Love and Other Words

By Christina Lauren

Make it stand out

☕︎☕︎☕︎

Macy and Elliot’s coming-of-age romance was genuinely beautiful. Their friendship evolving into something deeper, especially in the wake of Macy’s loss, was tender and well-paced. The alternating timelines between past and present worked wonderfully in showing just how deeply Elliot loved her, even if the ending later made me question parts of that devotion.

Some of the emotional plot twists had real potential, and the story kept me turning pages. I finished it in under 24 hours, which is always a good sign. And as someone from a big, chaotic, loving Greek family, I especially enjoyed seeing Elliot’s nearly identical family dynamic on the page.

Before you read, there is a moment where Elliot has a New Year’s Eve encounter with a female character. In the scene, he was too intoxicated to know who he was with, meaning he was too intoxicated to consent. If this had happened to a female character, it would clearly be recognized as sexual assault. The lack of acknowledgement or processing around that moment was a major misstep that took the story down for me. While not integral to the story, I think it’s a needed warning.

Finally, the ending wrapped up far too quickly. This was a couple that needed time, healing, and maybe even therapy, not a rushed happily-ever-after.

In my head, I’ve rewritten the ending with more nuance and space for healing, which makes it easier to accept. With a stronger conclusion and more consistent character work, this could have been excellent. As is, it was good… just not great.