Publishers Weekly
11/19/2018
Santopolo follows 2017’s The Light We Lost with a heartfelt story about life, love, and taking chances in the aftermath of loss. Thirty-something hotel heiress Nina Gregory loves her job as speechwriter for New York mayoral candidate Rafael O’Connor-Ruiz, and she loves her boyfriend and lifelong best friend, Tim Calder. But she adores her father, Joseph, and as cancer weakens the once-vibrant man, Nina treasures the time they have left. When Joseph finally succumbs to his illness, the devastated Nina must pick up the pieces and take the reins of the Gregory Corporation. Nina soon discovers that her father, who revered the Gregory legacy and lived life in the spotlight, was hiding secrets about his company and her mother, who died when Nina was a child. A potent—and mutual—attraction to Rafael complicates things further. Nina’s self-discovery is bolstered by the strong women in her life, and her struggle to accept her larger than life father as a flawed man will resonate with readers. This is a charming and sexy crowd-pleaser. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
A smart, sexy, delicious novel.”—People
“More Than Words is an outstandingly poignant and honest novel. Jill Santopolo is a true master of matters of the heart. This is a tender and wise story about family, love, and self. I couldn't put it down.”—Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
“A heartfelt story about life, love, and taking chances in the aftermath of loss ...This is a charming and sexy crowd-pleaser.”—Publishers Weekly
“Santopolo returns with the tender More Than Words.”—Marie Claire
“Another gorgeously heart-breaking and romantic read....This one is certainly going to sweep you up in feelings.”—Bustle
“When the owner of a fancy hotel chain dies, he leaves behind a big secret that seriously shakes up his daughter's life. And makes her rethink her relationship status. This one is best read at home (hint: tissues).” —The Skimm
“Santopolo's prose takes readers through a story of romance, grieving and growing that's nearly impossible to put down.” —AM New York
“Nina's struggle to decide between two men is propulsive and compelling. Full of drama, scandal, and romance, [More Than Words] is sure to delight fans of Santopolo's The Light We Lost.”—Kirkus Reviews
“This emotional tale of grief, romance and determination reminds us that we can live life on our own terms, and encourage our kids to do the same.”—Family Circle
“The latest from bestselling author Santopolo is a bittersweet and reflective novel of grief, loss, and coming into one’s own.”—Booklist
"The perfect combination of romantic and real. I dare you to put this book down.”—Leslie Cohen, author of This Love Story Will Self-Destruct
“[An] emotional, romantic story.”—AARP Magazine
“If you and your book-loving friends are fans of Reese Witherspoon’s book club, this book needs to be your next club pick.”—Parade
“This novel is filled with love: The warm love of a parent, the loyal love of a best friend, and the kind of unexpected love that grabs you by the heart and doesn’t let go. Nina’s journey resonated so, at times, that it compelled me to think about my own life. Thought-provoking, heartfelt, and, ultimately, life-affirming, More Than Words should move anyone who loves reading Jodi Picoult.”—Andrew Blauner, author of Coach: 25 Writers Reflect on People Who Made a Difference
Kirkus Reviews
2018-10-28
An heiress grieves her seemingly perfect and successful father until she learns he was hiding some devastating secrets.
Nina Gregory grew up idolizing her father. After her mother died in a car accident when Nina was young, her father raised her by himself while running a ritzy hotel business in New York City. His standards were exacting, and he taught her that the Gregory name was the most important thing she owned. Nina loves her job as a speechwriter for mayoral candidate Rafael O'Connor-Ruiz, but she knows that eventually she'll take over her father's company. Her life seems mapped out in front of her—her boyfriend, Tim, is the son of her father's best friend and business partner, and she knows that one day they'll get married and have children. But she can't ignore the passion she feels for her job in politics—or the passion she feels for Rafael. When her father dies, Nina realizes she'll have to take over the company long before she's ready. She gives up her speechwriting gig and devotes herself to understanding the Gregory Corporation. In the course of her research, she discovers that her father wasn't the perfect, upstanding man she always assumed he was, and his relationship with her mother wasn't the dream it looked like from the outside. Shattered by the realization that her father was flawed, Nina starts to wonder if she should really follow in his footsteps. Does the path he set for her still make sense, or should she follow her passions even if that means risking everything? An heiress with multiple homes and romantic prospects may not seem like an inherently sympathetic figure, but Santopolo (The Light We Lost, 2017) manages to turns Nina into a well-rounded character. Despite a life of privilege that sometimes blinds her to the ways others, like Rafael, have struggled, she wants to use her power and money to do good things. Nina's struggle to decide between two men, one of whom represents her old life and the other who represents what she could be if she took a chance, is propulsive and compelling. The depiction of Nina's grief for her father is vividly raw, made more real by her eventual understanding that he was an imperfect human being.
Full of drama, scandal, and romance, this is sure to delight fans of Santopolo's The Light We Lost
