“What will you do with today, tomorrow and the rest of your life? Do you want what you have or are you ready to hope for more? Have you ever thought: “I want more than this?” If so, Diane Barnes’s book More Than may really speak to you! The main character has twins who are about to leave for college, and she has to face her soon to be empty nest and the candy wrappers and ice cream cartons that … that taunt her.” Ms. Magazine
“In MORE THAN, Diane Barnes captures some of the true struggles with extended grief, depression, and self image while keeping the story fresh, crisp, and real. The character development is superbly done, as Peggy’s outer appearance becomes secondary to her inner transformation. I was “Team Peggy” all the way and almost did a few sit-ups myself. Almost.”
–USA TODAY Best Selling Author Kelly Stone Gamble
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.
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Diane Barnes has a winner with her “More Than” novel. Consistently well-written and warm, the story is often funny, sometimes poignant, and always charming. This is a gem of a book about Peggy, a brave but struggling widow raising her twin children, who transforms herself slowly and with great effort after the kids go off to college. Barnes knows how to nail a scene, capture a personality, and put the readers right smack in the story with her evocative prose.
Peggy, widowed for fourteen years, is obese, though she was once slim. But when her husband was killed in a plane crash, food became her solace. Her husband left her sufficiently well off that she does not need to work, but that compounds her situation when the twins—Greg and Grace—leave home for college. Peggy has no job, no close friends, and only TV and food to comfort her. She has an antagonistic relationship with Carmen, the mother of her daughter’s boyfriend, because Peggy suspects her daughter would rather be with slim, pretty, fun Carmen than with her own mother.
As they leave, however, her children give Peggy a gift membership in a boot camp class at a gym. Peggy resists. But fear of shaming her children, and a perhaps misguided desire to be on a TV show that features a medium who speaks with the dead, leads Peggy to finally join the boot camp group. Increasing her concerns with the group, Carmen—her nemesis at least in Peggy’s mind—is part of the group. So is a hunky guy who inspires fantasies, a smart-mouth woman who cheats on her exercise, and a sweet, chubby widower with a big, sloppy dog.
As boot camp becomes Peggy’s routine, friendships develop and romance slowly blooms. The supportive relationship that develops between Carmen and Peggy is a refreshing and genuine look at women’s friendship and is as heartwarming as Peggy’s new romance.
Through it all, Peggy struggles—physically and emotionally. This is not a miraculous transformation from obese to movie-star, but rather an honest, delightful story about growth, transformation, friendship and love. Exercise and diet might fuel the plot line, but the true heart of the story is Peggy’s willingness to open herself to change and new opportunities.
Barnes has a sharp eye for the telling details that make a book worth reading, and she doesn’t ignore the realities. Her vivid description of the boot camp classes and the jogging scenes are so vivid that one can almost smell the sweat and feel the burn.
A sweet surprising twist at the end is very satisfying. All in all, a charming, stirring, and fulfilling book.
I loved this book by Diane Barnes!
In More, Than–an immensely honest, relatable novel–Peggy, a single mom with a newly empty nest, sets out to follow her dream of going on a medium’s television show to connect with her dead husband, but her journey takes her down unexpected paths…
Barnes writes Peggy’s character with so much heart and compassion that readers will feel like they know Peggy and will be rooting for her from the start.
Peggy’s challenges and struggles in this story will be relatable to many, and Barnes boldly peels back the layers on difficult subjects ranging from widowhood and loneliness to insecurity and self-doubt. Readers will be compelled to celebrate Peggy’s wit, determination, growth, and grit as she embarks on her transformative journey.
Okay. First, this is my first Diane Barnes read and it certainly will not be my last. Second, this cover. This cover is life! It’s a perfect depiction of the entire story. The caterpillar, the butterfly…….it was Peggy to a “T”. This book was phenomenal and kept me hooked til the end!
I loved Peggy. I saw so much of myself in her. I sort of feel like that overbearing, overprotective mom of my two teenage sons. I’m also not ashamed to admit that my stomach is flat with a silent L. What can I say? I’m overweight. So, I totally related to Peggy. I loved watching her after she joined the gym. She “blossomed” from a lowly caterpillar into a beautiful, strong, independent butterfly.
This women’s fiction novel is one that should not be missed by anyone. Peggy’s story had me laughing out loud on many occasion while reading this and left me not only looking in the mirror, motivating me to get healthier, but to also know that I am more than. I am more than just overweight. I am more than just a mere existence. I am a beautiful butterfly. I think you should grab a copy of this amazing novel of self discovery and see for yourself while I’m now a fan of Barnes!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.* Diane Barnes
Hands up if you’re an emotional eater.
Peggy Moriarty has been stuck in a bad cycle of emotional eating ever since her husband’s death more than a decade and a half ago. When her children leave for college, their gift certificate for an exercise class changes Peggy’s life.
I’ll be honest I really didn’t like Peggy when I started this book. She was obsessed with food and filled with hate and I was worried that this was going to be a body shaming book. But what I found, as I dug deeper, was a very relatable woman who had put her own life on hold and lost herself to motherhood and grief.
I loved that while this was a story of someone blossoming and finding themselves, it wasn’t the story of a fat, ugly duckling becoming a skinny, pretty swan. Peggy dealt with her issues, built relationships, and found herself again. As an emotional eater, mother and wife who has put myself last many times, I found a lot I could relate to in this book.
I recommend this one to emotional eaters, to those who have lost themselves, and to caretakers who give so much but don’t recharge.
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.
I am not embarrassed to say I devoured this book-pun intended. It went down like one of Peggy’s homemade chocolate shakes. I mean come on, who doesn’t relate to someone that eats a bag of popcorn for supper, or puts away a whole bag of trick-or-treat Milky Ways in one night?
Overweight, alone, and a helicopter mom of twins who have just left for college, Peggy really doesn’t think she’s severely obese. When her kids give her a gift certificate for an exercise class she decides it may be her ticket to get shape up and gain a chance to get on her favorite TV show. Peggy just doesn’t realize just how much work a 12 week book camp can be, especially when she gets short of breath getting out of bed. With a little help from her new gym friends, Peggy discovers she may be more than just her shape.
Diane Barnes nailed it with this book. This is one of those women’s fiction books that clearly was written from someone who “gets it.” Her main character Peggy has a little bit of each of us inside of her (literally). No, seriously, Peggy is every single woman out there wrapped into one. When she hits the gym and starts to experience all the pain that goes with it, I swear I was reading about my own experience. I knew I loved her when she farted on her exercise partner while struggling to do sit-ups at the gym. There were many laugh-out loud moments throughout this book, and I powered through it in one sitting. It truly is unputdownable. The fact that Peggy is doing all this work to get in shape to go on a TV show is one thing. The fact that the Peggy is getting in shape to talk to her dead husband on said TV show- Messages from Beyond – now that is just an added benefit to the whole story.
I loved this book. I did not expect to love it as much as I did. This gets a 5 star rating from me. Diane Barnes’ ability to write a book with characters so realistic is amazing. I will definitely be picking up whatever she writes next. This is a MUST READ.
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “More Than by Diane Barnes, Red Adept Publishing, January 2020
Diane Barnes, Author of “More Than” has written a refreshing, intriguing, heartfelt, and emotional novel. The Genres for this novel are Fiction and Romance. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events. The author describes her characters as flawed, and mostly likable.
Peggy Moriarity, a widow with twins ready to enter college, is enraged and shocked when her new doctor informs her that she is obese, and must lose weight. Peggy realized that she has gained “some weight” over the years, but is in denial. At this point, when I first read this, as a person who has a great deal of weight to lose, I was ready to read the story expecting the usual books that talk about heavy people in a negative way. I pleasantly was surprised that this was relatable, entertaining and positive.
Peggy’s daughter and son gift her a membership to a gym. At first, Peggy is ambivalent. Peggy decides she will go one time and see what she will do. Peggy does meet some people that become friends.
One of Peggy’s goals is to visit her favorite TV Show, “Messages from Beyond” where a medium connects people to their deceased loved ones. Peggy feels if she can lose weight, she will be more confident to go on the show, so she can connect with her husband.
I love that the author discussed the importance of family, friends, support, and setting reasonable goals to be happy. I would highly recommend this entertaining, and at times, a witty book to readers who enjoy a thought-provoking story.
In “More Than” we meet Peggy who is a widow and mother of twins.
Peggy is beyond insulted when her physician tells her she is obese.
Peggy is so relatable in her journey and her struggles. All she wants is to go on a TV show to talk to speak with a medium that can connect her one last time to her husband.
This is “more than” a story about weight and how one sees oneself.
This story is about finding yourself, finding your support system and the hope that brings
us all together.
This story is so well written with well fleshed out characters that will make you cry equally as much as you will laugh.
You do not want to miss this story, it has stayed with me long after I have finished it.
I’ll be completely honest with you and admit that when I first read the synopsis of this book, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. Was it going to be filled with body-shaming? Or was it going to be a story about woman learning to accept and love herself again? So I decided to give it a try.
I have read several reviews of other books featuring “large” characters by readers who have been truly angry with the perpetuation of body shaming. And I wholeheartedly agree that it’s shitty behavior that should go the way of the dinosaurs. However, I felt that More Than was a book about more than just Peggy’s weight and appearance. Yes, they both played a big role in her journey, but the idea that a woman gets to a point in her life where she no longer recognizes herself is relatable on many levels.
Peggy’s journey, though very different from my own, still felt a bit familiar and relatable. I think keeping track of who we are as individuals is something that women are constantly working on. Life is filled with so many twists and turns that we’re constantly having to readjust our parameters and try not to lose ourselves along the way. And full disclosure: I pretty much hated Ruth and several other characters at the beginning of the book. Their journeys really helped me see them in a different light as I made my way through the story.
So, if the topic of weight is not your jam, skip the book. If you’re able to read about it and not feel triggered, and you want a good women’s fiction read about finding your way back to yourself and being happy again, this is for you.
*I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.*
“Dad wouldn’t even recognize you.” Peggy is hurt by those words even though she knows them to be true. She doesn’t even recognize herself. A widowed mother of twins, Grace and Greg, she has let herself go over the years. She’s lost her identity, only thinking of herself as the mother of the twins. She has no social life, no friends, and her only entertainment is watching a medium on tv. She is overweight, overly protective, antisocial mom.
Before leaving for college, the twins give Peggy a voucher for a boot camp at the local gym. She doesn’t want to go but doesn’t want to disappoint her children. Will Peggy realize that she is more than a mother and a widow?
“More Than” is beautifully written. Peggy is someone that I recognize. I see her when I look in the mirror. Her character is one that so many of us can relate to and understand her doubts, her insecurities, and depression. The other characters are people we see everyday. They, along with the story line, make this book feel realistic. I felt what Peggy felt.
Thank you Mrs. Barnes, for a wonderful reading experience!
A tribute to the power to change with the right incentive
4.5stars
Peggy is a realistically flawed yet very sympathetic heroine and I loved her story. What a lovely transformation as she adjusts to her empty-nester life and spreads her wings, growing in stamina, confidence and, maybe most importantly, in her circle of dear friends and loved ones.
The book’s well-written, very easy to read and includes a number of vital issues, like our culture of judging people by their physical appearance and, particularly, their weight! Grief, regret, separation and the often tense relationship between mother and maturing children also get thoughtful treatment. And, not least of all, Peggy’s reintroduction to a romantic life after years of fidelity to her dead husband is such a positive element to the story’s end.
I really enjoyed Peggy’s story and am eager to read more by this author!
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
More Than by Diane Barnes is a story about bravery. Not the bravery where you face bullets and forest fires and bad men with big knives and evil thoughts, but the kind that allows you to look in the mirror each day and see yourself.
More Than covers a subject most of us don’t want to talk about even when we should; it’s a subject that clearly makes us uncomfortable. It’s a subject that’s never about us: obesity. Gasp! We almost cringe when we see that seven-letter word.
Peggy, the protagonist, does cringe when she hears that word. But then she discovers the strength to look in the mirror and really see herself. Not just the not-so-pretty outside, but the inside as well. The side she’d like to keep hidden.
Lets not forget the author: she’s pretty brave too. She chooses a theme we’d shy away from if we could, and then she shows us what bravery’s all about.
Kudos to Ms. Barnes for a delightful, inspiring read.
An exceptional read!!
Peggy Moriarty has lost her husband Patrick 14 years ago on a business trip to San Francisco, leaving her to raise their twins Grace and Greg on her own. Her whole life is devoted to the twins that she let herself go a bit. In a recent Doctors’ visit, Peggy is now faced with High Blood Pressure and Obesity, weighing 219 lbs, size 16, and too winded to even climb the stairs of her own home.
Now the twins are off to college, and gifted her with a 12 week boot camp class to get her to start caring for herself. Though hesitant, she used appearing in a psychic show in hopes to meet Patrick again as a motivation. With help from her new friends at the gym, she slowly peels off not just her weight, but also her sorrow for the guilt she felt fighting with her husband the day of the plane crash.
I completely related with Peggy’s character. Barnes did an amazing job on portraying the characters’ growth and metamorphosis. Peggy with her narrow and unrealistic expectations of the world, in response to her inability to grieve and mourn her loss, to the Peggy who has learned to love herself, and became a more open, positive and a happier person.
Diane Barnes has written “More Than” about Peggy and her life starting when the doctor tells her that she is obese. It’s all the unbelievable result of sadness.
The story definitely kept my interest right from the start and was hard to put down!!! I loved the characters and how they all interacted with Peggy. Peggy’s various circles were all rather entertaining, whether it was at boot camp with her friends home. I just enjoyed everybody.
Peggy’s story is one that would definitely be relatable to so many people that struggle with the same issues that Peggy has. But it’s “More Than” that!! It’s about resilience and pushing through! Peggy’s perseverance through Boot Camp, which she did more than once; was inspiring.
I found myself wanting to get back into exercising after reading this book. Now that should tell you something!
This was my first book for Diane Barnes, but definitely see more in my future.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review
The heartbreak and loneliness of a widow who’s kids are young adults and ready to leave the nest leaving her all alone. She’s devoted her life to them while completely burying her mental and emotional wellbeing. Can she get some of herself back? How do you open yourself to the world again and is it worth it? A well written book to curl up with.
I really loved this book. There were so many reasons I found it relatable for my own life and I know I’m not alone. Dealing with being overweight, grief, loneliness, fear, and hope are all part of the human experience so I know many people would agree with me that they could see themselves in the main character. It’s one I’ll want to read again.
A lovely read about motherhood, friendship and learning to love life (and let go of guilt) after loss and a life dedicated to parenting. Peggy Moriarty is rudderless when her daughter and son leave home for college. She’s unhealthy, grumpy and anti-social. She’s unimpressed when her children given her a voucher for an exercise class but decides to it a try. That’s when things start changing for Peggy. Diane Barnes’ characters are authentic and entertaining and her story delightful. I laughed a great deal and loved the fact that, while things change for Peggy, More Than isn’t a fairytale. It’s credible and engaging, and an enjoyable, well-written novel.
In the process of reinventing herself, Peggy emerges from leaning on her relationship with food to spreading her wings and believing in her own ability to take flight. MORE THAN feels like spending an afternoon with your favorite friend, being there as she explores what it means to have the courage to climb over the bumps real life hands you with humor and wit. This delicious (read bacon, Pop Tarts and chocolate milk) book will keep you laughing and cheering!
Peggy Moriarty spent fourteen years raising her twins, Greg and Grace. She put her grief for her husband’s, Patrick, death on hold. Now the children are headed for college. Peggy is forced to deal with being alone for the first time. She spends her days watching psychic medium and eating, She gets the opportunity to change when her children buy her a membership at a gym. Peggy is reluctant and doesn’t see her weight as a problem. She changes her mind when she decides to go to the tv show and wants Patrick to see her as a thin person.
I received this book for free from HiddenGems for an honest review. Peggy is a character many women can relate to. She is obese, in denial about herself and depressed an]bout her children and husband. It was a nice journey reading from Peggy’s mean spirited behavior to opening herself to other people as she loses weight. The friendships of Carmen, Roni and Henry were the parts of the book I liked the best. They support Peggy and eventually Peggy supports them. I also liked the weight loss wasn’t a quick and easy fix. The weight loss was realistic as the reader was involved in every part of the exercise and well as Peggy’s changing her diet. The question I was concerned about was how did Peggy make money. The book mentioned her previous career but did discuss what she would do for a job.
Peggy is so relatable – thank you for writing a book about a real woman and not what the world expects the perfect woman to be – BRAVA