Zoe seems to have it all ... a loving husband, a job she loves, and now a baby girl. But things aren't going as smooth as she thought it would.

She's finding motherhood a challenge, although some of it may be her own fault. She absolutely refuses anyone's help, she has definite ideas on how to raise a child, even though it seems a bit disjointed at times.

As her daughter gets older, her husband begins worrying. At 18 months old, she's already had a broken arm, dislocated elbows, she's fallen off a changing table. Granted, the daughter may be a little rough and tumble, but something feels off.

Things get serious when Zoe schedules to have tubes put in her daughter's ears. She has only had one serious ear infection, but Zoe lies to the doctor and the baby undergoes a minor surgery. Zoe's husband goes through the roof, she didn't even inform him. Later on, she schedules an appointment with a doctor to see about having her screened for scoliosis. Even the family physician is puzzled about this, as the child has never had a problem.

Old scars long dormant begin to pull Zoe to the edge of an abyss too terrifying to contemplate as Zoe is haunted by the ghosts of the past.

This is a well written psychological drama that becomes darker with each incident that occurs. The author has done excessive research and her finely drawn, credible characters are a result.

Many thanks to the author / Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Delacorte Press / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this psychological women's fiction. This was read and reviewed voluntarily. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I want to start by thanking NetGalley for allowing me to read this amazing book for an unbiased opinion. Zoe's baby sister died of cancer when she's ten . And her life is never the same. She grows up gets married and had a baby of her own. The baby is always sick or getting hurt. Is the baby accident prone or is something else going on? Zoe works for a non-profit organization that helps abused kids. How's husband Austin was a lawyer that did a lot of pro bono work for the kids that Zoe helps. The Perfect family. Zoe was likeable in the beginning but she lost her charm as the book progressed. I liked Austin he was very likeable. And Cathy Clark was the pediatrician and a friend of Zoes . She was slow to blame anyone for all the accidents the baby was having. She didn't want to believe this perfect family wasn't perfect. I enjoyed this book very much. I would highly recommend it. This was a new side to Danielle Steel and I liked it.

THE DARK SIDE is the latest novel from Danielle Steel and is a classic love story with a major twist. While out of character from what we typically expect when picking up Ms. Steel, her take on a modern day psychological thriller is not to be missed!

Zoe Morgan comes into the story as a young girl who suffers a stilted childhood because of a devastating illness her little sister goes through. Her family is never the same again, and the scars it leaves on her into adulthood are obvious, but also deceptive. No one looks at her and sees pain ... but distortion is the new normal as we traverse a life of success, leading to love and eventual motherhood. She wants to be all that she didn't get in her own life for her daughter ... but she ends up being more than we ever expected.

I highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a pivotal plot change in a romance/psychological thriller. There was a slight disconnect in emotion with this story compared to others by the author, but the suspense more than made up for it. Great story, great twists and a very satisfying read!

"In her new novel, Danielle Steel tells a riveting story of the dark side of motherhood."

Let me tell you, Danielle Steel has not disappointed me yet. She is one of my favorite authors, so when I had a chance to read this advanced copy I was totally excited! The Dark Side is completely different from her previous books, it takes a look at the darker side of motherhood. This is well-written, dark, and completely "unputdownable" - she takes on a subject that is seriously overlooked in our society. This story was so well thought out and she writes so flawlessly in a way that has you wanting more and you just have to keep reading.

A must read... Highly Recommend!

*Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

Frighteningly fantastic! A mother who would harm her own child. A broken woman who does not know how to love. A father who has to make the choice between the life of his child or his wife. Daniele Steele weaves a tale of a psychologically scared little girl who grows into a dangerous woman, wife and mother. She looks at the masks pep,e wear that can hide pain and sick delusions. This is a twisted story that will leave you turning the pages as it slowly dawns on you the evil of what you are reading.

I have read a lot of Danielle Steel books throughout the years but I found this one very disturbing. The main character Zoe had a younger sister die when she was a child. And I know that would affect a person but not to the level where her personality went to. Young mother's make mistakes and sometimes have weird ideas but that does not mean they are out to harm their children. Only the last move would be considered harm on purpose. Just because you are young and make mistakes does not mean you have munchausen syndrome by proxy.

I will preface this by saying that I’ve read Danielle Steel’s books since the beginning and my particular favorites are Granny Dan and Message from Nam. Steel writes heartwarming stories in a smooth, flowing style. But I’m afraid that this particular one wasn’t a favorite of mine.

I understand that this is a different style of novel for Steel, and I think it’s wonderful that she’s branched out to write women’s fiction/suspense. Unfortunately, her style of writing doesn’t seem to work for suspense. At no time in this story did I feel it was suspenseful. I never liked the main character Zoe. I wasn’t fooled by her over-protectiveness of her child. Once the husband grew suspicious, I already knew what was going to happen. And I question the laid-back attitude of the husband about the issue. As a mother, I suppose I feel I’d have done something much sooner – but that might just be me.

I also feel we were being told instead of shown the story. It would have been so much better if the story was laid out in more scenes showing us what was happening instead of just a narration.

Having said that, Danielle Steel is the queen of women’s fiction and I respect her for that. I’ve enjoyed so many of her books. I hope she continues to delve into other types of fiction. This particular book, however, just wasn’t for me.

Danielle Steele is the most successful writer of mystery and romance
In all her book, you are hooked on the first page, and can’t wait until you find out what comes next.
Zoe’s childhood was marked with illness, and then her parents divorced.
Zoe doesn’t want to make the same mistakes as her parents, but the ghosts of her childhood still haunt her
This is a tale of psychological suspense, with Danielle Steel in top form

I have read Danielle Steel books for years, I always get the new ones because I know it's going to be a good story. This one did not disappoint, but it's not a normal Danielle Steel book. A lot happens in the first chapter to setup the story, and it can get a little confusing, I honestly don't know how I would handle it if my sister died young, but I can't imagine I would hurt my child like Zoe did. However the mind is a strange thing, and you don't know how you'd act unless you are in those circumstances. Great story!

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

The Dark Side is a little darker than the usual romance but it was just as wonderful as all of the others. It makes you feel so involved in the story .
Zoe’s sister, Rose dies when they are both young. This tears the family apart and even though her sister is gone her parents focus on their own grief rather than trying to help her through hers.
Zoe married Austin and they seem to have a perfect life until she gives birth to their baby girl . Even starting at a young age , their daughter Jaime is constantly having injuries . After awhile Austin starts suspecting part of it is his wife’s fault even though she appears to be the perfect mother . Choosing between his child’s well being and his wife is one of the hardest decisions of Austin’s life.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the Arc for my honest opinion.

Danielle Steels' book the Darker Side is a page turner. I was intrigued with how Zoe who is mentally ill (Munchausen by proxy a form of child abuse) is very clever how to hide fake symptoms or real symptoms to make it look like the Jaime is sick. or had another accident. It starts as early as the first day Jaime is home with feeding issues and escalates to more serious medical issues in the next three and a half years. Zoe is able to hide it from physicians in many fields including her own pediatrician and friend Dr. Cathy Clarke. Austin her husband is suspicious but at first is easily thrown off until he sees Zoe deliberately not watching Jaime around the pool and has to jump into the pool and save Jaime from drowning. Austin then realizes his wife is seriously sick and cannot be trusted with their daughter. Way to go Danielle Steel. You have hit it out of the ballpark again.

In many ways this is not your typical Danielle Steel novel in that it's not a romance. But if you're a Steel fan her style of writing is still present and she moves the story along. Zoe has survived her family of origin and the trauma of a lost sibling to build her own life and family with Austin. As you read the early days of parenthood many may recognize themselves and that loss of control that can come. As the story progresses you see the impact of Zoe's losses on her and how it affects Austin and Jaime. I won't share any spoilers as some other reviews have done. All in all if you like Danielle Steel and want to spend 3 hours in a good story you'll enjoy this one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A very different Danielle Steel. It's serious, not a romance, and it's about very difficult issues. Zoe's whole life has been impacted by the tragedy of her sister Rose, who died from a rare form of leukemia when Zoe was a child. She became the best girl in the world - the best student, etc. And then she decided to do something she wanted to do- work for a nonprofit for abused kids. She also meets and marries, and, after fertility issues, gives birth to Jaime. Sadly, though, Jaime keeps getting sick and having accidents. The family physician doesn't think it's odd, at first, but her husband does. What's wrong with Jaime? Or is it really what's wrong with Zoe? Munchausen by Proxy is a terrible thing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read that skims the surface of the issues.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to.

4 star
The Dark Side by Danielle Steel is a fascinating book. It has been a very long time since I have read a Danielle Steel book, but I quickly remembered her unique writing style and how much I like her stories. This book has a significantly sinister theme to it compared to the majority of Steel’s books. Her writing style doesn’t allow her to hit on the deep emotions needed for this type of story; however, the book was very good. This could have been a 5-star book had Steel wrote in a different format.
I feel as if this book will appeal to many people. I am giving it 4 stars due to the significance of the story. I highly recommend it.


I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. The views given are my own.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This was definitely a different book for Danielle; her stories don't usually get this "dark". Very well written story written about a subject that is grossly overlooked in our society. Characters and prose well thought out and very well written. I would highly recommend this book even if you're not a Danielle Steel fan. Enjoy! 📚

Danielle Steel is one of my favorite authors,so when I got a chance to read an advanced copy I was thrilled! She did not disappoint. The Dark Side is a bit different from her other books which I enjoyed. This involves a happy loving family who will encounter some disturbing injuries and illnesses that will change their lives. At times I thought I knew what was going to happen, but Danielle Steel has a way of writing that has you wanting more and you have to keep reading to find out if you are correct. This is a must read and one of my favorites.

Another bestseller for the amazing Danielle Steele!!!!!!!!! Wow this author can take any genre and make it her own. This dark novel about a psychologically impaired young mother had D.S.'s style and easy read it in one day mood. Zoe is a young woman who suffered a severe tragedy at a young age when her little sister gets diagnosed with cancer and dies . She grows up a very quiet reserved child into a thriving woman who gets married and has her own child. When her past comes bck to haunt her everything goes downhill and dark very quickly. Thank you to Netgalley and Random Publishing for my honest review

This was not an enjoyable book to read because of the dark subject. The first part of the book I felt was written like an overview of Zoe's early life with as little emotion as her life. The background information set the stage but with little feeling. Zoe's mother and dad were so distant. Austin and Zoe had an ideal life until it wasn't. With a stepmother and mother-in-law both in the psych field it was hard to believe that neither offered an opinion to Austin earlier. This novel called attention to Munchausen Syndrome in an important way. Something to think about...

I generally love all Danielle Steel books, but I particularly love her historical fiction the most. A psychological thriller is not the genre I usually seek out, but boy does Danielle Steel know how to write one! This story grabbed my attention right from the start and I couldn't wait to find out how it all ended. I hope she continues to delve into this genre in the future. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.