Member Reviews
Love Danielle Steel! This book was a wartime story and i loved it! Secrets, intrigue, love and romance, loss of family. It had everything, the ending was great and showed family and everything coming full circle at the end!! Loved it!
I usually love historical fiction novels and was excited to read this one from Danielle Steel, which I received as an ARC. The storyline is interesting (Alex is a proper British girl who becomes a spy during WWII) and the book is an easy read, but I thought this story remained surface-level and I found it difficult to lose myself inside this novel. Instead of being able to place myself in the story with her, I never traveled beyond the black and white text on the pages of the book. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I received a copy of this book from Random house publishing through netgalley.
I absolutely loved it. loved the character's.
I couldn't put it down!
THIS BOOK IS FANTASTIC! I HAVE BEEN DISAPPOINTED WITH DANIELLE STEEL'S MOST RECENT BOOKS, HOWEVER THIS ONE WAS INCREDIBLE! I LOVED THE WAY DANIELLE INCORPORATED HISTORICAL EVENT'S INTO THE BOOK AND DID NOT MAKE THE BOOK ALL RAINBOWS AND ROSES! WE EXPERIENCED WAR WITH THE TRAGEDIES AND HORRIFIC LOSSES AS WELL AS THE HEALING OF FAMILIES IN THE AFTERMATH! THANK YOU DANIELLE FOR GIVING US THE INCREDIBLE WRITING WE HAVE COME TO EXPECT FROM YOU! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK - YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!
I just reviewed Spy by Danielle Steel. #Spy #NetGalley
WOW....this book combines multiple enticing elements such as history, spy secrets and global adventures! I cannot recommend it enough and have to admit that I have already read it twice. Alex is a very interesting and intriguing character who has many wonderful adventures all the while keeping a fabulous and dangerous secret. I found myself completely immersed in not only the plot but the delicious details of this adventure as well!
I think this book had a great premise but I wish it would have been expanded into a series. Steel is a prolific writer and I would have liked this to have been expanded on since the story was interesting.
In her books, Danielle Steel introduces us to a cast of characters and gives us their life's journey, with all the ups and downs that follow them. In this story line, a young American woman leaves home to volunteer for the WWII war effort in England. She is soon recruited to spy for the Allies, in which she excels. The story follows her during the war and living abroad afterwards. Ms Steel always shares her characters and their lives as if we are reading their diary and the news of the time. You feel part of the story. Another 5 star reading experience!
This book is about an aristocratic young woman who becomes a spy working for the British SOE during World War II. Later, as the wife of a British diplomat, her work as a spy continues in numerous hot spots around the world.
The material and basic outline of this book would have made a dandy series of books. Each diplomatic posting in which the main character finds herself has rich potential for a wonderful story. Instead, the author simply flits over each setting with broad, narrative writing. While I enjoyed the book and finished it, it needed many, many more details. On the flip side, the ending was laborious. I really didn't need to know about the protagonist's grandchildren.
Good ideas for several books, but this felt like it was written on autopilot.
I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion if it. I have ready many of Danielle Steele's newer books lately and have really loved them but I have to say that this was a big disappointment to me. The story follows a woman, Alex, who becomes a Spy during the time of war. If you love history, this is the book for you. I felt like there was not much of a storyline and what there was, just went way to fast in time.
I have enjoyed Danielle Steel’s books before and was so looking forward to this historical venue. Unfortunately, this was not one of my favorites.
This story starts out with a bang while we get acquainted with Alex, Richard, her brothers and their contributions to the war. This is not the first book I’ve read on the recruiting of women for specific jobs and espionage activities during WWII and it is amazing these women stepped up to the plate and accomplished so much. I really enjoyed the first part of the book.
But about 50% in, the war is over and we go into a slow laid-back journey of following Alex and Richard’s lives. Not much happens after that, I kept reading knowing that something was going to break open but it didn’t. This one was almost like two different authors wrote the book.
I was given the opportunity to receive this book from Random House Publishing Group through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This one gets 3 ½ stars rounded up to 4.
I enjoyed Spy very much. The story of a young British aristocrat spending WWII as a spy for the SOE and then her life as an MI6 spy living around the globe during important times in each country’s history proved interesting. I found her life and missions during WWII the most intriguing as her time spent in India, Pakistan, Morocco, Hong Kong, Moscow and Washington, DC seemed to fly by. It covered a lot of ground for a book under 300 pages and therefore, each section after WWII did not dig very deep but that was fine with me. This was a strong effort for the incredibly versatile Ms. Steel. It has what her fans, myself included, want. A smart, strong female character, a love match worthy of the lead and lots of adventure. And it has a beautiful cover as well. Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House – Ballantine and Ms. Steel for an advance copy of this book.
An interesting story, just not much depth. It would be nice to read more about Alex's missions not just the facts. Lots of history in this book, but story felt rushed so to include everything. Just an okay book.
Standard fare from one of the world's favorite commercial writers. Heroine comes to the aid of her country in WW2 and post-war leads a charmed, glamorous, life all over the world. Of course she finds love along the way. This is a quick, light read with some historical fiction thrown in for good measure. With this book, you know what you're getting and be amused along the way.
Fantastic! I am a huge fan of Danielle Steel and have to say, this is probably my favorite book yet.
During WWII, much of Britain was enlisting, and families were being torn apart from the effects of war. Alex, went into London to work, and with her proficiency to speak multiple languages, found herself recruited to be a spy. Loving both the adrenaline surge and the experience, Alex excelled at what she did, and continued her work well after the war was over. She met and married a man, Richard, but was not able to tell him of her life as a spy for over 30 years. They built a great life together with joy as well as heart ache along the way. Their story makes you wonder how well we ever really know someone.
This is a wonderful book about family, love, secrets, choices , and living ones own life. The story spans over 30 years and has a well developed plot with characters you will grow to love. I did not want to put it down once I started.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Another exceptional novel from Danielle Steel! A story about a young aristocrat girl who volunteers as an ambulance driver to help with the war effort during World War Two. While doing this work she is recognized for her language skills and is recruited by SOE to be a spy. After the war and her marriage she is recruited by M16 to work as a spy in each country that she and her diplomat lives. She continues this career in secret for several decades.
A well,written novel that was very enjoyable to read and hard to put down. I would definitely recommend this book.
I received this book from to review from netgalley.
This was a fascinating book! WWII espionage is quite intriguing and it wasn't a hard decision to read this book.
I really loved Alex's linguistic abilities. Her ability to be fluent in so many languages was so interesting. Especially since some of them weren't easy languages.
At times I felt the book repeated itself a little, and some of the chapters got a little long winded on details that I didn't care about. But overall this was an excellent book.
It is always interesting to read about professional spies and government employees. I also appreciated the small amount of romance in the book even if it did involve some pre-marital sex. (I knew as a general market book it probably would have some less than wholesome moments.)
I think this was my first Danielle Steel book - but if others had similarly intriguing descriptions I wouldn't hesitate to read more.
I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review.
Alexandra Wickham leads a privileged life. Her family lives on a sprawling estate in Hampshire, nestled in the English countryside. Alex is a good student, fluent in French and German, and her curious mind and desire to excel often leads her to trouble. As is expected of wealthy young girls, she is presented to King George V and Queen Mary at the age of eighteen in hope of finding a suitable husband.
The year is 1939, and England is at war. Alex's two brothers enlist leaving her behind in Hampshire with their parents. As the rebellious sibling, Alex can't help but become involved in her country's effort to fight the enemy. Alex travels to London in order to volunteer for the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry. With her mastery of foreign languages, Alex is the ideal candidate to become a secret agent.
As the war progresses, Alex learns the art of espionage. With each mission, the stakes become higher. No one knows about the double life she is living, not her family nor the pilot she falls head-over-heels in love with. As the war intensifies, Alex ventures behind enemy lines risking her life to keep her countrymen safe.
Spy is an adventurous read that captures the essence of WWII and beyond. Spanning continents and time periods, the story kept me engrossed by the historic detail and heroic deeds of the lead character, Alexandra. Strong-willed and determined, she evolves from a young girl to a brave woman in search of purpose and self-fulfillment. Steel's new release is the perfect blend of action, adventure, and romance.
I really wanted to love this book. I've never read any of Danielle Steel books but in the world of books she is iconic. Unfortunately I just couldn't finish this one. I felt the premise of "The Spy" had so much potential to be an intriguing and entertaining read, but it seemed that's about all its got going for it. The book seemed to be rushed. I wanted to get to know the characters but it seems the reader just barely gets a glimpse into who they are. The plot rushed along too quickly, and reads more like a summery rather then a novel.
I have read Danielle Steel books since I was a teenager. The last dozen books or so have felt like either she was rambling and repeating herself over and over OR the book seemed rushed. This book is old school Danielle Steel. This is the story of Alexandra Wickman. She lived a life of privilege, being presented in Queen Mary's Court. Then Hitler came to power and Alex, along with her two brothers, William and Geoff, join the fight against Germany. Alex volunteers in the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry but soon her superiors realize that she is over qualified for driving lorries thanks to her amazing language skills. What happens after that is too good to spoil but this book covers her lifetime and how she leads her life after the war. I felt that the last few chapters spanned too many decades but I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!
This book was so good, I finished it in two days! I would definitely rate it as one of the top five books of 2019!
I admire Alexandra Wickham because she is this strong independent woman who doesn’t want to settle down and have kids like the rest of the girls her age during World War 2 but instead wants to have a part in the war effort first with the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry and then as a SPY. I like her brothers Geoff and William,. Geoff I thought was modern but also conservative. He wanted change but not too much pertaining to women’s role outside of the home. William on the other hand was a lot more conservative. He didn’t want to see too much change but wanted things to stay as they were, I admire both of them though because they both took the time to look after their sister.
Richard, the man in her life, her husband, is the type of man everyone wants to fall in love with and marry. He’s respectful of Alexandra’s feelings. He’s doesn’t think women should stay home and take care of kids but kind of have a life of their own outside of the home. Also, he doesn’t pry into Alexandra’s business or her professional life. Great husband material!
I’m sorry this is a short review but after kind of reviewing the first part of the book, I stopped because it was so good I felt any more reviewing wouldn’t do it justice.
I would definitely recommend this book to a friend! If you’re looking for a book filled with mystery, danger, travel, espionage, this is the book for you!