The Ball at Versailles is such a treat! The story is told through several different perspectives, all young ladies attending the ball hoping to make a fruitful match. The events that unfold felt much like a soap opera - addictive, dramatic and fun. Kudos to Danielle Steel for yet another entertaining read!

I enjoyed having the opportunity to read this ARC on Net Galley! Danielle Steel books never disappoint, and this one did not either. I really thought it was fun to follow the different stories of the characters as they prepared for their Ball at Versailles, and then their lives after returning home.

Very romantic novel about an old custom of cotillion and young women being introduced to society. Each debutante attends a ball at Versailles to please their parents and none really believe it is to meet their future spouse. This tale weaves the lives of four young American women who become lifelong friends and some actually fall in love!

The first third to half of this novel was full of just background information, some of which was repeated multiple times. However, once the plot actually started to gain traction, it was still hard to determine which character was which. I felt like the story was built nicely overall and had a happy ending, but it was still a 2.5/5 for me.

The Ball at Versailles by Danielle Steele was a very nice book. I enjoyed the variety of characters and situations in the book. I felt I knew each of the characters and was empathetic to each one.

I rated The Ball at Versailles 4/5 stars.

In her latest romance novel, Steel brings readers to the 1958 debutante ball at Versailles and follows four American girls -- Felicity Smith, Caroline Taylor, Amelia Alexander, and Samantha Walker -- and their families as they debut and meet each other at Versailles. Alternating between these four perspectives, readers explore their very different lives and families as they grow up and fall in love. Steel’s characters are, of course, brilliantly developed, dynamic, and engaging to read, and these four young women have very different paths to follow. The ball at Versailles is the genesis for this novel, which travels around the United States to follow these four young women’s stories. The relationships -- romantic and platonic -- in this novel are the heart of the story, and Steel adds some complexities and challenges to the novel as it progresses. Steel highlights the postwar world and the new possibilities for women in 1958 -- attending college, going to law school, and studying at MIT -- while also emphasizing the larger cultural and technological changes around the world (the decline of debutante balls and the rise of airplane travel). Steel’s latest novel is a charming, heartwarming, novel of romance, friendship, growth, and empowerment for young women of the 1950s.

This book took a long time to get into but once I was through all the background information I very much enjoyed it. A great story about things working out even when they are hard.

You will love this Danielle Steele book if you love debutantes and balls. Typical storyline that comes with a happily ever after (as do all of her books). If you like the subject matter, you will be interested.

This is the type of Steele stories that are enjoyable to read. Fast reads, fun enjoyable characters, a great setting and multiple romance with a HEA. I liked the differences of the 4 main characters and how they all became friends thru attending a ball in Paris. 3.5 stars

This is one of the best Danielle Steel books in a long time. Three girls are chosen to go to Versailles for a ball for the debutantes. You can see how each girl relates to the experience. Definitely read this one..
Thanks to the publisher Delacorte Press and to NetGalley for the ARC.

Danielle is my girl. And this book did not disappoint. This book is set in 1958 mostly France. We follow 4 girls who are invited from America to France for a Debutante Ball. Caroline isnt really into it but her famous parents send her nonetheless. Felicity is in a battle to control her figure and her difficult sister. Amelia and her Mom are under financial strain and Samantha has some physical problems due to an accident. I enjoyed seeing each one of their stories unfold. Also, I loved the description of the ball and Versailles and it made me feel like i was there. I highly recommend this for any lover of women fiction, France, and of course Danielle.

The Ball at Versailles by Danielle Steel is an engaging historical romance which tells the story of four young women who receive invitations to an exclusive debutante event that transforms their lives forever. Prepare to be captivated by this extraordinary read. #TheBallatVersailles #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

This was exactly what I thought it would be - and when I'm reading historical romance, predictability is generally something I look for!

This one started out really slow but picked up about half way through. I ended up enjoying it in the end and seeing all four girls get heir HEA.

Debutantes attending their cotillion in Paris? Sign me up, please! Multiple protagonists whose lives weave together after receiving and accepting invitations to debut (for a second time) at the Palace of Versailles - will everyone get their happy endings? Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to preview #TheBallatVersailles by Danielle Steel - I really enjoyed my weekend escape and am anxiously awaiting her next release!

Another great Danielle Steel novel that had me running to google to learn more about this time period. I love how caught up in the stories and lives of Steel's main characters I'm able to become. These are true books to get lost in!

WOW! This book is SO GOOD! It is sweet. moving, romantic, full of heart, heartbreaking, heartwarming, and so much more! Whenever I picked up "The Ball at Versailles", I was whisked back in time, and went on such an emotional journey with this story.

Danielle Steel is a phenomenal author whose writing is visceral, detailed, and breathtaking. She seamlessly weaves history and historical fiction, her characters all feel like such real people, and I felt truly engrossed in this novel from the very first page to the last.

This novel follows the story of four young women: Amelia, Sam, Felicity, and Caroline. Delving into each of their lives from right before, during, and close after the ball at Versailles, I found myself pulling for each four of these heroines to find happiness, each in her own individual way. Their similarities, differences, and the way in which their stories connect is so powerful and poignant, and their wants, fears, and desires are so clear as well.

If you enjoy Historical Fiction and / or Romance, I HIGHLY recommend this book! I look forward to reading what Ms. Steel writes next.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Delacorte Press for the ARC of this novel, it is so incredible! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity. The Ball at Versailles is a story from a bygone era where social status was a way of life. In the summer of 1959, 40 debutantes are invited to attend a ball at the Palace of Versailles. Four American debutantes who receive invitations, where they will be presented to international society and royalty with the possibility that it might change their lives. Readers meet Amelia, a college student with aspirations to become a lawyer. Her widowed mother convinces her to accept. There is Felicity, another college student, an overweight young woman who adores her studies at MIT. She agrees to please her parents. There is also a young women, Caroline, whose parents are prominent in the movie business and, finally, a young New Yorker, Samantha, whose father is quite rich and overprotective; she has a medical issue. The characters are well developed and readers can relate to them. The ball happens (with a very dramatic moment at the reception). The second half of the book is the year after the ball. Definitely follows the typical Danielle Steel book but has some good themes woven into a story.

Reading this book after not having read a title by this author for a while, I am reminded of the reasons for her success. She knows how to tell a story that engages the reader without asking anything in return except to sink in and enjoy the story.

This novel takes place in the late 1950s when things were (somewhat) different for women. Cotillions were still quite popular in some circles and invitations to balls were a coveted mark of belonging and status. Here is a story of several young women who agree to go to the first ball in Versailles that is inviting Americans, forty young women in all.

Readers meet Amelia, a college student with aspirations to become a lawyer. Her widowed mother convinces her to accept. There is Felicity, another college student, an overweight young woman who adores her studies at MIT. She agrees to please her parents. There is also a young women, Caroline, whose parents are prominent in the movie business and, finally, a young New Yorker, Samantha, whose father is quite rich and overprotective; she has a medical issue.

Peek into the lives of these characters pre Versailles. What will happen to them and their families as they get ready to go to France and once they are there? Readers will keep turning the pages to find out.

Anyone looking for a fun read with its peek at high society will, I think, enjoy this title. It was a perfect holiday read for me.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine for this title. All opinions are my own.

I hadn’t read a Danielle Steel book in many years, but this one had a high rating on Goodreads and I was looking for something on the lighter side, so I tried it. This will unfortunately be my last Danielle Steel book. The writing felt very basic, almost immature, and every storyline was totally predictable. The premise of the story was good, the execution just was not. Four young American women, all from privileged backgrounds, are invited to a debutante ball at the Palace of Versailles in the summer of 1959. Amelia is a student at Barnard who hopes to become a lawyer. She’s accompanied on the trip by her widow mom Jane who just lost her publishing job. Overweight Felicity from Texas lives in the shadow of her gorgeous older sister who is very mean to her. Caroline is the daughter of a movie star and a famous producer. Her parents don’t know that she has been in a relationship with a much older famous actor for almost a year. Sam lost her mom and brother in a car accident that left her with nearly fatal injuries. Her successful father Robert is very overprotective. None of the four women are very excited about going to the ball. Once they arrive, everything changes as they become fast friends and set off on interesting journeys. Thanks to #netgalley and #dellpublishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I can’t really recommend this one though.