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Every time I pick up a Danielle Steel novel I end up hating myself a little for wasting time reading her novels, but I’m a sucker. I loved some of her novels so much (Family Album, Daddy) that I keep hoping that THIS will be the magical novel that takes me back to her writing style from so long ago that I loved and I’ll be happy. And each time I am just disappointed.

This is yet another tale of a beautiful, wealthy older woman who has an enviable life gets to be considered even more enviable by FINALLY finding her one true love (OTL) - who just also happens to be drop dead gorgeous and considerably wealthy in his own right. Of course her children are unhappy about this (aren’t they always?) but at least they are all adults and not living with her, so she doesn’t need to sacrifice her OTL. And then they ride off together into the sunset.

What I loved: I think my favorite character ends up being the dog Stephanie adopts in the end. But of course, a regular mutt isn’t good enough for our heroine – she has to find a rare Chinese Hairless Crested!

What I didn’t love: Do you have 10 minutes so I can vent? From the holier-than-thou “friends” Stephanie has to her ungrateful children, to the fact that the paparazzi doesn’t bother to haunt her outside of L.A., and that she can sneak some dog into a Las Vegas concert on New Year’s Eve – this is not the kind of fluff I was looking to read.

What I learned: That I get stupider with every Danielle Steel novel I read because I never learn that she will never break her formula like she used to.

Overall Grade: C-