As a fan of Danielle Steel novels, I enjoyed her latest, Nine Lives. Maggie was always warned by her mother to avoid wild boys who loved excitement. Maggie avoided her first love after listening to her mother's advise who lost her husband as a pilot. She instead married a stable mate even though it lacked the thrill of adventure and lust. Maggie connects with her lost love who has never lost his love of car racing. She finds herself still having feelings for him but scared to act on them to protect herself and her son. Should Maggie be daring or trust her feelings to be safe? What would you do if you were Maggie? Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this book before being published.

Maggie's had so much loss in her life- her father, brother, husband. Now a widow with a teenage son, she is convinced to take a trip to Europe. Oh to travel to Paris! And everywhere else she goes. For Maggie, though, the trip also means taking a big chance. She bumps into an old flame, Paul, who she knew in high school. He's a race car driver-an adrenaline junkie who takes all the risks Maggie has tried to avoid. Danielle Steel readers know these two will rekindle their attraction but then be stymied by conflict and then...no spoilers. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. This is light reading which I enjoyed most of all for, I gotta admit, the locales (although the characters are pretty darn good too!).

Playing it safe - Mary Margaret trys to keep away from the tragedy of her childhood. When her life changes she has to make a decision to play it safe or to take a chance and find love again. A great Danielle Steel read!!

I have been reading Danielle Steele novels since I was in my early 20's . In the beginning they were about young love and the every day struggles that affect our lives. Now, many of her books involve people who are very wealthy but still have problems. This one is no different. Two people, reunited after 30 years apart who do not worry about money, they worry about connection. Although I liked the book, I did not love it. But, I will continue to read her books because they are always like coming home for me. Thank you #NetGalley for the advanced copy. #NineLives

The book offers something for many readers and it was not complicated at all. Primarily a women's fiction it provides a bit of sport and adventure, as well as arm chair traveling to many wonderful places. Nice easy read.

Paul the risk taker and Maggie the risk adverse. Maggie grew up with a loving family and a father that was a pilot, who would not give up his position. Maggie's mother loved her father fiercely but in the end her father died in a flying accident forever changing his families lives. This is the basis of the book and the path that Maggie takes to keep her safe and sound. Although as much planning and safety you plan on the unexplainable happens. This changes the course of Maggie's life once again.

The book provides a look at the choices of one's life and the impact risks can have on the outcome and happiness level of one's life. Additionally, when you have something to lose the bets are higher. I really enjoyed that she wrote about a middle class, unextravagant family. Will you run into your high school love? Would you want to?

Want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for this early release granted to me for an honest professional review. Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 6, 2021

4 1/2 STARS!

Danielle Steel always tugs on my heartstrings! Wrapping a character around her reader's heart is a true talent by Steel that shines through once again in her upcoming release NINE LIVES. I felt like this book had a lot more narration instead of dialogue, but I was deeply entrenched in it throughout never the less. The only thing I wished for was a bit more time with them at the end. I devoured it quickly and was left with a smile on my face!

Maggie is a relatable character who uses life's lessons to guide her in how she wishes to pursue her future. She shared a young love with a sweetheart of a young man, but went on to wager the bet of life with a more stable, dependable man. She never regretted her decision and lived a fulfilling life with her husband and beautiful son.

Tragedy has had a way of taking things from Maggie throughout her life and one more strike leaves her reeling and adrift. A happenstance reconnection with that dashing man of her youth brings a light back into her life that she didn't even realize she missed.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys following a character through the foibles of life toward that long sought after HEA.

I really loved the character Maggie. She was strong and caring. But she has so much tragedy. She is a very strong woman. Also a loving mother. This was a great book. I throughly enjoyed this book.

Couldn't even get through the first chapter. The writing was halting and incredibly immature. It read like an elementary or middle schooler writing their first piece of creative fiction. Danielle Steel has lost her spark.

Mary Margaret Kelly, lived a safe and sane life. He mother taught her to be cautious and to choose the safe bet. She married , predictably had a son,loved her husband, settled into life. Until her husband is killed in an airplane accident. Rushing back arethe memories of her father a well respected fighter jet pilot whose tragic death put her mother then herself in this bubble of safe choices over adventure. The loss of her husband sparks something in Maggie and she vows to push herself past the safe and into the arms of a long ago boyfriend who tempted fate and seems to found a way to make money doing it. Maggie sees there is something deeper here it’s a need to feed the adrenaline constantly. It is a need that in the end spells the end of them, or does it?

Absolutely incredible. Love Danielle Steel and this book was fantastic. Some of her recent books made me wonder if she was failing, but this one blew me away! She has still got it. Awesome character development and story line! Still a suburb writer. Best of the best.

I enjoyed this novel by Danielle Steel. It’s a great story about playing it safe vs taking risks in life & finding a balance between the two. Maggie suffers way more loss than most people would in multiple lifetimes, but she manages to get through them with the help of a good friend & some inner strength. I thought the plot point of how Maggie runs into her old high school flame is a bit far fetched but sometimes fate can do something this crazy. Good read overall!

Nine Lives is another great read by Danielle Steel! Her books never fail to hook me in, and I feel fortunate every time that I am able to review one. #NineLives #NetGalley

Do you live for danger? Or do you prefer to play it safe? Maggie’s life, while full of life, has also been full of loss. She lost her father and her brother to their thrilling careers and decided as an adult she would not take those same risks.

While her adult life began with a loving safe marriage, tragedy struck, and Maggie is once again at a loss. On a trip to find herself she runs into her high school flame Paul. Rekindled romance, love and adventure fuel Nine Lives. Danielle Steel fans will love this new book!

Loved! Another Danielle Steele great! Couldn’t put it down! Cover to cover I couldn’t read fast enough

Mary Kelly has experienced grief in her life and watched her Mother struggle to support them after her pilot Father dies in a crash. Mary is determined to take no risks in her life. This is a typical Danielle Steel book, enjoyable but not one you can’t put down. It follows a predictable plot, but if you are looking for a book that will take you away from your daily life this is it. It would be perfect for a beach read. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I have read every Danielle Steel book, loved many and disliked a few. I am not a fan of this book. It involves the life of Mary Margaret Kelly whose father, an Air Force pilot, died when she was nine. Maggie saw her mother struggle to put their lives back together. Maggie follows her mother's advice and leaves her first love, a adventurous high school boyfriend . Maggie chose to marry a dependable, kind man who was a reliable husband and successful accountant . They had a son and found happiness until tragedy struck again, when her husband is killed in a plane crash. Wanting an adventure for the first time, Maggie decides to set off on a whirlwind trip from San Francisco to Rome, Paris, and Monaco. But when she reconnects with the very same irresistible, thrill-seeking man she’s spent years trying to forget, Maggie becomes terrified that sharing his life may very well end in another disaster. I felt that the story was a little unrealistic in many places and dark in others.

I am a huge Danielle Steel fan. I generally love her books, but this one really missed the mark for me. Maggie’s life has been marked by tragedy. Taking care to avoid any real danger (such as sky diving, skateboarding, etc), she finds out that living a safe life doesn’t prevent tragedy. The first five chapters flew for me. After that, the book just became very sluggish and I really had to struggle through to the end. The repetition in this book bothered me more than in some of her others. Yeah, we get it already. Brad was safe and Paul is dangerous. I’ll still read her books, but let’s just say this is not a favorite. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Usually reading a DS novel is as easy as a knife slicing through butter. Nine Lives was a bit different. The first part was incredibly depressing. I wondered if anyone would be alive to continue the story. Eventually it evened out, but the typical sparkle was missing. I felt as though the story was just going through the motions. There was no pizazz, no ooomph. I didn't completely dislike the book but it definitely was not one of my favorites.

⭐⭐⭐ .4 Stars
This is my 44th : Danielle Steel novel. I have been a big Danielle Steel fan for many years: could not wait until her next novel to be released. My first was novel was “The Promise” back in 1977. However, now I am not as excited about the annual reads as I was “back in the day”. It seems the stories were so similar, or perhaps my reading taste had changed. Psychological thrillers are now my typical “Go to” novels. .
I still have a soft spot for Ms. Steel's stories as there have been some gems!
Not positive this story is my next ‘gem’ but thought I would give it a try!

The men in Mary Margaret Maggie Kelly’s family have been risk takers ~ embracing ‘Nine lives’.
Her paternal grandfather was a Navy pilot In WWII and her father Kevin was an Air Force test pilot,
Nothing scared her father ~ he was brave and he told her to be brave. However, she lost her father when she was nine in a plane crash.
Emma her mother remarried five years later to Harry a catering manager. Maggie’s mother told her that she didn’t need a hero but needed a man who wasn’t risking his life when he went to work.
However, when her brother Tommy dies in a plane crash, her mother is so grief stricken and she dies from a broken heart.
Maggie chooses a ‘safe’ life by marring an accountant. True a nice safe no risk life. However, on vacation she and her husband are in a plane accident that crashes in water. She nearly died but survives, however, Harry drowns!
Now Maggie is a widow with a teenage son.
Okay enough of giving away this story ~ Oh! One more thing about Maggie ~ While she is traveling in Europe, she comes across her high school sweetheart Paul now a renowned race car driver ~ WHAT?

Want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for this early release granted to me for an honest professional review. Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 6, 2021

Another well written and wonderful Danielle Steel story. Maggie grew up with an Air Force Test pilot. When he was killed, all she heard from her mother was don't be with a boy or man who takes risks. Her mother never really recovered from it. When another tragedy takes place, she just shut down. Maggie took her advice and married safe, but tragedy can strike anytime. When she meets a man that she loved as a boy but was a risk taker, life took her on another journey that she was not quite comfortable with.
The story had wonderful characters and I could barely put the book down. I had to find out what would happen.
I got this book from NetGally and am voluntarily leaving a review.