Love and Other Words - Prologue

Sep 22, 2026

Uploaded by William

A romance opening frames love as both overwhelming devotion and devastating loss through a daughter’s memories of her parents. The prologue contrasts tender, almost sacred intimacy with the abrupt rupture caused by cancer, describing grief as choking silence and unreturnable longing. It then introduces a guiding maternal list meant to shape the daughter’s adulthood, blending daily expectations, emotional guidance, and practical rules. The narrative tone is intimate, reflective, and emotionally urgent.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages141

Reading Time3 h 37 min

AccessFree to download

Table of Contents

Praise for the novels of Christina Lauren

About the author

Books by Christina Lauren

Dedication

Prologue

Now

Then

Acknowledgments

Readers Group Guide

Introduction

Topics and Questions for Discussion

Enhance Your Book Club

praise for the novels of Christina Lauren “At turns hilarious and gut-wrenching, this is a tremendously fun slow burn.” — The Washington Post on Dating You / Hating You (A Best Romance of 2017 selection) “Delightful.” —People on Roomies “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.” —Booklist on Autoboyography “Christina Lauren hilariously depicts modern dating.” — Us Weekly on Dating You / Hating You “Perfectly captures the hunger, thrill, and doubt of young, modern love.” —Kirkus Reviews on Wicked Sexy Liar “Christina Lauren’s books have a place of honor on my bookshelf.” — Sarah J. Maas, bestselling author of Throne of Glass “Truly a romance for the twenty-first century. [Dating You / Hating You is] a smart, sexy romance for readers who thrive on girl power.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Lauren brings her characteristic charm to the story. Holland’s tale is more than an unrequited crush; it’s about self-expectations, problematic friendships, unconventional family, and the strange power of love.” —Booklist on Roomies “In our eyes, Christina Lauren can do no wrong.” —Bookish “The perfect summer read.” —Self on Sweet Filthy Boy Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of longtime writing partners/besties/soulmates and braintwins Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, the New York Times, USA Today and \#1 international bestselling authors of the Beautiful and Wild Seasons series, Sublime, The House and Autoboyography. You can find them online at: [ChristinaLaurenBooks.com](ChristinaLaurenBooks.com) [Facebook.com/ChristinaLaurenBooks](Facebook.com/ChristinaLaurenBooks) @ChristinaLauren books by christina lauren Dating You / Hating You Roomies Love and Other Words the beautiful series Beautiful Bastard Beautiful Stranger Beautiful Bitch Beautiful Bombshell Beautiful Player Beautiful Beginning Beautiful Beloved Beautiful Secret Beautiful Boss Beautiful wild seasons Sweet Filthy Boy Dirty Rowdy Thing Dark Wild Night Wicked Sexy Liar young adult Sublime The House Autoboyography COPYRIGHT Published by Piatkus 978-0-3494-1757-8 All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Copyright © Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings 2018 The moral right of the author has been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher. P IA T K U S Little, Brown Book Group Carmelite House 50 Victoria Embankment London, EC4Y 0DZ [www.littlebrown.co.uk](www.littlebrown.co.uk) [www.hachette.co.uk](www.hachette.co.uk) Love and Other Words Table of Contents praise for the novels of Christina Lauren about the author books by christina lauren COPYRIGHT dedication prologue now then now then now then now then now then now then now then now then now then now then now then now then now then now then now then now then now then now then now then now then now then now then now now acknowledgments READERS GROUP GUIDE Introduction Topics and Questions for Discussion Enhance Your Book Club For Erin and Marcia, and the house near the creek in the woods. prologue My dad was a lot taller than my mother – I mean a lot. He was six foot five and my mom was just over five foot three. Danish big and Brazilian petite. When they met, she didn’t speak a word of English. But by the time she died, when I was ten, it was almost as if they’d created their own

FAQs

What is the central contrast introduced in the prologue?

The prologue contrasts love’s all-consuming sweetness with the pain of losing love to cancer and grief.

How is the mother’s influence preserved after her death?

Through a list of specific instructions she leaves for the father to remember as he raises the daughter into adulthood.

What role do the mother’s “words” and rules play in the story?

They function as emotional guidance and practical structure, emphasizing communication, expectations, and daily responsibilities.

Sep 22, 2026

Uploaded by William