Before we begin, let me tell you a bit about Danielle Steel, just in case a lot of you might not know about her. Steel is a renowned author who is mainly known for her work in the romance genre.
Seriously, visit any book store, and there’s no escaping a shelf full of Danielle Steel novels!
She occasionally dips her toes in non-fiction, and her works are known to delve into themes like suicide, divorce, war, and even the Holocaust. The characters in her novels usually hail from a well-to-do or wealthy background. So far, her works have been translated into 28 languages and have a global audience.
Here are the top 20 best Danielle Steel novels to check out!
1) Zoya
After the toppling of the monarchy, the cousin of the Tsar, Zoya, escapes to Paris with her grandmother, and in the midst of World War II, she finds herself falling for an American GI, Clayton Andrews.
After the war, she moves to the US with him and builds life from rock bottom. Even if her happiness might be short-lived, Zoya is determined to make a better life for herself and Clayton.
2) The Gift
Set in the 1950s, this novel’s protagonist is 16 and homeless. Due to her strict family, pregnant teen Maribeth is cast out and finds shelter at a convent where she indends to live out the rest of her years as a single mum, working as a waitress to make ends meet for her newborn.
A chance meeting leads to a budding romance between her and a stranger whom she meets in the right place at the right time.
But will this romance last, or will the spark run out? This is a tantalizing tale of love that’s lost and found.
3) Silent Honor
Hiroko from Kyoto to California at 18 and is looking forward to a happy life, but all this changes after the events of 1941, as Japan attacks Pearl Harbor and Hiroko is seen as a national enemy due to her heritage.
Set against a tragedy that is hard to erase from memory, this poignant and heartbreaking tale is about a young lady coming of age in uncertain times, struggling to find acceptance, trying not to succumb to xenophobia, and finding love with an older man.
4) His Bright Light
This is a non-fiction work that is close to Danielle Steel’s heart as it deals with her relationship with her late son, Nick, who was the bright light in her life and passed away at a young age.
He also struggled with bipolar disorder, and this novel focuses on his mother’s battle against an uncaring medical system and her uphill struggle to find timely medical treatment for him.
5) Blue
A TV star, Ginny, is left orphaned after a tragedy and is struggling to pick up pieces of her shattered life and trying to find something or somebody to live for.
She finds meaning while working as a humanitarian aid worker during her soul searching. Her paths cross with Blue, a 13-year-old who has also gone through a similar personal loss as her, and they begin to bond.
Blue has a secret, but in order for Ginny to find out about this secret, she must first let go of her grief and let him in.
6) Accidental Heroes
TSA agent Bernice works at JFK airport. She stumbles upon a cryptic postcard that bears an image of the Golden Gate bridge. Sensing danger, she contacts Homeland security and tracks down Ben, an agent afflicted with PTSD who agrees to help her.
Only they can save the passengers of two planes that they suspect are being targeted. Soon, the duo is racing against time and at the forefront of a daring rescue mission. This novel focuses on the message that heroes can be found in the most unexpected places.
7) Spy
A cross between espionage and romance, this novel revolves around the pampered aristocratic Alexandra Wickham, who enlists to be a British spy during World War II to make the best of her linguistic skills and escape the tedium of her rich lifestyle.
She finds herself engulfed in dangerous missions and also ends up finding love in the form of a handsome diplomat.
But soon, she has to choose between putting it all on the line for Queen and country and playing it safe for the sake of her family.
8) Fine Things
A smart likable senior VP at a department store, Bernie Fine moves to San Francisco to open his own store.
While his success skyrockets, he is also a lonely man. When he finds love in the form of a single mum named Liz, he is determined to spend the rest of his life with her.
But little does he know that life has other plans in store for Liz.
9) Palomino
Samantha Taylor finds her life in shambles after her husband cheats on her. She leaves her ambitious advertising career to work on her friend’s ranch, in the process finding love with Tate Jordan, a farmhand.
A fall from a horse cuts their romance short. Samantha is confined to a wheelchair, and after Tate disappears on her, she must fight new challenges and find new things of interest to keep her occupied and keep her going.
10) The Promise
Young architect Michael Hillyard and artist Nancy McAllister are determined to get married despite family disapproval.
But the couple finds themselves separated minutes before their wedding after a tragic accident.
Nancy jets off to California, and Michael starts anew in New York, but it turns out that nothing and nobody can keep this ‘destined to be together couple’ apart!
11) Finding Ashley
Melissa Henderson is a best-selling author who has since quit after a tragedy that left her and her sister Hattie estranged from each other.
She now mainly carries out repairs on her New England home, but when Hattie reaches out, it might be time for them both to bury the hatchet and repair their relationship as well.
12) The Affair
Rose McCarthy is a famous editor-in-chief at a renowned fashion magazine. Her daughter Nadia is married to a best-selling novelist, but after finding out about her husband’s affair, Nadia returns to seek solace in her mother’s arms.
This is a touching tale about the relationship between a mother and her daughter and how pouring your heart to your family is the best solution.
13) Child’s Play
Kate is a successful lawyer based in Manhattan. Another of her accomplishments is raising her three children singlehandedly after her husband’s death.
Now that they are in their 20s, mummy dearest faces a conundrum regarding their personal lives, as one of her daughters, Tamara, is a commitmentphobe, Anthony has the pre-wedding jitters and Kate (the youngest) is falling in love with all the wrong men.
14) Lost and Found
Madison Allen, a photographer, is reminiscing about her past while browsing through some old photos. She decides to pause her work life and head on a road trip across Chicago, Wyoming, and Boston to catch up on three important men whom she turned away from in the past, as well as to re-evaluate her past decisions.
15) The Wedding Dress
The Deveraux family are prominent members of 1920s high society in San Francisco. They’re a happy family and happier still when their daughter Eleanor marries wealthy banker Alexander Allen.
However, their happy family life comes crashing down with the advent of the 1929 Wall Street Crash, ironically on the eve of Alexander and Eleanor’s honeymoon.
The family undergoes heavy political and social changes, and the only constant in their life is the beautiful Parisian wedding gown that Eleanor wore which is now an heirloom that keeps them united through their times of turmoil.
16) Moral Compass
This novel takes place at St. Ambrose Prep, an institution for society’s wealthy and privileged members. This is a mystery that takes place at Halloween as the school prepares itself to accept its first batch of female students.
The students are attacked, and now it is up to the teachers, parents, and faculty to team up and get to the bottom of these mysterious attacks that threaten the school and its reputation.
17) Beauchamp Hall
Winona Farmington is sick and tired of her life in her small Michigan town and finds escapism in the form of her favourite TV show Beauchamp Hall.
Suddenly she finds herself sucked into the show and on her way to enjoy new adventures and in pursuit of life changing discoveries.
18) Turning Point
Four of San Francisco’s best trauma doctors are presented with a rare, exciting opportunity, but all of a sudden, a horrific act of violence throws them all into life-altering situations that threaten to snatch this opportunity from them unless they make the right decisions.
19) Echoes
This is the story of 3 generations of women united by one common thread which stretches across two World Wars.
It all begins in 1915 Europe when a woman named Beata marries a young French officer, and soon enough, her family life is torn apart by Europe descending into hellish wars!
Her daughter is forced into hiding, only to take up life-threatening missions behind enemy lines herself!
20) Toxic Bachelors
As the title suggests, 3 friends who are charming and successful but unsuccessful in matters of the heart hang out one summer aboard a yacht, discussing their deep-seated issues.
Little do the bachelors know that by autumn, their lives will have changed for the better or worse with the arrival of new relationships…
With a library of 190 books written, Danielle Steel is a prolific writer who is highly respected and loved in the literary community. Her stories have excited and entertained generations of readers with their ability to capture the human experience in its complexity. Every Danielle Steel novel offers something new and meaningful, as she artfully captures hope and wisdom on every page. There’s no denying that her enthralling creations will continue to captivate aspiring writers and multitudes of readers alike for many years to come!
Now that you have this list of the very cream of the crop to help you, go seek out the best Danielle Steel novels that appeal to you at the nearest bookstore (online or physical, it doesn’t matter, they’re everywhere!). Let us know what your favorite is!
And don’t forget to share this post with fellow Danielle Steel aficionados!
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