Danielle Steel

This is not one of her better efforts. Sasha is one of Steel's rich beautiful people. She and Liam, a 'wacky artist' fall passionately in love. She should know better. In fact she does, but lets her passion get away with her.

He is a real brat (greatly damaged by his terrible childhood!), totally irresponsible and I can't imagine why she gives him a first chance, never mind a second, and a third...

Oh wow! This is a great novel! I have a love/hate relationship with WWII. So many good books, but so much grief and loss. I love strong women like Gaelle. Despite all the hardships she faced, she kept plodding onward. I'm not sure I could have risen from the ashes of war like that. She went on to find love and even then endured loss, several times over. But still, she remained true to herself. Her daughter, Dominique, is a piece of work. Her attitude is both appalling and astounding. I show more honestly have no idea how anyone as wonderful as Gaelle could just put up with that kind of attitude day in and day out. I would have sent Dominique to a teenage boot camp for a serious attitude adjustment!

This is a book that is worth reading and re-reading. Clear your weekend! show less

I may be one of the few readers who was never enchanted by Danielle Steel, but what the heck, I've always been a nonconformist. That being said, this book was the first of hers I read, and for some reason decided to try a few others before I came to my senses and stopped wasting my time.

The story overloads on SOS (soap opera silly). Michael, heir to his family's fortune and business and Nancy, a humble photographer, are in love, despite the disapproval of his cold, possessive mother. Their show more plans to marry are derailed when they get into a car accident that leaves Nancy faceless and almost costs her life, until Marion (Michael's mother) comes to the rescue, with medical and financial help, providing Nancy start a new life elsewhere and never contact Michael. Considering her condition, it's not surprising she agrees and who wouldn't?

What is surprising is that Nancy, knowing how much Marion disliked her and wanted her out of Michael's life, never suspected there'd be more to it. She foolishly assumed that Michael would just try to find her, because he'd never believe she'd dump him. Whereas, the evil Marion told Michael (and you can just hear the old time soap opera background music) that Nancy had died! Good Heavens!! What a wicked woman!!

I forgot how they arranged the "funeral": did they bury a wax corpse without a face or was she supposedly cremated? Then again, who cares?

Michael falls apart, takes solace in an affair with Wendy, a designer who works for him in the family business (today he'd be arrested!) but though his body's with Wendy, his heart and soul are still with "dead" Nancy.

Nancy, meanwhile, after recuperating and getting a new face, in a new city, with the help of Dr. Peter Gregson, and a new life as a photographer. changes her name to Marie and buries her love for Michael in her anger at the way he's treated her, not even bothering to find her. Maybe she should have called herself "Dumb Dora" instead, as it never seemed to cross her mind that there was more to the story. Considering how much Michael loved her, (and not knowing he thought she was dead) she should have known that if she never saw or heard from him that something was rotten in Denmark, and she'd forget her stupid promise and try and get in touch with him.

Now that would have made for a much better story, instead of stretching this whole thing out way too long. (It may not have that many pages, but it felt like reading "War and Peace".) Nancy/Marie rebounds to Peter, who's older, as well as her doctor (talk about unethical!) and can't make up his mind whether he loves her, considers her Galatea to his Pygmalion, or is still pining for his long lost love (can't remember what happened, but if she's lost on purpose I don't blame her a bit).

Next thing you know: the company needs a photographer, and guess who that'll be? What, you didn't guess Nancy/Marie, how could you be such a nincompoop! Why does Michael feel a certain vibe around her and why does she seem not to like him?

That plays out for a while, along with some other stuff, like Wendy, who found out soon enough that Michael would never commit to her, moving on with his best friend, Ben. (It must have been awkward when the three of them were together, considering they both saw her naked, but maybe I'm being a prude), and - will wonders never cease - Marion has a change of heart! She becomes a nice person, pretty unbelievable, after so many years being a stone cold bitch, but remember, this is La La Land.

That also explains George, Marion's right hand man who was her late husband's business partner, suddenly declaring his love for Marion, after keeping quiet about it for so long. Why he found her attractive I'll never know, but to each his own. That's another tired soap thing, someone being secretly in love with someone else, and never saying a word, just waiting patiently...yeah, right! He probably got a lot of action while he waited.

The biggest soap moment of them all was when Michael discovers Nancy's unfinished painting that he thought was lost for good, now finished and with Marie's signature! Yes, Marie is Nancy!!! (Can't you hear the organ music in the background?)

Next thing you know, they're back in each other's arms, and decide to pick up where they left of and get married right away!...........excuse me, I got a bit sick from sugar overdose.

No way would that happen in real life, no matter how much they loved each other, they'd need time to process it all, not run off and get married. And personally, I wish it had ended the way George said, when he told Marion (before the reunion) that they might find out the truth and decide to go their separate ways. I wish they had, as I found them to be an insipid couple, no spark or chemistry whatsoever. I would have liked to see them let go of the past, shake hands and move on.

No such luck. This being a romance, there must be the obligatory HEA, no matter how improbable or, in this case, unappealing.

If "The Promise" also meant expect to read a really good book, it sure didn't live up to it. show less

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It has been a while since I last read a book by Danielle Steel. Silent Night was available as an audiobook from my library, so I gave it a try, and it didn’t disappoint.

Synopsis:

Paige Watts is the ultimate stage mother. The daughter of Hollywood royalty, Paige channels her acting dreams into making her own daughter, Emma, a star. By the age of nine, Emma is playing a central role in a hit TV show. Then everything is shattered by show more unforeseeable tragedy.

A car accident changes Emma’s world. Her mum is no longer there, and in her place is her aunt Whitney. Unlike Paige, Whitney was always the studious older sister, hating the cult of celebrity that enveloped their childhood. Instead, she is a psychiatrist who lives for her work and enjoys a no-strings-attached love affair with a wealthy venture capitalist. But at a moment’s notice, Whitney drops everything to help her niece.

Once famous, outgoing, and charismatic, Emma is now a shadow of her former self–without speech, without memory, lost and terrified. But with her aunt Whitney’s help, along with a team of caregivers and doctors, Emma begins to find her way, starting her young life all over again–and changing the lives of everyone around her.

My Thoughts:

The synopsis immediately caught my attention, because I love drama. And the scenario is so heartbreaking, that I knew this book would give me all the feels. And it did.

I loved Emma. She was such an amazing character, and a wonderful fighter as well. She goes through a very big trauma, and never stops trying. What I truly loved is the relationship that she develops with her auntie Paige, who gives up her old life to look after Emma. Because there is no one else she has in this world now…

The strength that Whitney carries within her is to be admired.

She is so selfless and caring, not afraid to give Emma all the love in the world, despite the challenges. And especially at the beginning, it’s so hard. It was really hard for me to see Whitney go through rejection, the anger from Emma, not knowing how to process everything that is happening. She had to stay strong, for her and her niece’s sake. To be strong for both of them.

Danielle Steel did a magnificent job trying to show us the reality about people suffering with mental issues and trauma. How hard and frustrating it can be for them, when they can’t express themselves and are not understood. And how hard it is for their loved ones, to come to terms with the “new normal” and adjust, and to provide all the love and support. Recovery is a very slow and painful process, and there are good and bad days. Sometimes you make one step forwards and three steps back, and other times, recovery is not an option at all. And in Silent Night, Danielle Steel perfectly captured these experiences and emotions.

The bond between the niece and auntie is unbreakable, even though it took a long time to build. I loved the slow progress we could see in their relationship, and how they were both slowly healing as time went on. It was also very lovely to see how they both would also speak about Paige and work on healing and forgiving her as well.

I enjoyed the romance that Whitney experiences, and I also loved the fact that she was able to say “no” to a person who couldn’t accept her niece as part of the “deal”. Even though, I also respect his side, and how open he was about expressing his opinion. He was a very selfish person, true, but at least he was honest with her. This actually allowed Whitney to realise he wasn’t the right match for her and she was able to open up her heart to someone more deserving of her.

A very interesting part of this book is Emma’s acting career.

She started off young and her mum organised everything and planned her life. After all, it was her childhood dream that she now re-lived with her daughter. But when the aunt takes care of Emma, she has a completely different mindset, but is also under a lot of pressure from the media and the TV show director. I have to admit, I loved how Whitney handled this part, and ultimately lets Emma make the decision on what she wants to do once she is older.

In conclusion, Silent Night is a very emotional, but beautiful book. I am so glad I read it, and I’m looking forward to reading more books from Danielle Steel in the future. show less