Danielle Steel never disappoints. This book is no exception. It is full of emotion on every page and I loved it. Allegra had a rough start at life, never feeling loved and so alone. In her search for Joy she only experiences more heartache as people always let her down. Like in life, our bad times make us treasure the good ones even more. I love the title it is perfect for this book as Allegra finds her Joy! Thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for this amazing read.

Absolutely loved this book. Danielle Steel knows how to pull at the heartstrings.
It is a book that definitely requires a box of tissues for the reader.
Many twists that will keep you reading through your tears.

This book is as cozy as a cup of tea! I devoured this book in one day and thoroughly enjoyed the main character Allegra, who is navigating the world as a strong adult after suffering a childhood filled with rejection. Allegra is a character you want to wrap your arms around, but her mom Isabelle, you'd like to give a good throttling to.

If we voted on fictional characters, Isabelle might win worst mother character of the year. But Allegra's dad isn't much better. He's all Army all the time and after he gets full custody of Allegra, she shuffles her around between grandparents and boarding school, but manages to send presents and checks every once in a while. You want to straighten him out too.

But then enter Shep, Allegra's childhood sweetheart and I'm not sure who wins the award for worst behavior in this book. Yet Allegra powers through all of the merciless rejections and the terrible lot in life she's been given to find true joy and success in life.

Danielle Steel knows how to write a plot that draws you in and hooks you so you can't put her book down. And this book will leave give you a warm, fuzzy feeling in life after you've finished.
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Good story

This was the story of a lonely little girl, abandoned by her mother as a young child, her father was lost to his career and she rarely saw him. Allegra was tossed first to unprepared grandparents, and then to an unfeeling boarding school. All this turned her into a lonely, yet very educated young woman. In fact, one of her only childhood friends was Shep, and she eventually marries him.

Allegra faces many challenges throughout the book, and she meets them with courage and resilience. Unlike some of Ms. Steel's characters, Allegra always works and supports herself, albeit supplemented by family inheritances at times. She has few relationships, but the ones she has are significant. I liked this book, it moved fast and tied up in a nice ending.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Danielle Steele is the best contemporary fiction writer ever in my opinion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Somehow every book is better than the last, and if you've never read any of her books, just pick one & go from there.

Allegra Dixon is only six years old when her mother Isabelle has decided that she no longer wants or needs to be a mother or a wife to her husband Bradley Dixon. So, she leaves and doesn't bother to say good bye or see you later to her little girl. As a matter of fact, her father basically does the same thing to her. He comes into her room and she notices that he is in his uniform and he says that her mom is gone and she isn't coming back. Then he left her room. Didn't say where she would be going or if she would be going anywhere at all. He also forgot that there wasn't anyone there to feed her as it was Anna's day off. So Allegra was all alone at the tender age of six , except she had her teddy bear George.

Allegra ends up going to live with her fathers parents. She lived with them for five years. Bradley ended up having to make quick arrangements for Allegra as his mother had a sudden stroke and died and his father was suffering from advanced senility. That brings Allegra to private boarding school. There was no other choice due to her mother giving her parental rights up and her father being in the Army and stationed over seas all the time. During Christmas and other holiday time off Bradley turns to his ex- wife's parents to help with their granddaughter. They did but reluctantly.

When Allegra was 16 the summer that her and Shepard Williams met. He was twenty and attended West Point. He was going into the Army after he graduated but wasn't sure that he wanted to make it a career. They were so much a like that they quietly started seeing each other. I say quietly as his parents thought she was way too young for him and he was too young to be involved with anyone.

After she graduated from high school she got into Columbia. The plan was that Shep would get out of the Army the year after she graduated from Columbia. They got married before that but didn't tell anyone because they were afraid of what their families would say. He did tell the Army as he had to because he got orders to Afghanistan. Unfortunately, things don't go the way Allegra thought they would for her and Shepard.

She ends up moving to Los Angeles, CA.

This was a thought provoking book. I guess it really makes you realize how evil and selfish people are in this world. I can't bring myself to imagine a child or a person going through what this young child and or woman went through in her life. Not only does Danielle Steel make you feel the feelings of Allegra but you actually become her! It's so much more than painting with words. This is a craft that you can tell she has honed for years.

Highly recommend this book to everyone!

I enjoyed reading it and ultimately wound up caring about the main character. That said, the beginning setup was really lengthy, and I know I would have liked it much better if there's was more time spent on the adult relationships later in the Allegra's life.

Danielle Steel novels are my ultimate guilty pleasure! Joy did not disappoint! Thank you to the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read another masterpiece !

Joy by Danielle Steel is a beautiful story about learning to love and finding joy. Allegra had a joyless childhood, but still opened her heart to love.

As in most books by this author, Allegra Dixon navigates the complexities of love, loss, and self-discovery in this captivating tale. Abandoned by her party-loving mother at a young age, Allegra finds solace in the pages of books and the fleeting connections she makes with those around her. But when she meets Shep Williams, a dashing cadet from West Point, her life takes an unexpected turn. As their love blossoms and they embark on a journey of marriage and military service, Allegra is faced with challenges that test the strength of their bond. Will their love endure the trials of war and separation, or will they be torn apart by forces beyond their control? Join Allegra on a rollercoaster of emotions as she grapples with the complexities of love, duty, and sacrifice in this poignant tale of resilience and hope.

Know that this is not the escapist romantic Danielle Steel novel you might be expecting and that joy is in short supply. It is, however, about resilience. Allegra had never been truly loved until she met Shep but his service in the US Army, well, Steel treads lightly on the seriousness of his trauma. A move to Los Angeles leads her to a new life and love-and then the Steel we know comes out. Much of this is dreary but again, light for what it is. And, as sometimes is the case, it would have benefited from another edit to remove some of the repetitiveness. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For true Steel fans.

I grew up looking at Danielle Steel books on my mom's bookshelves, so getting this ARC was an out-of-body experience for me! As always, Steel wrote a FMC that you will get invested in and a story that will break your heart.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Danielle Steel, and Random House - Ballantine for the ARC!

I feel like Danielle Steel’s writing style either works for you or doesn’t. For me personally, it’s hard to connect with a story that does more telling than showing. Nevertheless, this book was a rather quick read for me. Allegra’s story was heartbreaking and a maybe as a military kid with divorced parents, it was too traumatic for me. But I’m happy that she was able to find some kind of peace and joy in life.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the e-ARC.

Another story from the prolific author. While Steel's stories are enjoyable and heartfelt, they feel rushed. A whole life story in less than 350 pages. The end felt rushed.

A young girl with a roller coaster upbringing after her mother leaves her at a young age and her father prefers his job to fathering, she is raised by grandparents who don't want her. Through her love, loss, cross country migration and more love, Allegra lives a life of love.

Allegra Dixon’s life has been sad and tragic. Her beautiful, impetuous mother left her in her father’s custody when she was six. Her father’s military career kept him away or all but a few weeks of her young life and she was raised by housekeepers, unwilling older relatives and by the books she read voraciously. At sixteen she fell in love and for the first time in her life, love was returned. Circumstances change, however, and Joy finds herself alone again. She moves to Los Angeles and becomes the assistant to a an older, successful man. They fall in love and she is happy once more until another tragedy.

Danielle Steel writes books that are full of glamour, expensive clothing, mouth watering meals and handsome couples. Joy is different. It is dark and sad, with flashes of happiness. Joy’s life shows us what is always true. Love is most important and sometimes hard to find. 4 stars.

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

Joy by Danielle Steel. The story was enjoyable but not a top read. I've read a lot of past books by the author and she never disappoints me when I pick up one of her books. She's knows how to give you a great storyline that keeps you reading.

I am a huge fan of Danielle Steel and will read any book she writes. Her stories are always so easy to read and her characters are so relatable. Thank you Ms Steel!

Joy by Danielle Steel tells the story of Allegra Dixon, a resilient woman, who leads a lonely, sad life. The story is easy to read, and it is just the right length (256 books). If the repetitive details were removed, it would be even shorter. Despite the title, Joy is a depressing story. It does become better near the end when it ends abruptly. I wish that the story was not so predictable (nor so dismal). There were some small bright spots, but they were fleeting. I was not a fan of the cheesy and abrupt ending. Joy is not what I would consider an escapist novel (not a story that you wish to read at the beach or while lounging by the pool). My favorite line from Joy is, “It took courage to hang to on joy, and determination not to lose it. The bad people and the bad times made one grow stronger and appreciate joy even more when one found it again, still intact, its light shining even brighter than before.” While Joy was not joyful, I am looking forward to reading Danielle Steel’s next novel. I have been reading this author’s books since I was twelve and I am not about to stop now.

I enjoy Danielle Steel’s unique writing style. She barrels through a story with directness. But for a book called Joy, I didn’t find much joy in it. Allegra Dixon is abandoned by her mother at the age of six. Her father works in military intelligence and is always serving in hot spots around the world. Left behind she is raised by wealthy grandparents who ignore her and leave her in boarding schools. I don’t want to spoil more of the plot. Allegra is amazingly well adjusted and kind as she searches for love and work that interests her. I felt that so much of her life just happens to her and then you get her reaction to it. I wanted her to find her own joy and I guess in a way she does. But I never connected to her emotionally and when it ended I kind of shrugged and thought meh. It is an okay story but it didn’t really build to a satisfying conclusion.

The story of Allegera was both sad and joyful. Abandoned by everyone in her life from the age of 6 and up. She became a warrior and fought her way through many stages in her life. She finally found love when she met Shep and got married, only to be abandoned by him due to the army and nightmares he experienced. He divorced her and that broke her. She packed her stuff and moved to LA. She found a job working for Henry and found joy and love with him. They married and led a joyful life until he died and she was alone again. It shows how one person can bounce back from everything they experience in life.