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Complications by Danielle Steel – a Review

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Complications by Danielle Steel – a Review

 

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Description:
Known for its luxurious accommodations and bespoke service, the Hotel Louis XVI has been the most lauded boutique hotel in all of Paris for decades, attracting an international clientele of the rich and famous. Now, after four years of renovations and the death of its legendary and beloved manager, it is set to reopen its doors at last. An esteemed group of loyal returning guests is set to descend upon the hotel, joined by a number of new faces who have managed to secure coveted bookings in the wake of last-minute cancellations.

Awaiting them all is the Louis XVI’s new manager, Olivier Bateau, an anxious man whose lack of experience leaves him unprepared. He and his level-headed assistant manager, Yvonne Philippe, both strive to continue the hotel’s tradition of excellence. But they quickly realize that anything can happen at any moment, and on one cool September evening, everything does.

A successful art consultant arrives at the hotel for the first time since her brutal divorce, and is surprised to find new love—if she is willing to risk her heart again. A new guest contemplates ending his life, and saves a life instead. A couple finds their once-in-a-lifetime trip interrupted by a tragic medical emergency, leaving the idyllic future they’ve long waited for hanging in the balance. And one of the hotel’s most high-profile guests, a French politician and assumed presidential candidate, holds a mysterious meeting in his suite that will threaten his life and legacy. Rocked by the events of this one fateful night, guests and staff alike brace themselves for the aftershock, as it quickly becomes apparent that more dramas and misfortunes are still 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.

 

 

Review:

Complications by Danielle Steel is a standalone novel.  Complications revolves around a luxury hotel in Paris, Hotel Louis XVI, that has been around for decades, which has recently undergone renovations over a four-year period.  The story begins with opening night, as the new manager and assistant welcome the guests. The new manager, Oliver, is a nervous wreck, but his assistant Yvonne, who is much younger, seems to have things under control, always able to fix anything that should happen.

Of course, opening night starts off with a bang, with a number of incidents.  Gabrielle Gates, a famous New York art consultant, decides to return to the Hotel Louis XVI, to try to get over her bitter divorce (her husband of 20 years cheated on her with a young girl).  A happy couple in love, both coming off divorces, looking forward to enjoying Paris, takes a tragic turn, when her boyfriend has a heart attack.   A British doctor, Alaistair Whyte-Jones, who is staying on the same floor, performs CPR on the stricken man, and plays a big part in saving his life, which will require major surgery. 

Alaistair and Gabrielle, start spending time together, as they try to help the girl, and visit at the hospital; a friendship begins.  We learn more about Alaistair, as he has come to this hotel knowing he is dying, with a short few months to live; he is prepared to end his life when things get bad.  The relationship between Gabrielle and Alaistair heats up, as they begin to have feelings for each other, and she learns about his cancer.  It is Gabrielle who will convince Alaistair to take the treatments, instead of not doing anything at all.  The story revolving around Gabrielle and Alaistair is the main storyline, as we see them fall in love, and her support for him during his severe treatments.  I really liked the two of them together, as they made a great couple.

Another story line revolves around a powerful French politician, who is also planning to stay at the hotel.  Patrick Martin, is plans to run for President, but he has a secret.  He leads a double life, having an affair with another man, who is blackmailing him. When things get out of hand, the other man falls, hitting his head, and dies.  Patrick decides to leave the hotel, and go home, preparing to tell the police a false story.  His life will implode, with everything falling apart, including his family.  

What follows is a number of interesting stories, revolving around three different groups, as well as management of the Hotel. It was nice to see the various cities that played major parts of the background; Paris, London, New York. I thought the new manager really was not fit for his job, though the assistant, Yvonne was great.  Alaistair and Gabrielle was a wonderful story all the way through.  Complications was very well written by Danielle Steel, which was a quick read and entertaining.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Nine Lives by Danielle Steel – a Review

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Nine Lives by Danielle Steel – a Review

 

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Description:
After a carefree childhood, Mary Margaret Kelly came of age in the shadow of grief. Her father, a dashing daredevil Air Force 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 to beware of daredevil men and avoid risk at all cost.

Following her mother’s advice, and forgoing the magic of first love with a high school boyfriend who was too wild to feel safe, Maggie instead sought out all the things her mother had lost–a predictable partner, a stable home, and a regular paycheck. She chose to marry a dependable, kind man who was a reliable husband and successful accountant. 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 San Francisco to Rome, Paris, and Monaco. But when her travels reconnect her with the very same irresistible, thrill-seeking man she’s spent thirty years trying to forget, Maggie becomes terrified that rushing into love and sharing his life may very well end in disaster. But ultimately, while Maggie tries to outrun her fears and painful memories of her past, fate will surprise her in the most astounding of ways, as she walks the tightrope between danger and courage, and between wisdom and love.

 

 

Review:

Nine Lives by Danielle Steel is a stand-alone Women’s Fiction novel. Mary Margaret Kelly (Maggie) is our heroine, and the story totally focuses on her life. When she was 9 years old, she lost her Air force pilot father to a plane crash, and a few years later lost her brother to another plane crash.  Maggie’s mother constantly tells her to never become involved with wild daredevil men, who are risk takers and will cause terrible heartache.  Her mother remarried to a simple kind man, who had a safe job catering; but after the loss of her son, she mother slowly died of a broken heart. 

When Maggie gets a job working at an accountant office, she will eventually marry Brad, a kind and wonderful husband, who takes over the business from his father.  She is happy in her safe life with Brad, and adores her young son, Aden.   Years later, when on a vacation, there is plane crash, with Maggie surviving, but Brad drowning; Maggie is now a widow, with her teenage son.  Maggie is shocked to learn that Brad had a large insurance policy, and the airline paid her a huge sum of money, making her very rich, which she will keep private.  While in morning for Brad, her neighbor friend visits her to help her get out of her grief and begin to move on with her life; convincing her to take a trip somewhere where she has never gone to, and enjoy the change of scenery.  With Aden going away to college, Maggie decides to plan her trip, which will take her on a wonderful journey to San Francisco, Rome, Paris, Monaco & London.  It was really nice to see all the places in Europe that Maggie visited, with Steel giving us wonderful glimpses on many landmark sites. Nicely done.

One night Maggie visits a casino, and to her surprise, someone calls out to her.  She is shocked to see Paul, her high school sweetheart from 30 years ago, whom she broke off with, since he was a ‘risk taker’. Paul Gilmore is now a famous race car driver, as well as an expert risky skier; who loves his thrill-seeking life.   The two rekindle their friendship, as he takes her to his yacht, where she enjoys the sun, food, ocean and company, as well as seeing his homes.  When she returns to America, she tells her friend and her son about Paul, saying they are only friends, even if Paul still has strong feelings for Maggie. 

What follows is a sweet romance between Maggie and Paul, with Aden finding himself liking Paul a lot (since he loves the same things that Paul does).  Maggie spends her free time meeting Paul in Europe, but she knows he still takes awful risks in racing cars and skiing, with him teasing her that he has “nine lives”.  After an accident, where Paul is hurt, she realizes this is exactly what she was afraid of; but once he is well again, he does resume his events, which brings fears to Maggie again.  When a major avalanche threatens Paul’s life, she brings him home to Chicago to take care of him.  Will Maggie stay with Paul, if he returns to his thrill-seeking days?  Will Paul give up his life style?   

Nine Lives was a wonderful story that was very well written by Danielle Steel.  This is story of a women who played it safe all her life, and finds herself between fears, courage or a love and safe. I wholly suggest you read Nine Lives.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Pack Up The Moon by Kristan Higgins – a Review

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Pack Up The Moon by Kristan Higgins – a Review

 

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Description:
Every month, a letter. That’s what Lauren decides to leave her husband when she finds out she’s dying. Each month, she gives Josh a letter containing a task to help him face this first year without her, leading him on a heartrending, beautiful, often humorous journey to find happiness again in this new novel from the New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins.

Joshua and Lauren are the perfect couple. Newly married, they’re wildly in love, each on a successful and rewarding career path. Then Lauren is diagnosed with a terminal illness.

As Lauren’s disease progresses, Joshua struggles to make the most of the time he has left with his wife and to come to terms with his future–a future without the only woman he’s ever loved. He’s so consumed with finding a way to avoid the inevitable ending that he never imagines his life after Lauren.

But Lauren has a plan to keep her husband moving forward. A plan hidden in the letters she leaves him. In those letters, one for every month in the year after her death, Lauren leads Joshua on a journey through pain, anger, and denial. It’s a journey that will take Joshua from his attempt at a dinner party for family and friends to getting rid of their bed…from a visit with a psychic medium to a kiss with a woman who isn’t Lauren. As his grief makes room for laughter and new relationships, Joshua learns Lauren’s most valuable lesson: The path to happiness doesn’t follow a straight line.

 

 

Review:

Pack Up The Moon by Kristan Higgins was an emotional stand alone novel.  The story follows a wonderful young newly married couple, Joshua and Lauren, who are very much in love. Lauren begins to have issues with possible asthma attacks, causing breathing problems; but soon she is diagnosed with a terminal illness.  Joshua is a genius in designing medical devices, and tries to find one that will help his wife. Lauren does everything she can to fight this illness, figuring she has years, since she was only in her late twenties; but when pneumonia sets in and the breathing worsens, she realizes that she has little time left.

When Lauren passes, Joshua is grief stricken, unable to handle the loss of his true love.  It was very emotional to see him and the rest of the family that grieved with him; Jen (Lauren’s sister), Sarah (her best friend), Lauren and Joshua’s mothers, Jen’s husband and two children, and Pebbles, the dog,  as they all bonded together to get through this tragedy.  I thought the characters that Higgins created were wonderful, and did get a kick out of Joshua’s new gay friend he meets later, Radley.

The POV’s follow both Lauren (in past) and Joshua (present time), grieving the loss of his wife. In Lauren’s POV, she goes back to when she first met and fell in love with Joshua, as well as writing notes to her deceased dad. Knowing that she will die soon, Lauren decides to write 12 letters to Joshua (one for each month) that she left to her friend Sarah to hold and give to him each month for one year, after her death. At first the letters, make Joshua grieve, but feesl she is still with him, but as they come each month, Lauren, who was wonderful, has given him different instructions to help him cope and move on.  Some of things were to get out of the house and go grocery shopping, have all his family over for dinner, buy new clothes, get rid of some furniture, and closer to the end find a new love, especially since he was still very young. I did love this concept.

Pack Up the Moon was a heartbreaking, tragic and very emotional story, that at times was depressing, but also had some funny moments later in.  I loved both Lauren and Joshua, as well as their family.  Pack Up the Moon was so very well written by Kristan Higgins.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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