Love Has a Language All Its Own

"You can fall in love in a second.
The heart has no regard for time."

--Karina Halle, Love, in English

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Metal Blonde Books

Pages: 456

Publication Date: April 20th, 2014

Source: Bought

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Previous Books in Series: Standalone

Goodreads Description

He’s thirty-eight. I’m twenty-three.

He speaks Spanish. I speak English.

He lives in Spain. I live in Canada.

He dresses in thousand-dollar suits. I’m covered in tattoos.

He’s married and has a five-year old daughter.

I’m single and can’t commit to anyone or anything.

Until now.Because when they say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, boy ain’t that the f*#king truth.

I realized pretty early on while reading that there would be no way I could write in my new style of review breaking it down into likes and dislikes. It would take away the fluidity of thought I needed to give this book justice. Ok, this is where I try to coherently explain all the amazing that is this book.

The writing of Karina Halle in Love, in English has this fluidity to it that made it feel like the story, characters, and scenery was unfolding right in front of my eyes. It was the kind of writing that feels like you're hanging out with a friend. It just told a story so perfectly that it ebbed and flowed and melded into you heart and mind and I was so entranced by it that I felt completely out of this world and into that of Vera and Mateo and Acantilado. The beauty that was in these words was palpable and my heart was freaking bleeding all over the place for this story. The words are powerful and filled with longing and hope and desire.

As you can read in the description this is a story of love in one of the most forbidden situations. Mateo is married and 38 and has a child. Vera is 23 and single and lives in Canada. But the heart wants what it wants. Now this is the part where you start to think, well it doesn't really matter all their differences, he's married and that's that. You're right. Vera thinks so, too. The way this story is told and how Karina develops the relationship is just so perfect. I was not rooting for this couple in the beginning and neither is Vera for the longest time. She knows the boundaries and is very well-aware of all that would go wrong developing a crush on Mateo. She is not some home-wrecking whore who goes after him disregarding his marital status. And Mateo is not a sleezy Spaniard preying on a good-looking young woman. This is part of the main reason I love this book because it handles everything with so much emotion and understanding. The way things are developed very extremely realistic and I found myself empathizing with both characters. Especially Vera, but I'll get to her in a second. YOU GUYS, you just have to read it, I'm serious. As a person who find cheating unacceptable, the way this book is written makes you understand completely what happens and why. Vera and Mateo are beautiful people and characters,that is all.

The emotional connection I felt with Vera scared me a little. Not in the obvious sense of the plot I feel the need to point out. I know I tweeted it while reading but I'm going to say it again here because this is a moment that doesn't happen often but that I live for while reading...and it is this. 'That moment when a book character says something and it feels like it came directly from your own soul.' I am being 100% serious when I say this. I can count the number of times on one hand when this has happened to me while reading. This is a big deal for me, guys...and now you're all wondering what, WHAT could possibly have affected me that much, right? Well if this were real life there is no way in absolute hell I would tell anybody how emotional this part of the book was for me. But because I believe the internet not only to be a shout into the void in some sense, I feel safer putting down here to all of you because 1. if you're reading this you understand the power of books and the written word and 2. I trust y'all not to see me as some sad and desperate sap.

So. The quote that got me all ugly faced crying is this...

"It was hard for me to admit this because I liked to have people think I was happy-go-lucky, that I devoured life, that I got up every day feeling good and excited and hopeful. But I didn't.

'No,' I told him, my gaze locking on his. 'I am not happy.'

'Why?' he asked quietly.

'Because...I am lonely.'

...

'You are lonely, but you say you like to be alone.'

I nodded. 'I do. I prefer it. But...it doesn't mean
I don't want someone to love me.'
My eyes stung, as if tears were on their way. I bit my lip, debating if I should say more.
'It doesn't mean that I don't have a lot of love in me to give someone.'"

Without making you want to feel bad for me, that is not my intention, this is pretty much my life. My mental psyche that I thought nobody understood or could ever feel was sitting there in black and white in front of my face. There is something extremely comforting about having a complete stranger write words that you yourself have thought or could have written. This right here is why I read. This is why I love emotional connections to character. I love that feeling of understanding that we can relate to not only to the fictional characters in a book but obviously the author who wrote the beautiful words. 

Ok, emo moment aside. Why else did I love this book? Well, it's also another reason I love reading. I love to learn. I love to gain new experiences through the pages of books. I love to be challenged and look at a situation that I previously had a strong opinion about and question those opinions. I have learned so much from reading and have become the person I am today because of the things I have read. Some people might not like having their beliefs questioned or like reading about people with differing opinions but I love it. It makes me think outside the box and look at another side of the story. This book did that for me, too. Like my experience with Maybe, Someday, this book helped open my eyes that there is no black and white when it comes to matters of the heart. People change. They make poor decisions. Love changes people, especially when it is true and comes from a pure place. I loved that this book gave a story and a face to a subject that objectively is horrible. I love that Karina created a character that not only recognized this but fought so hard against it. It made is real. 

The experience Vera has in Spain I can also relate to. The feeling of belonging and sense of family you gain from traveling or being with the same group of people for an extended period of time is so true that it had me reminiscing on my own travel experiences with big groups. My first trip to Europe I met one of my best friends still to this day. Since meeting her in Europe in 2012 we have traveled to Canada and Africa and even here in Wisconsin! She lives in Sydney so I obviously see her very rarely but our friendship is one I cherish and will always have. My second trip to Europe in 2013 brought me the closest to falling in love I have yet to experience. Her fear that Mateo isn't really like this all the time is something completely realistic. Unlike my experience, Mateo is who he is all the time *happy sigh*. I can speak in support of Vera from personal experience that emotions are heightened and the sense of family is brought on quickly. I can completely relate to that feeling of home and belonging in a place that couldn't be more different than the one you were raised in. I never feel more alive than when I'm somewhere that isn't home. I could totally see myself traversing states, countries, and continents for love. If it's real, it's worth it.

This book gave me so many feels. My chest was aching with what was going to happen. My stomach was absolutely in KNOTS! I started this on Saturday night and I had to work the next day. Longest 10.5 hour shift of my life! I couldn't wait to get back to Vera and Mateo. And I read in the car before work and I'm not kidding you, I was actually fanning  myself and looking around. I was transported into the universe of Vera and Mateo. Their slow-burn of sexual tension and getting to know each other is absolutely beautiful. The theme of stars and fate and destiny was breathtaking and I could not get enough of these references. You'll see much more below.

And this is officially not only a review--more like flailing--but a detailed description of my amazing experience while reading this book and how much I was able to relate to this story. I love this book to infinity and beyond and would urge anybody and everybody to read it if the description appeals to you because IT IS AMAZING! That is all...except for the massive collection of my favorite quotes at the bottom...enjoy.

VIP

Hands down, VIP. I absolutely love this book and cannot say enough about it...obviously the last 20 pages of text can tell you that. 

Words Have the Power to Change Us...

''I was such a dreamer. A romantic deep down inside. After everything I pushed away, I still believed in that great big love, the one that you would create stars and galaxies and universes for.'

---This was my second most absolute favorite quote of the book! :)'

'Love causes war and causes death, breaks souls and breaks lives. It runs people into the ground, makes them behave like moronic, immoral beasts, before it dances off, leaving only destruction in its wake--hearts blow wide open for the whole world to see.

Love puts the blame on the poor souls who succumb to it.

Love, that ultimate villainess. She makes examples of us all.

And yet we still come back for more.

We keep playing the role she gives us.

For one more chance to feel alive.'

'But I'm starting to think that most villains aren't evil--they are just misunderstood.'

'Try not to fall in love with anyone? She obviously doesn't know me at all.'

'Ugly?...No. You are terribly beautiful, Vera. So beautiful that it hurts. You would outshine her like the star you are.'

''You can fall in love in a second...The heart has no regard for time.'

'The stars may place us in each other's paths--I dare say that everyone here has been a victim of some sort of celestial fate. Perhaps we were all fated to meet, to be here with each other, but it is up to us to decide to shine or not. The stars are not unreachable. They are not untouchable. And they do not control us. I just created my own universe in this room here...I invite you all to do the same. Design your own universe, make you own stars, write your own stories, and create your own destiny.'

'I am going to miss your fire.'

'You bring light to my life. When you leave, there will only be a black hole inside of me. You'll take my heart with you.'

'I did not want to live a life with regrets. 
You only regretted the shit you didn't do.'

'There is nothing wrong with wanting to be happy and believing you deserve to be happy.'