Danielle Steel books have become a hit or miss in my opinion. This was definitely a miss. So much happened in the first 20% of the book and while the reader should have felt empathy for the main character, all I felt was disdain. In fact, I felt disdain for her all throughout the book. By the end, I was just glad to not have to read anymore about making bad decisions. I do 't need that drummed into my brain page after page of repetitive drivel. My advise is to skip this one unless you have a few hours to waste.

It's been too long since I've read Danielle Steel, and it was nice to come back. While I appreciate creative writing from all of my writing classes, I may be able to appreciate, even more, Ms Steel's straight forward method of just telling it like it is without all of the colorful "fillers". I try to do a little speed reading (since I have hundreds of unread books I want to get through), and it's so much easier to do with this author.

Thank you, NetGalley!

I absolutely loved this book. It’s @officialdaniellesteel at her best! I felt like I went through all the emotions reading this. I really felt like I knew Maggie, who suffered many losses in her life. Life is about taking risks , Nine Lives doesn’t disappoint . Thank you to @netgalley @randomhouse for allowing me to read this arc #bookstagram #bookreview #booknerd #daniellesteelbooks #romance #mystery #secondchances

Maggie has not had an easy life. At an early age she lost her father and then years later her brother to a plane crash. Her mother following soon after due to a broken heart. Maggie takes a trip to find herself. During her trip Maggie runs into her first love from High School. Paul is know as one of the most famous race car drivers in the world, a man who loves the thrill, would rather die than have a boring life, and believes he has nine lives to live. Maggie stresses to find the right path. Throw caution to the wind, or stay safe.

#netgalley

First of all, A HUGE thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

I JUST finished reading, Finding Ashley and I really thought it was a good book, she took some risks in that book and it showed.. I was like OOO, I have Nine Lives as well, let me see if this one is as good..unfortunately it isn't.. I will start with the things I did like First and then go into the things I didn't like.

positives: - I really enjoyed that she wrote about a middle class, unextravagant family. Danielle Steel has the aptitude to write about really rich people.. in like chapter 3.. Maggie becomes super rich and doesn't care about prices anymore !
- I thought the cover was beautiful, It tells the reader that it will be about race car racing at some point.

Negatives : - The writing read like a outline, very little dialogue.. Very pedestrian.. I get it.. Danielle Steel produces 7 new books a year! that's insane.. She can't be producing a Kristin Hannah level stuff when she is rapid with her publications.
- Maggie Kelly was boring and danielle steel has written hundreds of heroines just like her, Pretty and doesn't know it, has dealt with a major amount of catastrophic grief in her life.
- The Pacing seemed off to me, In the first 3 chapters of the book. Maggie's Dad and Brother dies and maggie's husband dies.. I didn't get a chance to care or feel maggie's anguish.
- When Maggie runs into Paul after like 30 years plus and they rekindle their relationship.. It's sweet and highly illogical.. I guess that's what Danielle steel books are for?
- I'm not a fan of Formula 1 racing, I really don't give a damn about much sports, But I could tell from reading this book.. that Danielle Steel wasn't a fan of it either, So I don't know why she would write about a Formula 1 driver, the race scenes were badly written and boring..

The Plot
Mary Margret Kelly has seen it all. She lost her father, a dashing daredevil Air Force pilot at the age of nine. She witnesses her mother struggling ever since the loss. As the family lives on and copes up, one thing that her mother keeps advising her about is to be beware of daredevil men who don’t care about risking their lives. Mary follows her mother’s advice and marries a predictable partner with a stable home and job, until tragedy strikes again. She now has to face her fears as painful memories of her past reappear. She needs to walk her life, finding courage, and seeking wisdom and love.


Review and Verdict
Danielle Steel’s books are always quick and easy reads. This was no exception. The characters were realistic and were the ones you would bump into normally. In my opinion, though, I wouldn’t call this her best. The plot was predictable and didn’t stir up many emotions within me. The first half of the book was just a string of events. The second half of the book sets in the tone of the book better and pushes you to get through to the finish point. On a whole a fairly average read. Pick it up if you have time at hand and are okay with a slow and sluggish narrative.

So sad to think I have read my last fresh Danielle Steel novel. Terrific romance, as expected, great characters, mixed perfectly with a wonderful story.

I generally like Danielle Steel’s books – they are usually quick, easy reads with strong female protagonists and on occasion address a compelling social issue. All that being said, “Nine Lives” was a disappointment.

Maggie, aka Mary Margaret Kelly, lost both her father and her brother, both military pilots, in plane crashes due to their propensity to take risks. Her mother was collateral damage, eventually succumbing to unresolved grief. With all this in mind, Maggie chose a safe, secure, albeit bland life married to an accountant. Unbelievably (this plot element stretches the limits of believability), her husband drowns in the aftermath of a commercial jet crash on their way to a conference in New York.

Now a widow with no career and a teenage son to support, Maggie must pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Fortunately she is suddenly wealthy between investments, life insurance, the sale of her husband’s business and an airline settlement. This largess allows her to broaden her perspective on the world and take an extended trip to Europe where she crosses paths with her first love from high school. Paul Gilmore is a world renowned car racer who lives on the edge and engages in just about any high risk sport. At one point in the book he claims to have nine lives, hence the name of the book. Despite her attraction to him, Maggie first attempts to resist his attention, then convinces herself that they can be just friends and finally admits she still loves him. The remainder of the story is the ongoing tension between her feelings for Paul and her need to avoid another man who courts danger above relationships.

As I alluded to above, the storyline isn’t very realistic between the number of deaths due to plane crashes and the instant wealth Maggie receives. I found her character rather shallow as she gets caught up in Paul’s extravagant life style and her inability to stand up for herself rather than merge into a man’s life style. Paul seems like a charming, charismatic person until his financial dealings are revealed. The only character I liked was Maggie’s son, Aden, who seemed to have some emotional depth and maturity for his age.

In my opinion, this was not one of Ms. Steel’s better books.

My thanks to the author, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing a digital ARC in exchange for an independent, honest review.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

We have all fallen in love with a risk=taker. They are those men and women that need the exhilaration that only gambling lives, money, or other things of value can provide. They are however a risk in itself for someone to love. The heroine of Nine Lives falls in love with such a young man in high school. After loving a risk-taker herself her mother discourages the romance and they part ways. Eventually, the young lady finds love with a safe man and they share the perfect, albeit predictable family life, Tragedy strikes. With the help of a friend, our heroine embarks on an adventure and again encounters a charming risk-taker. He is easy to love but hard to reconcile a future with. Again, Danielle Steele will entertain and uplift you with this charming romance filled with twists and turns. Thanks to #NineLives#NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Through the years Danielle Steel has been a favorite author of mine. Most.y, I have enjoyed the books and felt pulled in to the storyline and characters. Unfortunately , I didn’t feel any strong connection to the characters or the plot in Nine Lives . It was a fast moving book centered around Maggie and the many tragedies in her life. but with no real depth or emotional involvement.

First I want to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book and give an honest opinion. Maggie, the heroine, is a military brat who moves city to city until an unfortunate accident occurs and Maggie, her mom, and brother are left to rebuild their lives. Fast forward to high school and she meets a fearless teenager named Paul. Paul and Maggie begin dating and after they graduate high school, Maggie goes off to college and Paul begins to explore the world by doing random jobs in order to support himself. They eventually lose track and Maggie married a dependable accountant and they have a son. Another unfortunate accident occurs and Maggie loses her husband. Now she is in her late 40s and has to start over. A chance encounter begins a new life of risk for Maggie. This book was back to the old days of Danielle Steel and was a fast read.

I love Danielle Steel and this book is yet another great book from her! This book was full of intrigue, heartbreak, love and excitement—all of the parts of a novel that make Danielle Steel one of my favorite authors of all time!

I felt like I was reading a biography rather than fiction for the first couple chapters, Too much tragedy; then sudden and huge wealth. Not believable to me. The second half of the story was better than the first, but I am not a fan of this book.

I am a long time fan of Danielle steel and always enjoy her novels. This book reminded me of the circle of life and how we can overcome our fears to find our true happiness. The tragedy of death and fear of starting over can blindside us to never taking a chance in finding where we should truly be. I highly recommend this book!

I like reading Danielle Steel books, but this one was a little too far-fetched for me. I just couldn't identify with the lifestyle of the main character and didn't make a strong connection. That doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the reading experience, it just didn't excite me like some fiction does.

This is Maggie’s story , a story of a woman who has seen more tragedy in her life by the age of forty than most of us see in a lifetime. Feeling safe and secure in her marriage when her world is once again broken, I cried with Maggie and smiled when she did. While reading this book, Ms. Steele has reminded me that we should grab and hold onto happiness as it comes along.

I thoroughly loved reading the captivating, mesmerizing, and enthralling romance story. When Maggie's husband dies tragically and with her son in college, she tries to put her life back together and ends up taking a trip to Europe. She meets again the reckless, charismatic, handsome man, Paul, who she knew in high school and is now the same and a daredevil, race car driver. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and riveting storyline that engaging the reader throughout the story.
I reviewed a copy of the story through NetGalley.

Maggie Kelly leads a life of safety after tragedies during her childhood that made her fear anything that wasn't straightforward and secure. When she crosses paths with someone from her past she gradually sees what life might hold if she steps outside of her straight-laced box and life. A quick read and decent character development this book is a nice escape and a good beach read.

***Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing house for the advanced copy of this book.***

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this title.

A very straightforward story with no twists or turns. It is what it is. At this point, I don't really know why I still read Steel's books, because they've lost all the magic they used to have. I guess if you want a really vanilla, bland book about a woman who is scared of taking chances but starts dating a daredevil after her husband's death, this is it.

Danielle Steel’s Nine Lives follows the life of Maggie Kelly. The story follows her through tragic losses, first love all the way to her last love. Maggie’s life leaves you to question is it better to have predictable, stable and dependable or have wild, spontaneous and exhilaration. Nine Lives shows Maggie’s struggle trying to find a balance.
I’ve been reading Danielle Steel since the 1980’s so I had prepared myself for the first two tragic events. The third took me by surprise. I loved the introduction of Helen and wished that she would have appeared more through the story. I was a little confused of the stepfather’s role. He comes in to their lives; he is safe not much more. He is briefly mentioned later in the story. Did he help take care of her mother? He fit the image of the predictable, stable, dependable man but there were no real conversations between him and Maggie. The insurance money left me wondering as well. A large section of the story was spent on how much Maggie received but then nothing developed out of it. Did she ever tell anyone? Did she ever use it besides touring Europe?
Maggie’s story included many twist through out to keep me guessing. Many things I predicted as I read didn’t happen. I found myself cringing every time Aden left the house. I thoroughly enjoyed Nine Lives and wait with anticipation for the next Danielle Steel book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine Delacorte Press for this privilege.