Wednesday, January 18, 2012

MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY: REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY
BY ROBERT BARCLAY

ABOUT THE BOOK:
From the author of If Wishes Were Horses comes a novel of long-buried secrets and self-discovery, showing us that sometimes what goes unsaid is more powerful than words. . . . 

Chelsea Enright never expected to inherit her grandmother's lakeside cottage deep in the Adirondacks—a serene getaway that had been mysteriously closed up decades ago. This is no simple bequest, however, because when Chelsea finds her grandmother's WWII diaries, she's stunned to discover that they hold secrets she never suspected . . . and they have the power to turn her own life upside down. 

Even more surprising is the compelling presence of local doctor Brandon Yale, and Chelsea soon finds her "short stay" has stretched into the entire summer. She cannot put this cottage and her family's past behind her easily—and the more she learns about the woman her grandmother truly was, the more Chelsea's own life begins to change . . . and nothing will ever be the same again.

PRAISE FOR MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY:
“I normally do not read male authors but someone recommended [Barclay] and all I can say to her is thank you.”
Fresh Fiction

With his powerfully emotional debut, If Wishes Were Horses, author Robert Barclay immediately joined the ranks of Nicholas Sparks, Richard Paul Evans, and Robert James Waller. His second novel of love and hope, More Than Words Can Say, only confirms his place among them. A profoundly moving multi-generational family story centered around a woman’s return to her late grandmother’s lake cottage in the Adirondacks and the long-buried secrets she uncovers there,More Than Words Can Say will linger long in the heart and memory.
--HarperCollins Publishers  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
After graduating from Colgate University with a B.A. in Economics and a minor Art History, Robert J. Barclay enjoyed a successful career in business, and served as chairman of his industry-related consulting group. After selling his business and moving from upstate New York to Florida (and with some rather successful prodding by his wife), he was able to finally devote his full attention to something he had always wanted to do: write a book. Rob lives in sunny south Florida. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys weightlifting, Shotokan Karate, and going to the beach to do absolutely nothing. 

Robert Barclay is the author of the novel If Wishes Were Horses.
 

MY REVIEW:
Robert Barclay gives readers a love story with an entertaining twist in his latest book, MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY.  Chelsea Enright, thirty-three years old, has just lost her grandmother when she finds herself in somewhat of an odd situation. Taking place in 1999, Chelsea learns her grandmother, Brooke, has left Chelsea her mountain home in the Adirondacks. This is the same home that Gram never returned to once she left many years ago, and so Chelsea decides to fulfill her grandmother’s last wish as well as satisfy her own curiosity.

Chelsea learns that in order to receive her inheritance, she must visit the home and find a tin box that is hidden in the small bedroom under the floorboards.  After she reads through the findings in the tin box, only then can she decide to keep or sell the property.

Chelsea travels to the mountains and the lovely lake deciding a few days up there may just be what she needs to clear this all up. However, what Chelsea doesn’t plan on is finding herself enchanted by the amazing landscapes and the serenity she finds in the mountains. She also has no way of knowing she may just fall in love with more than just the scenic mountains once she gets there. Enter one Brandon Yale, a doctor who lives nearby. He meets Chelsea and finds in her a way of healing his painful past. They become close and even share in the reading of the diaries.  In them, they find Brooke just married and while her husband is away in training, she goes to the cottage to spend this time alone. However, while there she meets a handsome artist and photographer, Greg, who just happens to live next door. Due to a physical disability, he was unable to join the war effort.

The best part of the novel for me was the narrative that is told back and forth between Chelsea and Grandmother Brooke. The tin box revealed World War II diaries that create comparisons for Chelsea between her life and Brooke’s. Robert Barclay offers a great deal of description of the characters, setting, and even the food, so readers are able to identify with the lives of those in the book. I do think at times there may have been too much description that took away somewhat from the flow of the story but the back and forth narratives kept my attention well enough. I enjoyed the sweet stories of both women and although there was a twist I saw coming, I still liked the book. A nice romance is often hard to find and this is one that I think is not only entertaining but appropriately written. It made for a good night‘s read.
GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO MARY AND THE GOOD 
PEOPLE AT HARPER COLLINS, I
HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS LOVELY
BOOK TO GIVE AWAY
  
--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
 

COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!


HOW TO ENTER:


+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING ABOUT ROBERT BARCLAY ON THE "FUN STUFF" SECTION OF HARPER COLLINS WEBSITE ABOUT THE AUTHOR HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY THAT YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES
GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, JANUARY 27
 GOOD LUCK!

104 comments:

debbie said...

I really like books that have good descriptions of things in the past. This sounds like a good book.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

Reading said...

This sounds like a great drama. I love family secrets, as long as they are not mine. Lol.

Lizzi015 at aol dot com

Reading said...

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I am an email subscriber

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holdenj said...

I always like a good story that encompasses a character's past like that. Looks great!
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holdenj said...

I am an email subscriber.
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I subscribe via RSS feed.
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holdenj said...

I think it's very sweet that Robert's greatest love is his wife!
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Pat L. said...

Sounds like a very good book, going back into the past, checking out the tin box to see what is in there.

patoct@yahoo.com

Pat L. said...

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Pat L. said...

As it should be I found out that the author's greatest love is his wife.
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Karen B said...

I love books that go back and forth in time - and involve secrets!
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Karen B said...

His worst habit is...
correcting other peoples' grammar.
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scottsgal said...

sounds like a wonderful book about self discover
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scottsgal said...

being a huge beach fan as well, I can relate to doing nothing for several hours!
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scottsgal said...

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Unknown said...

I love reading about books that talk about the past and have diaries in them. This book sounds really good. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

petite said...

An emotional and interesting book. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I am an e-mail subscriber. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

The author is a beach lover. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I enjoy books that have the past contained within the story. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

From N.Y. to Fla. is a nice change. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

mamabunny13 said...

I love this bookcover! I can't wait to find out what Chelsea's grandmother was up to back in the day.
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

I found out Robert has a pair of python cowboy boots that is part of his favorite thing to wear.
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

Colleen Turner said...

This sounds like something I would love! There isn't much better to me than a book that incorporates the mysteries of the past that slowly unravel to show how they affect the present. Thanks for the giveaway!
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

I read on the author's page that he missed the first word in a spelling bee when he was a kid and that he has never misspelled that word again. I bet!
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Ann Summerville said...

What a great way to tell the grandmother's story. It sounds intriguing. I'm definitely putting it on my TBR list.
Ann
cozyintexas@yahoo.com

Connie said...

Hi! I want to read this because the review was wonderful. Anything to do with WWII,tin box or diaries grabs my interest. :)

aliasgirl1976@yahoo.com

Connie said...

I am a loyal GFC follower. :)

Thank you for this giveaway!!!

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Margie said...

I think I'd like the diaries from WWII and the interactions between the past and present, with the main character and her grandmother.
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rubynreba said...

I want to find out what the long buried secrets are!
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Anonymous said...

I would be so lucky to win this book! I would love to try and find out what she learned in those diaries.....

pattifritz2000 at yahoo dot com
thanks

lag123 said...

I would like to win because I want to see what secrets the diaries hold.

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lag123 said...

Tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/lag32583/status/160320584675364864

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lag123 said...

I learned that Robert likes blues music, especially Johnny Lang.

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Carol N Wong said...

I like that the story swings back and forth between the grandmother and her grandchild and wonder what the secrets were.

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I tweeted:

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Carol N Wong said...

From his website, I learned that his favorite music is the blues. I love them too.

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This comment has been removed by the author.
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Jolee said...

Funny that his fave pair of shoes are old boat shoes. :-) joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

Jolee said...

It sounds interesting that the story is told from two perspectives. joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

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Miss Jean said...

This sounds great.
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Linda Kish said...

It sounds like a wonderful romance. I look forward to reading it.

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Linda Kish said...

His most embarrassing moment was…
losing my high school spelling bee on my first word!

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Linda Kish said...

I am a GFC follower

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