Love and Other Words

By: Christina Lauren

Narrated by: Erin Mallon

Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's Summary

The heart may hide, but it never forgets. The first women’s fiction novel from New York Times and number one international best-selling author Christina Lauren (Autoboyography, Dating You/Hating You).

Macy Sorensen is settling into an ambitious if emotionally tepid routine: work hard as a new pediatrics resident, plan her wedding to an older, financially secure man, keep her head down and heart tucked away.

But when she runs into Elliot Petropoulos - the first and only love of her life - the careful bubble she’s constructed begins to dissolve. Once upon a time, Elliot was Macy’s entire world - growing from her gangly teen friend into the man who coaxed her heart open again after the loss of her mother...only to break it on the very night he declared his love for her.

Told in alternating timelines between then and now, teenage Elliot and Macy grow from friends to much more - spending weekends and lazy summers together in a house outside of San Francisco reading books, sharing favorite words, and talking through their growing pains and triumphs. As adults, they have become strangers to one another until their chance reunion. Although their memories are obscured by the agony of what happened that night so many years ago, Elliot will come to understand the truth behind Macy’s decade-long silence and will have to overcome the past and himself to revive her faith in the possibility of an all-consuming love.

©2018 Christina Lauren (P)2018 Simon & Schuster Audio

✫✫ 4 Stars ✫✫ Great Narration

While I really enjoyed most of this book, I have to say this could have been a 5 star book except I felt like there were a few different things with these characters that were either passed by like it was inconsequential or that were just so out of character for them both. I love a friends to loves story and I love a second chance romance so this book started out perfect for me. I really enjoyed the past/present story line and I enjoyed how different Elliot and Macy were from the time they met and how it just worked for them both. Elliot was very quirky as a teen and Macy embraced his "strange" which was probably my favorite thing about this book. I was on board until almost the end. Up until then I felt like the only thing really missing was a little more connection between them as adults, 10 years is a long time to not need any time to get back where you were. Then finally we get the explanation as to why it had been 10 years and that really didn't work for me. It was a little unbelievable the explanation about New Years Eve and then Macy having to tell him about the following day was a little unbelievable too. I say this because after all the years and the connections, for him to go on clueless just didn't seem like him at all. With that being said, I think those are just issues for me and I think most people won't have the same issues. I would for definitely recommend this book but I would be sure that you didn't grab this looking for a "beautiful bastard" type of story. These authors have changed (not a bad thing, just different) since the beginning, their stories are a lot deeper now so expect that when you read this book.

TEN STAR NARRATION
The narration for the audiobook was AMAZING!!! Erin Mallon is an incredible narrator and I have to say I was kind of excited to see she actually narrated this one alone. I say this not because I don't love dual narration because I do but because Erin doesn't need a co-narrator. She has an awesome male voice and she switches so seamlessly between the roles that you forget it's only one person. She was a GREAT casting choice for this book. She was able to narrate a teenage boy, teenage girl, 29 year old man & 29 year old women and it worked perfectly. At no point did she sound too young or too old for the characters and to me that is a great skills that most narrators do not have. I think she portrays the emotions of the characters so well that she has you convinced the situations are actually happening to her and she isn't reading someone else's words.

SUPER pissed this didn't work for me

I feel cheated.

I read the blurb and everything!

This known each other since forever and then we finally fall in lurve trope is usually a slam dunk for me. Also, my recent record with CL has been superb but this... ugh, #headdesk

It really all boils down to Macy. I hated her. I really did. I *tried* not to but was unsuccessful.

I empathize with her losses. All of them sucked and sucked balls. No one should have to go through all that.

I also realize that people handle loss in their own way and when a person loses a parent at such a young age it has a lasting impact upon them and the trajectory of their development. I hand it to CL on her characterization; it stays true tonally throughout.

The problem was... I did not like her. There are times to reign it in and bite your tongue and then there are times when you need to put your big girl socks on and USE YOUR WORDS!

She's horrifically bad at using her words for someone who's perenially talking about words and reading words and asking El what his favorite word is. All that talk escapes her in the big moments and it frustrated the bejeepers out of me.

Every time I turned around she was hiding again, ducking El, ducking her friends, putting things off for a different day. It exhausted me and nuked any shred of enjoyment I could've potentially had.

The BIG SEKRIT goes on forever and ever and when it's finally revealed... no way. No way am I buying that it happened. It felt like a contrived conflict drawn out for the purpose of stringing me, the reader, along. I don't believe that would've or could've happened and even if it did freezing someone out that's supposedly your BFF for life for ELEVEN YEARS is preposterous!

Who does that?

El is a bright spot but I didn't love him either.

Erin Mallon, I will try again. I wasn't enamored by this performance but I have a feeling that I'm transferring my dislike of Macy to her and that's not really fair, though I will say all of her male voices sounded exactly the same and I tend to like narrators with range.

Obviously, my opinions are my own and YMMV but I wouldn't recommend this; however, one bump in the road won't prevent me from reading more from these authors in the future.

What's your favorite word

Amazing! This was a really good friends to lover and second chance story. Macy and Elliot were quirky kids that started as friends and over their high school years fell in love until something happened and 11 years later they come across each other and old feelings that actually never left are right there again. I liked the way the past/present day of their story was told and as much as I loved this story I do think it should have been a little bit more at the end, but books I really enjoy always leaving me wanting more and I wanted just a little more of their story. I loved that even though there were years of separation and words unsaid that because they were friends first they were able to essentially pick their friendship up where they left off. As for narrator Erin Mallon there are not enough words to say what a spectacular job she did with this book. There aren't many narrators that transition from female to male as flawlessly as she does. I will always pick books narrated by her because you can always expect the best from her. If I could I'd give more that 5 stars.

Meh... at best

I couldn't wait for the end of this story. I just wanted to be done with it! There wasn't anything compelling about this book. At all. The story never grabbed my attention. And the narrator. Oh, the narrator. Why did she read this book with a breathy whisper? I haven't ever written such a review, but I wouldn't want anyone else to waste their time with this book. I was probably being generous with the 2 stars. It just wasn't good.

Love and Other Words

I really enjoyed this story, usually, I am not a fan of Before and Now and the back and forth but when these authors do it I don’t mind.

Macy and Elliot are awesome, I love the best of friends and how they were exactly what each of them needed as they grew up. The time they spent apart in the early days made them coming back to each other so much more. I really enjoyed this and then the heartbreak they have well that is just terribly sad.

I will say I felt like the things that were keeping them apart were almost swept under the rug and the HEA was almost too fast. I don’t’ know I guess I wanted more of explanation and a few scenes of how they dealt with the truth finally coming to light.

I loved the narration, I think Erin Mallon was the perfect person for this book, because of her ability to not only bring female characters to life but also her male voice is amazing.

Basically a YA Novel

This story was cheesy and the only thing keeping it from being a YA novel is that the sex scenes, while tame for an adult, would probably be considered too much for the teen scene. The story was not all that engaging, it's clear from early on what is going to happen. Others seemed to dislike the flashback format. I wasn't bothered by that much as it wasn't hard to keep up with, I just found it hard to believe that a woman who made it through med school was still pining away for some dude she had sex with once. When she was 17.

The narrator had an excessively breathy voice that was distracting and made the story seem even cornier than it already was. Definitely let down by the high rating on this one.

Dizzy and Oh So Boring

The first few chapters intested me but very soon I was bored and lost total interest.
The back and forth from present day to 15-13 years ealier were not purposful but demonstated a lack of developement.
This is not well written or developed.

I want my Credit back

I am over halfway through this book and I had to stop and read the reviews and some spoilers on Amazon. Normally, I would read ahead with a physical book. The characters are boring, I hate the past/present alternating chapters and the author is dragging out the reveal Elliott and Macy stopped communicating for 10-11 years. I don't even care anymore. I felt like I was in adolescent hell. And there is no way Elliott would not know about how Macy's father died. I don't even want to read any other books by this author. So disappointing

One of the best!

I listen to this book regularly. It’s one of the most well written stories with great dialogue. I love that the story is not based on sex. Sex was not needed to make this book perfect. Both characters were well developed. I wish I could find more books like this.

loved it so much I will listen again

This just became one of my favorite books. I love the narration too , the voices are smooth and easy to listen to. The story was so good that I listened straight through.

love and other words :

This book is amazing I have listened to it on repeat the story line is very good and the end sentence was amazing .worth every second

Lives up to the hype

Loved the book. It has a wonderful couple at the center that had me binge listening. It definitely lives up to the hype and all of the recommendations on social media.

But there’s a few things I have to mention, because it annoyed me…

The supposedly Danishness of the father is SO wrong writes the Dane 1. No way would his first name be Duncan unless he’s half American 2. When will Americans get in their head that æbleskiver are only eaten around Christmas time. Æbleskiver are not a breakfast food and they are seasonal. Stop doing Danish research in Solvang, California.

Wrecks me everytime

I love this book so much. It breaks me apart and then glues me back together with little pieces of love. Narrated very well and definitely worth a read if you love friends to lovers and second chance tropes

Boring, cringe and unbearable narrator

I love a romance novel as much as the next person, but I found this storyline dry, cringey and uneventful. The characters weren’t particularly likeable, especially Macy. The narrator’s voice was unnecessarily drawn out which made it tough to listen. 1.3x speed it slightly bearable. Glad it’s over.

Easy 5 stars 🌟

Loved every moment. Especially Macy's mothers list and the library in the closet. Beautiful 🥺

Binged it

Great binge worthy romance. Great narration. Story format was a little predictable but I liked that about it :)

Dull story

The story was dragged out and nothing really happened, without going anything away the bit at the end was predictable and not orignal.

I hate the narrators voice 😬

I couldn’t focus on the story properly because of the irritating narrators voice. Listening to the book at 1.3 spread makes her voice almost bearable.

love love love

The way the story was told is capturing and makes you want to listen to the book and finish it now!! the narrator did an excellent job in making the characters alive ,would read it again and again and again

Great Romance

Great slow burn romance novel with some heart break thrown in. Main character is slightly annoying in some parts but still greatly enjoyed. Good narration.