More Than by Diane Barnes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was a very heartfelt book. I felt a connection to the main character. There were times I found myself drifting into the story while reading this. The author really drew me in and kept me hooked. I will be reading more from this author.
More Than by Diane Barnes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Peggy is a mom of twins who are fast approaching adulthood. She has been a stay-at-home mom and has raised them alone since they were babies, as her husband died in a plane crash. Now that they are heading off to college several hours away from home, what is she to do with herself? The book is a story of how Peggy consumes her time while the kids are at college. She enrolls in a boot camp and meets what becomes her best friends. It is an entertaining story of how they meet and get along and hang out all together. It’s an easy read and kept me wanting more. I highly recommend this book.
More Than by Diane Barnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Peggy has spent so much effort on being a single-mom to her twins, that she has lost herself in the process. As the twins are getting ready to leave for college, she has to find out how to spend her days. Currently, those days are spent watching a show about a woman connecting with deceased loved ones while eating Pop-Tarts. When her children give her a gift certificate to a boot camp, she is hurt and angry…but, with the motivation of being part of the studio audience of her favorite show (and maybe connecting with her late husband) and all the free-time she has since she doesn’t have to be a mom all day long, she starts going to the classes. What happens during these classes is not only a transformation of her strength and body…but also of her own identity.
I enjoyed all the characters in this story. I could feel the resentment between her and Carmen…and how that evolved throughout the book. As she bettered her health, she also bettered her relationships and outlook. While she may have lost her sense of self, she is slowly finding it through her bootcamp classes (and the relationships she is building along the way). It was a good story of how your life can change when you start putting yourself first.
More Than by Diane Barnes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
More Than was much more than I was expecting! This book was so beautifully written, with a touch of humor, lots of emotions, and a will to push yourself. The characters are so realistic that I found myself rooting for Peggy as she started her journey through boot camp workouts, and continued rooting for her throughout the book. Her inner dialogs with herself are too close to reality (I found myself wondering if someone had tapped into my own thoughts). Peggy constantly questions whether she is raising her twins well, carrying guilt over the death of her husband, all while being ridiculed for her weight. Diane Barnes does a wonderful job creating a realistic setting for the reader; I could feel the heat in boot camp room, heat the labored breathing of the other “campers.” A well-written, powerful story of a woman’s journey to find herself again. I can’t wait to read more by Diane Barnes.
More Than by Diane Barnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
More Than by Diane Barnes is a very relatable story about a mother who finds herself as her children leave home. Peggy is the stay-at-home mom of twins. She is still grieving the loss of her husband 14 years later. As her twins prepare to leave home for college, they give her a gift certificate for a 12-week boot camp. We go along with Peggy as she goes on the journey to lose weight and rediscover herself. While Peggy can come off as selfish and judgemental at times you can see that it’s all about her insecurities. It is a good look at what happens when you allow yourself to wallow in self-pity. Peggy was incredibly relatable and you want to see her win. I greatly enjoyed rooting for this character. I highly recommend this book!
More Than by Diane Barnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was such a good feel good, read in one sitting book!
Peggy raised her twins on her own for 14 years after losing her husband in a plane crash. She was consumed by taking care of the kids and like many moms neglected to take care of herself. That changed when her kids left for college and got her a gym membership.
Peggy was consumed with this TV medium, and wanted to re-connect with her late husband. Her and 2 of her new gym friends were able to get tickets. However she had many doubts during the show. Which the truth is later revealed to her in the most unsuspecting way.
The best part wasn’t Peggy finding herself and transforming, it was finding a new happy ever after!
More Than by Diane Barnes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What an amazing well written book. This one sucked me in more than most, because it was so relatable. I’m a mom of two kids, whose father was killed in a work accident. I’ve struggled with many of the obstacles Peggy does throughout the book. Diane did a fantastic job with developing everyone of her characters and truly making this an amazing story of a woman’s transformation.
More Than by Diane Barnes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Diane Barnes’ ‘More Than’ follows Peggy Moriarty, a middle-aged single mother of two twin teenagers. The kids leave for school, she’s left alone, she’s unhappy and unhealthy. She joins a weight-loss boot-camp, which is the last thing she ever wanted to do. The best part about this is that the weight-loss story doesn’t encourage fat phobia or eating disorder behaviours, but encourages healthy living and self-confidence. Peggy not only develops her confidence but grows as a character. I liked the book from the beginning, even though I didn’t like Peggy at first. She starts off quite pretentious, judgemental, rude, and controlling, but the support of her new friends helps her come out of her shell. The story explores complicated feelings around grief as well as mental health and body image issues. The ending is so perfect that I cried. I couldn’t recommend this more.
More Than by Diane Barnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a really good book! It was a little difficult to get into at the beginning, but I’m glad I persisted and stuck it out because it was a really good story. It is inspiring, and is pretty motivating as well. I wish there wouldn’t have been such a big focus on weight but I guess if there wasn’t then this wouldn’t be a book! This is my first book from this author and I’m excited to read more in the future!
<a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48499524-more-than” style=”float: left; padding-right: 20px”><img border=”0″ alt=”More Than” src=”https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1571438511l/48499524._SX98_.jpg” /></a><a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48499524-more-than”>More Than</a> by <a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13525865.Diane_Barnes”>Diane Barnes</a><br/>
My rating: <a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5079869861″>5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Peggy is a single mom of her twins Grace and Greg. Her husband Patrick passed away leaving her to raise the kids alone. Peggy is supposed to be on a diet to help with her blood pressure but she can’t resist those delicious brown sugar poptarts. Grace is upset that her mom isn’t sticking to the diet and is trying to get her to eat healthy. Peggy isn’t fond of Grace’s boyfriend Julian. He always pulls up to get the twins blaring his stereo through the neighborhood. Julian’s mom Carmen, sends a friend request to Peggy and asks if they can meet up and talk since the kids are together all the time. Carmen has invited grace to go skiing with her family for the weekend and tries to convince Peggy to let her go. Peggy won’t let up and refuses to let Grace go with her boyfriend for the weekend. Peggy doesn’t like that Carmen has been buying Grace clothes that are too revealing and asks her to stop.<br />Peggy isn’t wanting her kids to leave her to go to college. When the school letters arrives she thinks of destroying them but she doesn’t. Peggy puts the letters on the counter, Greg grabs his-he has been accepted to St Mike’s, where his father went to college. He calls for Grace to come open her letter-she also has been accepted to St Mikes. Peggy gets upset that her kids are leaving her in six months.<br />It’s graduation time, Peggy makes the twins their favorite dinner and desert, Grace and Greg give Peggy a picture of the family when they were younger and also hand her a card for a weight loss boot camp. They are scared to loose their mom because of her health. Peggy does end up becoming best friends with Carmen. Peggy, Carmen, and Roni are able to get live seats to Messages From Beyond, Peggy’s favorite show. Peggy is hoping she will connect to Patrick at the show but she’s terrified to get on the plane. Carmen is be her side the whole way to keep her calm and steady. They get to the show, Lynda “connects” to Patrick and tells Peggy a bunch of nonsense. Peggy leaves the show upset and distraught. Her favorite person is a fake. Carmen and Roni console Peggy and they talk about what happened. Peggy does wind up going on her first date in 14 years. Peggy ends up seeing Henry almost everyday and has been sticking to the weight loss boot camp.
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<a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/6813301-tori”>View all my reviews</a>
More Than by Diane Barnes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
More Than by Diane Barnes. This was such an emotional book. It was full of love, self discovery and laughter. Its the story of Peggy who is a single mom to twin’s that are on their way to college. Leaving Peggy feeling out of sorts she doesn’t really know what to do. Peggy’s husband and the twins dad was killed in a plan crash and ever since then she has focused solely on raising the twins. Peggy has no job, no friends and really no life outside of the twins. She is lightly friends with Carmen her daughter’s boyfriend mom but mostly Peggy is jealous of her. Peggy used to be skinny and have it together but now all she has is her tv with the one show she watches and food. The show she watches is about a medium connecting with those passed. When the twins leave for college they leave Peggy a gift of a boot camp workout gift certificate. Torn between being hurt and mad she decides she will just join that boot camp and find her old self. Maybe she can even go on that tv show to reconnect with her husband on the other side. This is a emotional roller coaster of a read but so very good!
More Than by Diane Barnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I loved the journey and transformation of Peggy from beginning to end. This felt like a book written about a real person and I really appreciated the writing style and character development through the book.
More Than by Diane Barnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed watching the main character grow as she tried to figure out what to do with herself after her kids left for school and she was on her own. Who doesn’t want to root for a widow who tries to reconnect with herself and find out what and who she is. It was refreshing to watch Peggy gain confidence and start to thrive. This is a fun light hearted, hopeful read that I’m definitely glad I picked up. If you want to be uplifted and see how someone deals with questions and doubts that most of us face then I really think you will enjoy this book as well.
More Than by Diane Barnes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is such a heart warming and emotional story. It is a story all about second chances and new beginnings. I loved the main character and how relatable she is. You can feel he journey she goes on through each and every page of this book and, as the reader, it felt like you were with her every step of the way.
I really enjoyed the fact that the book wasn’t quite what I thought it was going to be. The author has created a lasting and touching story that I really felt I connected with. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and can’t wait to read more from this author.
More Than by Diane Barnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was real. Many parents find themselves struggling when their kids leave home. Your kids are your reason for doing everything. This book is about finding yourself and the struggles that come with it. The growth Peggy goes through is inspirational and shows how strong women are.
More Than by Diane Barnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the first book I’ve read by this author but it was a good read.
Peggy is approaching a new season of her life. Her kids are leaving home and she’s finding that she doesn’t really know what to do with herself. She decided to use the gym membership her kids got her, regardless of how she felt when they gifted it to her. Peggy begins to embrace her new season and realize she is more than any of the little boxes she’s placed herself into over the last several years.
I enjoyed this book. This book really captured Peggy’s emotions as she learns to embrace the changes she’s experiencing in herself and she is learning where to go from here. Truly an inspiration for anyone stuck and not sure how to move forward.
More Than by Diane Barnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
More than is the first book I have read by this author and I was pleasantly surprised. It is a story about finding yourself once again after a terrible tragedy and becoming a single parent and overcoming the grief. I think most woman who have kids can relate to this story in some ways.
Peggy lost her way after losing her husband. She put her life on hold to raise two young children but at times it felt like she was having a pity party always finding fault with everyone else instead of looking inwards.
On the other hand, she finally pulled herself out of herself inflicted exile and became a stronger version of what could have been all along had she seen what could be. We get to see her metamorphous from down and out and grumpy caterpillar to a learning to love life again beautiful butterfly and this is where the fun begins. There is a lot of bluffing, huffing and puffing going on but it was fun to read and the way Peggy goes about things will have you entertained.
Reviewed by @jennadb
More Than by Diane Barnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
3.5 Stars
More Than by Diane Barnes is quite a relatable women’s fiction story about love, loss, family, lessons, denial, self-worth issues, journey of discovery/self-discovery, friendship, learning to live again, life, drama, and emotion.
Peggy is so relatable- her issues were true to life and made it easy to connect with her and invest in her story. That’s not to say that I didn’t want to shake her at times, but even in those moments she came across as very believable and ‘real’.
After losing her husband years earlier, and raising her twins as a single mother, Peggy had managed to ‘lose’ herself somewhere along the way. With weight issues and no ‘real’ life outside of her family, apart from her favourite TV show… about connecting with loved ones who have passed over. She’s a little lost, lonely, and partly living in the past. Her children have left the nest and moved on to the next chapter of their lives, which means Peggy really is at a loss. A gift from her children seemed like a slap in the face for Peggy, but is it really the key to unlocking the chains that have held her stagnant for so long? Does she find new purpose and learn to really live again? You should really read all the interesting details for yourself…
This may have been the first book that I have read by Ms. Barnes, but after discovering how well she writes, it certainly won’t be the last…
Happy Reading!
Thank you, Diane Barnes!
Reviewed by @angelahayes
More Than by Diane Barnes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was so touching! Peggy had me laughing but still asking myself will I share her same feelings one day? I need more of this story! Part 2?
Love this! I was hooked because I could totally relate to Peggy’s struggles. She is one tough mama that hung in there and kicked butt. She gained friends, lost weight, and showed her kids that she is amazing. Another new author to me, I love writing that involves strong women overcoming challenges. Peggy is still going to have more to work on but the story showed us that it is possible for over 40 women to do this. Amazing writing that had the story flowing well. Terrific characters, even spoiled Grace. I loved it and hope to see more.
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BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE ~ ~ 
Peggy Moriarty’s life has been focused on being a single mom to her twins, Grace and Greg. But now that they’re teenagers doing their own things, she’s at a loss. Her only hobby is watching Messages from Beyond, a show about a medium who connects the grieving with their deceased loved ones.
When the twins leave for college, they give Peggy a gift certificate for an exercise class. At first, Peggy is insulted. But once the sting wears off, she realizes if she gets in shape, she might gain the confidence she needs to go on her favorite TV show and talk to her late husband one last time.
With help from her new friends at the gym and Carmen Tavarez, the mother of Grace’s boyfriend, Peggy begins to emerge from her shell and spread her wings. She may soon discover that her sum is more than a mother, a widow, and her body.
Diane Barnes is the author of More Than, Waiting for Ethan, and Mixed Signals. She is also a marketing and corporate communication writer in the health care industry. When she’s not writing, she’s at the gym, running or playing tennis, trying to burn off the ridiculous amounts of chocolate and ice cream she eats. She and her husband Steven live in Massachusetts and dream of moving to Turks and Caicos – at least for the winter months. She hopes you enjoy reading her books as much as she enjoyed writing them.
Surprise Baby for Mr. Fischer by Stephanie Harrell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Surprise Baby for Mr. Fischer (Curvy Ever After Book 2) by Stephanie Harrell
5 out of 5 Stars
I loved this book. It was funny, steamy, emotional, scarily truthful, and so much more. I should start this review out honestly and say that accidental pregnancies are not one of my favorites. I gave it a chance because the heroine was curvy. Curvy women should have their place in all genres!!! From the first page of the first chapter, I was hooked. Harper is hilarious. Lincoln is sex personified. The 7 sisters are fan-damn-tastic.
Harper is the youngest of 7 sisters. She is a daddy’s girl. Harper enjoys the restoration part of the antique business and shares that with her father. Harper has a dream of traveling the country and picking her way through treasures. She has a head start with her secret vlog. Nothing is going to stop her from her dream, not even the stick turning pink!
Lincoln has so much to prove, to himself, to the world. Lincoln doesn’t want to ride on his parent’s coattails. He is slowly making a name for himself as an actor. His star is about to explode after his new movie. Before entering the upper realms of stardom, Lincoln takes a vacation to the place of a great memory.
When Lincoln saves a non-drowning Harper, the sparks are felt on both sides. The attraction is instant and mutual. Lincoln saves Harper again, this time from a drunk with a big mouth. Harper does something out of character for her and gives into the attraction. She spends the weekend with Lincoln. Lincoln leaves when his vacation is over with no way of contacting Harper. It takes several months for all the pieces of the puzzle to fall into place for Lincoln to see Harper again. He is in for a surprise. So is Harper!!
Did I mention that I love this story, these characters?! The author paints each character in such detail. I hope that Harper and Lincoln make an appearance in the next story!
Surprise Baby for Mr. Fischer by Stephanie Harrell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love this author’s touch of originality on a classic tale! This is my first read for this author and I was drawn in and hooked within the first few chapters.
The author has a writing style that flows smoothly, creating a beautiful world and very lovable characters. I had to make myself take breaks from reading, this book is definitely a page turner!
This is an enjoyable read with a touch of steamy romance, as would be expected from the title. I look forward to reading more from this author!
Surprise Baby for Mr. Fischer by Stephanie Harrell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the second book in this series. This is a Contemporary Romance novel and is 270 pages in length. This story follows Kade and Harper. Kade, whose actual name is Lincoln, is an actor. When he meets Harper, he tells her his name is Kade, his middle name, to hide his fame. Harper would not know who he was anyway as she does not have time to follow celebrities. They spend an incredibly amazing weekend together. When he realizes he needs her in his life, he goes back only to find she is pregnant. Both are fighting demons of their own – can they build a relationship and raise a baby together?
Surprise Baby for Mr. Fischer by Stephanie Harrell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I genuinely enjoyed this novel. The author truly brought the struggles, happiness, strength and love out in her characters. From the title you know the weekend fling would end up as more but I thoroughly enjoyed the little surprises that brought this story to a different level than a traditional HEA. I also love that she used a woman with a “not so perfect body” as the heroine of this story. Even the supporting characters have a great story. Definitely worth the read!!!
Surprise Baby for Mr. Fischer by Stephanie Harrell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is such a beautiful love story. This book absolutely blew me away from the very first page. I really like that Harper is not a size two, she has curves and Lincoln is immediately taken in by her beauty. It doesn’t take him getting to know her before he finds her attractive. He is attracted to her physically and then also mentally once he does get to know her. Harper had such a rough childhood being bullied because of her weight and she doesn’t think that anyone, much less someone as hot as Lincoln would find her so physically attractive. It doesn’t take him long to get her to see her physical beauty as well and to realize that it’s just as amazing as her inner beauty. Lincoln had a really rough childhood and doesn’t feel that he could be a good father but he takes the leap and starts to realize that not only can he do this but he wants it with all of his heart. They face some pretty rough obstacles along the way but the ending is all I could have hoped for. If you’re an absolute die heard romance fan like I am, this is one book you definitely won’t want to miss.
Surprise Baby for Mr. Fischer by Stephanie Harrell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I absolutely loved this book. The characters just come out and reel you in. It’s realistic and easy to read. It can be a stand alone or read in the series. Harper and Lincoln are just perfect.
Surprise Baby for Mr. Fischer by Stephanie Harrell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book and could not put it down. This is Harper and Lincoln’s story of a chance encounter with Lincoln saving Harper from drowning to a hot, lustful weekend ending up with a positive pregnancy test. When Lincoln returns to Rhode Island to see Harper after he finishes his movie shoot, he finds out he is going to be a dad. I love how the story unfolds and you also get a feel on the past hurts that haunt both Lincoln and Harper everyday and how they come to overcome these obstacles. This story is wonderful and full some great moments and lots of love, passion and truly a HEA. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Surprise Baby for Mr. Fischer by Stephanie Harrell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is a great contemporary romance that I gave 4 stars. I had never previously read any of this author’s work but I liked the look for the blurb and was intrigued enough to give this book a go. I’m glad that I chose to give it a go as I really enjoyed it.
Although this book is the 2nd book in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone. I had not read the first book in the series before reading this one.
One thing I really liked about this book is that the female heroine is a larger, curvy lady. It makes such a welcome change from reading about female characters who are slim and ‘perfect’. As a larger, curvier woman myself it is empowering to read a female lead who does not comply with the norm.
I really enjoyed reading Lincoln and Harper’s story. It’s very much an opposites attract story. Harper is your everyday girl next door and Lincoln is an up and coming Hollywood movie star.
The author does a great job of pulling you into the story with an amusing first chapter and the story flows well from here and keeps the reader entertained and engaged in the story.
Would definitely recommend.
Surprise Baby for Mr. Fischer by Stephanie Harrell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
These 2 were a treat to read about. Talk about a stubborn woman, but with every right to be.
Finding herself pregnant to a man she only knows by one name and no mean of communication with him, we see how strong she is doing things on her own.
When fate steps in, they are both thrown cureveballs they didnt see coming and must fight to overcome.
Who will tuck tail and run first?