I tickle her tummy. And his shoulders are broadthat happened suddenly, too, but later. Such a solid little girl. Sabrina sees this as the invitation it is to talk freely about her new family of three, and she unrolls a list of accomplishments: the first smile, the first belly laugh, and just yesterday, a tiny fist shooting out with accuracy and firmly grabbing her mamas finger. Tell her you love her. A well-used messenger bag is slung across one shoulder and rests against the opposite hip. 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 Macys decade-long silence, and will have to overcome the past and himself to revive her faith in the possibility of an all-consuming love. Weve only been together for a few months. I remember the disastrous Russian River floods after the long drought of my childhood. His jeans rest low on his hips and his ass looks amazing. Its thick and messy, falling over the tops of his ears. Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2018. Girls need the words. Waitno. It was a four-bedroom wood-shingled and sharply angled cabin, chronically damp and potentially moldy, tucked back into the shade of the woods and near a creek that would continually bubble outside my window. At turns hilarious and gut-wrenching, this is a tremendously fun slow burn. In a voice thats both relatable and contemporary, two-person author team Christina Laurenpreviously known for their young adult novelscraft engaging and honest prose that packs just the right amount of steamy drama. "Good thing youre worth it.". I could see a pale green light coming from beneath the doorwhat I would soon know to be the result of spring-green paint illuminated by late-afternoon sun. When Sabrina bends down to pull a pacifier out of her diaper bag, I glance up to the counter, scanning the woman with the pink dreadlocks, the shorter man with a neck tattoo taking coffee orders, and, in front of them, the long masculine torso that slaps me into acute awareness. I give Sabrina my usual refrain of Someone needs to, then add, And Im good at it. It might be one Ive never seen him make before. I sense her starting to rise from her chair. He would wrap his arms all the way around her shoulders, press his face into her hair while his body curved over hers. And, as if everything I do is somehow hardwired to my memories of themthe raucous life next door, the giant, chaotic family I never hadI am hit with nostalgia, of the last non-work-related baby I spent any real time with. I pull in the scent of coffee and toast, the sound of music rumbling beneath the bustle of the customers. Three years later her father buys a cabin to get away for the weekends. But I have a feeling that it made them treasure finding each other again as adults, realizing that they truly were meant to be. In her question, the twin thought is very shallowly buried: Im your best friend and Ive only met the man twice, for fucks sake. Its just that Sean is the first man Ive met in more than ten years who I can be with and not feel like Im holding back somehow. Ground rule number one: never reference my job around mothers, especially new mothers. Nor could Dad have known that my whole world would end up next door, held in the palm of a skinny nerd named Elliot Lewis Petropoulos. It wasnt so much that she didnt trust him; she just wanted me to feel her influence even after she was gone. This book is loaded with grief, death of parents and definitely some consent issues, while I would recommend this book I think it is important to know that as sweet as this book is; it is also heavy. Wish the ending had been longer but all the emotions reading this. I really ended up loving the two timelines, I think there was something so sweet about seeing these two fall in love. And then, invariably, my mind shifts to Elliot just beyond or behind, waiting quietly for his older brothers to move on to their fighting or running or mess making, leaving him to pick up Alex, read to her, give her his undivided attention. When her father tells her to go check out her closet, Macy finds a bit reading in the corner of it. I had to sleep on this book review and let my heart settle because the emotions were crushing. I pushed with my shoulder, determined to get in, and nearly tumbled into the warm, bright room. The boy stood, dusting off his clothes, revealing that the widest part of each leg was at the knee. Thats what weve come to, thats the only thing other than you that will break up the monotony for the foreseeable future. Laughing, Sabrina reaches for her daughter, as if shes unable to share her any longer. All Rights Reserved. My mood droops; the prospect of planning a wedding while juggling a hundred hours a week at the hospital never fails to exhaust me. He had been reading, tucked into the far corner, back and neck curled into a C to fit himself into the lowest point beneath the sloped ceiling. I wish I got to hear all of her normal details every day. You cant go wrong picking up a book by CLo. He looked confused. Assemble your dream cast! The subject change rolls out of Sabrina, loud enough to be a little jarring: Hows wedding planning coming? As adults, they have become strangers to one another until their chance reunion. In the first couple of years after Mom died, he watched me, his ice-blue eyes somehow both soft and probing. Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2022. He was tall, and angled at every possible locationall sharp elbows and pointy shoulders. Macy was awesome. Hollands tale is more than an unrequited crush; its about self-expectations, problematic friendships, unconventional family, and the strange power of love. But it wasnt empty. And six. I ache, missing them all so much, but especially him. That I couldnt do," I say, and then pull my lips between my teeth, physically restraining myself from saying more. I dropped my fists from where theyd rested at my hips. I mean Swallowing again, I open my eyes and intend to look at her, but my gaze is drawn back over her shoulder again. And somehow, as much as I hurt, I knew it was even worse for Dad. We can see why she was so reluctant to jump headfirst back with Elliot through her POV. I went to camps along the Russian River. Even as a child, I knew I never wanted anything less. Christina Lauren hilariously depicts modern dating. Now on to the juicy stuff. Nice!! I listen, loving each normal detail acknowledged for what it really is: a miracle. Thanks, Tammy! Lauren brings her characteristic charm to the story. Ive only ever seen the princess Vivienne twice, and she seems to have doubled in size. He was another terrific hero in a long line of great heroes by this writing team, and he was oh so lickable, erI mean, likable. The door stuck, edges misshapen from the chronic dampness. I. I feel like thats something anyone reading this book (or any for that matter) would say, but its so true.Finally I cant forget to mention the ending. , Thanks for your review. His bright hazel eyes are still magnified by the thick lenses. I returned to the bedroom, walked to the back. I dont even hesitate. Its ceramic, not a paper throwaway or the enormous stainless steel travel mug Sean fills to the brim for me each morning, assumingnot incorrectlythat it takes a hulking dose of caffeine to get me ready to tackle the day. First kiss, first crush, first love. Work, sleep, repeat. Also the whole cheating-on-the-love-of-my-life-with-a-knockoff-and-then-her-dad-dying thing made me maddd . Communication used to be their forte, telling each other everything, including their favorite words and what was going on in their everyday lives. And two. The protective lean of Nick Jr., George, and Andreas as they stared down at their new, most beloved sibling. What is the rush? As adults, they have become strangers to one another until their chance reunion. Told from Macys POV with a dual timeline, I cant even begin to describe how expertly they plotted this story out. HJ does not purchase all the books reviewed on this blog. I wont lie I was real nervous going into this book for a few reasons. Sabrina hears the creaking, dusty sound coming from me and turns back around. Make her save two. I live next door. The past decade seems like a foggy blur, like we took a long road trip from one point of the earth and back again, traveling in a wide circle, destined to end up here.. Macy lost her mother at the age of ten years old. I blink to her. He looked a mixture of scared and skeptical. The knob was even warm in my hand. We first saw it at an open house, shown by the local Realtor, who let us in with a wide smile and a tiny, judgmental slant of her eyes toward our big-city San Francisco agent. Shes perfect, honey, I say quietly, handing her over. The first is because of the hype, and the second is because it's always described as an "epic love story", told in two time lines, and so was Twice in a Blue Moon by the same author duo and I did not like that book at all. The love and the pain in this book are *exquisite* to me. If the downstairs was unimpressive, the bedrooms, at least, held promise. I want to share this life with him somehow. I like to read in here. Honey, you okay? The pacing was so perfect and believable that it made me wish I had a childhood friend to fall in love with. The feels were so extreme. Emotional, full of heart and worth the hype, Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2022. No. Like they fr had me laughing, blushing, and crying within one chapter. The source of book has no bearing on the outcome of our reviews. And after he loved Mom with the strength of the sun, and after the cancer killed her with a gentle gasp, I figured he would be hoarse for the rest of his life and wouldnt ever want another woman the way hed wanted her. But for this story it felt extremely necessary and it really helped me understand their characters and why they felt they way they did about each other. There is very little description regarding appearances, etcso I had a hard time creating a mental picture of the characters as well. Without fail, I catch a flash of suspicion that maybe Im missing an important, tender bone, some maternal brake that should prevent me from being able to routinely witness the suffering of sick kids. Eleven years later with no seeing Elliot she runs into him at a coffee shop and the feelings come back, even though she's engaged to a man named Sean whom she has only dated for a few months. Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2020. I cant even imagine what expression he would make if he saw me here. Not all the stories are sad. But one tragic night changed Macys teenage world forever, just as she and Elliot were confessing their love for each other. "Its been empty for a, I just couldn't get enough. Here are a few more to browse. We were always too busy memorizing each other. Macy Lea Sorensen leaned about loss at the tender age of ten when her mother died. Its if Ive been punched in the solar plexus, my diaphragm momentarily paralyzed. A great story about young love and how the choices we make can drastically change ones life. Fingernails were trimmed. Copyright 2022 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Its the heavy, dog-eared book tucked under his arm that gives it away: theres only one person I know who rereads Ivanhoe every October. Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. Are your parents going to buy this house? If you drew a straight line from my apartment in San Francisco to Berkeley, it would only be ten and a half miles, but even in the best commuting window it takes more than an hour without a car. Cancel anytime. Really? My dad was a lot taller than my motherI mean a lot. Why would you throw away something sure and good for someone you havent seen in 10 years. Copyright 2022 Harlequin Junkie | Blogging about Books | Addicted to HEA :). Sabrina offers a small nod, staring at her baby. The cup feels strange in my hand. As I grew older, the list became a bible of sorts. And we had to wait until almost the very end of the book to find out the exact details. We still need to pick a date, a place, a everything. When Macy looks so tired after school that she cant even form a sentence, take her away from the stress of her life. This book broke my heart and put it back together. Even if they are your obvious choice? Because this sweet story bounces between the past and present day, it felt as though I got two love stories in one. Christina Laurens books have a place of honor on my bookshelf. The space was enormous for a closet. 2) I normally hate when we changed from past or present every other chapter. face. 25. I havent been *living* without him. Hes easy, and calm, and when his six-year-old daughter Phoebe asked when we were getting married, it seemed to switch something over in him, propelling him to ask me himself, later. Favorite word? FatApples, The Little Farm, Tilden Park, Wildcat Canyon Trail. all places I've been a billion times. 1) I normally hate friend-to-lovers romances. You can find them online at ChristinaLaurenBooks.com, @ChristinaLauren on Instagram, or @ChristinaLauren on Twitter. I heard one of the agents call for him, and instead of coming to me, he made his way back downstairs. Im more interested in whats got you so She turns to follow where Id been looking. Its been eleven challenging years since Macy and Elliot have seen each other. Hopefully this time, though, it will be choices of her own making. Thanks for the review! Interested in being a Junkie? The whole back story with Macy and Elliot was an emotional roller coaster . A huge window took up most of the long wall, looking out onto a hillside dense with moss-covered trees. I will also say that there was one somewhat plot twist for me that I didnt see coming (not in a bad way). Hes tallthat happened suddenly, when he turned fifteen. he asked just as I stepped out. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2022. 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. 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* Macy and Elliots HEA was totally swoon-worthy and completely worth every exasperating moment leading up to it. His nose was too big for his face, teeth too big for his mouth, and presence entirely too big for a room that was meant to be empty. This will be one of my favorite 2022 reads, Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2022. its only January and I can already tell that this is going to be one of my favorite books of 2022. 10/10 a fast read, but still a beautiful one. It filled me up, choked me like a rag doused in kerosene, spilled out in tears and screams and in heavy, pulsing silence. I didnt realize anyone would actually come see this place. You.. Shut your crazy babble mouth. First of all, they havent even seen each other in 10 years. Sorry. I asked, glancing around. Sorry. Maybe it could be anyoneand after a decade apart, how well do I really know his body, anyway? Sean was a walking red flag. Here, the walls had darker patches where old paintings had hung for years. Your room could be that one down there. Elliot wants to know what's up with her and why she disappeared from him eleven years ago. We havent moved on it yet. Sabrina wipes a smudge of foamy milk from her upper lip. It was his love that was booming. Not necessarily a rule book, but more a reassurance that all these things Dad and I struggled with were normal. Her oh is purely about how the man looks from behind. As much as she understands my avoidance of cars, I know theres a part of her that thinks I should just power through it and get a Prius or Subaru, like any other self-respecting Bay Area resident. I look down at my watch. He's upfront that he still loves her, and he always has and always will. The door to the closet opened without any protest. Fan casting? As I got older, my parents had a vacation house in Gualala, and they moved to Windsor for awhile after I grew up. Okay, you win. The first womens fiction novel from New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Christina Lauren (Autoboyography, Dating You / Hating You). I swear, I tell her, I have no interesting updates. It delivered the romance trifecta: an adorable meet-cute, the totally expected unexpected plot twist, and most importantly, a second chance at a happily ever after. His nose is the samebut its no longer too big for his face. My heart was still hammering. His love was a roaring, vociferous bellow. "Oh.". could've had a better ending tho. This book is special to me for reasons I don't think I can explain to anyone. Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2022. As adults, they have become strangers to one another until their chance reunion. It seems to boggle my friends over and over again that I made the decision to go into pediatrics at UCSFin the critical-care track. 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. His Vans are slip-on and faded old-school check print. (If you get what the review title means your a real one)First let me just say that I loved it, so many feels (Macy and Elliot were so perfect). 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. I pull in a breath, but its shallow and sour somehow, making my eyes burn. The level of LOVE I have for this man its crazy. ", 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. incredible. I kept putting off reading this book for no real reason, but I am glad I finally settled in to read LOVE AND OTHERS WORDS. A true joy from start to finish. It never occurred to me that love could be anything other than all-consuming. But to be fair, she smells better than most of the people on the bus. At the end, Dad said, lifting his chin to indicate where he meant for me to go. I saw a few people complaining that she stayed with sean for too long, when she was obviously more into Elliot, but I have to disagree. Take 30 seconds to create a completely free profile, which will allow you to: After a decade apart, childhood sweethearts reconnect by chance. Once upon a time, Elliot was Macys entire worldgrowing from her gangly bookish friend into the man who coaxed her heart open again after the loss of her motheronly 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 morespending weekends and lazy summers together in a house outside of San Francisco devouring books, sharing favorite words, and talking through their growing pains and triumphs. It was bigger than we needed, with more land than we could possibly maintain, and neither Dad nor I would realize at the time that the most important room in the house would be the library he would make for me inside my expansive closet. Did you see the closet in there, Mace? (Possible spoilers)Sit down because this is going to be a long one. His arms became a set of parentheses bracketing the sweetest secret phrase. Right. But when she runs into Elliot Petropoulosthe first and only love of her lifethe careful bubble shes constructed begins to dissolve. When they met, she didnt speak a word of English. Great read couldn't put down till finished. You may think Im lying but Im deadass. Ever! myCast is the place for you! The cabin was empty; unlike the meticulously staged real estate products in the Bay Area, this funky house for sale in Healdsburg was left completely unfurnished. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. Nor have they actually discussed anything about the wedding itself. A perfect square, at least twelve feet on each side, with a high ceiling that sloped dramatically at the back of the room, where it was probably only three feet high. And something about his gazeso unblinking, eyes huge behind the lensesmade me feel oddly exposed. If you havent read this and dont want spoilers, stop reading because I have a lot to unpack with this work of art created by Christina Lauren. For anyone that had that all consuming first love, this book will bring up all those emotions in the best way. Ummm there was no reason for it to be so good. (lol) Elliot had that whole geek chic beta hero thing going on and he was such a nice guy. Sabrina pulls my attention away while the ghost of my past is paying for his order. Her smile turns wry at the edges. A love letter I didn't know I needed! Ready to move onto another story? She was flawed, relatable and genuine, highly intelligent, strong yet closed off emotionally. This book absolutely changed my mind. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. I must say that they really outdid themselves here. I caught a bus at six this morning, I say. He was six foot five and my mom was just over five foot three. I groan, pressing my face into the sweet baby smell of Vivs neck. From the lovable cast to the realistic situations and the lively dialogue, everything about their writing works for me. In our eyes, Christina Lauren can do no wrong. His name is Elliot, he lives next door with three other brothers. He was straightforward and quiet: he walked quietly, spoke quietly; even his anger was quiet. I remember noticing it the first time he hovered above me in the closet, his jeans at his knees, his broad form blocking out the weak overhead light. I swallow, and close my eyes to break my own trance. Of course, she says with false brightness, shifting Viv to covertly nurse her at the table. After a decade apart, childhood sweethearts reconnect by chance. I found myself even looking forward to the past chapters because their friendship and relationship growing up just felt so real and raw. Viv smiles up at me and kicks her legs excitedly. Sabrina is quiet for a breath, and I realize my mistake. Her oh doesnt contain understanding yet. The what? One rule in particular loomed large for Dad. Upstairs, the doors to the rooms were all closed, giving the long hallway a mildly haunted feeling. That good, huh? Shut up, Macy. I loved it, and didn't want it to end! Then again, it never occurred to either of us to consider our own faces or degree of put-togetherness before. From the teenage awkwardness of having a best friend that is the opposite sex and their long distance friendship to seeing each other again after so long. Disabling it will result in some disabled or missing features. I loved seeing how they developed as characters and how their relationship naturally progressed as they got older. Your favorite word? he whispers. Once upon a time, Elliot was Macys entire worldgrowing from her gangly bookish friend into the man who coaxed her heart open again after the loss of her motheronly to break it on the very night he declared his love for her. Please complete the attachedHJ Reviewer Application form. Mace? I justhave no idea how that looks.. Thank you so, so, so much for this love letter to Northern California and books and words and soul-friends! I just felt AT HOME in this book. Its been forever since I had time to sit down with an actual mug and sip any- thing. I really am. Reviews, blog content & custom illustrations 2014 Harlequin Junkie. Basically, each event that happened in Macys adult life at present synced up perfectly with the flashback passages from her teen years, all leading up to the big betrayal/breakup between her and Elliot. Sabrina laughs. On the other hand I related so much to both of the main character with their love of words. Will the truth haunt him? Sometimes, he said. He had looked at the house online, and knew a bit more than I did what to expect. I was up at eleven last night with this one, Sabrina says, looking at us fondly. But all it takes is one chance meeting when she finds herself staring into the beautiful eyes of her former teenage love, Elliot Petropoulos, and everything shes worked towards gets thrown into chaos. This one tugs at your heart from the beginning and left me smiling at the end. Until shes sixteen, her curfew should be ten oclock, no exceptions. Its a memory of me as a teenager, staring down at baby Alex as she slept in her bouncy chair. Women really know how to write males because this one did it. 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 Macys decade-long silence, and will have to overcome the past and himself to revive her faith in the possibility of an all-consuming love. While the years pass she grows to love Elliot until one fateful night. I remember the way he would hug her when he got home from work. I loved the way the author went from present to past without confusing the reader. Hes still wearing the same style of thick-rimmed glasses, but they no longer dwarf his face. That we are old enough now to be doing thisbirthing children, breedingis the weirdest feeling ever. YGO Kingdom Hearts: DIgimon Adventure (Uncut and Redub). In Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren, Pediatrics resident Macy Sorensen should be on top of the world. But by the time she died, when I was ten, it was almost as if theyd created their own language. Dad reread it frequently, making notes in pencil, highlighting certain things, making sure he wasnt missing a milestone or getting something wrong. I couldn't get a handle on them or who they were, so it makes it hard to care about what they are going through. Im scheduled today for noon, and will probably be on the unit until the middle of the night. The heart may hide, but it never forgets. Once upon a time, Elliot was Macys entire worldgrowing from her gangly teen friend into the man who coaxed her heart open again after the loss of her motheronly to break it on the very night he declared his love for her. Elliot wants to know why she disappeared eleven years ago? Dont even get me STARTED on how he reminded me of Ryle (yeah THAT ryle from IEWU). This will live in my favorites. I barely give thought to my own appearance: mint-green scrubs, practical sneakers, hair in a messy ponytail. He shrugged, and something dormant woke inside me at the mental symmetry, a buzz I hadnt felt in years. Okay, so they havent set a wedding date yet. Great read!!! Also loved Filthy Boy and Dating You, Hating You. I will continue to read more of their books. Like a patient butler, a tall, skinny window sat at the far end, on the narrow wall, overlooking the Russian River in the distance. Danish big and Brazilian petite. My mom had a key when the Hanson family owned the place, and they were never here. Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2022. Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2018. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. His collar is folded under on one side, his shirttails untucked from a pair of worn black jeans. I have a dentist appointment next week. But I say it with a smile, and look down at her tiny daughter on my lap. I always knew where we were! In that way, my dad was always easy to understand. Like every other space in the house, it was undecorated. I dont know how you do it, she whispers. Its one of the most surreal realizations of my life: hes grown into the kind of stranger I would dreamily admire. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2022, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. I grew up in Berkeley and Albany, then went to San Francisco for college.