More Than Love - Natasha Gregson - 259 pages - Scribner & Son, 2020 - NetGalley ARC

I read this in one sitting. Having admired Natalie Wood my entire life, I could not NOT read this book by her daughter.

The book could have been half its length. Ms. Gregson wrote a lot about her and her sister Courtney's issues that had nothing to do with Natalie Wood. Although in her mind she believes their problems were due to their mother's death, it seems to me they were due more to being spoiled and immature. Plenty of people who never lost a parent ended up with the same issues.

Besides the insights into Natalie's life with her parents and two sisters Olga and Lana, the book offers vivid descriptions of the deep love between Natalie and Robert (R.J.) Wagner. Ms. Gregson tries to lay to rest what she sees as the malicious rumors about Wagner being involved in Natalie's death and offers many facts to support the original conclusion by law enforcement that it was an accidental. Natalie's sister Lana has had a long history of expecting Natalie and Wagner to support her financially. Natasha clearly calls her aunt out on this behavior and defends her stepfather.

This was a nice read and if you are not a Natalie Wood fan as I am, it can still be enjoyed as a daughter's homage to her parents, to love, to family and to friends - the elements of our lives.
3.5 stars

I loved this book!! Great story!! Interesting to learn about Natalie wood!! Received this book from scribner from netgally!!

I am a big fan of Natalie Wood. I love to watch her old movies...what a star! I am fascinated and intrigued by her life and this book is lovely. It is so detailed and is really a touching love story, well written by a much-loved, and loving, daughter. This is a must read for all fans, and those who will become fans.

This book beautifully examines the relationship of Natasha to her mother, Natalie Wood, in life and death. Natasha’s words are an ode to her mother, but also a salve to anyone who navigates life as a motherless daughter. To navigate life simultaneously searching for and running from a lost loved one is something Natasha very accurately portrays. The journey of grief is humanely profound - blessing and a curse, yet a remarkable gift.

In Natasha's memoir, More Than Love, she gives a raw account of how she coped with her mother's death in November, 1981. Natasha's mother was a well-known Hollywood actress, and Natasha writes that it was hard to be there for the rest of her family, when she herself was dealing with her mother's loss. The mother-daughter bond was unlike anything that I had ever read regarding familial relationships--they acted as the same person, just a difference in age.

The memoir also focuses heavily on the tragic death of Natalie Wood. There were a lot of questions surrounding her death, and the questions became heavily emphasized by the media on whether or not her death was accidental or premeditated. Natasha describes that these questions followed her as her life continued.

As Natalie grows older, she raises questions as to where she belonged in Hollywood. She realized that she wanted to be an actress, but felt her mother's shadow eclipsed hers just enough to question the same career.

A tale of loss, but also finding herself, and who she is as a person even without a mother, this memoir was a wonderful read! I look forward to watching some of the movies that Natalie Wood starred in, and gaining a fuller perspective on the Wagner/Wood family tree.

I have loved Natalie Wood most of my life. Splendor in the Grass is my all time favorite movie, and I still find Natalie to be the most beautiful woman in the world. This memoir by Natalie's daughter Natasha was a book full of love.

Split into sections, covering before and after Natalie's tragic death, this is an intimate look at Natasha's life with her unconventional family and her pain of losing her mother at such a vulnerable age.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and Natasha for allowing me to read this book and share in more of Natalie's story.

Always loved what we the public knew Natalie to be. It was interesting to read the story her daughter had written. I enjoying having the opportunity to read this advanced copy.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

Growing up in the sixties, it would have been next to impossible to have not heard of Natalie Wood. She was one of the top female movie stars of the day. Between watching her movies at the theater and at home on TV when they were played on The Late Show, I was a big fan. She has been the subject of many books and magazine articles over my lifetime, and her suspicious death in 1981, only added to the mystery. More Than Love is written by her eldest child, a daughter, who was conceived during her short marraige to Richard Gregson, the man she married during the 3 years that she was divorced from Robert Wagner, whom she eventually remarried. Natasha Gregson Wagner tells an unusual story about her own life as well as that of her mother. She had a very unusual life, as is typical of children of very famous stars. As Natalie's first child, she is both blessed and cursed. Her story is an interesting one, and she has successfully written a book that tells it in an honest and heartbreaking way. She covers every aspect of her life, and her assessment of what really happened to her mother. I highly recommend this book, and would like to thank Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Publishing for the opportunity to preview this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion of this book.

The book's title says it all. Natasha Gregson Wagner is an intensely private person who rarely talked about her mom, Natalie Wood, even when there were officially-sanctioned documentaries about the movie star's life. The fact that she finally felt at peace enough with her mom's death to write a book about her says a lot.

Natasha was very close to her mother. Too close, some would say. She grew up always wanting her mother at her side, had severe anxiety every time her mother left her, and then had the unthinkable happen to her. Having lost my own champion, my father, die when I was a child, I have an inkling to what Gregson Wagner went through. But I didn't have to deal with the unscrupulous press and a vindictive aunt continually dredging up a parent's death.

Years of therapy, good and bad relationships, and becoming a mother led to this book being written. It's heartfelt, and well written. It dragged a little in the middle, when Natasha herself was trying to find herself as an adult, so I can't give it a full five stars, but it is a solid 4.5.

Natasha lost her mother, actress Natalie Wood, when she was 11 years old, and her sister Courtney was just 7. After Wood drowned in a boating accident, the sisters were raised by Robert Wagner, Courtney’s dad and Natasha’s stepfather. She discusses her memories of growing up with (and without) her beloved mom, mentioning that her aunt has tried to have the case reopened, accusing Robert Wagner of murdering her mother when they were on the boat. She comes across as a strong woman in her own right, enduring a cheating husband and the addiction of her beloved sister. She is overjoyed to become a mom at 41, and I liked how she described her motherhood: “The Japanese have a method of repairing broken pottery called kintsugi. Instead of trying to disguise…cracks, they highlight them with a special gold glue that makes the repaired piece more beautiful than the original….I had been a motherless daughter since age eleven. I was broken… [and my baby] Clover was my golden glue.”Natasha lost her mother, actress Natalie Wood, when she was 11 years old, and her sister Courtney was just 7. After Wood drowned in a boating accident, the sisters were raised by Robert Wagner, Courtney’s dad and Natasha’s stepfather. She discusses her memories of growing up with (and without) her beloved mom, mentioning that her aunt has tried to have the case reopened, accusing Robert Wagner of murdering her mother when they were on the boat. She comes across as a strong woman in her own right, enduring a cheating husband and the addiction of her beloved sister. She is overjoyed to become a mother at 41, and I liked how she described her motherhood: “The Japanese have a method of repairing broken pottery called kintsugi. Instead of trying to disguise…cracks, they highlight them with a special gold glue that makes the repaired piece more beautiful than the original….I had been a motherless daughter since age eleven. I was broken… [and my baby] Clover was my golden glue.” Thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for this Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I've always been intrigued by the story of Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner. I grew up watching Robert on Hart to Hart and I guess I imagined that he and Natalie in real life were as destined to be together as he and Stefanie Powers on the show. So when I requested an advance copy of this book, I really thought I'd learn more about Natalie's tragic death. Instead, what her daughter has given us is a picture of who her mother was, their tender relationship during the few short years she had with her. There were tough times two - evident by Natalie's first and second marriage to Robert with one in-between. Natasha, who was named after her grandmother, actually felt like she had two dads. The death of her mother shaped who she would become in the years thereafter. It is an emotional and tender book, and any fan of Natalie, or Robert should read it. Maybe its time to stop thinking Natalie was murdered and we know by who and why and instead remember her for who she was - even go back and watch some of her main work and enjoy the life she was given to share with us, though it ended so tragically young. This copy was advanced via Netgalley in exchange for a review of the work.

Thank you to Scribner and Net Galley for an advance of this book, in exchange for my honest review. I was a Natalie Wood fan, but being a bit behind her in age, most of what I knew, frankly, came from what my grandma called "scandal sheets." That said, when Natalie passed, I was struck by sadness for someone leaving behind her daughters, how it would affect the girls the rest of their lives and how something like this could have happened. We will never know exactly what occurred that dark night. But, I admire her daughter Natasha for taking on the hard job of being honest about her mom and being honest about her own struggles. What a really wonderful book.

I received an advance reading copy of this book from NetGalley.com in return for a fair review. First off, I wanted to read this book for several reasons: I am a movie lover--especially movies made before 1950; Natalie Wood has always been one of my very favorite actresses; like the author, Natasha Gregson Wagner (Natalie's daughter), I was also a motherless child. Believe me--it's not a club you want to join. Unlike me, Natasha grew up in world filled with movies and celebrities. Her mother and two dads (her biological father, Richard Gregson, and her step dad, Robert Wagner) lavished her with love. As a youngster, she suffered from severe separation anxiety whenever her mother was away. It's hard to tell whether, it was a child's insecurity or a premonition of what was to come, but either way, Natasha had a deep-rooted fear. Imagine when the unthinkable happened when she was just 11 years old. Now terrified that other people she loved would be torn away from her, she grew up in a constant state of anxiety. I totally understand the feeling and I was rooting for her. She tells her mother's story frankly and explains how Natalie Wood supported her eccentric family from the time she was a little girl. She talks about her two dads and the important roles they both played in her life. She reminisces about the sweet moments she shared with her mother, but she is also quite candid about the drinking and other issues that went on in their home. She speculates on how her life might have been different if her mother had lived. Natasha did a fine job bringing her mother to life and sharing her own story. I was glad to see that she eventually found her way and was blessed with a little girl of her own. Although there is much about Natalie Wood we will never know for sure, I truly believe without any doubt she would be very proud of her daughter who always seemed to put one foot in front of the other and move forward despite the difficulties she faced.

More Than Love by Natasha Gregson Wagner
Natasha, the daughter of Natalie Wood, sheds new light on Natalie Wood's life, and her death. Having read the press amd books about Natalie Wood's drowning, I was leaning toward RJ as a suspect, not as a murderer, but as having an opportunity to save Natalie, but not taking it. Natasha's story is brutally honest about what it was like to grow up with celebrity parents, and what they were like as people. After reading More Than Love, I think that the people who talked to the press were out for themselves, especially Natalie's sister Lana. The book certainly gives me something to think about! A very candid book!

I just finished More Than Love and I really enjoyed every page. I wasn’t sure what to think but I am a fan of Natalie Wood’s work, and now I’m a big fan of her daughter! ( nickname Natooshie spelling might be wrong- sorry)
I’m an avid reader, usually fiction and not this particular genre. But I was curious and devoured it. I liked how we were taken inside their intimate family like. It was honest and she loved her mom so much, but after many years of therapy realized her mom was not perfect. Natasha’s life was definitely entitled in every way. She had many more opportunities than you and I would ever have. But she acknowledges it. And she’s vulnerable and flawed and an amazing daughter to all her parents. I just thought it was a fascinating read.

It truly was a lovely look at Natalie Wood's life and death and it's effects on her daughter and loved ones. It addressed the issues surrounding her death in a tasteful way and provided real insight into the situation and all involved.

I have to admit , when I first requested this book I thought it would be about some type a scandal about the death of Natalie Wood. I got deeper into it, and I found out I was wrong. This book talks about the love between a mother and a daughter. It talks about grief and the loss of a parent. I went through a similar situation with the loss of my father. I know it's a different situation but a loss of a parent is the most difficult thing in the world. Natasha also talks about how she got through it, her acting career, and having her own family. I love biographies like this one, I just wish that there were more pictures in it. My two favorite movies of Natalie Wood's are West Side Story and Miracle on 34th Street. I think I'll go watch them now... I am thankful that Netgalley let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully told story of what it was like to grow up as the daughter of Hollywood royalty, with the twist of losing her mom, Natalie Wood, when she was only 11 and her mom 41. Natasha Gregson Wagner shares what it was like having her beautiful mom until she was 11, and then trying to cope ever after. How she managed with two dads, her bio dad, and her daddy Wagner, who she lived with and grew up with.


This book is a love letter to Natalie and an excellent memoir at the same time. Well done and recommend. Advanced electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Natasha Gregson Wagner, and Scribner .

Growing up, I've always loved Natalie Wood. She was a beautiful soul who lost her life to soon. With all the speculation about her death, I'm so glad to have gotten the chance to read this book from her daughter's words. It was a great story and took you into the life of a woman who could have been so much more.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Insightful, honest, and emotional look at Natalie Wood’s life, family, and work. Definitely a must read for all Natalie Wood fans

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48426139