More Than Words by Jill Santopolo

More Than Words by Jill Santopolo – 337 pages

Book Blurb:

Nina Gregory has always been a good daughter, a good girlfriend.  Raised by her father, owner of New York City’s glamorous Gregory Hotels, after her mother’s death, Nina was taught that family, reputation, and legacy are what matter most. And her boyfriend Tim, thoughtful, kind, and honest, not to mention her best friend since childhood, feels the same. But after Nina’s father passes away, she learns he may not have practiced what he preached.  As her world falls apart, Nina begins to question everything she thought she knew and to see the men in her life–her father, her boyfriend, and unexpectedly, her handsome and attentive boss, Rafael–in a new light. Soon Nina finds herself caught between the world she knows and loves, and a passion that could upend everything.  More than Words is a heartbreaking and romantic novel about grief, loss, love, and self-discovery, and how we choose which life we are meant to live.

My Review: 3.5 stars

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More Than Words was a book that I had eagerly anticipated reading, after loving the extremely popular, The Light We Lost, by the same author. This book follows the journey of Nina Gregory during a pivotal moment in her life, immediately prior to, and after the death of her father.  Nina has always been content with her life and what her future holds, but after losing her father, she begins to question everything that she has always been sure of. The story is told from Nina’s point of view, as she makes life-altering choices. Her decisions have always been made based on the perception of others and she has kept her feelings bottled up in order to present “perfection” to the outside world.  The book deals with Nina’s transformation as she becomes more self-aware, and comes into her own as a person and makes important decisions about her future.

The author moves the story along at a fast pace, which held my interest throughout. The chapters are very short, which makes this book an easy read.  At the center of this book is a love triangle;  however the book is  more than a love story. It covers the themes of family drama, secrets, loss, grief, and self-discovery. The author also takes the reader into the lives of New York socialites and the fast paced world of business and politics.

Although I enjoyed the story, I did not really connect to the characters. Nina’s two love interests were generally likeable, but I felt that they lacked emotional depth and heart, and as a result, I didn’t feel particularly invested or connected to them. The storyline dealing with Nina’s father’s secretive past was actually more compelling than the love triangle, and who doesn’t love a love triangle? The dialogue between the characters did not seem natural or believable at times, but instead sounded somewhat clichéd. I wanted to feel a connection with Nina, but didn’t find her as likeable as the other characters. Given the universal issues she was facing (who among us hasn’t questioned the life we are living versus the life we are meant to live), I felt it should have been easier to identify with, and feel empathy for Nina. The changes that took place during her “transformation” seemed sudden and extreme at times.

I think that I would have liked this book even more if I hadn’t gone into it with such high expectations from reading the author’s previous book, The Light We Lost. There have been many readers who have loved this book, even though it is very different from the author’s previous novel. If you enjoy novels that deal with romance, love triangles and family, you will enjoy this book. Review by Guest Fairy Ronna

Quotes I liked:

I think of people like poems, he said.  Maybe someone’s a haiku, or a villanelle, or a cinquan, a sonnet – our length and form are predestined, but our content isn’t.  And each form has its own challenges, its own difficulties, and its own beauty.  Your father’s poem is coming to an end, but that doesn’t make it any less beautiful or worthwhile, or important.” 

“She wanted to stay caught in that moment of time, stretch it even more so she wouldn’t have to deal with everything that came next.  But time wasn’t like that.  You couldn’t get lost in it forever.  It marched onward, pulling you with it, a leash around your neck.”

“It’s the idea that every time something important happens, a new world is created based on each potential outcome………..We’re just living one version of the present, but the other ones are out there.”