I am a Danielle Steel fan and Worthy Opponents is one of her better recent books. Spencer Brooke is carrying on the family legacy at Brookes, a boutique in NYC full of exclusive offerings. She has trouble juggling the demands of the store, her husband, and her twin sons. Mike Weston manages large investments. He’s also a handsome dad trapped in a loveless marriage. He considers investing in Brookes but Spencer is reluctant to give up control of the store. Steel does a great job of portraying the problems that plague business owners in present day NYC. Yes, there is romance but there is good character development and some lessons to learn as well. 4.25 stars for me. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Spencer Brook is the head of a luxurious department store in New York. It has been her life’s dream to run the store she has happy memories of from working with her Grandfather. Now she is a divorced mother of twins and times have changed. The store is in a very shady part of town but Spencer doesn’t want to move. She wants to honor her Grandfather and keep the store at its current location. This is a typical Steel book, family relationships and conflict, relatable characters along with a romance. As usual with her books it is entertaining way to spend an afternoon. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Danielle Steel is one of those authors that I just have to read every book she writes and Worthy Opponents was absolutely worthy of a read! I loved all the characters in this book and it was especially refreshing to read about a strong female character working to maintain and improve her family’s legacy through their department store. I loved reading about the business aspects of running the store. And while I do enjoy romances this book offered that and so much more. Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

A family steeped in retail tradition. A goods company , whose goods are far superior than their competitors. Spencer Brooke has loved Brookes from the first time her grandfather brought her to the store. Everything she knows about succeeding in this business is tied to loyalty and discretion. Mike Weston is not used to obstacles in his path. This one is smart, beautiful and unrelenting in her vision of her company. Spencer is at a crossroads, she understands the need for updating how the retailer moves forward but she is not willing to sacrifice the care and tradition that have given Brookes its loyal customer base. A series of monetary setbacks puts these two on a collision course that will alter them forever.

Spencer Brooke has achieved her lifetime dream. At 30, she is CEO of Brooke’s, a high end luxury retail store in Manhattan founded by her great-grandfather. Since her father wasn’t interested in Brooke’s, her grandfather doted on his only grandchild and passed on all his knowledge to her. After her father’s sudden death, she inherited the store. What has it cost her? Her marriage is over. Sh’e a devoted mother to her twin boys but only on Sunday, her free day. She has no close friends and her social life is bleak. Then, although she has always refused, circumstances force her to seek an outside investor. Enter Mike Weston. Handsome, charismatic and wealthy, he’s instantly attracted to Spencer. Of course, we know what will happen next but it’s romantic, full of glamor, family problems and lots of love. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Danielle Steel for this ARC.

I am a huge fan of Danielle Steel and was excited to read this one. I loved the characters, and their real life existences. Overall, the plot was meaningful and filled with emotion. I just felt that over the course of the book it became very repetitive. Each character, Spencer and Mike, are struggling with life decisions and problems, but for over a third of the book their situations just keep getting repeated. Their situations for the most part don't drastically change, just keep revisiting them.
Danielle Steel has a great way of weaving a story so that it is never boring or unreadable, so I do still recommend this book. It was just a little more drawn out that her other books.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Danielle Steel never disappoints, and “Worthy Opponents” is no exception. This is an easy to read upbeat story with engaging and well developed characters in true Danielle Steel style. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

A fairly short and easy to read drama, set in NYC. The high-end retail fashion industry is the focal point a generational family business is built around. Good background on the history of Brooke’s brick and mortar store and family dynamics through generations. The changing industry has customers shifting towards online retail. I’ve been fashion obsessed all my life, not the trendy fads, but the classic can’t go wrong style. This was a timely narrative of the almost obsolete concept of a family owned business.
Spencer is a formidable business woman, wife and mother, when a series of events, both business and personal, unravels her dreams. Her steadfast determination to succeed and live up to her Grandfather’s example has her at odds with the shifting market. Brooke’s needs an influx of cash to survive and Spencer is vehemently against conceding her controlling interest.
Mike is a wealthy investor, skilled at amassing huge profits for his business and clients. Spencer’s niche store and it’s undesirable location is not a practical choice but, he’s intrigued. Even though I predicted the outcome, the journey was filled with twisted bumpy roads and blind curves. I enjoyed the strong characters and the book’s title is very fitting. In life’s journey a worthy opponent can challenge, motivate and strengthen your character.
Thank you to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy of “Worthy Opponents” by Danielle Steel published by Random House, Delacorte Press. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

Worth opponents
Another book by the amazing author. I have always enjoy Danielle Steel's book's but I struggled with this one. The characters were well written and likeable. The storyline was a little slow. It wasn't bad but it just wasn't one of my favorite.

I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars

I received this complimentary copy from the publisher for a honest review. All thought and opinions are mine and mine alone.

A quick, easy read. The main characters were well developed, likable, and easy to relate to. No huge surprises, but a solid story.

Thank you Danielle Steel, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

I was very bored with the writing and all of the repetition. I enjoyed the main character, but did not enjoy the book.

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

If you're looking for a run-of-the-mill, easy-to-read, no-fuss DS novel, this fits the bill. Hardly the worst she's ever written, but far from her best.

The story follows Spencer Brooke, CEO of her family’s department store. The story begins when she is a little girl and how the department story came about. Spencer goes on to learn the business inside and out and is a bright, strong woman. I liked her quite a bit because she wasn’t hiding her intelligence and independence.

As with many businesses currently, hers is having some financial issues. When she considers the prospect of outside investors, enter the leading male character. While you may know where the story is heading, it was written well, and Spencer holds her own; she by no means is a helpless woman looking to be saved.

Worthy Opponents is a fable about two people, initially opponents in business, who come together as a perfectly matched couple both personally and professionally. While the ending is predictable and a bit hokey, the story is touching in a nice way with many good-hearted characters and good feelings. 4 stars for me. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read a pre-publication edition.

Spencer is the granddaughter of an entrepreneur who built the Brooke's department store from the ground up. His business acumen skipped a generation but came full circle in Spencer, who has made it her life's mission to keep her grandfather's legacy alive, despite all the challenges that come her way. Brooke's is a high-end store in a bad part of Manhattan, where the homeless roam the streets and drug wars lead to gang shootouts. Spencer's biggest flaw is her sentimentality and refusal to pivot from the building where Brooke's has been located since her grandfather opened the business. After a series of disasters, Spencer is approached by Mike, a wealthy investor with a kind heart (oxymoron?), with the opportunity to expand her business with an influx of cash. The problem is, the proposal would require Spencer to give up the majority ownership of her company, which she refuses to do.

Since this is a Steel novel, everything works out in the end. You don't come to Danielle Steel looking for a realistic ending. But aside from the lack of realism, this is still an enjoyable story with likable characters. I read this book while traveling for the holidays, and it kept me entertained for several hours.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing with an ARC in exchange for my opinions.

Danielle Steel continues to knock it out of the park with her newest title Worthy Opponents.

Centered around two business tycoon protagonists, the novel begins with the timeline and life of Spencer Brooke, the owner of a fabulous, luxury department store in NYC. What was once a safe and up-and-coming area, is becoming more and more dangerous. That doesn't stop Spencer! She manages to take business and personal crises in stride, on her quest to keep Brooke's the most popular hidden gem in NYC.

Businessman and investor Mike Weston has a reputation for buying businesses to change the landscape. Taking what was one small and profitable, he transforms it into a large and wildly successful venture. With his own personal life in turmoil, he is on the hunt for something new, something that matters, and sets his sight on Brooke's.

Mike is 0n the hunt and uses his charm and business techniques to create a slow-burn romance between the business moguls. Crisis after crisis thrust Spencer right into his arms and his business, Luckily, Mike is looking for more than just a new company to invest in.

Worthy Opponents was a quick, great read focused on bouncing back and making even more than you imagined. Oh, how I wish Brooke's was a real store!

Enjoyable story regarding Spencer Brooke granddaughter of Thornton Brooke and the fourth generation of Brooke’s and Sons or Brooke’s which was originally established as Johnston and Brooke. Brooke’s was an exclusive shop that was established in a poor neighborhood in an old building that looked like nothing on the outside but luxurious on the inside with one of a kind merchandise from all over the world. After the death of Thornton Brooke the business was taken over by Tucker Brooke his son. The four years that Tucker was in control of the business lost business. Tucker didn’t like the position. He made some bad investments which would cause problems down the road. Spencer started dating Barton White the investment advisor for the business and after six months she married him. Spencer got pregnant on her honeymoon and had identical twin boys Ben and Axel. Bart became jealous of the store and wanted her to sell the store. They ended up divorced and Bart didn’t have much time for the boys. Spencer started having trouble at the store because of the homeless people and the gangs of the neighborhood along with storage buildings have water leaks and a fire in the store. Mike Weston became an interesting person in the story. He was an investment person that became more. Interesting and enjoyable story that I would recommend to others.

Definitely not like all her other books, but change can be a good thing! A great read, wanted to know what was going to happen from the beginning. I loved this book definitely a must read especially if you think only b-us belong in the business world! A definite must read for 2023!

Spencer Brooke has been running the luxury department store that has been in her family for at least 3 generations. She faces challenges as time changes many aspects of doing business. In order to keep up with the times many things will need to be changed. Spencer wants to keep the business just as her Grandfather operated it. Several tragic events lead her to make some changes. Along the way she meets a man who she has many things in common with. This book is a little different from most of Danielle Steel’s books. It is a enjoyable, easy read. Thanks to @NetGalley for this ARC! I highly recommend it.

Book Title: Worthy Opponents
Author: Danielle Steel
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine ~ Delacorte Press
Genre: Women's Fiction
Pub Date: March 7, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars

Spencer Brooke’s parents Tucker and Eileen had been married for twelve years before conceiving their first child and were positive the baby would be a boy; they didn’t bother to consider any girls’ names. However, the baby is a girl – and named her Spencer.

She is very interested in her grandfather’s business. She loves fashion design and attend the ‘Parson School of Design’ and Eugene Lange College and majored in fashion administration.
She is destined to be CEO of her grandfather’s business ‘Brooke and Son’ commonly known as ‘Brooke’s’—the most respected and luxurious department store in New York City.
Things turn out a little different than she expected. When she is only thirty, she is the owner of Brooke’s, but she’s also now a divorced single mother of twin boys and the fashion industry comes new challenges including running the store which was considered a jewel in the midst of a ‘dicey’ neighborhood.
She meets Mike Weston who is known for taking over companies. Yep! He has his sights set on her company.

This was more emotional than I expected. Living in the LA area where we have had several riots where family owns businesses were looted and destroyed ~ this story brought back those sad situations but loved how this was resolved. Ms. Steel certainly knows how to reach our hearts!

I have been a Danielle Steel fan for many years. I did drifted away from her Romance/Chick-Lit stories and moved to psychological thrillers. However, this is #47 for me ~ so yes; there is a loyalty magnet that has a hold on me as I still have soft spot for Ms. Steel’s novels.
We Danielle Steel fan 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 March 7, 2023