Danielle Steel never ceases to amaze me with the books she writes. This one was no different. I loved the story line as well as the characters.

Child’s Play is a story about Kate who is a widow. She is a very successful attorney and has 3 children who keep her busy trying to keep up with their drama. Kate wants to have the perfect life, the perfect family….everything needs to be perfect. But, are her children perfect?
A ok read for me.

A wonderful story that will captivate your attention until the end! You’ll forget the world is going on around you as you immerse yourself in this story.

Great story, Danielle Steel never lets us down. Sometimes, the story felt a little drawn out or certain plot points should have been expanded while other details retracted, still a great book.

This book was a typical Danielle Steel book. I read it quickly. The storyline was okay but I kept wanting more. The mother with the kids who ignore her, etc. I did find the characters believeable I just cause I'm tired of the same old storyline.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a disappointing novel for such a renowned author like Danielle Steel. The characters were presented in third person narration with their own point of views leaving the reader with a very inpersonal glimpse at their lives. I was unimpressed with the plot that moved very slowly and left me feeling uninspired.

I enjoyed Kate Morgan’s story. Immediately a connection developed as a mother with 2 grown children. At one time or another as a parent we contemplate what our hopes and dreams are for our children. Ultimately as the book reveals our children’s lives are not our lives and we must give them freedom to make their own choices and fly from the nest.

I thought I would like this a lot more than I did. It was just a little too boring and the writing was repetitive.

RATING 3.5 STARS





Kate has been a single mother since her congressman husband died years ago. A driven women who later went back to school to get her degree in law and was determined for her children to have a better life. There were expectations of perfection. Her 3 children were different from each other. Claire, the youngest was a dreamer and a lawyer herself. Anthony a computer geek and artist and very laid back. Tamera the deep thinker who was a fashion editor and climbing the corporate ladder.

Each family has a season of life and Kate's family was no exception. A close family that supported each other. When different life choices start to happen to each of her children, Kate begins to see the perfection of her family crumble. In the midst of her children's life choices, Kate is confronted with choices she made in the past and for her own future. It is in these choices, her family remembers that love is not based on choices but commitment to family.

A Special Thank you to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

I am a true fan of Danielle Steel having read her books for nearly 40 years. This is not my favorite story by this author but it is not my least favorite either.

Another great story from Danielle Steel. This family story shows the evolution of a family and how both the parent and the children need to adjust their mindset and expectations as they age.

As a single mom, Kate has always out her children first. As they age, find partners and start their own families she realizes its time to out herself first. Exit a long term occasional make friend and enter Scott, a colleague who she first meets as an adversary in a lawsuit. He helps her after a bad fall in the snow and neither looks back.

They come to realize it's their love of a lifetime but sharing the relationship with her grown children is a challenge. A great coming of age story of a family that grows to accept changing roles in their lives.

I received a free ARC eBook from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Danielle Steel is an author that I recently picked back up and began reading again that I first read all the way back as a kid in school. Those that are familiar with her writing know she has a style that is similar from book to book and the same can be said with this new release. As much as I’ve enjoyed returning to her wonderful writing Child’s Play wasn’t a favorite of mine.

In Child’s Play readers are introduced to fifty something Kate Morgan. Kate is the mother of three grown children that spent most of her time raising them on her own after her husband’s passing all the while keeping up with her own hectic job. Kate always pushed her children to be the best and is now proud of their “perfect” lives…until that perfection comes crashing down around them.

The reason I wasn’t a huge fan of this story was Kate’s narrow mindedness in how she perceives her children’s lives should be. Maybe it’s just me but even at my age I’ve never known anyone to push so hard for marriage and the idea of a “perfect” family so Kate’s whole character just seemed so way out of touch and intolerable. Then on top of her really old fashioned views we have one of the daughter’s being childish and petty seemingly to just purposely go against her mother which seems odd to happen as an adult and more something you’d expect from a teenager. Between these two characters the story just felt too out of date to me leaving me with a meh feeling on this one.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

* I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.*

As I've previously stated, I've read a ton of stuff by Ms. Steel, mainly because it's "fluff" for me. Her books are always things that don't necessarily make me think too hard, feel good type formulaic books that make me think of my grandma. Child's Play wasn't that different.

I will admit, I absolutely couldn't stand the main character in this book at first. I thought it was ridiculous that Kate would be so angry with her daughter because she didn't want to get married just because she was pregnant. This isn't the 1950s and personally I feel like you shouldn't try to force your child into a legally binding contract with someone that may not be good for them just because they accidentally got pregnant. People co-parent like adults all the time.

When one of the children came out as gay, I immediately thought "oh man, if her reaction is anything like before, I'm going to have to cuss someone out", but Kate gains a shred of common decency and isn't homophobic and disgusting along with being misogynistic, so she's got that going for her. I didn't really understand the point of bringing her ex husband and the loss of her baby up, mainly because it was never really mentioned again. I did, however, enjoy the relationship between her and Scott, and getting to watch that unfold. Personally, I think the grandmother, Margaret, was my favorite character, because she seemed to be the one with the most sense.

As far as DS books go, this one was a pretty typical one. HEA was included, storyline was similar to most of her other ones, and it was a fast easy read. I know it's already been published because I'm behind, but I already know patrons are going to lap it up like they do all of her other books.

I’ve read and enjoyed so many of this author’s books. She’s a great author and knows how to draw in an audience for her different genres of books. This one was about family, love, loss and moving on finally.
Kate’s husband and the father of her three children was killed when the children were small. Kate worked very hard to do something with her life. Yes she did have many advantages to get to do this but she was not left a ton of money from her husband. She worked hard. She went back to college at an age where others were much younger. She graduated then went on to work at a prestigious law firm and became a lawyer who didn’t like to lose. She could be relentless. She wanted the best for her children just as any mother would. Kate didn’t want to remarry and go through the pain of losing anyone else like she did her husband. She spent her time making a life for her children and working hard to get somewhere in life. To show her kids that you can survive in the face of tragedy.
These characters were mostly likable. With the exception of Claire and even Amanda, they were all truly good and caring people. Kate to me was great. A strong woman who fought for what she wanted. Her mother who was always there for her and supported her emotionally as well as her grandchildren. Amanda was engaged to Kate’s son and she was in my opinion not really in love with him. She was in love with the idea of spending a fortune on a wedding and then wanted to start having babies right from the start. I was so glad to see her gone. I didn’t like her at all. No one bullied her or treated her badly. Anthony, Kate’s son, was right to not marry her and it was truly best for them both. Never marry for all the wrong reasons. Tammy, Kate’s oldest daughter was probably my favorite. She worked very hard and had a huge secret of her own. I can’t give it away here so you’ll have to read this book for find it out. But she’s very likable and when she tells her mother her secret, which I figured out quickly, I think Kate handled it very well. Claire, I totally detested her. She was a spoiled brat who needed very badly to grow up. I mean for goodness sakes she is 26 years old and acting like a little kid whining and acting like the world revolves around her and her alone. Each of Kate’s children are old enough to be married and have families so the part that did bug me was how the grandmother acted like they were still young children. I mean a 29 year old man who should wait to get married until he is grown. He is grown!! But he is a good man and after a couple of months of big mistakes he does the right thing. I liked him. I liked Tammy and I liked Kate but I did not like Claire. At least not after her big news came to light. I loved Kate’s mother. She was a very likable person.
This story is a good one that takes us into the lives of a family with a bit of drama going on. They depend on their mom for a lot but they also know what they want and finally go for it. Some of the scenes in this book made me laugh. Some made me mad. But overall it was a very good book. It deals with a mother’s fears for her children which in my opinion we never stop having and she helps when she can. She steps back and lets them work things out too. She also decides she does need a life of her own but will she find that? I think Kate is a great mother, great daughter and really a very very likable woman. So she is possible well off. I would not say she is a privileged white woman as I read in another review. She worked very hard to have what she does and be able to give her children a good life. I mean all alone. Yes she was able to do that but I certainly do not begrudge her that. I could never have done it. I didn’t have the support, emotional support, to. So yes I liked Kate. I admired Kate. I think she should have told her youngest to either grow up or not come back until she could act right and treat her the way she should have. I don’t believe anyone bullied or picked on Amanda like another reviewer suggested. Maybe it looked that way to them but in reality Amanda was only in the story for a short while so I disagree with that assessment entirely.
I truly enjoyed this book. It felt like a real family with real problems and possible the right solutions for each. I think the characters were great, again except Claire. Very likable and did what they needed to be happy without hurting others. Even a broken engagement is necessary at times.
Thank you to #NetGalley, Random House-Ballantine and Danielle Steele for this book. This is my own honest review.
I give it 4 stars and a high recommendation!!

A redemptive story about the lessons we teach our children and how they carry those with them. Danielle Steel is still the grand Dame of story writing.

Another great book!!! I love anything Danielle Steel writes! She never disappoints me. Her storytelling astounds me!! Can't wait for her next book!!

This was a good, quick read. Danielle Steel is tried and true and her books always deliver. Child's Play is about Kate Morgan and her perfect children, or so she thinks. One summer, the fault lines begin to show and they all realize that there's more to their lives and wants than what they've perpetrated to themselves and each other. The book ties up nicely, as per usual, but it doesn't feel rushed and is done in a way that gives a nice closure.

I am a huge fan so maybe I am a bit biased but that being said I felt like this was one of the best Danielle Steel books in a very long time. This book had it all, unwed mother, gay couple and interracial couple. There were some family secrets that got thrown in the mix. Like I said before this was one of the best in awhile!

4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In Child’s Play, Danielle Steel tackles some tough subjects that are very common and relevant in today’s world.

It’s difficult to review a DS book - not because they are not enjoyable, but because most people know what to expect when they crack one open. They are always predictable, but that’s one of the things I love about her books. Surprises, yes. However, you know they are coming!

Widowed Kate Morgan has raised three “perfect” children. They are very successful adults, with good educations and excellent jobs. However, we soon find out that they aren’t as perfect as Kate had thought. As their secrets unfold, Kate begins to wonder where she failed as a mother. She quickly starts to realize that no matter how you excelled in raising your children with good moral values, you can’t predict or control their futures.

I took a half star away because one of her kids - Claire - was a repulsive, spoiled, entitled brat who I wanted to throat punch through my iPad!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House - Ballantine and Danielle Steel for my advanced copy to read and review.

Raising Adult Children
This wonderful bit of Women's Fiction explores that part of a mother's life when she quits making decisions for her adult children and lets them fly from the nest. And then, what she chooses to do with her new life. This is a totally engrossing book that makes the reader want to talk to the characters and straighten them out. It is such a good story, I hated to see it end and will probably come up with new scenarios in my mind. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.