I’m writing this review with puffy eyes because I cried through the last few chapters of this book. Grab a cup of coffee and let’s chat.

Love and Other Words is so much more than a love story, which are my favorite ones. Typically, romances are terrific palate cleansers for me. They’re fluffy and give me giddy feelings in the pit of my stomach, which are needed after a high fantasy or horror novel.

My favorite romances, however, are those that leave you breathless… the ones that make you feel like you need another palate cleanser. That’s what Love and Other Words was for me.
the first couple of chapters…

This book is about loss, grief, finding love in strange places (like a closet), and forgiveness. It’s a childhood friends-to-lovers romance with dual timelines and favorite words.

Macy and Elliot’s meet cute is one of my favorites. Duncan, Macy’s father, bought a vacation home for them to escape to when life became too stressful. During the tour with the realtor, Macy ventured upstairs and opened the door to the huge closet space Duncan said she could turn into a library.

She was shocked and slightly terrified to find a boy nestled inside, absorbed in a book.

Elliot lives next door and was shocked to see that the house he usually sneaks into to read (as an escape from his own bustling family) is going to be sold. Macy assures him that he can still come over and read.

Together they transform the huge closet into a library space and they read in there for hours when she visits, which is multiple times every month. Through the dual timelines, you can really see their relationship build as adolescents and it’s beautiful.

The other timeline is of Macy when she’s in her late twenties after eleven years of not talking to Elliot. They have this huge falling out, which is teased throughout the book; we don’t see why until the very end.

This timeline reveals that she is now going through residency at a hospital and has very little time to herself. She’s engaged to man she barely knows and is generally not happy in life. When she sees Elliot come into a café, she bolts on her best friend, whom she’s having lunch with, but he ends up catching up to her.

thoughts

I loved Elliot, but I thought he was a bit too much at times. He is very persistent and piney, which isn’t my thing in book boyfriends or partners in general. However, I do see all of his great qualities and why he’s amazing for Macy.

The favorite word thing was a beautiful touch and I loved it. If you haven’t read it, Elliot asks Macy what her favorite word is every time she comes up to the vacation home and that’s how they start their visit with each other. It’s adorable and creative.

The ending really shook me.

We know that Macy loses her mother early in life, but during her first meet up with Elliot post-falling out, she reveals that her father passed away. It gutted me because we get to know Duncan in the ‘then’ chapters. I sobbed when that part of the story came to light. I loved it as a writer, but hated it as a reader. It tore me apart.

Speaking of the themes of loss in this book, I adored the list that Macy’s mother left for Duncan. Since Macy’s mom knew she didn’t have long to live, she wrote Duncan a list of things that he needed to do for Macy in a variety of different situations, which is why he purchased the vacation home in the first place. It was very touching and let us see the kind of relationship they had without having to see it on the page.

you should read this…

If you like People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. These books have very similar vibes with the dual perspectives and a big falling out. Overall, I think this book was amazing and recommend it for every shade of romance reader. There’s a bit of spice, but it’s not overpowering.