeopardize the special bond they shared. As they spent summers and random weekends together, I could feel their emotions intensify, their curiosity, and their want for that one special person to become even more.

The dual timeline worked so perfectly here. Macy and Elliot's past was doled out in bits and pieces and we get to watch as their friendship grows and deepens and evolves. Everything seemed so right. So knowing that in present day they were not together and had not spoken in over a decade had me itching to know what happened. Their story, and the story of what happened that changed everything, was perfectly paced and I found myself reading every chance I got and thinking about it when I had to set the book aside.

I fell in love with Love and Other Words. This is a coming of age story, a story of second chances, of grieving and coming to terms with the past. But, above all, it's a love story. And it's one you don't want to miss.

5 Stars

I absolutely love the pure brilliant simplicity of CLo’s storytelling....up until now. Love and Other Words is brilliant but so much more than simple.

This is my eleventh book by this dynamic duo and IMO holds the most feels. THIS book will make a dark, dead heart swoon. The story of Macy and Elliott effortlessly makes readers vividly recall the memories and feels of first love. The meeting, run in, first kiss I felt the butterflies every time Macy did. We’ve all felt pain, erected walls around our hearts, almost pushed love away out of fear to avoid feelings all of which makes Macy’s journey relatable....and likable.

Elliott, loveable, sweet, hot, smart, ELLIOTTTTTTT.....SWOOOOOON! So strong yet vulnerable making him that much MORE.

The meeting and their idiosyncrasies to us are perfect for them, endearing them to each other to form a friendship like no other. I love that these characters are smart and realistic. I love that the story is shown not told to the reader. Each scene stands out and had me turning pages well past 5am, actually reading it in one sitting.

I normally hate past/present storytelling but it works perfectly in Love and Other Words and with each chapter I grew to love them each even more and found each character relatable. The writing and storytelling unfold at a perfect pace.

I thought about my rating for a day because there is one thing that almost didn’t work for me but in reflection I think the authors did it purposely and it does work. Because this story made me vividly feel everything the characters felt and kept me turning pages late into the night it gets 5 stars from this hard to please Reader.

Macy Sorensen and Elliot Petropoulos met when she was 13-years old and her father bought a weekend cabin, located next door to Elliot. That started an ongoing weekend relationship that spanned the next five years until a single event wrenched them apart for the next eleven. A chance meeting at a coffee shop suddenly forces them to reconnect and open old wounds and resurface some really great memories.

The story transitions from past to present from the onset and that is incredibly effective. It’s not a new device but Macy & Elliot’s story can’t be told any other way. I loved following their journey through self discovery, friendship and ultimately to all-consuming affection for each other. It all leads to an emotional climax when we learn what caused their separation. I fell for these two, the people they became and the unique bond they formed between them. Hated when the story ended.

It’s cleverly written and the narration was just excellent, so good that I thought a separate person was performing the male voices (she’s that good). This would make a wonderful movie!

(I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review)

5 Stars

I absolutely love the pure brilliant simplicity of CLo’s storytelling....up until now. Love and Other Words is brilliant but so much more than simple.

This is my eleventh book by this dynamic duo and IMO holds the most feels. THIS book will make a dark, dead heart swoon. The story of Macy and Elliott effortlessly makes readers vividly recall the memories and feels of first love. The meeting, run in, first kiss I felt the butterflies every time Macy did. We’ve all felt pain, erected walls around our hearts, almost pushed love away out of fear to avoid feelings all of which makes Macy’s journey relatable....and likable.

Elliott, loveable, sweet, hot, smart, ELLIOTTTTTTT.....SWOOOOOON! So strong yet vulnerable making him that much MORE.

The meeting and their idiosyncrasies to us are perfect for them, endearing them to each other to form a friendship like no other. I love that these characters are smart and realistic. I love that the story is shown not told to the reader. Each scene stands out and had me turning pages well past 5am, actually reading it in one sitting.

I normally hate past/present storytelling but it works perfectly in Love and Other Words and with each chapter I grew to love them each even more and found each character relatable. The writing and storytelling unfold at a perfect pace.

I thought about my rating for a day because there is one thing that almost didn’t work for me but in reflection I think the authors did it purposely and it does work. Because this story made me vividly feel everything the characters felt and kept me turning pages late into the night it gets 5 stars from this hard to please Reader.

“Elliot was kind of my Everyfriend.” Macy and Elliott are the heart of this book. Their coming of age story is beautiful and carefully explored by creative and poetic storytellers, Christina Lauren.

“Favorite word?” he whispers.

I don’t even hesitate: “You.”

If Macy and Elliott are the heart of this engaging book, then words and thoughts are the soul of this story. Yes, we learn some facts about Macy- she is a pediatric resident, she is still close to her college roommate and she is engaged. But, the real story of Macy is how she deals with love and loss- with life.

Macy tells her own story in alternating chapters that cover “Now” and “Then”. “Then” begins 15 years earlier when Macy meets Elliott on vacation. Macy tells us her thoughts and feelings in an honest and blunt way. The alternating timelines are easy to follow because even though the time period changes, Macy does not. Her voice remains crystal and pure, always somewhat child-like. I wonder if the authors intended this?

There are so many marvelous moments and descriptions in this book such as, “Getting a free Saturday feels like being ten years old and holding a twenty-dollar bill in a candy store.” And the romantic yearnings and explorations of Macy and Elliot are real and enticing- wow, they affected me!

Readers will bond with Macy and Elliott and their secrets. I did wonder why Elliot, and did I say he’s adorable, didn’t do more to reach out to Macy- it wouldn’t have been that hard!

The book ends with a moving emotional climax. I recommend this book. The author duo are bestsellers for a reason. I do question whether it is really Women’s Fiction. To me, it is more a Young Adult or New Adult genre, which is the main reason I gave it 4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Threshold, Pocket books for the ARC.

What to say about another impeccably written, unique, emotional, heart-felt story from two romance masters? Buy it! Read it! Listen to it! Love it! That pretty much sums it up!

Love and Other Words is a deeply moving story of innocent, bone-deep-love, heartbreaking loss and the wondrous gift of a second chance. The story is a rich and stirring account of first love broken up by misunderstandings, poor decisions, youth, and loss and mended together by devotion, time, and intention.

Macy and Elliot are meant to be and there is really nothing that can completely sever their bond and commitment to one another. Their story is told in chapters alternating between past and present. But, each is gripping and impactful.

I did a combo read and listen of Love and Other Words. Many of the most emotional bits were listened to in the car during my commute. I think that's the only thing that saved me from body-wracking-sobs during parts of the book. Just thinking about it makes my heart both heavy and full of hope. I don't think it's possible to read this story and come away unscathed. It will mark your heart, leaving you stunned and pondering the characters, their love and their second chance for days and weeks to come.

Buy it! Read it! Listen to it! Love it!

An advance copy of this book was received from the author. Receipt of this copy did not impact the content or independence of this review. BFF Book Blog also uses a set of icon ratings. This book received additional icons for: angst, butterflies, hero, heroine, romance, tears and happily ever after.

Having read two previous books by this author and not absolutely loving them, I was intrigued with their take on a women's fiction/romance. Either their writing has improved immensely and/or this is a genre that they should keep working in. Twenty pages in and I had a very strong feeling that I was going to really like this story.

Told in alternating past/present, the past is slowly revealed as two previously best friends/young loves meet again after being separated by a traumatic event(s) 11 years prior. Macy and Elliot were strong and realistically drawn characters that I felt connected and endeared to right from the start. As with most women's fiction, secondary characters play important roles to the story and I felt that strongly here. The cacophony of Elliott's family in contrast to the subdued quiet of Macy's and how they both found love and solace from each other's worlds was enjoyable to watch. The slow building of Macy and Elliot's friendship were some of the highlights with their shared joy of reading, communicating honestly and the sharing of their favorite words. Their current "favorite words" became vital and directly related to the moments they were sharing. To my relief, the conflict of their present "love" interests are there, but resolved quickly, giving the much needed time for contemplation and resolution of Macy and Elliot's relationship. I wouldn't necessarily say that this was a perfect book, but I was wholly invested and enjoyed every minute of my time spent in it.

Christina Lauren, what have you done to me??? I am a hot mess right now. I’m talking about ALL the feels, ya’ll. Love and Other Words is an adult contemporary romance that is equal parts coming of age, friends becoming lovers, loss and heartache, and second chance romance—all combined in one potent fictional cocktail. It is 100% amazing!

You know you have a winner on your hands when you lose sight of the fact that you’re reading fiction because the story seems so real. The intricacies of the plot, as well as the complexity of the characters and their interactions with one another, make the story entirely absorbing and believable. I could not read the pages fast enough.

The fact that Elliott and Macy are fellow bibliophiles makes them kindred spirits. However, I have no words to describe my level of adoration of them. I can say the tale of their meeting as awkward tweens, followed by their transition to best friends and then to high school loves, is just as fascinating as the mystery of their fall-out, decade-long separation, and subsequent reunion.

Sporadic flashbacks in books can be a distraction if not handled with care. In this case, the timelines are purposeful and orderly; each chapter alternates between “now” and “then.” It creates a sense of honesty and perfect clarity to the depth of Macy and Elliott’s relationship. I can’t imagine the story unfolding any other way.

The writing duo of Christina Lauren has truly outdone themselves with this tender and deeply moving romance. I don’t have to think twice about giving Love and Other Words five enthusiastic stars.

Be still my barely beating, bleeding, broken heart.

My emotions ranged from crying from laughter to pain. Love and Other Words captured my heart and soul and sometimes was not very nice to them. Someone who can write so fiercely that a simple look from a character can have you hot and bothered is a beauty. The attention to detail, the development and depth to these characters had my heart a pile of wax.

I love when authors incorporate a love for reading into stories because of course readers are bias to read about other readers being "famous" enough to make it into stories. This incorporation of reading is to date my favorite of all time. These characters were alive to me and I wanted so badly to hug and comfort them at times. A beautiful portrayal of a father in this book that made me cry from longing. A boy breaking into a house to hide and read in quiet made me want to melt into the story and become his best friend. I've never wanted so desperately to know characters in real life; they seemed so grounded and real.

Elliot is officially my favorite male character from a book ever. I have never melted so easily for a cast of characters as I have for this father and Elliot. The female was even strong yet broken, a perfect mixture of honesty. I will be purchasing and rereading this book and highly recommending it to anyone and everyone. One of my favorite books this year.

4.5 absolutely Beautiful Stars ????.5 I loved loved loved every single word of this book.... Christina Lauren absolutely hit a homerun with this book.... A book I couldn’t put down filled with characters I absolutely adored and was rooting for....

This is a second chance love story....Elliot and Macy were one another’s first love.... The story is told in alternating time periods between their teenage years and 11 years later when they are reunited.... Macy and Elliot started out as friends bonding over a love of books and words.... Their friends to lovers story develops so sweetly and slowly and perfectly.... I just could not possibly figure out what could have torn these two apart....

11 years later and Macy and Elliot run into each other at a coffee shop.... The connection is still there, but are Macy’s walls too high and too thick to be broken down? What happened to break these two up in the first place? What tragedy and secret has been haunting Macey for all these years? Well you’re going to need to read this book to find out! And I strongly encourage you to do so..... this book has all the feels and leaves you with a huge smile on your face....

Trust me my non romance loving friends even you will be entranced by this book.... and your eyes will not roll I promise.... it is almost impossible not to fall in love with Elliot and Macy and this remarkable love story....

Favoriteword.... YOU?

*** thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book ***

After the death of Macy's mother, her father buys them a weekend getaway house right next door to the Petropoulos family. It is here where Macy meets Elliot hanging out in her closet reading. She decided she enjoyed that he "came with the house" and a friendship was inevitable. 

I have never read Christina Lauren before, and I really enjoyed this story. I really enjoyed Elliot. He was such an ideal book boyfriend. I loved that he was smart. I enjoyed that he was genuine. I mostly enjoyed that he was irrevocably honest. Even when he made poor choices, he was honest to a fault. And that was the best part about Elliot. Plus, he was a boy who loved to read books and had a favorite word. SWOON!

Macy had plenty of heartbreak in her life. Losing her mother at a young age was definitely a huge one. She was lucky enough to have the best dad. He made sure she had an esacpe from life on the weekends. He learned how to do her hair. His mission was Macy's happiness. And there is nothing better than watching a single dad basically "nail it." 

The story is told in past and present POV building up the reasons for the eleven years in which Elliot and Macy lost each other. It came down to a very emotional and heartbreaking and hopeful ending that I never would have even imagined. I just felt it it took a little long to come to fruition. The answers come and the story essentially ends. It was still so full of emotions and is a wonderful friends to lovers story.

Love and Other Words alternates between past and present as we learn the story of Macy and Elliot. This story starts out with all the sweet and romantic glory of young love. You know right away in present day that these two were torn apart but you are not sure why. I adored the past POV. The sadness of Macy as she is dealing with the loss of her mother. Her blooming friendship with her new neighbor Elliot. The detail was amazing and it was a beautiful story of two young people falling.

The present day story was a bit of a snooze for me. Macy is engaged to her boyfriend but there is no chemistry there. You are just left wondering “why?”. They are just two people going through life separately. What damaged Macy so bad that she was willing to settle on being a boring place holder? Elliot soon resurfaces in Macy’s life and this leaves her questioning everything.

The big problem for me on the present day was the time it took to find out why these two split. It was hard to get on board with Macy because she was so up and down. I was just as frustrated as Elliot was. Fair warning, the reveal is super late in the story. It was a good reveal. It was a sad and heartbreaking reveal. It was just so late that the end wrapped up and I felt a bit cheated.

Overall if you love Christina Lauren this was a good read. The young Macy and Elliot were a joy to read as they discovered each other.

Copy provided in exchange for a voluntary review

Love and Other words is the first women’s fiction novel by Christina Lauren. It’s a love story about a women who runs into her fist love and what that could mean for her future. The great aspect of this novel is that it’s told in alternative past and present chapters.

The first aspect of a book I really pay attention to is the point of view. This novel is written in first person POV, from Macy’s perspective, which allows readers to really get in her head. To me, it draws me more into the characters’ emotions. The writing just pulled me in. The alternating past and present was key for me. The flow was written really well and it kept me wanting more at the end of each chapter. I think it made the wait for the next time change that much more gratifying.

I felt so much while reading this. It’s a beautiful story. I really liked how Macy’s relationship with Elliot progressed in the past chapters. Their connection was immediate and their banter made me want to squeal in excitement. Elliot is such a lovable character. Even though their intimacy was slower than I would have liked, their experiences matched their age. It wasn’t rushed, and as adults the chemistry was off the charts.

I was enthralled from the first page. Would recommend this to any reader who loves an all-consuming read.

An advance complimentary copy of this book was supplied by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

The Authors wrote some really good Characters that made to story feel more real and made me feel more invested.

Macy was a closed off person who was trying to live in avoidance, from her relationship with her
fiancé to her ownership of 2 homes she did not live in. Her growth from beginning was perfect
and not rushed.

Elliot was living in the past but trying to forge on. He had a confidence about him that was
enduring and just want he needed to get what he has wanted.

Sean was in his own world with his daughter Phoebe, he did not try to engage with Macy’s
friends, there just seemed to be something off in their relationship – which had me rooting for
Sabrina’s intervention.

Sabrina, she was the one true friend that Macy had and needed – she added a humorous element
to this emotional story and I love her for it!

Elliott’s family with their big hearts and welcoming souls – Mr Nick, Miss Dina, George,
Andreas, Alex and now Liz and Else rounded out the amazing characters.

The alternating timeline between past and present really helped the so show the relationship that Macy & Elliot had for years. There are some funny moments, some awkward moments, some terribly sad moments and truths that needed to be revealed, but there were also moments that gave hope, made you feel warm & fuzzy ~ making this a GREAT Second Chance story.

Macy, a pediatric surgeon resident, is finally setting in to her adult life. Engaged to an older, stable man who makes her happy yet doesn't require much of her time, she thinks she is ready to be a wife and automatic mother to his six-year old daughter. Then she runs into Elliot.

Elliot was her everything person. Elliot who broke her heart ten years ago. Elliot who ruined every relationship she ever had after him, until now. Elliot who she still loves.

Told in Now and Then chapters, this is a great step into Women's Fiction for this dynamic duo of writers whose every written word I devour. Put this one on your 2018 Must Read List!

Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for the ARC!

I’m still relatively new to the Christina Lauren world, having only read Sweet Filthy Boy (erotic contemporary romance) and Autoboyography (LGBT YA), but Love and Other Words has confirmed that their books need to be moved up on my TBR list.

Macy and Elliot were best friends and first loves...but something changed all of that and lead to a fault in their relationship. 11 years later, they run into each other and through alternating chapters of past and present, we learn how their relationship came together, fell apart, and if it is possible to repair the damage.

Because I tend to gravitate towards YA, I couldn’t help but adore the “past”chapters. The budding romance is so realistic and sweet and cute. Christina Lauren write a lot of sexy books, so they talk openly about the sexual tension that builds as they get older and their feelings change. The relationship grows naturally. I loved it.

The present is good, but it’s also (intentionally) frustrating. I just wanted Macy and Elliot to be honest with each other already! That said, it’s hard to fix eleven years of pain in a flash.

Overall, this novel is a great reminder that love and life are not easy and that people are not perfect. It’s how we choose to heal, forgive, or accept things as they are that can lead us on the right path.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I devoured it..enjoying every heart wrenching turn. Every shared memory and glance. My angst little heart is overjoyed and completely sated..Christina Lauren completely enraptured this time and area. I was so excited to see my hometown area in the forefront. My river that I grew up on. My first love was a boy that vacationed to the river every summer from Pinole Ca. And man I adored him..he was the life guard at rio nido pool and when we finally dated for a year I couldn’t even breathe. No comparison between my sad ending and this epic tale but I felt every single moment of this story as if I were living it. I loved it!! So much so I have bought and gifted it to everyone I know that reads, including my daughter! Can't recommend this one enough!

I loved this book so much! Christina Lauren has given us a book that is heartbreaking and beautiful. I loved all the references of the classics.

This book was told in past and present of Elliott and Macy’s story. They have known each other since they were teenagers. Macy’s mother passed away and her dad decided they needed a vacation home, which happens to be right next to Elliot’s house.

I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen next. I was really hoping these two would find their way back to each other years later.

This book is one of my top reads of 2018. I can’t wait for more work from Christina Lauren

I received an arc from Netgalley. Wow. This book was extreme well written and I loved how the story was told side by side with past events. This book grabs you and reels you in right from the beginning.

Elliot and Macy are two teens who find an unusual friendship that turns into something more but with all coming of age stories heatbreak and relationships don’t always turn out the way we dream. After eleven years a chance meeting between them occurs and from there they learn to trust and love again.

I highly recommend this book to those fans of Kristin Hannah. The story will grip you like no other.
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When a young girl’s mother dies, her father buys a cabin for them to escape to for weekends. There she meets a nerdy next-door neighbor who loves book as much as she does. They become best friends and as they grew older, the friendship grew into love. She felt betrayed the night she found in passed out drunk with a naked girl laying across him. Eleven years later, they run into each other again and the attraction is still there although both are cautious about calling it love. Can they forget their past mistakes and forgive each other? Can they have a second chance at love?

Loved how the introverts found each other and a lasting love.

This booooook!!!!!! Gah I’m reeling from how much I️ loved every written word!!!
The character development between these two childhood friends is priceless.
The H & H run into each other after not having any interactions between the two of them for eleven years. There was an incident that happened (you won’t know what I️t is until much later in the book) that derails there relationship just on the cusp of the two coming to love each other after being friends for 7 years and right before they would leave for college. This story goes back and forth between past and present. So freaking good!!

Wow...what a well written book. This follows Macey and Elliot from the age of 11. They become each other's everything...more than best friends and it doesn't turn into anything more till they are 18. The book goes from the past to the present. Something terrible happens to break up their closeness and it is heartbreaking...be sure to have tissues for the last 1/4 of the book! So well written and the characters were so real going through real things. Their feelings were so raw and sweet. Amazing read!

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read.

Christina Lauren is always one of the authors that I buy the book no matter what. The actual book. I want them on my shelves. It may sound a bit odd, but I like having them there in my house where I can hold them! This book is now my #2 favorite from CL. Will Sumner will always be my #1 BBF but Elliot is a VERY close second. I fell into this story hard. I refused to read it when anyone else was around so I would not miss a single word. It made me laugh, and cry and quite frankly gave me some anxiety waiting for the answers that needed to be shared. This is a book I will reread again and again and gift to friends. It was just amazing!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars

I typically read thriller/mystery books because I don’t like all the emotions I feel when reading a book like Love and Other Words. Ugh....the throbbing in my throat as I try not to cry.....I just don’t like feeling that way. I’m an emotional person, so reading thrillers/mysteries helps take my mind off my everyday feels.....
However,
This book is a reminder that I’ve been silly to pass on books because I didn’t want to “feel” a certain way. I loved everything about this book. I’m sad it had to end. I truly loved everything about it! Highly recommend!

This was such a beautiful story of lost chances at love, loss in general and then finding your way back to the one person that could give you the love and stability you need. I absolutely loved Elliot and Macy's story. These two were made for each other, they went through a lot, did they finally connect and make it work? You will have to read and find out. This one is a must read!!!

Christina Lauren knocks it out of the park again. Tapping everything they've written to date, Love and Other Words adds rich emotional complexity as it captures how indelible experiences like first love, heartbreak, and loss bear out in life 10 years later. It packs a poignant emotional punch that leaves you longing….and hoping that Macy and Elliot can overcome what kept them from talking for a decade. Hoping that Macy’s entire world view about love isn’t misguided.

For those who say, ehhh, I don't really read women's fiction, I say, you do when Christina Lauren writes it. If you're here for the romance, you'll get it and more.

Incredibly heartwarming story of childhood friends who meet up again once adults. Beautifully written. As childhood friends Macy and Elliott hang out at her father's "vacation" home. They are soulmates until something devastation happens when they are teenagers and many years go by before they see each other again. They very carefully and reluctance tread separately into the past to determine if there is still something there. Best book I've read all year.

What can I say? One more wonderful book by Christina Lauren.
Elliot and Macy meet when they around thirteen forming a beautiful friendship through their love for book and words. The story goes from the past to now with each chapter and we see their story, from friendship to love, to heartbreak and to destiny.
It’s so sweet and well written especially their teenage years and you can’t help but fall in love with both of them. They go through a rough patch until but there is HEA with a lot of tears from them and us.
Ladies, keep writing such beautiful stories. Thank you!!

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
.
This book was epic and beautiful and heartfelt and I couldn’t put it down. I felt as if I was in every moment with Macy and Elliot, watching everything evolve and unfold and twist and turn. I don’t think I’ll be able to pick up another book for days, my chest still reeling over their story.
.
Thank you Christina Lauren ? Once again, your words have enraptured me and made me love you ladies even more.

This book was a sweet second chance romance. It was interesting trying to find out what had happened to them in the past.

It was told in present and past chapters. It was only in Macy's point of view. It was interesting to see how their relationship progressed.

I was a little surprised at the ending and finding out what happened to them and Macy to make her run away.

Overall, it was a sweet story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars

I typically read thriller/mystery books because I don’t like all the emotions I feel when reading a book like Love and Other Words. Ugh....the throbbing in my throat as I try not to cry.....I just don’t like feeling that way. I’m an emotional person, so reading thrillers/mysteries helps take my mind off my everyday feels.....
However,
This book is a reminder that I’ve been silly to pass on books because I didn’t want to “feel” a certain way. I loved everything about this book. I’m sad it had to end. I truly loved everything about it! Highly recommend!

Love and Other Words is such an emotional rollercoaster that shifts between friendship, romance, sadness, and happiness. Macy and Elliot represent true love and friendship, as well as, lost loves and loneliness - but most importantly - they represent the beauty of firsts and lasts, despite time apart. This novel made my heart ache at times, but mostly made it almost beat out of my chest with all of the love and feels! I enjoyed the shifts between time periods but mostly fell in love with the outstanding writing, characterization, and emotion. I highly recommend this one!

This was such a beautiful story of lost chances at love, loss in general and then finding your way back to the one person that could give you the love and stability you need. I absolutely loved Elliot and Macy's story. These two were made for each other, they went through a lot, did they finally connect and make it work? You will have to read and find out. This one is a must read!!!

Christina Lauren knocks it out of the park again. Tapping everything they've written to date, Love and Other Words adds rich emotional complexity as it captures how indelible experiences like first love, heartbreak, and loss bear out in life 10 years later. It packs a poignant emotional punch that leaves you longing….and hoping that Macy and Elliot can overcome what kept them from talking for a decade. Hoping that Macy’s entire world view about love isn’t misguided.

For those who say, ehhh, I don't really read women's fiction, I say, you do when Christina Lauren writes it. If you're here for the romance, you'll get it and more.

Incredibly heartwarming story of childhood friends who meet up again once adults. Beautifully written. As childhood friends Macy and Elliott hang out at her father's "vacation" home. They are soulmates until something devastation happens when they are teenagers and many years go by before they see each other again. They very carefully and reluctance tread separately into the past to determine if there is still something there. Best book I've read all year.

What can I say? One more wonderful book by Christina Lauren.
Elliot and Macy meet when they around thirteen forming a beautiful friendship through their love for book and words. The story goes from the past to now with each chapter and we see their story, from friendship to love, to heartbreak and to destiny.
It’s so sweet and well written especially their teenage years and you can’t help but fall in love with both of them. They go through a rough patch until but there is HEA with a lot of tears from them and us.
Ladies, keep writing such beautiful stories. Thank you!!

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
.
This book was epic and beautiful and heartfelt and I couldn’t put it down. I felt as if I was in every moment with Macy and Elliot, watching everything evolve and unfold and twist and turn. I don’t think I’ll be able to pick up another book for days, my chest still reeling over their story.
.
Thank you Christina Lauren ? Once again, your words have enraptured me and made me love you ladies even more.

This book was a sweet second chance romance. It was interesting trying to find out what had happened to them in the past.

It was told in present and past chapters. It was only in Macy's point of view. It was interesting to see how their relationship progressed.

I was a little surprised at the ending and finding out what happened to them and Macy to make her run away.

Overall, it was a sweet story.

This is an emotional story about romance, lost love, and second chances. I loved the way we got a look at the past and the events that brought Macy and Elliot to where they are now and to the people they have become. This story is beautifully told with compelling characters and complicated relationships. This was the first book I have read by this author and I will definitely being reading more.

I loved everything about this book from start to finish. I was a little bit wary after being so underwhelmed with Roomies but this story made me laugh and cry. It will absolutely be one of those book I will reread over and over again.

This book was beautifully written with a perfect balance of past and present. I loved everything about it. It is a fabulous tribute to both second chance love and how we grow and mature in our relationships. This book had me laughing, crying and all the other emotions that one goes through when growing up. An absolute must read!

Amazing. But also heartbreaking and sad. It made me happy, it made me cry. And yet, I have no regrets. These characters really tug at your heartstrings. You know something major happened, but you don’t know the details of it and the antipation of finding out what really happened creates wonderful tension. I adore this author duo.

Excellent! I chose this book when I needed to take a break from the WWII fiction I have been reading. I wanted something "lighter." I didn't choose well...although it can't be compared to a WWII novel, this book is still pretty emotional. However, I loved it and really enjoyed the characters. I found them to be believable and likable. I listened to the Audible version and thought the narrator did a wonderful job. I'm heading now to look for more books by this author.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book about a pair of best friends and how their relationship progresses over time. The book covers the past and the present, a device I always enjoy and I liked both main characters very much! The book led to a "twist" that I saw coming a million miles away, however, I still enjoyed getting to the final revelation. This book flew by for me and was a read I didn't want to put down! Would highly recommend.