Special early Danielle Steel reviews--page 1

Safe Harbour from May 2006

In Safe Harbour, Danielle  Steel wrote a compelling story about a family and the magic that touched them that summer. For 11-year-old Pip Mackenzie, her mother Ophelie have been plunged in an inconsolable grief months ago, while she experienced an unthinkable tragedy. On one summer day at the beach, she befriended Matt Bowles who taught her to draw. For Matt, he had his own demons from the past to face with his ex-wife and his children across the world. He couldn't help but become fascinating with Ophelie. During the summer, for Ophelie, she couldn't help the friendship from Matt and what he did for her daughter. He brightened their dark and gray world with slivers of hopeful sunshine. As the days winded down and fall happened, before they parted to head back to the city, a spark of change happened for everyone. Matt needed to finish unsolved business as Ophelie volunteered in a city outreach program.  They shared more than long-distance phone calls and friendship. As Fate would have it, someone betrayed their trust, as it brought them together to form a new form of family. A heart-warming tale of reaching out to find someone out there.

This was a beautiful contemporary romance. It touched my heart and soul about second chances and finding peace within yourself. I loved how Matt moved Ophelie and got Pip to speak about her feelings. With a person's caring nature, it could move mountains and heaven to earth to set things right. I bawled my eyes out in this piece and you would too. Danielle Steel wrote another winning novel.

Ready to sigh and weep? Give this book a try today!



The Gift from May 1999

In the Gift, Danielle Steele told us a wonderful tale about second chance and the most important gift of them all--life. In the 1950s, a young pregnant teenager named Maribeth Robertson arrived in a small Kansas town. Due to an unwanted pregnancy, she was sent there to a woman's shelter to have her baby there. From there, she met the Driscoll family who suffered a tragic loss, when their little girl unexpectedly passed away. That caused a rift in their marriage. Due to her arrival, she touched everyone around her as things slowly progress and start to change. Meanwhile, she befriended a young man named Tommy Whittaker and later fall in love. The most important gift was her baby girl, who she ended up gave up for adoption, and blessed them with the gift of healing hearts and to start over again. This is a timeless classic through and through.

This was a real touching and moving historical romance. This pulled at my heart-strings and made me cry throughout the novel. The gift of life in adoption is precious like a gemstone. I didn't care for much for Maribeth's family who didn't help her, or the jerk of the jock who got her pregnant either. But I loved the friendship between her and Tommy. That was really golden.

Ready to cry your heart out? Check out this book right now!



Kaleidoscope from November 1991

If you haven't seen the 1990s TV movie version of this classic historical romance from Danielle Steel, or want to read the book version, get ready to be propelled back in time to wartime Paris in Kaleidoscope.  When one sister, Hillary Walker,  wanted to be reunited with her two sisters, who were torn apart, when their French mother and American actor father's lives were snuffed out by tragedy. She was unsuccessful on locating her two younger sister and weren't able to find them. They went their separate ways and lead their own lives, while one was adopted by another family, she remembered her sisters and how torn apart they were.  It was up to one private investigator who was asked to bring the sisters together, while remorse haunted all his life. He followed the trail of Alexandra, Megan and Hillary Walker, when they faced each other, learned one devastating truth about why they were split up, before they were able to move with their lives.

This was another terrific contemporary romance to pull at your heartstrings. This dealt with the matters or the affairs of the heart, when it concerned family. I hated to see them be separated and for them to live their own lives. But in the end, they put the past behind them with so much animosity. Hopefully it taught us how it could make us much more stronger than before, when they've grown apart. It taught us how we perceive things from different ways.

Ready for another heart-stopping romance? Check out a copy today!



Fine Things from September 2000

In Fine Things, Danielle Steel told us a tale about life and loss. Bernie Fine was an upcoming "wonderboy" in a New York department store and looked into the eyes of 5-year-old Jane O'Reilley. He knew she was the love of his life that would last a lifetime. After they married and she gave birth to their first child, Jane was stricken with cancer. He knew the time they had together was short. Now alone with two children, he must deal with the loss and  learned how to move on with his kids with new people, new experiences, and learned life's lessons with a dose of courage and humor. A tear-jerker!

This was a beautiful and touching contemporary romance, when it deals with life and death in the same matter.  Another great story about precious time together with life and make the most of it. This one gave me tears through my eyes throughout the whole novel.  This is most definitely a heart-breaking romance novel. I felt real genuine feelings for the Fine family and how life moved on after death.

Bring a hankie! Check out a copy today!



Zoya from June 1995

If you didn't see the 1990s TV movie, or want to read the book version of it, Zoya's set in the beautiful backdrop of Russia, during the World War I Europe for this magical and classic Danielle Steel historical romance.  Zoya, a cousin of the Tsar, fled Russia to find safety in Paris France. While her world changed before her eyes, she joined the local French ballet, and when things settled down in her life, she moved to New York City. During the Great Depression, she lost everything she had in stock. Her career and the man in her life saved her. As she rebuilt her life from the bottom up, she held onto the things she held so dear to her heart--her family. From the 1920s to the 1980s, her legacy lived on through her family to withstand the hands of their time.

This was another beautiful historical romance from Danielle Steel. I loved the backdrop from Russia to the United States all through Zoya's Point of view. We do get to see things from her eyes and how the world changed and evolved. With every gripping turning page, we do get sucked in and get involved into her life. This moved me to tears and made me cry. I was glad she had gotten the happiness she deserved in the end.

Check out this moving historical romance today!



Toxic Bachelors from July 2008

In Toxic Bachelors, Danielle Steel told us another tale from a different POV for her main character--men's. For Charlie, Gray and Adam, they were three commitment-phobic confirmed bachelors and best friends for life. Charlie, a handsome philanthropist, wanted a special someone with high expectations for Mrs. Right; Adam, a 40-year-old celebrity lawyer, preferred his women young and for short-term, while Gray, a gifted artist,  couldn't imagine having a family with the woman he with. When one summer they were on Charlie's cruise during their summer holiday vacation. When summer ended for them, the fall season would bring them a hard dose of reality, when they fall hard in love. We watched how their love lives unraveled during the fall and how they couldn't complain about who they fell for. When another holiday season came along, it was up to them to face their fears first and tackle the most intriguing adventure of them all--love.

This was an interesting contemporary romance that was told by three bachelor men. For a twist, I knew it worked for me to see how the other half lived. I've found all three male characters insightful and intriguing at best. I loved the cruise scene and how one chance encounter had changed their lives for the better. This would melt your heart like butter.  Homey, wistful and empowered, that's how I would describe this book. Your jaw would drop like Droopy Dawg's.

Ready to hop on board a cruise? Come sail away with a copy today!



The Ring from September 1987

If you haven't seen the 1990s TV movie or want to read the print version, be swept into the hands of time. In the Ring, it was another beautiful historical romance by Danielle Steel. Set in the backdrop of World War II Europe, she took us on another time travel warp back to our history.  First, an ill-fated affair between Arianna's mother and her Jewish writer lover was killed due to Hitler's cleansing. Her father and her brother survived the devastating loss by protecting her memory and passing her ring over to her. When she was separated from her brother and father, she was arrested by the Reich and later suffered a terrible rape. She later formed a friendship with a Nazi officer and fell in love. Fate took a twisted turn, which left her alone and on the run for her life. She then traveled to America and experienced horrible kinds of terrors.  Later,  she became sick and pregnant, found refuge in New York and found a family to sponsor her, who befriended and later betrayed her. She later recovered to give birth to her son on X-mas and later found true love with Noel, a kind man to give her love and strength to survive and persevere.

This was an emotional historical romance. This one threw you a punch to your stomach, when it dealt with the war and hatred. I was heartsick for Arianna who endured such atrocities back then. I loved the scenic depictions from war-torn Europe to straight to the USA. I hated when they raped her and how she lost her love and ended up pregnant with his baby. I loved how she found her true love with Noel, a kindred spirit like no other. That family ring was an heirloom she would cherish forever. Truly emotional, gripping and tender, you would feel a mixed array of emotions, too.

Want to be touched by The Ring? Buy a copy today!



Lone Eagle from September 2003

In another beautiful historical romance, this one will take you above and beyond. In Lone Eagle, set during the backdrop of World War II, Kate Jamison received a phone call she would never forget and never would expect. It brought her back to the time during December 1940, when she made her debut in New York Society. That's when she met pilot, Joe Allbright, who would forever change her world. She believe they would be soulmates, though he was older than her. As the months pass, they meet each other and cross paths as the bond they made grew stronger.  She went to college as he became an aviation superstar in the skies. She feared for his life and safety. After the war, she wanted more from her like marriage and family, while flying planes became his passion to build his own aviation empire. Another chance encounter brought them together again, when it was time for them to make a choice that would change the rest of their lives.

This was a fantastic historical romance. I loved the backdrop of the world wars and aviation. I loved the love story between Kate and Joe--how they met and where they were now in their relationship. I loved the locations of Europe and the USA. This brought tears to my eyes at this lovely romance. I hated it, when they were apart and when he broke Kate's heart. The war-time scenes were lovely and beautiful as well. This pulled at the heart strings with a lovely romance, beautiful scenery, and nice tension and action.

Ready to soar like an eagle? Take off with a copy today!



The Wedding from April 2003

In the Wedding, Allegra Steinberg was a celebrity lawyer to the stars. Her father was Simon Steinberg, a major movie producer, and her mother was Blair Scott, a writer for TV. When she met a New York writer at a chance encounter, it changed everything for her. Before she knew it, she fell in love and started planning a wedding for September. While she made preparations for her wedding at her parent's home, family secrets came out and unraveled before her eyes. While it torn them apart to hear such revelations, she discovered what her pre-med brother Scott and her model sister Samantha kept under wraps and from the public eye. But when her wedding took place, it brought her past, present and her future together for a special event that would memorable for them all.

This was another heart-warming contemporary romance. It was also beautiful too, since it dealt with a wedding. I loved the backdrop of California and the wedding scene. I also loved getting to know Allegra and her family. They each had their own sordid story to tell. I did feel strong emotions for Allegra, while she dealt with a wedding preparation and ugly family truths that were revealed. This tugged at my heart and made me cry.

Ready to attend a wedding? Reserve your spot with a copy today!



A Good Woman from November 2008

In another one of Danielle Steel's compelling historical romances, she took us back to World War I. In A Good Woman, Annabelle Worthington grew up in a house of privilege, until when the Titanic sank, she lost her family then. To pull herself out from her grief, she volunteered and helped the poor, while she developed a taste for medicine for the rest of her life. From there, she first love ended up in marriage and then into a devastating scandal and grief. During the war, she worked at a ground-breaking women-run hospital to nurse the soldiers back to health. She found her true calling working the frontlines as a medic and learning everything she could about medicine. She began her new life in Paris as a doctor and mother, until she found strength and courage with a fateful meeting that changed her life and opened her eyes as a good woman of substance.

This was a beautiful historical romance about a woman who overcame every obstacle and defied the odds. This made me want to root for Annabelle all the way. Every heart-wrenching and heart-breaking page, I was hooked from the first page and sobbed throughout every tough scene. I didn't really like her boss at the hospital, but I did care about the patients she met who recovered from their war injuries. It touched my heart.

If you're ready to be moved, check out this lovely historical romance!



Ransom from June 2008

Four lives collide in this compelling contemporary romance, Ransom, from Danielle Steel. After four years in prison, Peter Morgan was released and wanted to redeem himself in the eyes of his young daughters. Carl Waters, a convicted murderer, was set on the same path of freedom with him.  On that same night, San Francisco Police Department Ted Lee, came home to a quiet home and started to slowly fall out of love with his wife. For Fernanda Barnes, a widow of four months after her husband's death, she was surrounded by a mountain of debt she can't repay with a lost marriage. Weeks later, Ted Lee came into her life, when Morgan and Waters head over her way with a high price to pay for ransom, to protect her family from a grisly fate. For Ted and Fernanda, it brought them closer to friendship and maybe something more, while she would build and drew her strength from him to survive an unthinkable crime.

This one gave me so many chills for this romance. I loved the California backdrop and the prison setting. It painted the picture clear. I did feel bad for Ted and Fernanda, who both went through some marital woes of their own. I didn't care for Peter and Carl either. They gave me the creeps. But I liked how Ted came together to protect her and her family and stopped imminent harm from heading her way. They had good chemistry, too.

Ready to pay a good price for a nice book? Snatch this one right now!



Journey from October 2005

In Journey, Danielle Steel told us another darker tale of love and romance. Maddy Hunter was a successful TV reporter and married to her husband, Jack, the producer. On screen, they looked like the perfect couple. Behind closed doors, they were far from it. She kept the secret of his verbal abuse and jealousy and domestic violence. Her healing journey began at a support center for violence against woman. She listened to similar stores like her own from other wives and girlfriends who experienced the same ordeal. That's when she met Bill Alexander, a distinguished diplomat, who knew that Maddy was in a troubled marriage.  If his help, he got her to open her eyes and convinced her to break free. Someone from her past reappeared, news breaking headlines from the White House, and a tragedy occurred how much have been taken from her. She would find strength and courage to get out from Jack's hold that would change her life forever. A poignant novel at its finest.

This was another powerful contemporary romance. I did feel bad for Maddy in her abusive relationship with Jack. My heart went out to her. I cringed for every time Jack hurt her. But I liked how she found a friend with Bill who happened to lend out a hand. I loved the backdrop of the TV station, behind closed doors and in front of the camera in California . This one carried a strong message to anyone who ended up in a stuck marriage.

Ready to take a journey for your life? Grab a copy today!



Johnny Angel from April 2004

In Johnny Angel, this heart-warming contemporary romance from Danielle about life, loss and moving on. Johnny Peterson was a star quarterback for his high school football team and valedictorian with a promising future. But on his prom night, his life was snuffed away from a tragic car accident.  His family and his girlfriend deal with this devastating heartbreak and mourn his loss. While they grieve his loss, his mother becomes sick with an illness.  He miraculously visited them from heaven as an angel and gave them the courage to move on by honoring his memory. He helped his brother with special needs to open up from his shell, and gave his mother hope to be strong for his family. During this healing process with his angelic visits, he helped pulled through the mourning process and to move on, before he crossed over to the other side. For anyone who lost someone they loved, this was one to read or reread with tissues and God's strength by your side.

This was a beautiful contemporary romance. You would need a box of Kleenex for this one. You would be crying throughout this novel like I did. It was moving and touching about losing someone you love and how to move on to get past it. It was too hard to pick a hated scene or person in this one, since it wasn't unnecessary. I loved how Johnny touched everyone he loved as an angel, when his life was cut short in an instant. We should be blessed to have a loved one as long as we can, until it was time to say goodbye. Speechless beyond words, you would cherish this book forever.

Ready for a tear-jerker! Bring a tissue and nab a copy today!



One Day at a Time from March 2009

In One Day at a Time, this is a beautiful romance about taking things slow and finding the best things in life, when you, at least, expect it.  Meet Coco Barrington. A former law student and a dog walker, she was born into a famous Hollywood family and fled the glamorous lifestyle to a beach town. Her mother, a famous author who wrote novels under the name of Florence Flowers, a widow who secretly started a romance as a cougar with someone who was 24 years her junior. And then, there's her sister Jane, who was a major Hollywood producer for film, and have lived with her domestic partner Liz for ten years. For Coco, when she agreed to dog-sit for her sister, that's when she meet an unexpected house guest named Leslie Baxter, a British actor, who sought refuge from a psycho ex-girlfriend. In an instant, the chemistry of them was palpable and hot. She understood that Leslie was a single dad to a six-year-old girl, her mother was in love, and her sister and Liz took great strides to adopt a baby.  While things heated up between Coco and Leslie, she contemplated a possible future with him, her mother and sister got settled into their own lives. This was a heart-warming romance about living life to the fullest, one day at a time.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Coco and Leslie. I also enjoyed Coco's mother and her sister Jane, who also explored their own newfound relationships to take one day at a time. I loved the backdrop of her walking the dog on the beach in California. I didn't care for Leslie's ex, either, but his daughter was a sweetheart. To matter what we're going through in life, we should take it one day at a time to heal and grow in love.

Get ready to grab a copy today!



The House on Hope Street from October 2002

Like Johnny Angel, this contemporary romance was another emotional roller coaster novel about love and loss in The House on Hope Street.  The Sutherlands was married for eighteen years, built a family on Hope Street, and a successful law firm. But when Jack stepped out for a quick errands, his life was snuffed on Christmas morning from a car accident. This devastated Liz as she consoled her five children on that holiday morning. For Liz, she needed to be both parents to her children, especially with one with Special Needs. And with the strength and love from her children, she returned back to work. As the holidays came and went with Jack, until on Labor Day, her son ended up in an accident and was sent to the hospital. That's when she met his doctor, Dr. Bill Webster. Slowly, they became friends as he healed her son's wounds. This brand new relationship will give her some kind of hope. As the one year anniversary and Christmas came upon them,  she came across another crisis, before she could  reflect back on her year of mourning and what she had and haven't lost.  If you lost someone you loved, this one is another must read or reread about moving on and rebuilding a shattered life.

This was a tear-jerking contemporary romance about life, love and loss. This moved your heart and will bring you to tears. I felt a pang in the heart for Liz and her family, while she pieced her life back together. I held my breath and released it real slow throughout this one. I dabbed my eyes a couple of times as well. I loved the location for this one as well in California.

Ready to embrace a pillow? Grab a copy today!


Dating Game from November 2004

In Danielle Steel's Dating Game, we were introduced to Paris Armstrong's world. She had a loving marriage, two grown kids, and a life she loved, she was clearly thrown for a loop, when her husband of 24 years wanted to talk to her. He asked her for a divorce. This devastated Paris and set her world into a tailspin. As her husband left her for a young woman and planned their future, she needed how to spend the next day and the rest of her life.  Broken-hearted, she tried to pick the pieces, while she still loved him.  It was time to fight for her survival and to move far away, right after Peter remarried. From there, she started her new life in San Francisco and began the dating game with bleak romantic potentials. She knew it wasn't in the cards for her. But when her daughter became engaged to a man on her age, she needed her circle of friends more than ever. She discovered the secrets that life would bring to her would bring her hope and joy as a single woman.

This was a beautiful heart-wrenched contemporary romance about starting over. I did feel sorry for Paris and hated her husband with a passion for crushing her heart. I wanted to kick him to the curb. I did feel sorry for her, when she didn't find Mr. Right with her multiple dates. I didn't like it, when her daughter was engaged to a man way older than her. I was glad she had her friends there to help her pull through the tough spots. San Francisco was the perfect and lovely location for it, too. Good drama to make you cry and sigh throughout the story.

Ready to start anew? Give this one a shot!




Answered Prayers from March 2003

In Danielle Steel's Answered Prayers, she told us about story about opening your heart and following your dreams. For Faith Madison, she had a life most people could envy in New York. With raising two grown daughters and married to a successful banker, she carried a deep secret and haven't divulged it to anyone, even one painful one she kept on herself. Her childhood was once marred by tragedy. At the funeral of her step-father, she was reunited by her late brother's best friend, Brad Patterson. They once met each other at her brother Jack's funeral years ago and reminisced about happy memories. .. and later lost touch, due to busy lives and hectic careers. As soon as he re-entered her life, Brad, a lawyer from California, she made a tough decision that could through her marriage to Alex in crisis... to go to law school and have a career of her own. Her only solace was emails to Brad, who was stuck in an empty marriage of her own, when the emails flew between them, bridging then many miles away. They rediscovered each other in their newly found friendship as Brad would find the courage to do something he should've done years ago. Faith  found the courage to believe herself and to open her heart to divulge the secret she kept all her life.

This contemporary romance moved me to tears.  My heart panged for Brad and Faith, when her brother died. I loved their connection for a friendship that would lead to something more. And of course, Faith did have faith, while she was stuck in a troubled marriage with Alex. I sighed and held my breath a couple of times. Sometimes I couldn't stand Alex for what he put her through.  I loved the California-New York long distance relationship they had via emails. This nearly broke my heart and tore it into pieces. Great drama and plenty of suspense to keep you reading all day long.

Ready to have your prayers answered? Give this romance a shot today!


Mixed Blessings from March 1996

If you didn't see the 1990s TV movie version or want to read or read the print book, Mixed Blessings was about three families and their hope and prayers to start one. In this romance, we meet Diana Goode and Andrew Douglas, a newlywed couple who want to start a family right away. After a couple of devastating heartbreaks when it didn't happen, they wonder what would it take for them to have a baby. For Charlie Winwood, he wanted a happy home filled with children. But when he realized he was sterile, he didn't know how to tell his bride Barbie about their future. She had other ideas, when he had to rethink his deepest values and his marriage, when she wasn't the woman of his dreams. As for Pillar Graham, a prominent lawyer was happy with her ten-year relationship with Judge Brad Coleman, who was 17 years her senior, who was happy with things as it was. Brad had two grown children. She regretted now having a baby, and wondered if it was crazy to start now, when he was now becoming a grandfather. This was a wonderful book about family and what formed or shaped them. 

This was a beautiful contemporary romance about family and the different kinds of families we see nowawdays. I loved the newlyweds of Andrew and Diana, Charlie and Barbie, and Pillar and Brad. They also had something different and had something in common: wanting kids of their own. No matter what stages they were in life, they both wanted the same goals to achieve and attain that dream. I also loved the backdrop of California in this book. I hated each and every one suffer a heartbreak or a setback of their own.

Check out this fascinating book today!





Irresistible Forces from August 2001

In Danielle Steel's Irresistible Forces, she told us a heart-warming story about what might fit seem so right, when Fate had other plans for us. For fourteen years, Steve and Meredith Whitman had the perfect marriage--except, they were missing one thing...children. Meredith kept putting it off, claiming she wasn't ready yet, since she became a partner at an investment banking firm in New York. Steve worked at a urban trauma ward as a physician. When there was an opportunity to reach for the brass ring in San Francisco, Steve encouraged her to go for it. As they tried to have a bi-coastal marriage and weekend visits, it became harder for them every time, especially for Steve to try to find a new job to meet her there. She spent long hours with her boss, while had an occasional drink with a new colleague who was a single mom. While they embattled the frustrations of this ordeal of living separate lives on both sides of the country, somehow Fate intervened to keep them further and further apart.

This was another heart-wrenching contemporary romance.  This dealt with Fate's swift hand and the bridging gap between two people. I did feel heartache for Steve and Meredith who found solace with other people. Having a long-distance relationship on two different coasts was like a bitter pill to swallow. I hated for them to grow further and further apart, until they saw less and less of each other. I loved the dual locations of NYC and San Francisco to showcase their two different lives and how to make it work.  You would feel a lump in your throat too.

Ready to face Fate? Purchase a copy today!



Jewels from November 1995

In Jewels, she taken us back into time from the 1930s to the 1980s in this compelling and dramatic historical romance. On Sarah Whitfield's 75th birthday, she reflected back on various memories and flashbacks on her life in four decades. From a marriage that lasted a year, to the trip to Europe that changed her life, when she met the Duke of Whitfield. After they married, they brought a French chateau to raise their family there. When the World War II happened, the Nazis took over their home; William went to war and joined the Allied Forces, while he left Sarah and their growing family behind. She hoped and prayed that her MIA husband would return back home and was alive. After the war, they brought jewels from impoverish war survivors and started a collection for their own jewelry store in Paris. For Sarah's four children, they each found their way and would be drawn to the gems in the store.

This was a priceless contemporary romance. I loved how it featured a different decade for the Whitfield family. It really showcased how Sarah's family had grown and how their jewel empire was built. We really did care about Sarah and her children, when her husband went MIA. Her children would continue the jewel store legacy after she was gone. This was beautifully written and told. I loved the scenery from Europe to the USA from war-time to present day. This would bring you down to tears with each gripping heartfelt scene.

Ready to shine like a priceless gem? Grab a copy today!



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