Angel (1993)

by Barbara Taylor Bradford

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478	5	51,984	(3.19)	4
All were orphans when they met in their teens in the late seventies, and they vowed to be a family. As they reunite at a film party in London, it is Rosalind Madigan, the angel of the title, who holds them together. An Academy Award-winning designer blessed with innate goodness, Rosie is troubled by commitments that leave her feeling estranged from herself and her friends: Gavin Ambrose, a Hollywood megastar, a brilliant actor/producer whose personal life is not as successful as it appears (Nell Jeffrey, head of an international public relations firm and Rosie's best friend, a glamorous woman having a secret love affair (and Kevin Madigan, Rosie's brother, an undercover cop in the NYPD Crime Intelligence Division who specializes in fighting organized crime, an assignment that threatens his life. Into their midst come a dashing French aristocrat and the world's most successful popular singer, two men who disrupt--and irrevocably transform--"the family."... ANGEL Told with the power that only Barbara Taylor Bradford can bring to the page, this stunning novel is about a group of friends--and also about individuals who, facing their own mortality, must reevaluate their lives and strengthen their commitments. Exciting and moving, it will fascinate you from beginning to end. From the Paperback edition.… (more)

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Overall, I find Barbara Taylor Bradford novels to be pretty decent reads. "Angel" was another one of those books.
The four main characters met as teenage orphans in the late 1970's. They vowed that they would always remain a family and loyal to each other. Rosalind Madigan is the leader of the group. She is an Academy Ward winning costume designer. Gavin Ambrose is a Hollywood star. His personal life is falling apart. Nell Jeffrey is Rosalind's best friend and the head of an international public relations firm. Kevin Madigan is Rosalind's brother and an undercover police officer. They all have regrets, including not being as loyal to each other, as they could have been. The plot follows their relationships with each other and others. Another well-written novel with a great ending. (

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AndreaHelena | Jan 1, 2023 |

The story of four special friends whose lives take them from New York to Hollywood and Paris.

BLTSbraille | Oct 18, 2021 |

Four high-powered friends feature in this exciting book which has some surprises and a shocking climax. However it's unfortunately padded with a lot of detail about the past lives of all the characters, which was tedious and unecessary. Hard to relate to any of them, too. (

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SueinCyprus | Jan 26, 2016 |

“Angel” is an extremely long novel about Rosie, Nell, Gavin and Kevin who are friends. Gavin is a movie star and Rosie designs costumes for his movies and, in theory, other people’s movies. Kevin is Rosie’s sister and an NYPD officer. Nell is a successful publicist. The first 140 pages of this book introduce these people and tell us what they all think of each other. The next third of the book elucidates how, even though they are all fabulously rich and successful (except Kevin’s not rich, because he’s a cop, but he’s still very good at it), none of them are very good at having a personal life and managing romantic relationships.
In the last third of the book, the four friends seem to begin to suck slightly less, but alas, they do not. The book also begins to suck slightly less, but then, just as it threatens to have some sort of plot, the loose ends are abruptly severed (NOT tied up) and the book ends happily ever after. Wow, was this a giant waste of my time. (

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EmScape | Jul 6, 2009 |

NIL

rustyoldboat | May 28, 2011 |

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New York Times bestseller (Fiction – 1993)

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Canonical title

Original title

Angel

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Original publication date

1993

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Epigraph

The angels keep their ancient places; Turn but a stone, and start a wing! 'Tis ye, 'tis ye, your estranged faces, That miss the many-splendoured thing. -Francis Thompson

Dedication

For my beloved husband, Bob, with whom I have always shared the many-splendoured thing

First words

She stood near one of the huge stone pillars, a little to one side in the shadows, watching the fight.

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All were orphans when they met in their teens in the late seventies, and they vowed to be a family. As they reunite at a film party in London, it is Rosalind Madigan, the angel of the title, who holds them together. An Academy Award-winning designer blessed with innate goodness, Rosie is troubled by commitments that leave her feeling estranged from herself and her friends: Gavin Ambrose, a Hollywood megastar, a brilliant actor/producer whose personal life is not as successful as it appears (Nell Jeffrey, head of an international public relations firm and Rosie's best friend, a glamorous woman having a secret love affair (and Kevin Madigan, Rosie's brother, an undercover cop in the NYPD Crime Intelligence Division who specializes in fighting organized crime, an assignment that threatens his life. Into their midst come a dashing French aristocrat and the world's most successful popular singer, two men who disrupt--and irrevocably transform--"the family."... ANGEL Told with the power that only Barbara Taylor Bradford can bring to the page, this stunning novel is about a group of friends--and also about individuals who, facing their own mortality, must reevaluate their lives and strengthen their commitments. Exciting and moving, it will fascinate you from beginning to end. From the Paperback edition.

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