A review by earlgaytea711
More Than Words by Jill Santopolo

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

A couple weeks ago I was scrolling through my library’s available now section and when I saw the cover of this one I knew I had to read it. I’m normally not one to judge only on a cover but this one was too gorgeous to resist. That dark blue against the light pink, perfection.

Anyway, this was a very emotional read given the subject matter but I didn’t really find it to be a romance. It may be labeled romance, but romance took a backseat to Nina figuring herself out which I honestly liked! I do wish it wasn’t labeled a romance because I might have had lower expectations and could have given this a higher rating.

Nina herself is an amazing character. I loved going on this journey worth her and watching her figure out who she is. Rafael was fun! Though I don’t think we saw enough of him. I also really loved Caro and Leslie. Even if they didn’t make a huge appearance in the novel, I found their relationships with Nina super believable in the small actions they showed. It was very sweet.

The other characters were very flat unfortunately. Every single one. Nina’s father, TJ, Tim, and all the people she’s supposedly friends with like Pris and Jane. I think this is partly Santopolo’s detached writing style but since characters are the main draw for me I had a hard time with this particular aspect.

Speaking of Santopolo’s detached writing style, I think this is part of why I have a hard time labeling this a romance. The detachment meant I didn’t feel anything for any of the possible romantic partners. They felt flat and there to help Nina in her journey which isn’t terrible but again, not a romance. I lied, there was a little bit of rage at them but those aren’t feelings you necessarily want for a male lead in a romance. 

A fair warning, this book deals with grief and death and if you’re anything like me you’ll cry like a baby for those moments. The way Santopolo describes the feeling of a loved one dying is so vivid and, at least for me, truthful. The writing may be detached but she nails the emotions of grief and learning people aren’t who you think they are.

While I did very much enjoy this, the writing style and the expectations of romance kept this from being an excellent read for me. I’m very happy I picked this one up despite it not being what I expected. I feel like I gained something from reading it.