I love Danielle Steel but so far this was my least favorite book. I really didn’t like the relationship changes and they didn’t seem to care. It really made me not like the characters. I normally love all of her books but this one just missed the mark for me.

Danielle Steel has a way of making you fall in love with her characters and their stories. Child’s Play is no exception to this .
Kate feels like her life is perfect for the most part. She has raised her grown children by herself after her husband’s death years before. Slowly she feels like her world is falling apart as one of her children is pregnant and doesn’t want to get married and another has been hiding her relationship from her for years . Kate realizes her relationship she is in is not suiting her anymore and is superficial at best.
While dealing with her evolving family life and work she meets Scott and although she is reluctant to get involved he becomes just what she needs in her life .
Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for an ARC for my honest review.

Danielle Steel writes books that touch each of her readers in some way. This one is no exception. The main character has expectations for her children and seems as if they have wonderful lives. As she reflects on her life, she forgets that the one thing every parent wants is for their children to be happy. When the "perfect" world she sees for her family dissolves into chaos, Ms Steel's ability to bring us all into the story will have you sniffling...well, maybe a tear or two...but everything comes right in the end. Another perfect story where the characters learn to live and love no matter the journey.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

What I think I liked best is that the man character is older and a self-reliant as well as competent. What she also is, is a single mom of 3 adult “kids” who are dealing with a lot amongst themselves. As the lives of her children start to unfold, and she finds out, she questions everything she thought she knew.

Danielle Steel is one of the best at women’s lit and this is exactly why. As an older mom I really could relate to Kate. Of course, not the trauma but the worry for your own children. How you plan the future for your children as they grow and everything you teach them to have everything they need to be productive adults. But what if what you thought you accomplished wasn’t it at all.

Wonderful quick read that really keeps your attention. Another hit by Danielle Steel.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Danielle Steel’s new novel centers on Kate, devoted mother to three grown children. Their father was killed in an accident when the children were young, and Kate has been both mother and father to them for years. She set a high bar for each of them, and so far they’ve met or exceeded their goals. But that’s about to change when their paths begin to diverge from the ones she felt were right for them, and Kate has to learn to let them test their wings and make their own mistakes.

Child’s Play by Danielle Steel is a story that parent’s will be able to understand and relate to. Parents have certain expectations for their children. We forget that they must make their own mistakes and follow their own path in life. Kate Morgan always set the bar high for her children and worked to be a good example for them. Kate is in her 50s and a senior partner at a law firm in New York City. After her politician husband passed away in a helicopter crash nineteen years previously, Kate went to law school while taking care of her kids with help from her mother, Margaret. Kate is proud of her children with their successful careers. She is unprepared when Claire announces she is having a child out of wedlock. Kate has old-fashioned ideals which she passed along to her kids. Claire, though, seems happy to shock her mother. Then Anthony announces he has broken off his engagement which paves the way for Tamara’s news. We see Kate struggle with each new announcement while juggling her clients. I found Child’s Play to be just the right length and it was easy to read. I quickly devoured it in a couple of hours. The characters are developed and realistic. Kate is an intelligent woman in her 50s who is also beautiful, sexy and vibrant. I like that Danielle Steel is giving us this type of mature character. Margaret, Kate’s mother, was my favorite. She provided keen insights and did not let her grandchildren’s news shake her. Kate could have let her children’s revelations alienate her from them, but we get to see how she adapts. Families continue to evolve as people mature as we see in Child’s Play. I liked that the main feature of the story was on the family with romance being secondary. There is some repetition of details which seems to be a trend in this author’s recent works. This repetitiveness is unnecessary. Child’s Play had the type of ending we look for from Danielle Steel. Child’s Play is dramatic family story with a spoiled sibling, shocking secrets, a lackluster lover, a boring bridezilla, a driven daughter, and a surprising suitor.

Wonderful read, the sort of story I expect to read from Danielle Steel. As parents, we have expectations for our children, mine are still young but I hope that they don't make mistakes that they can't recover from. Kate raised her children as best she could and supported them, which is all we can do as parents. Quick and easy read, perfect fall reading.

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I've read most of Danielle Steel's novels, but this one just didn't resonant with me. As time goes on, the writing is becoming more formulaic to the point that almost every sentence has a qualifier at the end. I'm thankful for the opportunity to review, but unfortunately this one went into my "just couldn't continue" list.

4 1/2 STARS!

Danielle Steel's latest release CHILD'S PLAY brings us the story of an accomplished woman who portrays the perfect life and how it all plays out when the perfect things in her life turn out to have crumbling foundations. It shows the emotion a person goes through as things in life don't go exactly as planned, but also has a very strong foundation of loving no matter what. I really enjoyed it and found it to be pretty fast paced.

Kate Morgan was an easily redeemable character. She kept parts of her life secret from her kids until a time when it seemed it might be a stepping stone to show them she understood how life can sometimes get away from you no matter how much you try to stay on course. She showed great restraint when faced with adversity and showed a beautiful side of a parent's love supporting their child no matter the decisions and mistakes they made.

Eldest child Tamara came across as a bit distracted and cold to a bystander, but she was supportive of her mother and siblings and once we got to enter the true sanctuary of her world, her true side emerged with a softness that made her shine.

Middle child Anthony seemed like the one with the biggest heart and put in the most effort with the mom he adored. His fall from grace was a bit spectacular and redeeming him took a bit of work.

The spoiled baby of the family Claire quickly turned into a nightmare of an attitude. She was never totally redeemed but she was relaxed a tad towards the end.

Overall, I highly recommend this story to anyone looking for a close-knit single parent story that showcases her devotion to her kids and her support as they live their way into their happily ever afters before she relaxes into her own.

Child's Play is about Kate, a widow, successful attorney and partner in a law firm, and her three adult children. I love reading a Danielle Steel book and Child's Play is a perfect example of her fantastic writing style. The characters are well developed and the story is filled with family drama, high expectations, secrets, unconditional love and twists that make this story that much more believable. I loved how Kate and all her children get their own HEA's. Great writing, believable characters and a finding yourself journey make this a must read.

I loved this books storyline and all of the characters! Each time I think I know Ill love this book as I love everything Ms.Steele writes, then I read another one of hers and I love it more than the last! This was an emotional read for me and I read it in a day! I Cant wait to read the next book! This page turner will keep you page flipping til the end! A fantastic and amazing must read!!!

I loved this book. It's one of her best. Kate had three grown children that she thought she knew well. As the year progresses they all surprise her - its an adjustment, but she is strong. I love her interaction with all of them. Lots of surprises and life changes for all of them. It was a very engaging book to read - I enjoyed every word of it

Danielle Steel has once again, in my opinion, written another five star novel! What I love most about Steel’s novels are that they are always based on families and relationships, my favorite topics to read about. Child’s Play covers an array of realistic and controversial current day topics; self identities and relationships, issues and decisions, and psychological and sociological impacts.

Kate, a powerful and strong woman and mother, comes to realize that the “perfect” family she has reared is not what she expected, and she not only has to come to terms to the decisions and paths her children have chosen, but she also has to take a look at her own life and make some of her own in her ways of thinking.

Child’s Play is an enjoyable and easy read, and has relatable characters that you want to read more about. Very well written!

Child's Play by Danielle Steel. A story of family changes, moving on and secrets. A enjoyable read I've enjoyed This author's books in the past and she never disappoints me.

Does every family have secrets? Maybe. And maybe I'm just lucky because my own family is evidently very good at keeping those secrets hidden because I really don't know of any. But THIS family has plenty to go around! Kate, the mother, is the main character and driving force of the story and she's shocked to learn she knew so little about her children. I think every box was checked as far as secrets go - - snobby secrets, gay secrets, spoiled brat and children out of wedlock secrets, infidelity secrets. It seems the only one without deep dark secrets is Kate's Mother, Margaret!

The story is pleasant enough and predictable. All the ends are tied up in a neat little bow at the conclusion of the story.

An interesting story of a family all holding back truths that finally are told. Read to find out what the truths are...

Kate Morgan is a mother of three children, who lost her husband Tom Morgan, 19 years ago in a plane crash. Tom was a successful congressman and Kate was a perfect political wife, who wanted to be a lawyer.
A year after Tom’s death They had a comfortable life with the insurance money. and Kate considered going to law school and fought all the challenges of being a student and taking care of her three children.
Today, she is a senior partner at Berrigan Feldman and McCarthy for fifteen years. Having three perfect children whom She had always encouraged to follow professions that were meaningful to them.
Amazing read, a page turner and like other Danielle Steel’s book , it talks about struggles in life and how to overcome problems.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine
Delacorte Press for the Advanced Copy.

Review posted on my blog: https://bookoholicscafe.blogspot.com/2019/10/childs-play.html

Kate's a widow who thinks she's raised three perfect children- Tamara, Anthony, and Claire. And you know what, she did. Each child has a secret they've been hiding from Kate, which tells you that she's not the perfect mother. None of these secrets are shocking or horrible-it's 2019- and each child should be proud of their life, not hiding it. While all of this is coming out, Kate also finds herself in a relationship that evolves into a romance with an attorney at another firm. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is classic Danielle Steele- who I usually enjoy- and I'm sure others will like it more than I did.

I love every book written by Danielle Steel. Child’s Play does not disappoint. This is a very realistic look at many challenges a family can face. Steel captures the emotions only a Mother can feel.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. An absolutely fabulous book about love and letting go. Danielle Steel is the queen of romance! Enjoy! 📚