Title: More Than Words
Author: Jill Santopolo
Published: February 2020, G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Format: Paperback, 368 pages
Source: Personal copy
Summary:
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Light We Lost
comes a tender and moving new novel about a woman at a crossroads after
the death of her father, and caught between the love of two men.
“A smart, sexy, delicious novel.”–People
Nina has always known who she’s supposed to be. But is that who she truly is?
Nina
Gregory has always been a good daughter. Raised by her father, owner of
New York City’s glamorous Gregory Hotels, Nina was taught that family,
reputation, and legacy are what matter most. And Tim–her devoted
boyfriend and best friend since childhood–feels the same. But when
Nina’s father dies, he leaves behind a secret that shocks Nina to her
core. Soon, Nina begins to see the men in her life–her father, her
boyfriend, and unexpectedly, her boss, Rafael–in a new light, finding
herself caught between the world she 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 thoughts: One of my reading goals this year is to read some of the books off my own shelf and I decided that I was going to start with Jill Santopolo’s books in preparation for her upcoming new release, Everything After coming out March 9th. I was also reminiscing about one of the last book events I went to in person before the pandemic hit and Jill’s was one of them, celebrating the paperback release of this book, so it was fun thinking about that event while reading this book.
I cannot believe I waited so long to pick this one up. I enjoyed it so much! I don’t read a ton of romance books, and I’m not sure why because every single time I do, I end up loving them. But I think what really made this one stand out is that it’s so much more than just a romance…it’s a story with substance and that is what I need with my romance novels.
This one is all about self-discovery and I loved watching Nina go through that, as hard and heartbreaking a journey as it was at times. I loved watching Nina’s growth throughout the novel, particularly as she figured out her way through the dilemma between following in her father’s footsteps or forging her own path. Should she continue to do what’s always been expected of her or should she forge her own path and do what she has a passion for? And this not only relates to work but to her love life as well.
This book tackles quite a few issues – grief, loss, identity, secrets – and yet through it all, I found that all the characters we meet are so relatable and all the circumstances are so real. I could easily see myself or anyone I know being in this situation. This book completely captivated me and I know I will be a fan of this author for a long time to come!
