Bittersweet

Rating:
Summary: yuck
Review: All I have to say is get a backbone girl! I don't respectanyone who can't stand up for herself. She took abuse and .... from her husband for far too long. I'm sorry but I've grown up believing in myself and never being dependant on anyone else. She never stood up for herself....she let her husband run the conversations and she let him dictate how she would lead her life. I really didn't like this book...I even skipped parts of it because I got so disgusted.

Rating:
Summary: Typical Steel Fare
Review: Nothing new here. We have the insensitive husband who views his wife as nothing more than a babsitter and maid. We have the talented wife who has given up her career to raise a family. We have the zillionaire Wall Street type with superstar wife who is a tiger in his business dealings but somehow comes across as just a "little bit wimpy" as a man. This is formula stuff for DS. We've seen all these characters before in other DS novels. They're very hard to sympathize with. I found myself hoping they'd all drown on the zillionaire's gigantic sail boat. If you're a DS fan and have to read this, save yourself the money and check it out of your local library.

Rating:
Summary: Predictable!
Review: I used to love Danielle Steel. Either I've outgrown her or she's run out of ideas, I'm not sure which. I was very disappointed in this book. Very boring - I skimmed through the last chapter just to get it over with.

Rating:
Summary: Review of Bittersweet
Review: This was a good book but was not one of Danielle Steel's best.

The story was about a woman, India, who for 14 years was controlled by her husband. Before she married, she was a successful photojournalist in the Peace Corps. When her husband, Doug, gave her an ultimatum to either give up her career or loose him, she opted to give up her career. She had 4 children in 5 years and gave up her whole self to be their caregiver, car pool driver, soccer game supporter, etc. until one day when she realized that's all her husband wanted. She questioned his love for her. She needed to find out who she was and do somethings for her soul and her love for photography. She met Paul while on vacation in Cape Cod, where her summer home was. He was her friend and confidant. Until one day things changed. His wife a successful novelist was killed in a plane crash. India was there for him. They called eachother and talked endlessly.

Their romance could have been more steamy like the other novels but it forced you to wonder when they would get together.

Paul and India do get together for a short time and then he decides that he is still devoted to his dead wife and breaks is off with India. She is devistated and takes months to get over it. She almost kills herself in a car accident over it. Finally, she and Doug separate and the divorce process begins and India starts to take on several assignments. On one of the assignments, when she thought she was completely over Paul, he turns up in South Africa. They spend 3 weeks together and build up their friendship. After she leaves he realizes that he can't live without her and goes to find her in the midst of a hurricane.

The story ends. It leaves you hanging on for more. What about the kids, Doug, and what changed? I wanted more. But I didn't get it.

It was good but not as good as Remembrance.

Enjoy. Hope this review helps someone.

Thanks.

Rating:
Summary: Nice Story, but not one of her best
Review: This was an entertaining story, but I am surprised at all of the 5 star reviews. In general I like Danielle Steele, but this book was one of her weaker ones. The author repeats information over and over, as if the reader can't remember. Or as if by emphasizing the character's certainty about specific ideas or feelings, we are supposed to be surprised when it all changes. For example, the beginning of the book repeats how much India knows Doug loves and appreciates her several times. Then we find out he doesn't. When I read it, I correctly guessed the outcome just because of the seemingly unneccesary attention the author gave to India's sentiments. It was the same with her feelings for Paul. How many times can the author tell us that India is sure she feels only friendship for this man before we are to guess that it is more? It was all very superficial. I did not find the plot changes surprising, since the author gave multiple obvious leading hints just prior to almost every twist of the plot. Also, I did not get as emotionally involved in the characters as I normally would.

Rating:
Summary: ""Couldn't Put Down""
Review: This was by far one of the "VERY BEST" books that I have read in a long time. ! I had a hard time putting it down to do something else..all I wanted to do was get back to it.. I read it in 3-days..given only a little time in the morning and evening ""GREAT BOOK"" !

Rating:
Summary: Bittersweet Review
Review: Bittersweet-- India, a woman of great poise, grew up in Central America. She was a great photographer, just like her father, who had won a considerable amount of awards for his photographs including numerous Pulitzers. India definitely followed in his footsteps, photographing the most dangerous guerrillas in Nicaragua, dying children in Bangladesh, floods in Tanzania, and starving children in Africa. Then, in Costa Rica, India met Doug, her future husband, while in the Peace Corps. After India met Doug they "stayed in touch" while he went back to New York and India continued to photograph dangerous scenes throughout the country. A year and a half later, Doug issued an ultimatum. He warned her that if she wanted a future with him she had better "get her ___ back to New York." For a brief moment this was a tough decision for India. She knew that a life like her father's was out there, but she also knew that her father's career ultimately cost him his life and to some extent his marriage. So, without further hesitation, India decided to return to New York to begin a new life as Doug's wife. Soon thereafter, the two moved to Connecticut to live. While "serving" as Doug's wife, India took pictures for the New York Times for two years until she and Doug decided to have children. Doug made it very clear that when their first child came, India was to give up her career entirely. India agreed to this. India was happy with her life. She and her four kids went to Cape Cod for a month every summer. One particular summer Doug was not able to visit Cape Cod until the last week of their vacation. While Doug wasn't there, India met a guy, by means of friends, whose name was Paul Ward. India and her youngest, Sam, were awed by Paul and his huge sailboat, Sea Star. It was pure luxury. As was the sailboat, the vacation was a luxury as well, which flew by. India and Sam spent waking hour with Paul. India and Paul became really good friends but could go no further because they were both married. Paul was married to a very famous and stunning author, Serena Smith, who he was very much in love with. As India and her children's vacation came to an end, she and Paul sad their good-byes and everyone went their separate ways, with Paul back out on the Sea Star with his wife and India back to Connecticut. After returning back home from vacation, India got a call from her agent wishing that she would take an assignment. India confronted Doug which made him very upset. India then called Paul for reassurance about whether or not taking the assignment would be unlawful to Doug. Paul encouraged India to do what she wanted. India made her decision to go to England and take the assignment. When she confronted Doug about this decision, it made him very angry and he would not even listen to what she had to say. Over the next few months India took two assignments which led her to England. Each time, she just so happened to meet up with Paul. The two fell in love and then Paul broke it off because he still felt loyal to Serena, even though she died in a plane accident a few years prior to this. Paul "broke" India's heart and she was devastated. They remained friends, however, and India told Paul that she wanted a guy who would go through a hurricane for her. From this time on, until next summer, India was just miserable. Doug filed for divorce, which went through. Then he remarried.

However, the next summer, back at Cape Cod, sure enough a hurricane was brewing. India stormed outside because she saw Sam running back to the house. Will Paul return through a hurricane for India? The irony of the story is exactly as the title says, Bittersweet. India and Paul really loved each other throughout the whole story yet they wanted to stay lawful to their significant other. I absolutely loved this book because it was so suspenseful. The outcome was just as I had planned although there was a great amount of ironic details in the plot line. However, I would suggest that if you are particularly a woman, and are a mature reader, you need to read this book.

Rating:
Summary: OK
Review: This book was good once you get past the first chapter. The longer you read the book the better it gets.

Rating:
Summary: Written by stuffed monkey?
Review: This is the first -and last- Steel novel I have read. I was compelled to read it to see if I was missing a potentially rich source of mindless escape. It's shockingly awful. I suppose it has a plot that moves along, but I could not get past the clumsy writing. Does this mad woman not allow a copyeditor into her world? I mean it is what it is. But even as a "page turner, fun trash read" or whatever it is supposed to be, well, ugh. It brings to mind an image of letting the dog cut your hair with his teeth.

Rating:
Summary: Very very bitter
Review: Steel's stories are starting to be very redundant. I think she's out of story lines.