Member Reviews
I just loved this book! It will be up at the top of my DS favorites. Ardith was a strong lead. The story was original and engrossing. I enjoyed the fact that neither Ardith nor her daughter fell into traditional roles when it came to love. Will definitely recommend as I do all of Ms. Steel's wonderfully well-written stories.
Thank you Danielle Steel, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.
Upside Down by Danielle Steel is the story of a mother and daughter whose relationship is cordial at best. Movie star Ardith Law and her daughter Morgan, a plastic surgeon, have never seen eye to eye. Morgan views Ardith as a star who never made time for her, even after the death of her philandering father. When tragedy strikes, Ardith finds herself dependent on Josh Gray, the personal assistant who she almost had arrested. Mother and daughter's love lives end up looking alike in a upside down kind of way.
I enjoyed this book and found it hard to put down, I always look forward to what Danielle Steel has in store for us and her characters.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this ARC.
Ardith Law is a Hollywood icon. She was married and had a daughter by another Hollywood star who died in an accident with his mistress when their daughter was 7. Morgan has held her mother’s career against her and their relationship has always been strained. At 60, Ardith has been in a long term with Bill who is also a Hollywood legend. Bill has just signed on for a new film in London and has the studio send a personal assist for Ardith while he is gone. Everyone is surprised when that assistant is Josh Gray, a 40 year old struggling actor. Morgan has been come a successful plastic surgeon in New York. Few people know her connection to Hollywood Royalty. One day TV anchorman Ben Ryan comes in for a procedure and is instantly taken by Morgan. Using all of his charm he finally convinces Morgan to go on a date with him. The twist and turns of their relationship starts automatically with the first being a 20 year age difference. Ardith and Morgan both struggle with their relationships of one dating 20 years younger and the other dating 20 years older. How will it ever work out.
Danielle Steel is amazing at making the unconventional and unexpected work out. True to her style there is heartbreak and tragedy that leave you wondering what it the light at the end of the tunnel and when will it begin to shine.
Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to netgallery and the publisher for the copy of this book. This is going to be another best seller for Danielle Steel. This story is about happiness and unexpected love. This story focuses on a Hollywood legend and her daughter's unexpected relationships. This book was an excellent read. Once I started this book I did not put it down until I finished it.
Another fast read by Danielle Steel. This one includes lots of topics for discussion: mother-daughter relationships, career versus family, and the dynamics of an older women younger male relationship and a younger women older male relationship. A story of bold choices and of reconciliation.
Ardith is a true movie star but as the book reveals, she is so much more than a beautiful face that has been wildly successful in the roles she has played and the audience she commands. She is truly beautiful inside and out with a great heart and willingness to help those in need. Her life does truly turn upside down with Josh but it is him that helps her realize the depth of true love and what life can be like when meeting your true partner and best friend whom truly wants the best for you. What it feels like to be satisfied on both an emotional and physical level. It was such a sharp contrast to her daughter Morgan whom was determined to live life full of anger and lacking empathy towards others even though she is in the field of medicine. Even though she was happy with Ben, their relationship seemed very one sided most of the time as he dictated how it evolved and when they would see each other. I was glad that she finally shed her negatively towards her mother as that is truly not the way to live life. This book is a great reminder that the best success one can have in life is true love.
I really enjoyed this Danielle Steel novel, it was all about unexpected love and happiness despite loss and circumstances. Well written, easy to get into from the first chapter..
4.5 Stars! Another great read from a great author. I love Danielle Steel books as they almost always have good, solid storylines and characters with a lot of depth. This book was an easy, warm read and had a lot of great sentiment. There was one part of the story that seemed a bit improbable but overall I very much enjoyed this book and look forward to the next Steel book. I am grateful to have received an ADR for my honest review. I offer many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this opportunity.
Upside Down, the latest offering by this prolific author, is solid escapist reading. However, it does not represent Steel’s best work, which often gives thoughtful reflection on contemporary issues that go beyond pure entertainment value. This storyline is predictable, and the character development felt superficial.
Ardith Law, an aging Hollywood film icon, loses her companion to a sudden heart attack. While she had been a devoted partner, the relationship was more comfortable than passionate. Josh Gray, a struggling middle-aged actor, is hired as her assistant and despite the 21-year difference in their ages, the two find a genuine, deep, fulfilling connection. Similarly, Ardith’s daughter, Morgan, falls in love with a dynamic news journalist who is 25 years older. Hence the source of the book’s title: the mirror image of ages differences in the mother’s and daughter’s love interests.
Overall, I found this novel to be a fast-paced read with Steel’s classic style of a strong, likeable female protagonist. It was a challenge to embrace Morgan with her hard-core anger, but this resolved in a satisfying manner. I most appreciated the premise that love transcends cultural expectations of age-appropriate relationships.
My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.
Another great story featuring strong characters and a great story. I always enjoy reading books by Danielle Steel, they are easy, quick reads that satisfy. Thanks for the ARC.
Danielle Steel is consistent once again as the heroine of her latest novel, “Upside Down”, is a 62 year old women who doesn’t look at all her age and is blond and beautifully in shape. Get past that and the story is really pretty good. Ardith Law is Hollywood royalty and when the world throws her yet another curve ball, she finds that, with the help of her young male assistant, Josh, she can live life to its fullest. Complicating matters is her estranged daughter, Morgan, a successful, but bitter plastic surgeon who wants little to do with Ardith.
As with all Danielle Steel books, there was a lot of repetition, but again, if you think that it’s going to be different, quit reading her books. The point of this story is that sometimes, our soulmate isn’t at all who we were looking for and that it is never too late for families to come together and BE a family. Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Wonderful Story. Ardith was a widow and a famous movie star. She hadn't worked in 2 years as a script hadn't interested her. The sad part of the story was her grown daughter who was a plastic surgeon that had a lot of anger toward her mother because she wasn't around during her childhood. It took a major upheaval in her life to put it aside finally. When Ardith's long time companion went on location for his film, he got his agent to assign an assistant for her. It was quite a surprise to see a bearded ruffian on a motoycycle pull up. That was a funny scene. She explained that he needed to dress better and people would take him more serious as an actor. He had been playing aliens and in horror films. When tragedy struck, Josh was right by her side helping her deal with it and they became close. The part of the story that follows was good for both of them and when another tragedy almost happens, she realizes what he means to her. A perfect story with HEA for two couples.
I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review
Ardith's golden girl fame in Hollywood has dimmed without movie offers. Searching for meaningful work in her sixties is proving harder than in her youth. When her partner for twelve years is shooting a movie overseas, she's gifted an assistant to handle her affairs.
When Josh 'Harleyed' his way into her life she knew it was never going to be the same. Beneath his gruff exterior lies a tender heart that wants the best for her. Learning devastating news that her money or success can't afford a different outcome, Josh becomes her rock. Will these two despite their differences turn everything #UpsideDown right side up?
Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #UpsideDown in exchange for an honest review. While I was able to predict the storyline, Danielle Steel novels always awaken a feeling of coming home. My mom introduced me to the author and while growing up, we discussed storylines together.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. This is an easy, breezy, weekend read by Danielle Steel, this book “ Upside Down”, refers to the plot , which centers on Ardith Law, a famous actress in her sixties, and her relationship with a younger man, the story also focuses on Her daughter Morgan who is a successful surgeon in New York who gets involved with a much older man. The story is quick paced, does not delve into deep character development, the story subplot is about the strained relationship between Ardith and Morgan, which has its ups and downs. This book is an enjoyable, relaxing read.
Award winning, popular actor Ardith Law represents Old Hollywood glamour. At sixty-two, she hasn’t acted for two years but is enjoying life and her relationship with William West, an older actor. She has one child, Morgan, who is a successful plastic surgeon in New York. The two are not close and Morgan blames that on her mother’s career. Then West dies suddenly and Ardith finds herself leaning on her assistant John Gray. He’s almost twenty years younger than Ardith but if the age difference doesn’t matter to him…It does, however, matter to Morgan, who criticizes her mother mercilessly. Morgan has problems of her own. She has fallen in love with Ben Ryan, an older (older than her mother) famous TV newsman. He becomes embroiled in a scandal which may end their relationship and her mother is the only person she can turn to.
When a book opens with “the line of limousines snaked down the driveway of the Beverly Hilton hotel “ you know the author is Danielle Steel and it’s going to be good. The aptly named Upside Down is a quick read, full of romance and beautiful people. There’s sadness, drama and, as always, a happy ending. Enjoy! 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Danielle Steel for this ARC.
Upside Down lives up (no pun intended) to its title. Ardith is an Oscar-winning actress, while her daughter Morgan is a successful plastic surgeon. Ardith lives comfortably with her older companion fellow actor Bill West, while Morgan shies away from relationships, not only with men but with her mother as well. As time passes, two other men enter the picture, Josh Gray and Ben Ryan. The appearance of these two forces both women to reconsider their choices and take a chance on love.
Without a doubt, I found Morgan to be one of the most unlikeable characters that I have ever run across. Morgan has serious resentments tied to her childhood that she is unable to let go of, and her treatment is her mother is truly reprehensible. This was a book that I found hard to put down because I needed to see what would happen next. Moving past my anger of dislike of Morgan, the rest of the characters were intriguing and brought about a smile. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book.
This story, written by a popular author, is a quick read with intriguing characters. UPSIDE DOWN...the title is also intriguing...the novel follows a period in the life of an older actress, her young assistant/actor...her young daughter and her older boyfriend...upside down...this is not a deep story...it is shallow...it does not get into real feelings...it is just a light, romantic read...finding that someone the second time around...or maybe the first...this author has written magnificent novels...she is widely read and loved...this one just does not match the others...however, curl up in a comfy chair, grab a warm throw....a cup of herbal tea...enjoy an afternoon with the rich and famous. Thank you Netgalley.