Debutantes attending their cotillion in Paris? Sign me up, please! Multiple protagonists whose lives weave together after receiving and accepting invitations to debut (for a second time) at the Palace of Versailles - will everyone get their happy endings? Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to preview #TheBallatVersailles by Danielle Steel - I really enjoyed my weekend escape and am anxiously awaiting her next release!

Another great Danielle Steel novel that had me running to google to learn more about this time period. I love how caught up in the stories and lives of Steel's main characters I'm able to become. These are true books to get lost in!

WOW! This book is SO GOOD! It is sweet. moving, romantic, full of heart, heartbreaking, heartwarming, and so much more! Whenever I picked up "The Ball at Versailles", I was whisked back in time, and went on such an emotional journey with this story.

Danielle Steel is a phenomenal author whose writing is visceral, detailed, and breathtaking. She seamlessly weaves history and historical fiction, her characters all feel like such real people, and I felt truly engrossed in this novel from the very first page to the last.

This novel follows the story of four young women: Amelia, Sam, Felicity, and Caroline. Delving into each of their lives from right before, during, and close after the ball at Versailles, I found myself pulling for each four of these heroines to find happiness, each in her own individual way. Their similarities, differences, and the way in which their stories connect is so powerful and poignant, and their wants, fears, and desires are so clear as well.

If you enjoy Historical Fiction and / or Romance, I HIGHLY recommend this book! I look forward to reading what Ms. Steel writes next.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Delacorte Press for the ARC of this novel, it is so incredible! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity. The Ball at Versailles is a story from a bygone era where social status was a way of life. In the summer of 1959, 40 debutantes are invited to attend a ball at the Palace of Versailles. Four American debutantes who receive invitations, where they will be presented to international society and royalty with the possibility that it might change their lives. Readers meet Amelia, a college student with aspirations to become a lawyer. Her widowed mother convinces her to accept. There is Felicity, another college student, an overweight young woman who adores her studies at MIT. She agrees to please her parents. There is also a young women, Caroline, whose parents are prominent in the movie business and, finally, a young New Yorker, Samantha, whose father is quite rich and overprotective; she has a medical issue. The characters are well developed and readers can relate to them. The ball happens (with a very dramatic moment at the reception). The second half of the book is the year after the ball. Definitely follows the typical Danielle Steel book but has some good themes woven into a story.

Reading this book after not having read a title by this author for a while, I am reminded of the reasons for her success. She knows how to tell a story that engages the reader without asking anything in return except to sink in and enjoy the story.

This novel takes place in the late 1950s when things were (somewhat) different for women. Cotillions were still quite popular in some circles and invitations to balls were a coveted mark of belonging and status. Here is a story of several young women who agree to go to the first ball in Versailles that is inviting Americans, forty young women in all.

Readers meet Amelia, a college student with aspirations to become a lawyer. Her widowed mother convinces her to accept. There is Felicity, another college student, an overweight young woman who adores her studies at MIT. She agrees to please her parents. There is also a young women, Caroline, whose parents are prominent in the movie business and, finally, a young New Yorker, Samantha, whose father is quite rich and overprotective; she has a medical issue.

Peek into the lives of these characters pre Versailles. What will happen to them and their families as they get ready to go to France and once they are there? Readers will keep turning the pages to find out.

Anyone looking for a fun read with its peek at high society will, I think, enjoy this title. It was a perfect holiday read for me.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine for this title. All opinions are my own.

I hadn’t read a Danielle Steel book in many years, but this one had a high rating on Goodreads and I was looking for something on the lighter side, so I tried it. This will unfortunately be my last Danielle Steel book. The writing felt very basic, almost immature, and every storyline was totally predictable. The premise of the story was good, the execution just was not. Four young American women, all from privileged backgrounds, are invited to a debutante ball at the Palace of Versailles in the summer of 1959. Amelia is a student at Barnard who hopes to become a lawyer. She’s accompanied on the trip by her widow mom Jane who just lost her publishing job. Overweight Felicity from Texas lives in the shadow of her gorgeous older sister who is very mean to her. Caroline is the daughter of a movie star and a famous producer. Her parents don’t know that she has been in a relationship with a much older famous actor for almost a year. Sam lost her mom and brother in a car accident that left her with nearly fatal injuries. Her successful father Robert is very overprotective. None of the four women are very excited about going to the ball. Once they arrive, everything changes as they become fast friends and set off on interesting journeys. Thanks to #netgalley and #dellpublishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I can’t really recommend this one though.

I received a free copy of this book from the Author, Publisher, NetGalley for my honest review. Another amazing historical fiction book from Danielle Steel. This book take place in 1959 at a Paris cotillion. This is an amazing opportunity for 4 American girls. This will give them the opportunity to be showcased in front of many many elite people. This opportunity is sure to change their lives but does it? Follow the story of these 4 girls and find out!

The Ball at Versailles is your typical Danielle Steel novel. It has drama, intrigue, and a healthy sprinkling of love and loss. I enjoyed reading the book and liked that the author featured four different girls (even if they were from similar backgrounds). I did find the end a little too typical, but hey, it is a Danielle Steel book. The endings are supposed to be nice!!

In the summer of 1959 the Palace of Versailles hosted an event that would make history. An exclusive dusk to dawn ball in which a select group of American and French debutants will be presented to international society and royalty. Four American young women all with something to prove receive the invitation of a lifetime.
Amelia Alexander who hopes one day to go to law school hesitates to participate as she sees the event as an archaic and privileged tradition. As a struggling mother Jane encourages her to attend and would do anything for Amelia to have a chance at happily ever after. Felicity Smith is also uncertain about the ball. While is family is prominent in the Dallas social scene she prefers to keep to herself avoiding her older sisters torment. To get out of her sisters shadow Felicity decides to accept. For Caroline Taylor the beautiful daughter of Hollywood legends the ball is an irresistible opportunity. Unexpected heartbreak just before she leaves for France gets things off to a bad start. Samantha Walker an art history major with an overprotective father is excited by the invitation overshadowed by the emotional and physical effects of a past tragedy that still haunts her. For all these young women one night will change their lives forever. This was a very enjoyable story following each girl through their experiences at the ball and after. I highly recommend it to everyone.

Second Act by Danielle Steele was provided by NetGalley. This novel follows the longtime head of a Hollywood movie company whose life revolved around the business. At the top of his career, Andy is fired when the company is sold. After work being instrumental in his divorce and lack of a relationship with his daughter, he must start anew. He loses his power which in turn means no self esteem. He moves across the ocean to mend his wound and by chance, begins a new career working along side Violet, who has suffered her own personal lose. Together they develop a novel into a movie and set off to win awards. The new career is fulfilling and still allows time to enjoy life. And as always, just when you think all is happily ever after, Andy must make a decision to either leave his new career and go back to his power position in Hollywood or continue to lead a successful, more even keeled career developing as a less ostentatious, independent movie developer. What will Andy decide to do?

The ball is the first at Versailles, and everyone wants an invitation, but only 40 lucky American girls will be invited, and it will change their lives.
This was such a great novel. It reminded me of the reason why I read Danielle Steel books. She writes heartfelt stories that always make me smile and laugh. There were several different characters in this one. From Caroline, the daughter of two well-known Hollywood producers to Sam, a freshman at NYU, these stories are weaved together seamlessly and touch the heart perfectly. Another perfect 5 stars 🌟 from Danielle Steel.

This is another great book from Danielle Steel. It is one that when you start reading you can not put down. It is a story about four young ladies that have been invited to the ball at Versailles. All four of the ladies have their lives changed because of them attending the ball. One finds out she is pregnant and then loses the baby. One finds a great husband to be that loves her. One finds a geeky guy who loves her. One finds a guy who is royalty but has no money but loves her. It is a great story.

Did not finish this. Danielle Steel is a prolific writer, but I've actually only read 2 of her books cover to cover. Of the 2, I preferred one far more than the other because it was set in the 1800s. I may attempt to read this further down the line, when the ebook is on sale. But currently it just doesn't interest me at all.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy, which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Ball at Versailles is a fun, beautiful book about family both good and bad.

This book is set in 1958 in the US, England and France - so there is some historical fiction in the background. The families are wealthy or used to be. But the young women going to the ball do not know each other and none of them really want to go to a ball in France. So they have that in common. They also are going to a ball in France and their escorts will be French - none of them speak French.

These four girls meet at the ball and become friends. Then there are other relationships that form after the ball that make the book fun. When I saw the cover of this book I assumed that these beautiful women were dancers. Not I know that they were all going to a ball.

Danielle Steel proves, once again, why she is the master of the romance novel with THE BALL AT VERSAILLES.

In 1958 Amelia, Felicity, Caroline and Samantha are among a select few of Americans invited to present in the first debutant ball at Versailles. After family pressure, each of them reluctantly agree to go. All four girls are going for different reason of their own while their families hope that they will meet others in the upper echelons of society both here and abroad.

Amelia, whose father passed away when she was only nine years old initially agrees to go because her mother, Jane thinks it will be a good experience for her. Rather than the promotion she expected at work, she was let go through no fault of her own. Reeling from that betrayal, Jane is determined to get Amelia to the ball.

Felicity, brainy, overweight and always in her older, beautiful sister’s shadow, agrees to go only to appease her rich, parents. She is not looking for a mate and can’t be bothered to lose the weight her mother is pressuring her to lose before the event so she can be presented in a favorable light. Her older sister, Araminta, believes that SHE should have been the one invited.

Caroline, daughter of Hollywood royalty has been in a clandestine relationship for about a year. When she finds him sleeping with another woman, their relationship is over and she goes to Paris in the hopes of repairing her broken heart. Her single father, Robert, has been over-protective since she was involved in an accident at age five that killed her mother and brother and left her with balance problems.

All four girls and their families arrive in Paris with different expectations and all leave with much more than they bargained for.

A timely tale of young love, second chances and the romance of Paris. I very much enjoyed the writing style as it moved smoothly between scenes and preparations for the ball. And the ending, as with all Steel novels was so sweet and simple that the smile on my face just continued to shine. I haven’t read Steel in quite a while as it’s not my usual genre but maybe I need to return to her writing.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

Four beautiful young women, Amelia, Felicity, Caroline, and Samantha are cordially invited to a Debutante Ball in Versailles. They are all very different women, each with a past that they want to overcome and each of the seeking an opportunity of a lifetime. The book is set in 1959, and there is a lot to unpack with that era of our time. But the author does a great job with the story, the characters are amazing and it's an enjoyable story overall. Women who are determined to live their lives the way they want and in a time, when social norms wants them to follow the rules. A rebellious spirit cannot be untamed.

Dislcaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Classic Danielle Steel love story! 4 young American socialites are invited to the debutante ball at Versailles. Although hesitate to go, they each navigate it with grace and a few end up lucky in love. I complexity enjoyed this love story and the characters of the young women. Fun enjoyable read!

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Random House and Danielle Steel for a digital ARC of this book. Fans, both long time and more recent, are in for a treat with The Ball at Versailles. This book is historical fiction and based on the first debutante ball for both French and American debutantes, which was held at the Palace of Versailles in July 1958. The ball was held to promote positive relations between France and the United States and as a fundraiser for the restoration of Versailles. The story follows four diverse young American college girls who are invited to the ball. All are reluctant to attend but one night at Versailles changes their lives in ways they would never have imagined. Changes are in store for some of their parents also. The Ball at Versailles is well written and flows smoothly. The very likable characters grow and evolve throughout the book. This is a very enjoyable read for anyone looking for a romantic escape with happy endings. I can definitely see sequels to this book, which would also be an excellent film adaptation.

This story was a delight for me with all the storybook elegance a ball in Paris could contain. Taking place in the 1950’s , forty high society debutantes from America are invited to attend an incredible ball at Versailles, that would change their lives forever. Four of the young women form a fast friendship that would bond them forever, and I was amazed by our author’s ability to distinguish them so clearly by their personalities and backgrounds, that it was never confusing to me, to keep each character or her family in perspective. Well done, with a very satisfying conclusion.

THE BALL AT VERSAILLES
Danielle Steel
Romance

The summer of 1959 will forever change the course of four women’s lives. They make their debut’s as debutants at the Ball of Versailles. It will introduce them into a whole new world and make them better for it.

I absolutely love Danielle Steel’s writing style and, once again, she didn’t disappoint with this book. She takes readers into a long forgotten world of the rich and privileged. I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars.