Travel on a heartfelt journey through stories that capture the essence of first love, human connections’ complexity, and words’ transformative power. If “Love and Other Words” by Christina Lauren left you longing for more tales that face the poignant intricacies of love lost and found, you’re in the perfect place.
In this post, we’ll explore a collection of books that resonate with the same emotional depth, rich characterization, and compelling storytelling that made “Love and Other Words” an unforgettable read. From narratives that span years to stories set within the confines of a single, life-changing day, each book promises to tug at your heartstrings and invite reflection on the love and other words that define our lives. So, grab a cozy blanket and your favorite cup of tea, and let’s delve into tales that remind us of the enduring power of love and the words that express it.
7 Books Like Love And Other Words
The transition from friendship to romance is a central theme in “Love and Other Words” and similar books. These stories explore the blurred lines between platonic and romantic feelings, highlighting the deep emotional connection and intimacy that can develop between friends before blossoming into something more.
They strive for emotional depth and realism, portraying love and relationships in all their messy, complicated glory. Here are seven romance books exploring the highs and lows of romance with authenticity and sensitivity, resonating with readers who appreciate heartfelt storytelling. Let’s go!
| Name | Key Focus | Rating (Goodreads) |
|---|---|---|
| Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren | Two best friends make promises, not to date, but a forced proximity situation breaks it. | 4.0 |
| Addicted to You by Krista Ritchie | A sex addict girl and alcoholic boy are dealing with the past, and they form a friendship that turns into love. | 3.8 |
| My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren | The hero and heroine meet through online dating, and after their one-night stand, they again feel each other. | 3.7 |
| Not So Nice Guy by R.S. Grey | Two school teachers build a friendship, and very soon, they feel a taboo romantic attraction. | 3.8 |
| Not Pretending Anymore by Penelope Ward | Two roommates start fake dates with others but discover their love for each other. | 4.0 |
| Teardrop Shot by Tijan | A basketball player makes a friendship with his fan, and their friendship turns into romance. | 4.3 |
| Playing with Fire by L.J. Shen | A burn victim ugly girl finally finds her true love. | 4.2 |
1. Josh And Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating
Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating is the first adult contemporary romance I have ever read twice. It’s a brother’s best friend’s romance and a friend’s lover that won a Goodreads Choice Award Nominee. The story follows Josh and Hazel. These two people knew each other in college but were never friends. Hazel is quirky, and she one time tried hitting on a guy.
Years later, Hazel is at a party at her best friend’s house, and Josh shows up at this party. She decides that he is now going to be her best friend. So she attaches herself to him. They became good friends and moved in for a bit because Hazel’s apartment ended up flooded, and she needed a place to stay.
Then, once they’re living together, they both realize they’re single and start finding somebody to have a relationship with. So they begin to go on these double dates together, but they enjoy each other’s company more. Then, a romance will bloom there, and you will see many plots and thematic similarities with Love And Other Words.
Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Gallery Books
Tropes: Multiculture, Humor, Smut, Friends-to-lovers
Number Of Pages: 320
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Kindle | Audio CD
2. Addicted to You (Addicted)
Addicted to You is my all-time favorite romance book in the Addicted series. The Addicted Series is a collection of five books where you’re following Lily and Lo’s perspectives. These two people have been friends their entire lives. Nobody can pull them apart. When they were seniors in high school, they started fake relationships because they were both addicts.
Lily is a sex addict, and Lo is an alcoholic. So, they want to hide their addictions from their families and have something to cover their vibes in any way. They’ve been best friends forever, and this fake dating best friends scenario will turn it into a real full-fledged romance. Like Love And Other Words, this book has second-chance and romance tropes.
Author: Krista Ritchie
Publisher: K.B. Ritchie
Tropes: Billionaire, Grumpy hero, Fake-relationship, Childhood-loves, Dark
Number Of Pages: 335
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Kindle | Audio CD
3. My Favorite Half-Night Stand
My Favorite Half-Night Stand is my favorite half-nightstand. In this book, you’re following a group of friends who are all professors in a college. They’re all hanging out one night, and they decide to start going on online dating sites because they need to find dates for an event their college is throwing in a few months. So they all agree on this, which happens to be that night.
The two main people we follow in the book make a one-night stand. Then, after the fact, they decide that even though it was a great time, they will stay platonic because they don’t want to ruin their friendship and group.
So, they will all start online dating, and the two will get matched online. But the guy doesn’t realize who the girl is, even though the girl realizes who the guy is. Then she continued to talk to him, but she didn’t tell him in real life that she was the person online.
You can assume where it will go, but a romance between them will happen by the end of the book. We saw Christina Lauren’s writing style in Love and Other Words. She did a great job again by writing this book. The narration, plot, and character development were good, but I expected more twists and chemistry. I recommend it if you like fun, friendship, and women’s fiction.
Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Gallery Book
Tropes: Arc, Rom-com
Number Of Pages: 385
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Kindle | Audio CD
4. Not So Nice Guy
Not So Nice Guy is a cute and quick romcom. The story is about two best friends who work together. They’re both elementary school teachers and have been best friends since orientation when they met, and they knew they clicked. Both liked each other, but they didn’t think the other felt the same way because of random things they said over the years. One of them was always dating somebody, and one was single.
At the beginning of this book, something happened! One of them broke up with their old girlfriend, and now they have decided to make a move on each other. Then, you get to follow their romance. The book’s first half was dull, and the second half was exciting, but the ending was very simple. I loved the heroine, but the hero was unlikeable to me. Overall, I enjoyed the friendship and romantic tension between them. If you like Love And Other Words, you must read it.
Author: R.S. Grey
Narrator: Teddy Hamilton, Luci Christian Bell
Publisher: Audible Studios
Tropes: Unlikable-hero, Weak-heroine, Workplace-romance, Comedy
Number Of Pages: 264
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Kindle | Audio CD
5. Not Pretending Anymore
Not Pretending Anymore is a mental-health, roommate-to-lover, fake dating book. Our two main characters, Declan and Molly, become roommates. They didn’t think it would be a problem because both have crushes on other people. So once they become roommates, they fake date each other to make their crush jealous. While that’s happening, they become good friends.
Once it works and their crushes now like them, they realize that they like their roommate more than the crushes that they were using their roommate to try and get vibes. The romance will happen in some way. I liked their friendship in the book and how it all developed. If you’re a fan of fake dating and friends-to-lovers, I recommend this one after Love And Other Words. The hardcover has some negative issues, so avoid it, but the paperback is good for font size, color, binding, and cover.
Author: Penelope Ward
Narrator: Erin Mallon, Sebastian York
Publisher: Scott Publishing
Tropes: Mental Health, Slow-burn, Family-friendship, Cheating,
Number Of Pages: 350
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Kindle
6. Teardrop Shot
Teardrop Shot is a sports romance that is a stranger-to-friends, friends-to-lovers book. The story is about a pro basketball player attending a pre-season training camp. When he gets to the camp, he meets a girl who happens to be on staff there. She is a big fan of his, and she freaks out, and they somehow form a very unlikely friendship. That friendship will slowly turn into a romance, which is very similar to Love And Other Words.
So much stuff is happening, and both have much baggage from their past. Those pasts come into this book and their relationship a lot. The dialogue and fun were a little bit dull for me. Also, the annoying heroine made me angry sometimes. If you’re down for something slightly more serious, I recommend this one because it was a solid read.
Author: Tijan
Narrator: Savannah Peachwood
Publisher: Audible Studios
Tropes: Slow-burn, Celebrity-hero, High-angst
Number Of Pages: 422
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Audio CD
7. Playing with Fire
Playing with Fire is another book where both characters come with much baggage. In this story, you’re following a burn victim girl. She has scars all over her face because she was in a fire a couple of years ago, and before that, she used to be beautiful. Because of that, she is extremely self-conscious about it. Therefore, that is her baggage. She’s in college, and she’s working at a food truck.
One day, a popular guy in her college walks up to the food truck and asks for a job. Then they’re working together, and they’re in closed-proximity relation. After some days, they are slowly going to form a friendship. The guy is an underground fighter, and he’s keeping a lot of secrets. Once their friendship develops, they will break out of their shells and the funks they’re in and form a relationship slowly. So it was a very sweet romance like Love And Other Words. I have no complaint about the famous author, LJ Shen.
Author: L.J. Shen
Narrator: Christian Fox
Tropes: Fighters, Broken-heroine, Steamy, Small-town
Number Of Pages: 436
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Audio CD
These books have mirrored the emotional resonance and narrative beauty of Christina Lauren’s beloved novel and expanded our understanding of love’s capacity to heal, transform, and endure. Whether these books have rekindled old flames in your heart, sparked new insights, or simply wrapped you in the comfort of knowing that love, in all its complexity, is a universal experience, we hope you carry forward the inspiration and warmth they’ve provided.
Until we meet again in the pages of another story that moves us, happy reading, and may the words of love continue to resonate deeply in your life, reminding you of the beauty and strength of human connections.
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