A review by bakingbookworm
Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

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

3.0

This book is about the complicated relationship between Macy and Elliot, and it sounded like a sweet read (and, at times it was) but my feelings for this book are all over the place. 
 
The story is told using two time frames - when Macy and Elliot were kids and later when they reconnect after being apart for over a decade - for reasons yet unknown to the reader. Their bond and interactions over the years were cute, touching and a bit melodramatic and I loved that they were both book lovers and word nerds. Their beginning was my favourite part of the book where we see the sweet relationship between Macy and Elliot as kids and teenagers. The banter, their understanding of each other and chemistry between them started this book off strong. 
 
But as the story progressed, the pacing slowed considerably, the plot became underwhelming, and the reasons for their issues felt contrived. By the halfway mark I was skimming the story, hoping we'd get through the angst, pining and dancing around their true feelings and what happened to separate them years prior. But when we're finally given the reveal (which came very late in the story), it was abrupt and while readers are given reasons to understand Macy's side of things, Elliot's trauma was shockingly left unexplored. Considering the topic and his experience, the lack of recognition and exploring the issue was disappointing. 
 
This is a sweet second chance romance/friends-to-lovers romance between two book lovers who have known each other since childhood that features themes of love, loss and trust. Christina Lauren's books are hit and miss for me and this book falls in the middle of the bunch.  
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