1. Nine Lives
2. Neighbours
3. All That Glitters
4. Complications
5. The Wedding Dress
6. Invisible
7. Beautiful
8. Flying Angels
9. The Butler
10. Finding Ashley
11. The Affair
12. High Stakes
Description:
Nine Lives
After a carefree childhood, Maggie Kelly came of age in the shadow of grief. Her father, a pilot, died when she was nine. Maggie saw her mother struggle to put their lives back together. As the family moved from one city to the next, her mother warned her about daredevil men and to avoid risk at all cost.
Following her mother’s advice, and forgoing the magic of first love with a high-school boyfriend who she thought too wild, Maggie married a good, dependable man. Together they had a son and found happiness in a conventional suburban life – until tragedy struck again.
Now on her own, feeling a sense of adventure for the first time, Maggie decides to face her fears, setting off on a whirlwind trip from the US to Rome, Paris, London and Monaco. But when her travels reconnect her with the irresistible, thrill-seeking man she’s spent thirty years trying to forget, Maggie is terrified that rushing into love and sharing his life may end in disaster. But while Maggie tries to outrun her fears and painful memories, fate will surprise her in the most astounding of ways, as she walks the tightrope between danger and courage, and between wisdom and love.
Neighbours
Meredith White was one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces. But a personal tragedy cut her career short and alienated her from her family. For the last fifteen years, Meredith has shut herself away from the world, living in her San Francisco mansion.
Then, on a late summer day, a devastating earthquake strikes, plunging the city into chaos. Without hesitation, Meredith invites her now homeless neighbours into her largely undamaged house as the recovery begins.
From the respected doctor, to the beautiful young woman whose boyfriend views her as a rich man’s toy, to the brilliant concert pianist in his eighties, each has a story and a closely guarded secret that will slowly be revealed.
Strangers become friends and relationships are forged as they support each other through not just the aftermath of the earthquake, but their own personal crises.
As Meredith finds herself venturing back into the world she suddenly sees her isolation, her estranged family and even her career in a whole new light. And thanks to the suspicions of one of her new acquaintances, a shocking truth in her own life is exposed . . .
All That Glitters
Coco Martin, the adored only child of wealthy parents, has lived a charmed existence in their beautiful Manhattan home, and summers in a fabulous Hamptons house. Despite her privileged upbringing, Coco's parents instilled in their daughter their own values of hard work, honesty and kindness.
But as she's just entering her twenties, Coco's world is devastated by the sudden death of her beloved parents. Now the heir to a considerable fortune, Coco must find her way in a world that no longer makes sense to her. The estate is protected by a trustee, a close friend of her mother and father. But is he the honourable man she believes him to be?
Beginning a new life in London, Coco falls in love with a charismatic, handsome, penniless aristocrat, who introduces her to a world of fabulous parties and extravagance. Her oldest friend fears that this whirlwind romance won't last, but Coco is sure that she has finally found happiness.
But, in the middle of London's glamorous social scene, Coco struggles to see things as they really are . . .
Complications
Known for its luxury and discrete service, the Hotel Louis XVI in Paris has attracted an international clientele of the rich and famous for many decades. Now, after extensive renovation and under new management, an esteemed group of loyal returning guests is set to descend upon the hotel, joined by a group of new faces who have managed to secure coveted reservations. Anxiously awaiting the guests is the new manager, Olivier Bateau, and his assistant, Yvonne Philippe. Both strive to continue the hotel’s tradition for excellence but even they were not prepared for what happened on that September evening.
A successful art consultant arrives to seek solace after a brutal divorce and is surprised to find new love. A new guest contemplates ending his life and ends up saving someone else’s. A high-profile politician’s career will be tarnished with scandal after a mystery meeting conducted at the hotel. And a couple will find their once-in-a-lifetime trip struck by a medical emergency, leaving the future they’ve longed for hanging in the balance.
Rocked by the events of this one fateful night, guests and staff alike brace themselves for the aftershock, as it quickly becomes apparent that there is much more drama in store . . .
Danielle Steel tells an unforgettable story about a famed hotel, where a few complications quickly escalate into a matter of life and death, changing the lives of everyone who passes through its doors.
The Wedding Dress
The Deveraux family were among the most important members of 1920s San Francisco society, and the wedding of their daughter Eleanor to wealthy banker Alexander Allen would be the highlight of the 1929 social calendar.
The wedding, held in the family’s magnificent Pacific Heights mansion, was everything they’d hoped, and Eleanor’s dress was a triumph. But the dream life, along with the most perfect honeymoon in Europe, was about to come to an end when Alex received news of the Wall Street Crash. It appeared that the family had lost everything . . .
In the years that followed, the Deveraux lived through periods of huge social and political change. What helped to unite them was the beautiful wedding dress, first worn by Eleanor, which remained a family heirloom and continued to hold a special place in the hearts of a family desperate to survive the turmoil and changing fortunes of the times.
Invisible
When destiny shines the spotlight on you, do you stay . . . or run?
Antonia Adams is the product of a loveless marriage between a beautiful young model and a wealthy entrepreneur. As a child, she is abandoned in the chasm between them. Unprotected and unloved, she learns that the only way to feel safe is to draw as little attention as possible, to be invisible.
In her isolation, films are her escape, and she dreams of one day becoming a screenwriter. During a summer job at a Hollywood studio, she meets a famous filmmaker, and is invisible no longer. He wants to put her in a movie and make her a star. It is a dazzling opportunity but a terrifying one. Suddenly she is thrust into the public eye – even more so when they fall in love.
Antonia never lets go of her true dream of becoming a filmmaker, but to make that leap she will have to expose herself in ways she never has before. When tragedy strikes, she must decide whether she will remain center stage or retreat to safety once more. Will she face her demons, or run and hide?
Beautiful
Véronique Vincent is a star.
At twenty-two, she is one of the most sought-after models in fashion, gracing the covers of magazines and walking runways across the world. But Véronique does not seek the limelight, preferring to spend time at home with those she loves most.
But on a much-anticipated getaway, tragedy strikes, changing her life forever. She is forced to confront the harsh reality that neither her personal and professional life will ever be the same, and secludes herself, hiding the truth from the industry that adored her.
As Véronique struggles to find herself after losing so much, she discovers long-held family secrets. These new bonds help her see a light beyond the darkness and to find peace helping others.
Then, Véronique begins to understand what it truly means to be beautiful, as she uncovers a life more meaningful than she could ever have imagined . . .
Flying Angels
It is 1941 and the devastating loss of life following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor leaves best friends Audrey and Lizzie distraught and bereft as they lose someone they both love deeply. As they come to terms with their grief, their resolve to play a worthwhile role towards the war effort is strengthened. As trained nurses they volunteer for the army medivac corps and are sent to England, where they join a team who fly on dangerous missions to the Front to bring back wounded soldiers.
Audrey, Lizzie and their fellow medics and pilots will suffer the tragedies of war and experience loss and suffering. They will come to understand the importance of friendship, respect, bravery and being true to yourself. But, once the war is over, can they learn one of the hardest lessons of all: the ability to love again?
The Butler
Joachim von Hartmann was born and raised in Buenos Aires by his loving German mother, Liese, along with his identical twin. But when Joachim moves to Paris with Liese in his late teens, his twin enters a dark world and refuses to leave his beloved Argentina. Joachim begins training to be a butler, fascinated by the meticulous precision and intense demands it involves, and goes on to work in some of the grandest homes in England.
Olivia White has given ten years of her life to her magazine, which failed, taking all of her dreams with it. A bequest from her mother allows her a year in Paris to reinvent herself. She needs help setting up a home in a charming Parisian apartment. It is then that her and Joachim’s paths cross.
Joachim, on a whim, takes a job working for Olivia for a few weeks, which turn to months as the unlikely pair discover they enjoy working side by side. At the same time, Joachim is shocked to learn the family history he never knew, involving his grandfather’s sinister wartime activity, and also to hear news of the dangerous criminal his twin has become. While Olivia struggles to put her life back together, Joachim’s falls apart.
Stripped of their old roles, they strive to discover the truth about each other and themselves, first as employer and employee, then as friends. Their paths no longer sure, they are a man and woman who reach a place where the past doesn’t matter and only what they are living now is true.
Finding Ashley
Melissa Henderson leads a quiet life. Once a bestselling author, she now pours all her energy into renovating a Victorian house in the foothills of rural New England. Six years ago, her life was derailed by tragedy and she stopped writing. The house has given her new purpose.
When her beloved home appears on the news, Melissa receives a call from her estranged sister, Hattie. They were close once, but that was before Melissa withdrew from the world. Now Hattie is determined to help Melissa turn a new page, even if it means reopening one of the most painful chapters of her life. All these years later, Hattie feels compelled to embark on a journey that will change both their lives forever, to find the child that Melissa was forced to give up when she was only a teenager in Ireland.
Finding Ashley is a powerful love story of two strong, brave women turning loss into reconnection, and a family reunited.
The Affair
A year they would never forget . . .
Rose McCarthy is the legendary editor-in-chief at one of New York’s top magazines. Following the death of her husband, she and her four daughters have become even closer. All have successful careers: Athena is a TV chef, Venetia a fashion designer and Olivia a court judge, while Nadia, the youngest, is a talented interior designer living in Paris.
Nadia considers her life perfect – married to bestselling novelist Nicolas Bateau, who adores her and their two daughters – until the tabloids leak a story of Nicolas’s affair with a dazzling young actress.
Heartbroken and publicly humiliated, Nadia looks to her family for comfort and support as she attempts to put her life back on course. As mother and daughters spend more time together, they come to realize the things that matter most in life.
High Stakes
Jane Addison is smart, young and ambitious. She’s delighted to have landed a job with a prestigious talent agency, Fletcher and Benson.
Hailey West is Jane's boss. She is dedicated to her authors but, as a single mother following her husband’s tragic death, her home life is chaotic and challenging.
Francine Rivers, the stern and bitter head of department, is also raising children on her own after an acrimonious divorce, and she has had to overcome financial hardship by paying the very highest price.
Meanwhile, Allie Moore seems to have it all: she relishes success and loves working with the talented actors she represents. But then a passionate relationship with one of her star clients risks derailing her career.
And Merriwether Jones, the CFO of the agency, appears to have the perfect marriage – until her husband’s jealousy over her career threatens her happiness.
Jane quickly realizes that there are damaging secrets behind the doors of the agency. She has the least power, but she is also the least willing to accept things as they are. And when she tries to put things right, the consequences will leave no one unscathed . . .
In this riveting novel, five women at the top of their game navigate the challenges of career and ambition, family and personal lives, in a world where it’s necessary to fight for what is right.
