Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

15 reviews

livvmarks's review

emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

The spicy scenes with them as teenagers was just a bit odd and felt uncomfortable, especially when Macy was 3/4 months away from turning 18. Like how hard would it be to just wait a little bit in the storyline? Ruined the book for me personally, also just not a fan of main characters being separated for a long time- especially 11 years :(

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Alcohol, Drug use, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Vomit, Car accident, Death of parent, Sexual content, Child death, Cursing, Drug abuse, and Gore

elliott_the_clementine's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

I wanted to love this book so badly! Besides having a dreamy, bookish hero named Elliot (though his name ought to have had two T’s), Love and Other Words did an excellent job of telling a story across time and space. Despite pacing issues, Macy and Elliot fall in love so sweetly and believably that it is impossible not to root for them. Until the end, I thought that this book would receive a rave review from me.  

However, a significant issue in plot, explained briefly in the spoiler below, significantly upset me, and it may upset others. More seriously, it would have been easily rectifiable. 

I do not recommend this book. 

Trigger warning for sexual assault and rape. I could not love the book because of a horrible error (though that may be too small of a word) on behalf of the authors. It is revealed that Elliot experienced sexual assault

(a young woman who may or may not have been inebriated raped him while he was so drunk he thought that she was Macy)

which ultimately ended his and Macy’s relationship because Macy thought that Elliot had cheated, and it is not discussed thoughtfully or treated as sexual assault. 

For a book that is so emotional and thoughtful in many ways, this “storyline” was wildly upsetting. It could have been treated or discussed meaningfully, as assault, but instead the blame is still placed on Elliot. Victim-blaming is NEVER okay. Moreover, Elliot experienced a significant trauma that was brushed off as a step towards romance. Not. Okay. Assault is not a plot device for character growth. It doesn’t make a person more interesting or their love for another person stronger (especially since it is sort of portrayed like Elliot is only able to be touched by Macy, who he loves so much, which is super weird in context of the assault, as other reviewers have explained much more eloquently). I am extremely disappointed and angry. Elliot deserves better. We deserve better.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Sexual assault, Rape, and Death of parent

Minor: Pregnancy

meat_muffin's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It’s 1:30am, I just finished this book and I’m still sobbing, so… that’s my review.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Car accident, Sexual content, Infidelity, and Grief

Minor: Pregnancy and Cancer

chelle22's review

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Grief, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Car accident, Drug use, Cancer, Deadnaming, Death, Cursing, Death of parent, Sexual content, Vomit, and Panic attacks/disorders

hdoomk's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Gore, Violence, Cancer, Car accident, Cursing, Sexual harassment, Death, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Vomit

Moderate: Alcoholism

kaitlynnnng's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I read this book in two days because I couldn’t put it down.

I love that the chapters alternated between “then” and “now.” I loved watching Elliot and Macy’s relationship evolve. They were so cute (as friends and as more).

I definitely cried when Macy shared the full side of her story. That is just so heartbreaking! I can’t say I could’ve made it through that situation.

Some of my critiques: I find it a little unrealistic that they could jump back into things so soon. Especially after 11 YEARS! And especially after everything Macy went through! Then again, I didn’t meet and grow up with the true love of my life, so what do I know? Also, I don’t like the way THE incident was handled. Macy’s life was destroyed for two reasons on the same day, but so was Elliot’s (even though neither of them knew about the other’s situation). It would’ve been completely out of character for Elliot to intentionally do something stupid, but I hate that he was sexually assaulted. AND THAT HE APOLOGIZED SO MUCH FOR IT! And tried to downplay it as being just drunk and delusional.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Car accident, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Drug use, Pregnancy, Vomit, and Alcohol

a_l_reads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Death

Moderate: Grief, Car accident, Sexual content, Blood, and Vomit

Minor: Pregnancy and Injury/Injury detail

lucyrudd's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Car accident, Grief, and Pregnancy

gabyhat's review

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Death of parent

Minor: Pregnancy, Vomit, Medical content, and Cancer

stllyltc's review against another edition

emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I wasn't particularly fond of how the character was written. As an individual, it flowed how there was so much more to unpack. The intense avoidant detachment coming from it was insanely unhealthy for the sake of so-called friendship. Reading this has made me realize once again why the romance genres are so not my type of reading. Reeling away from processing grief, not facing reality, steering to convenience rather than actually living and not just merely passing by time, knowing someone just at arm's length, and settling for less—it follows a concept of the character's journey towards her perception and life in general. As the experience she endowed was distraughting enough, it's good overall, but it was icky for some reason. It's a shame I had to skip some parts because it just wasn't it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Car accident, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Pregnancy