What an excellent book! Danielle Steel never disappoints. Allegra's story was very sad initially, but I enjoyed following her journey to happiness!

A compelling story that captures the essence of resilience, love, and second chances. The writing is elegant and evocative, painting vivid scenes that will resonate with the reader.
Many thanks to Random House and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Joy was a beautiful story of heartbreak and resilience at every turn. So many emotions reading this – but in the end Joy of course. To me the books started out a little slow and repetitive of a previous DS read, but once the story took its own turn, so did the pages. Thank you Net Galley for the advance read #Joy #NetGalley #DanielleSteel

Emotional Heartfelt Ride!

Thank you NetGallary for an early review copy of Joy!

Storytelling at its Best!

Soulmates - In every sense of the word!
Powerful words!!!!

As usual Danielle Steel hooked me from page one!

This book has it all, heartbreak, love, pain, and healing and it’s one emotional roller coaster!

Character development was excellent!

I don’t want to give away any spoilers with my review, this is a must read. PERIOD!

Allegra and Shep’s story is beautiful and heartwarming!

I gave this book 4 stars! If I could rate this book higher I would!

Well done!

No spoilers with my review!

I really enjoyed this Danielle Steel novel. Personally, I related to the main character of Allegra and her discovery of books as a child to fill the environment around her. In typical Danielle Steel fashion, Allegra suffers heartbreak and loss but ultimately finds her joy. The story was beautiful. I highly recommend this one, especially if you are a Danielle Steel fan! Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. Publication Date: August 13, 2024

Such a sweet, sweet story. Heartbreaking at some points but shows the resilience of one woman. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for a review.

Book Title: Joy: A Novel
Author: Danielle Steel
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine ~ Delacorte Press
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Pub Date: August 13, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 256

Our protagonist is Allegra Dixon. She was abandoned by her young twenty-eight year old mother Isabelle when she was only six. Her father Bradley was a forty-nine year old Army Colonel and often off on assignments.

Isabelle and Bradley were in a loveless marriage so Bradley was fine with her leaving but since he was gone so much he needed someone to care for his six year old daughter. He talked his elderly parents into taking her in. They did but allowed children so they allowed the cook to care for her. Allegra stays with the Dixons for several years then go to her maternal grandparent the VanderHolts in New York however they are not anxious for her to live with them. So next it is boarding schools and camps with very few visits from relatives while she is away.

Forced to make herself unheard all those years Allegra found a love for reading and made herself finds friends within her books.

She moved to LA and find a job as an assistant to Henry Platt who is in the film industry and responsible for many award winning movie soundtracks. Now Allegra finds herself with him on the Red Carpet. She has finally found a new life and is doing well. Henry is thirty-eight years older than her but there is definitely a good connection. Allegra has found Joy and purpose with Henry as well as the joyous feeling wanted.

This is beautiful story that left me with a smile on my face.

I have been a Danielle Steel fan since 1977. At that time I could not wait until her next novel was release. Although I did move onto Psychological Thrillers but there is a magnet holding me as I have a soft spot for Ms. Steel’s stories. This is #50 for me ~ so yes we Danielle Steel fans are a unique group and I am proud to be a member!

Want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine ~ Delacorte Press for this early eGalley!
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 13, 2024

I love Danielle Steel’s books and this one was as the title says a joy to read! It was heartfelt, warm and had fascinating characters. I love how rich her writing is and how it makes me feel like I’m there with the characters experiencing what they are experiencing!

I absolutely loved this book. But I thought that it was a bit sad for the main character of the book to be so young and left with so much unbelievable pain and grief in her lifetime. But I was a little bit curious as to what had happened to her first husband shep and if he survived the war and if he ever regretted divorcing Allegra and what happened to her mother did she ever pass away too. And her new family never knew about to Allegra.

Ugh. This was such a sad read for so long of the book, so much loss and heartbreak.

I kind of knew what would happen with Shep, based on the way the story went, but I was not expecting Allegra's life to change the way it did.

Amazing what happens when you step outside of your comfort zone.

Thank you NetGalley for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Some of my earliest memories of books is my mother devouring a Danielle Steel book. She is a classic & timeless & continues to write amazing works. This book is full of family drama/issues & Steel has woven a beautiful story intertwined with lovable character. I will definitely be pulling some of her works from my mom’s library.

Thank you NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine for the ARC copy of this book.

In Danielle Steel's Joy, readers follow Allegra Dixon's poignant journey as she navigates a life marked by abandonment and the search for genuine happiness. From a young age, Allegra grapples with the absence of her mother and the emotional distance of her military father, finding solace in books and later in a fleeting romance with Shep Williams. As Shep's deployments to Afghanistan strain their marriage, Allegra confronts the harrowing realities of war and the toll it takes on their relationship. While the novel may follow a predictable trajectory and lack significant plot developments for some readers, Steel's skillful storytelling and exploration of resilience make Joy a compelling and emotionally resonant read, offering a message of hope amidst life's trials.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Alegra dud not have the best parents. Her dad was in the military and would be hone for months at a time. When she goes to school she meets a boy named Shep who she loves. Allegra did not have the best life but made the best with what she had. I enjoyed this book and can't wait to read her next one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ — Age Gap Say Whaaaaa?

So this book has a great foundation — Allegra grew up with parents who divorced and essentially abandoned her to live with her grandparents. Then she meets Shep, who she elopes with and quickly realizes he suffers from undiagnosed PTSD from tours in Afghanistan. They divorce a few years later after he chooses his career over his mental health.

Allegra ends up in LA, where — here’s the kicker — she falls in love with a man who is not only her boss but nearly 40 years older than him. Look, I’m all for true love, but this man could be her grandfather and I don’t see it how it worked out.

As can be expected, he dies after 7 years of marriage and Allegra is truly single in her mid-30s. The end of the book? She sleeps with her dead husband’s best friend and there’s a chance she will end up with a fan who she refuses to do an interview for but feels a spark?

I love my Danielle Steel books, but how the book turned out wasn’t for me. I think I would rather the ending be that Shep ended up working on himself and earning Allegra back.

Have not read much of Danielle Steele through the years, but know she has been around for a LONG time as a great rom-com author. This book kept my interest, but wasn't the best I've ever read - just nice, quick - but really not full of a lot of JOY!! Kind of a sad story. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC e-book for my enjoyment.

I’m not sure how Danielle Steel does it, but her books are consistently good - like since the 70s/80s, they’ve been good. They’re easy, breezy, quick reads (this one starts sad, but you know what I mean) and you really can’t go wrong if you’re in the mood for a comfort read that you don’t have to think much about.

In JOY, we meet Allegra who had a tough childhood. Her mother left her when she was young and her dad is an officer in the military who is far from warm or loving. She goes to live with her grandparents, but they’re not welcoming, either. Allegra finds solace in books and falls in love with Shep, but Shep’s time in the military changes him and she realizes she needs to find her own happiness.

This book is about finding your own way in life. It’s not my favorite Danielle Steel book (those include Jewels, Thurston House and The Ring … I guess I like her historical fiction best) but it’s one of her better novels from the past few years, in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the early digital copy of JOY in exchange for my honest feedback.

To call this book Joy when 80% of it was sad seems like a reach. Our main character, Allegra, has a mother that doesn't care for her, a father that's never there, grandparents that are strict, and of course she would attach herself to a husband that disappoints her. Thankfully this book is a fast read, so the glimmers of actual Joy are found quickly. I still enjoyed the book, but I definitely had to find a happy book to read after this one.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this title.

Typical Danelle Steel novel. Lonely girl, rejected by her parents finds solace in the arms of a man.. Her last spate of novels have protagonists without best (or any) friends.

Allegra, feels abandoned by everyone because she is. It is heartbreaking to see the world through Allegra’s eyes. A military Dad who would rather be on assignment, a young Mom who really never wanted a child so she walks out on her when she is just 8.
Left to live with grandparents who are not anxious to have her either. So next it’s boarding schools and camps with very few visits from relatives while she is away.
Forced to make herself unheard all those years Allegra found a love for reading and made herself finds friends within her books. She had very few if any friends outside those books until she met Shep. He became her best friend they met and went through school together. He chose to go to the military while she went to college and that is when things began to change in their relationship. While she worked in New York he started to get stationed in far away locations that were not what she had intended for their life together.
When a move took her to California Allegra’s life found more Joy and purpose with Henry a relationship that evolves beautifully. Allegra can finally be happy and enjoy the life that she is building. As well as the joyous feeling of finally feeling and being wanted.
Another story beautifully told by Danielle Steel I highly recommend this book.

Allegra is a lovely and bright young woman who has everything but a family. She was abandoned by her mother when she was a child. Sent to live with grandparents while her father, a cold military officer ignored her except for an occasional visit every year for a few hours. Her grandparents were also remote, not quite knowing what to do with a young child that interfered in their lives. As Allegra matures she is sent off to boarding school, then on to Columbia University. Eventually she lands a job in editing at a major New York publishing house, being mostly solitary except for her life long friend Shep. That relationship is strained when the military interferes with his personal life and the challenges of a long term relationship become difficult. Allegra must find her own way, her own joy. She travels across the country to sunny California and its beaches and interesting people to at last meet someone that bonds with her. The characters are interesting, the settings beautiful, and the narrative is pure Danielle Steel style. The book follows her usual formula but she makes each one unique in its own way and this one is no exception. Thoroughly enjoy this latest Steel read. Thanks to #NetGalley#Joy#Danielle Steel for the opportunity to read and review this book.