An uplifting and unforgettable read that will make you fall in love with life again . . . 'A true joy from start to finish' (Kristin Harmel, author of The Sweetness of Forgetting) 'I fell in love with this story immediately - there were no pauses to think and consider, the book just settled straight into my heart' (Amazon reviewer) Macy Sorensen is settling into an ambitious if emotionally tepid routine: work hard as a new paediatrics 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 reading books, sharing favourite 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. The heart-breaking and heart-warming read from No. 1 international bestselling author Christina Lauren, author of Dating You, Hating You and Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating. Join other readers in discovering the joy of Love and Other Words 'Steamy moments, tender revelations' Kirkus 'Impossible to put down' RT Book Reviews, TOP PICK 'Heartbreaking and hopeful' Amy Reichert, bestselling author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake '(A) tender story of first love, mature love, and the people who change us in the best possible ways' Washington Independent Review of Books 'A coming-of-age tale exquisitely blended with second-chance love' RT Book Reviews 'The best romantic novel I have ever read to date . . . utterly beautiful' Amazon reviewer 'I absolutely loved it!' Goodreads ' This is the angsty, emotional book from Christina Lauren that will break your heart into a million pieces' Goodreads 'This book will reel you in with the beauty of first love' Goodreads 'All I have to say is how grateful I am that stories like this have been written - stories that make the world just a little bit better, just a little bit more lovely' Goodreads