Love and Other Words

Enjoyed this story that was kind of a modern day Wuthering Heights.

Whoops! I read this book so quickly that I forgot to mark it as ”currently reading.” lol

This had to have been 'right book right time' because I ate this book up! I loved the romance, the flirting, the flashbacks, but most of all I loved the twist near the very end, of the real reason the 2 main characters lost touch with each other. Can't wait to read more by this author!

I read Love and Other Words for Read & Gather book club. I went in expecting a soft, nostalgic second-chance romance. What I got was a tender, bookish childhood love story, some genuinely swoony tension, and then a late-game emotional wrecking ball I did not see coming. This story flips between Then and Now. I loved the format because it made the story seem speedier. In the past, thirteen-year-old Macy meets Elliott in a literal closet full of books, hiding out with a novel. He starts asking her what her favorite word is every time he sees her. It becomes their thing. Their inside joke. Their tension diffuser. It is adorable. Watching them grow from awkward, bookish teens into first loves felt intimate and nostalgic. In the present, Macy is a medical resident engaged to a much older, very stable and mature man named Shawn. She runs into Elliott after eleven years of silence. The chemistry is still there for both of them. I felt the stomach flips, fireworks, giggling, longing looks, thought the entire reunion. Elliott telling her he moved to Berkeley hoping to run into her and that she is the love of his life? I swooned. The romance itself is incredibly sweet. The friendship-first foundation makes the first kiss hit so much harder. The tension feels earned. The spicy scenes are passionate and emotionally charged without overwhelming the story. Elliott gifting her smutty books was elite behavior. We need to talk about the third-act reveal. The reason for their breakup involves Elliott being sexually assaulted by Emma, Macy walking in, assuming he willingly cheated, and Macy ghosting him for eleven years. She never called. Never asked. Never let him explain. He had to process trauma alone while also losing his best friend. When he finally confesses to Macy what happened? Macy does not handle his confession with the weight it deserves. I was genuinely disappointed in how his assault was brushed over. Instead of centering his trauma, the narrative pivots quickly to Macy spiraling about lost time and her father’s sudden death the day after the assault. Elliott responds with empathy, helps her pack up her late father’s house, and continues to be emotionally mature. Meanwhile, Macy rarely fully owns the damage she caused. Here is the thing. The mature men in this book carried it for me. Shawn’s reaction to her confusion about who she was in love with was incredibly grounded. He even says, “I’m sure if I saw my ex again, I would have the same confusion. I never got to fall out of love with her, I just had to move on. I don’t expect you to only have room in your heart for me.” That line was so emotionally intelligent. Elliott is patient, expressive, and open about his feelings. Macy, unfortunately, often felt selfish and avoidant. Despite my frustrations, I fell in love with Macy and Elliott’s story. The nostalgia. The bookish bond. The ending, with Macy answering “you,” in response to Elliott asking what her favorite word is made me say awww. 🥰 Was their love story messy? Yes. Did the trauma dump near the end shift the vibe? Also yes. Did I enjoy the ride and the happily ever after? I did. This book is worth picking up if you love second-chance romance with childhood friends to lovers, dual timelines, lots of longing, and emotionally expressive male leads.

3.5 ⭐️ maybe??????

so much potential but the ending felt really rushed and unfinished for a conflict that had the characters not speaking for 11 years