Love and Other Words

advance praise for

love

and

other words

“Love and Other Words is a triumph, the kind of book that makes you feel so deeply for the finely drawn characters that you almost forget they’re fictional. You’ll be swept away by the heartbreak, the joy, the chemistry, and the charisma woven through the fabric of Macy and Elliot’s star-crossed relationship. As the story unfolds—expertly interweaving the past with the present—you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll root for Macy and Elliot to find their way back to each other against all odds. A true joy from start to finish.”

—Kristin Harmel, internationally bestselling author of The Sweetness of Forgetting

“Christina Lauren has found a new sweet spot, with heartbreaking and hopeful language that will evoke the whirlwind immediacy of adolescence and the complicated choices of adulthood. Love and Other Words weaves past and present together in an emotional story that will have you declaring your favorite word is LOVE.”

—Amy E. Reichert, author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

praise for the novels of Christina Lauren

“At turns hilarious and gut-wrenching, this is a tremendously fun slow burn.”

—The Washington Post on Dating You / Hating You (A Best Romance of 2017 selection)

“Delightful.”

—People on Roomies

“A passionate and bittersweet tale of love in all of its wonderfully terrifying reality . . . Lauren successfully tackles a weighty subject with both ferocity and compassion.”

—Booklist on Autoboyography

“Christina Lauren hilariously depicts modern dating.”

—Us Weekly on Dating You / Hating You

“Perfectly captures the hunger, thrill, and doubt of young, modern love.”

—Kirkus Reviews on Wicked Sexy Liar

“Christina Lauren’s books have a place of honor on my bookshelf.”

—Sarah J. Maas, bestselling author of Throne of Glass

“Truly a romance for the twenty-first century. [Dating You / Hating You is] a smart, sexy romance for readers who thrive on girl power.”

—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Lauren brings her characteristic charm to the story. Holland’s tale is more than an unrequited crush; it’s about self-expectations, problematic friendships, unconventional family, and the strange power of love.”

—Booklist on Roomies

“In our eyes, Christina Lauren can do no wrong.”

—Bookish

“The perfect summer read.”

—Self on Sweet Filthy Boy

Thank you for downloading this Simon & Schuster ebook.

Get a FREE ebook when you join our mailing list. Plus, get updates on new releases, deals, recommended reads, and more from Simon & Schuster. Click below to sign up and see terms and conditions.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Already a subscriber? Provide your email again so we can register this ebook and send you more of what you like to read. You will continue to receive exclusive offers in your inbox.

For Erin and Marcia,

and the house near the creek in the woods.

prologue

My dad was a lot taller than my mother—I mean a lot. He was six foot five and my mom was just over five foot three. Danish big and Brazilian petite. When they met, she didn’t speak a word of English. But by the time she died, when I was ten, it was almost as if they’d created their own language.