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Christina Lauren’s ‘Love & Other Words’ Deluxe Edition Revealed — Plus, Will There Be a Sequel?
Favorite four words? Love and Other Words. Macy Sorensen and Elliot Petropoulos’ second chance love story has captivated millions of readers around the globe since the release of Christina Lauren’s stunning 2018 novel.
Swooon can exclusively reveal that Gallery Books will be releasing Love and Other Words: Deluxe Edition on May 6, 2025. This gorgeous deluxe edition features sprayed edges, four-color endpapers, and more. Christina Lauren, the pen name for Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, shared their reaction to this beautiful edition of their book.
Gallery Books
“It had been through a few different iterations before we all settled on the version you see here, but when Gallery sent over the final mock-up, with the pearlized cover effect, the sprayed edges, and the words on the endpapers, we lost it,” they told Swooon. “It was time for all-caps replies in the emails, you know? Each of the versions they sent were wonderful, and they kept refining it with each pass. With the additional material in there and in this stunning package, we really hope to make longtime and new fans of the book happy.”
Love and Other Words follows the romance between Elliot and Macy, who fall deeply in love as teenagers, but a tragic event tears them apart. Years later, fate brings them together again to reignite the love that never faded.
“We started writing this book in 2011, and back then it was going to be a YA novel,” the authors revealed. “We wrote about seven chapters and then hit a wall, unsure where the book was meant to go. When we returned to it in 2017, it was like, suddenly, it hit us that the chapters we’d written were the THEN chapters and that Macy and Elliot had fallen out of touch—but why?”
Chandra Wicke
They continued, “It was a mystery we had to solve as we wrote it, which was a fun process, and different for us. But one thing was clear since we wrote the first word: Their love for each other is absolute, from the very first moment they meet, readers know that their love story is enduring. There is something about books where two people find their person when they’re very young, or after a trauma, and they go through life together and grow together—these kinds of experiences forge a bond that feels different from many others, and we think that’s why this book has resonated with readers so deeply.”
As readers immerse themselves in Elliot and Macy’s relationship, the topic of a sequel constantly comes up. A special edition of Love and Other Words with two Elliot POV chapters was released in 2023. So, have Christina Lauren considered writing a sequel?
“Not for Elliot and Macy, no,” the authors told Swooon. “Their story ends happily, exactly how it should. A sequel would introduce conflict, and these two have been through quite a lot already. They deserve smooth sailing from here on out.”
What do you love most about Love and Other Words? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
