Really enjoyed this one. Sad childhood stories always draw me in! Can’t wait to read the whole thing!

Thank you for providing this advanced copy for me to read. I am a big fan of Danielle Steel. I enjoyed this book immensely. The main character Allegra was very compelling. You felt for her as she dealt with being deserted as an You felt for her as she dealt with being deserted as a child and then later by her first husband child by her parents and later by her first husband. You
Rejoiced as she found a Rejoiced as she found a new life and true love and true love. I cried often during the book I’m marbled, and how she found joy after so much loss. I highly recommend this book as I couldn’t put it down enjoyed the book.

In Danielle Steel's latest book, Joy, six year old, Allegra Dixon’s party-loving mother leaves without so much as a goodbye. Her father, a military officer, is unwilling to care for her. Allegra is sent to live in her grandparents’ joyless home,

While attending boarding school, Allegra meets a young West Point cadet named Shep Williams. Soon they develop a friendship and fall in love.

After college, Allegra is working as a book editor and Shep is rising through the ranks of the military. But then Shep receives a posting to Afghanistan, and they decide to marry before he goes. Between his deployments, they cling to their brief moments together.

But soon Allegra realizes that war has begun to change her husband into a man she no longer recognizes. The trauma he has experienced proves to be too harrowing, and Allegra finds herself feeling alone again. What does Allegra have to do to find happiness? Great book.

This book seems to tugs at your heart from the beginning a young 6 year old girl Allegra whose mom up and leaves her without a goodbye, her dad is military and gone for months/years at a time and she is forced to attend a boarding school then her grandparents who really don't care to have her. Her whole life is seems she has grown up with not being "wanted" She meets a boy as a teenager thinking they will last and secretly get married, when he is deployed and instead of sticking to their original plans he re-enlists and continues to get deployed leaving her again by herself till the last deployment when she's served divorce papers. At this point Allegra decides to make a change as she has no family, her dad has died at this point, her mom is living in London, she leaves New York for LA not knowing anyone or what she is going to do. She some how manages to find her strength and love again and spends a few years with a guy her senior till he passes away. There is lots of loss, sadness, wealth, love, second chances and will have you have going through all the emotions. I was not to happy with the ending hoping for a second book.

Thank you NetGalley, Danielle Steel and the publisher for the ARC

Allegra had a very difficult life. Abandoned by her mother at 6 years old, her military father had no idea how to care for her and left her with her uninterested grandparents. They had no interest in her, so she kept to herself. Unloved and alone she and Shep became friends. They eventually married and Shep joined the military becoming a clone of her dad. He was forever changed and eventually left her after some scary situations.
After graduating from school, Allegra went to work for Henry who treated her with kindness and love. It seemed that she may have found her joy until tragedy happened. Allegra lived a most difficult life.
This was well written but ultimately very sad. I was given an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Joy

The story follows Allegra from a young child to an adult. Allegra had to overcome so much in life. The story had me interested from the first word. It was a very interesting story. I enjoyed it very much.

I received an advanced copy of the book from NetGalley. This book review is my own opinion.

A great lighthearted read detailing the determination and grit of the lead female's character. At the end of the book, I wondered if this was slightly autobiographical? Another good book by Danielle Steel.

As it always is with Danielle steel it was a wonderful book atleast for me. Good story, beautiful characters and a happy ending after some kind of trouble.

A hard life makes this main character look for joy and then find love in the most unexpected place. A tale of inner strength makes you root for her the whole way through!

I have read many of Danielle Steel’s books. But I feel over the years her writing has lacked. The last several that I have read have all been so predictable. The characters were likable but the first third of the book I just felt like it was so repetitive. I was really hoping that Shep would re-enter her life after Henry and so I felt let down. In my opinion, the book was just okay.

The first 56% of the book was gut wrenching. Some really hard stuff for the main character. The 2nd half of the book was not what I was expecting. The main character faced a really challenging childhood. She finally found happiness and love, but then some big things yet again happened. Was not my favorite book. If the second half was different I would have enjoyed it more. It wasn’t a bad book, and there was a beautiful message, just not a favorite for me.

Marisa <nibletsmommy@yahoo.com>

3:17 PM (1 minute ago)

to me

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⭐️’s

Joy by

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have read every Danielle Steel book, and in true fashion, this one did not disappoint, but it was predictable.

When her mother leaves her at 6 years old, Allegra is left with her Career Military father, who prefers war zones to his kid

She is passed on to live with both sets grandparents for school , but does go on to college and marry her teenage crush.

A series of bad things happen, and Allegra must navigate lots of sad situations.

This book is pretty much par for the course for a Steel book.

It’s a quick read, and comes out in August 2024.

Danielle Steel writes stories that resonate with you for a while after you close the book. Her characters are so fully developed and lifelike that you become part of the story and feel invested in their lives. This book is no different. This poor little girl, shuffled from one unloving home to the next has to make her own way in the world and ends up all the better for rising above her childhood. Great story. Thanks to the publisher and net galley for the ARC.

Danielle Steel's characters are extremely well written. I literally felt every heartbreaking emotion of the main character Allegra. I was a bit blindsided with the title of Joy. Have been reading books by Ms Steel for several decades now and she is a pretty consistent storyteller with the high and lows.

I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley for my honest opinion.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Some children have happy childhoods with amazing memories. Unfortunately, Allegra was not one of those children and got shuffled around to different family members and boarding school when her parents were not able to be there for her emotionally and physically due to a military career (her father) and a very selfish mother. Feeling like she never belonged anywhere, Allegra got lost in reading her books where she got to experience another life. With her childhood love, she dreams of a better life as she starts college to eventually get into publishing. A rushed secret engagement and marriage, Allegra once again feels alone and lost with a husband who is always overseas like her father was and no one to be there for her. As life starts to crumble more and more, she decides to take charge of her life and move further away from all of the unhappy memories to create a brighter future for herself. At least that is the hope she has.

Danielle Steel does it again with pulling all of the heart strings and emotions with Joy. I got very caught up in the storyline and finished it within a day because I just could not put it down. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC. Also thank you to the author, Danielle Steel for the amazing writing and great read! Looking forward to reading some more of your ARC's!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book. This story is about a young girl born to a military father and mother who both abandon her into the care of boarding schools and uncaring grandparents. She leads a very loveless life but resiliently forges through it with more downs than ups. Her brief moments of joy are too few to make this more than a depressing read. Fortunately it is a fast one.

I just want to hug you Allegra! This book had me going through all the emotions. Mad, sad, angry, happy, and of course…Joy.
Thank you Netgalley and Danielle Steel for an early release ARC.

Reading a Danielle Steel book feels like coming home. She's been writing books longer than I've been alive. And I've been reading her books long before I was old enough. This book made me feel exactly the way I felt, the first time I read one of her books. There's so much emotion on every page.

Allegra is the main character & you go on a life's journey with her. The flow of the story isn't too fast or too slow. It just glides you along with her, while she experiences things that are somewhat unimaginable. However DS had a way of making a lifestyle far separated from your own, seem relatable somehow.

This book had more twists & turns than I expected. I was not expecting that ending. I honestly wasn't sure what was going to happen! It definitely kept me interested the whole way through! Loved it! Unsurprisingly, this book is another cherished story that will join my collection of her beautiful novels. Her books are some of my favorite treasures.

I am honored to have received this ARC because DS is one author that has made an impact on my life. I think we all have those authors we hold dear. I will post my review on goodreads closer to the publication date, as requested by DS at the front of the book.

I love Danielle’s books. I was able to relate to this one a little more due to being a military family and being around those who had had war steal their joy and break families apart.

I’m struggling to write my thoughts on this book- Allegra basically had to raise herself as her selfish family couldn’t be bothered. She finds a true love and he leaves her for his career even when they had discussed what that would do to you time and time again after seeing what it did to her father. With no one in her life and needing a way to support herself Allegra picks up and moves from the East Coast to the West Coast. Fortunately for her she makes the right choices and finds a unique opportunity & love only to be met with heartache but she always finds the positive opportunity to make the best of the situation.
Joy is a sad story but because of Allegra’s personality she chooses Joy.