I Came for Macy but Love and Other Words Belongs to Elliot

love and other words by Christina lauren

Love and Other Words is getting a movie! The team behind To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before just picked it up, which means a whole new wave of readers is about to meet Elliot and Macy for the first time. I read it back in 2018, the month before it came out, and here are my original thoughts. This Love and Other Words review is my honest take on the first book by Christina Lauren I read: what pulled me in, what didn’t quite land, and whether it’s worth reading before the film.

LOVE AND OTHER WORDS was addictive from beginning to end. ~ Under the Covers

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links. That means we receive a small commission at no cost to you from any purchases you make through these links.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

WOMEN’S FICTION

Standalone
April 10, 2018

Read this if you want:

the ultimate one-that-got-away second chance
a slow burn you won’t be able to put down
a bookish hero whose love runs deep (Elliot has my whole heart)

Grab this book on Amazon

I’ve finally read my first Christina Lauren book. Something about this one and the fact it was marketed as women’s fiction worked for me and made me take the plunge. I’m glad I finally did it and I’m also glad it was with this one.

A Slow Burn Second Chance About the One That Got Away

LOVE AND OTHER WORDS is a story about love and second chances at its core. I think it straddles a line between women’s fiction and contemporary romance and for me it leans heavily on the romance aspect. If you like a good slow burn story then this is the read for you.

I think fans of Colleen Hoover will find this new Christina Lauren to fall very much in line with that style. In fact, I could barely put this book down. I love when a story that is not overly complicated pulls me in and that’s in great part due to the writing. I was very impressed with the ease in which this is narrated. Once it started, it didn’t let me go until I had finished it.

I love stories about the one that got away and this is like the ultimate example of that. This is a story about two childhood best friends who thought they would be together forever and life took them in different directions. Reconnecting and seeing the opportunity for the future that escaped them while dealing with all the unresolved issues from their past was not an easy road to travel. There’s some angst in this story but I don’t think it was too overdone, which I can appreciate. But it’s definitely not a happy and fun book as I think some of their other books are. It digs a little deeper and stirs up feelings and emotions as you read along. Whether you agree with the characters actions or not.

Elliot Stole the Show, but the Ending Didn’t Quite Land

As with most women’s fiction, this story is centered around our heroines journey. Macy is a great heroine but she’s actually not the one that stole the show for me. That is where Elliot comes in. I loved him as a kid, then as a teenager and fell for him as an adult. I just loved everything about him and how deep his love for Macy ran. And as far as supporting cast goes, you don’t want to miss his family. I wish we could find out more and more about them.

Now for the part that kept this from being a perfect read for me. I didn’t love the ending. The resolution felt a little too simple, and the reason these two were kept apart for all those years felt a little weak to me, if I’m being honest. It didn’t detract from how much I enjoyed the book overall, but it was the one thing that held it back.

LOVE AND OTHER WORDS was addictive from beginning to end. I’m definitely going to be on the lookout for more books by this author duo in the future.

This one had me from the first page. If you want to see for yourself: Read Love and Other Words.

Would you like to save this?

Enter your email below, and we’ll send this post straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll join fellow readers and receive my book recommendations each week!

Who Should Read Love and Other Words Before the Movie

This one is for Colleen Hoover, Emily Henry, Carley Fortune and Abby Jimenez fans first. It lives in that same emotional space, so if you want a second chance romance that sits heavier than a fun romcom, you’ll feel right at home here. And since we already know the film is on the way, read it now, while Elliot and Macy are still just yours on the page, before a movie decides what they look like.

Love and Other Words FAQ

Is Love and Other Words being made into a movie?

Yes. As seen on Hollywood Reporter in July 2026, a feature film adaptation is in the works from Magic Hour Entertainment, the new company from Max Siemers, who produced Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy. Sofia Alvarez, who wrote the first two To All the Boys films, is attached to write and direct. No cast, streamer, or release date has been announced yet. But personally I loved TATBILB, so I’m excited.

Is Love and Other Words a standalone?

Yes. It’s a complete standalone, and Christina Lauren have said they don’t plan a sequel for Elliot and Macy, their story ends right where it should.

What is Love and Other Words about?

Two childhood best friends and first loves reconnect after more than a decade apart, and have to face the heartbreak that pulled them apart in the first place. It’s told in alternating Then/Now timelines. Second chance, slow burn, all the feelings.