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A review by meg_
Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
emotional
fast-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
5.0
I loved this book so much. I have been waffling between giving this a 4.5 or a 5 star review but ultimately landed on a 5 because it just filled my heart so much. Childhood friends to lovers is genuinely my God Tier trope and that is what this was. I love reading stories about people who feel so completely safe and comfortable to be themselves with one another in these relationships. It really gives soulmate energy and the bond they develop over hours, days, weeks, and months sitting in companionable silence with one another while reading and then getting to know every single piece of one another is just perfect to me. I absolutely love the soulmate energy between the two main characters because they quite literally are meant to be.
There are two elements that I wish were different, the first one being that I wish there was more resolution at the end of the story once all of the information was revealed about why there was such a loss of communication between our main characters. I wish more time was spent processing and rebuilding the relationship in a meaningful way after that super difficult information was shared. Secondly, I do wish more time was spent in the "then" scenes seeing our characters do all the activities that are mentioned in passing like hikes and days on the water. I think (understandably because they were literal hormonal teenagers) there was a lot of focus in those scenes on the tension between the two characters and when they'd cross the line of friendship into a relationship and I just wish there was a bit less of that and a bit more moments of genuine emotional connection and moments spent together aside from that. Hopefully that makes sense.
Overall, I loved this. I will absolutely re-read it and revel in all of the feelings it left me with.
There are two elements that I wish were different, the first one being that I wish there was more resolution at the end of the story once all of the information was revealed about why there was such a loss of communication between our main characters. I wish more time was spent processing and rebuilding the relationship in a meaningful way after that super difficult information was shared. Secondly, I do wish more time was spent in the "then" scenes seeing our characters do all the activities that are mentioned in passing like hikes and days on the water. I think (understandably because they were literal hormonal teenagers) there was a lot of focus in those scenes on the tension between the two characters and when they'd cross the line of friendship into a relationship and I just wish there was a bit less of that and a bit more moments of genuine emotional connection and moments spent together aside from that. Hopefully that makes sense.
Overall, I loved this. I will absolutely re-read it and revel in all of the feelings it left me with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Car accident, Grief, and Sexual assault