More Than Words

by Jill Santopolo

Overview

"A smart, sexy, delicious novel."—People

"Santopolo is a true master of matters of the heart." —Taylor Jenkins Reid

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.

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780735218307
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/05/2019
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	453,660
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Jill Santopolo received a BA in English literature from Columbia University and an MFA in writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She's the author of three successful children's and young-adult series and works as the Associate Publisher of Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. Santopolo travels the world to speak about writing and storytelling. She is the author of The Light We Lost, a national and international bestseller that has been translated into more than thirty languages. More Than Words is her second novel for adults. She lives in New York City.

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Prologue
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Excerpted from "More Than Words"
by .
Copyright © 2019 Jill Santopolo.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

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.)

Publishers Weekly

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

Kirkus Reviews

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

From the Publisher

★ Winter 2018

Nina Gregory loves her work as a speech writer on the charismatic Rafael's political campaign. She looks up to him almost as much as she does her father, owner of the fashionable and luxurious Gregory Hotels. Nina's family name and legacy mean everything to her, and she's always tried to live up to his expectations for her life, even when they don't jell with her own beliefs. When her father dies, family secrets change the way Nina feels about everyone important to her, including her father, her fiancé Tim, and even the handsome Rafael. Nina must decide what really matters: going her own way or letting her family choose her future. Children's and YA author Santopolo's second novel for adults (after The Light We Lost) takes a fascinating look into the lives of New York City's superwealthy and political elite. Nina is a thoughtful and likable character who's forced to make life-defining choices that will keep readers enthralled. VERDICT This breezy read is full of drama and romance, but at its core is a story of family and self-identity that will please women's fiction fans. [See Prepub Alert, 8/27/18.]—Kristen Calvert, Dallas P.L., TX

Library Journal

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