Love and Other Words, published in 2018, is a dynamic, emotional romance by writing duo Christina Lauren (the combined pen name of writing partners Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings). Like many of the best love stories, Love and Other Words takes us through the eras of a relationship—the fast friendship of childhood, the tender teenage romance, the passion of reunited lovers—keeping us guessing throughout whether the stars will ultimately align for the couple. But before the novel dives into all of that, we meet present-day Macy Sorenson. A new pediatrics resident living with her fiancé and his young daughter in San Francisco, Macy seems to have everything under control. Even though she’s constantly exhausted and her friends are concerned that she’s rushing into marriage (she only met Sean a couple months ago), Macy feels like she’s finally moving forward in life… that is, until she runs into Elliot Petropoulos at her local coffee shop. Elliot was her first love, her first heartbreak, her first everything, and suddenly all the emotions she’s kept locked up for years come rushing back. As she tentatively gets to know Elliot again, the novel alternates timelines between present day and the start of their relationship fifteen years ago when, in a small town outside of San Francisco, Macy and her dad rent a weekend cabin next to the Petropoulos’s home. However, it’s more than just a question of second chances; Macy will have to learn if love is powerful enough to heal past trauma… or if it’s better for everyone to just move on.

Over the past couple of years I’ve had so many friends recommend Love and Other Words to me, and I’m so glad I finally got around to reading it. The definition of a page-turner, this novel drew me in from the start and had me reading late into the night desperate to know what happens next. Although I usually lean more towards romantic comedies, I really enjoyed this foray into romantic drama; the novel reminded me a bit of the Nicholas Sparks romances I would devour in high school that, while easy to read, always came with a heady combination of love, grief, and trauma, making them anything but light. Macy and Elliot’s romance feels equally genuine in both timelines (I wonder if Christina wrote one timeline and Lauren wrote another, or if they wrote both in tandem? Interesting to think about!), but I especially loved reading about their young love rooted in a shared appreciation of books. The kids flirt and tease each other in such a believable way, and the sweetness of those chapters balances out the intensity of the present-day storyline. Love and Other Words is a wild, breathless ride, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I’d recommend this book to…

• Anyone who loves a story about soulmates and second chances… it’s similar in theme to The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
• Anyone looking for evocative writing that endears you deeply to the characters… it’s similar in style to Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
• Anyone searching for something dramatic and a bit suspenseful, but focused on relationships and family at its core… it’s similar in tone to Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid