Second Chance »

Danielle Steel has become more of a legend than any one of her books, which never fail to make the bestseller lists. Something of Steel's refinement and gentility transfers to her prose as her heroines enjoy enviable triumphs over inevitable tragedies.

As editor-in-chief of New York’s leading fashion magazine, Fiona Monaghan was utterly content with her life, jetting back and forth between Manhattan and Europe–until the sweltering day John Anderson strolled into her office. A widower with two daughters, John was as conservative as Fiona was freewheeling, both amused and appalled by her world of high-strung designers, anorexic models, Fendi-stuffed closets, and Sir Winston, her snoring bulldog. But after Fiona impulsively invited John to the Paris couture shows, somewhere between the magic of the runway and the stroll along the Seine, she let him into her heart. And within weeks of their return to New York, John was making friends with Sir Winston–and Fiona was making room in her closets.

It didn’ t take long for the dominoes to start falling. First, John introduced Fiona to his hostile daughters and their bloodthirsty Pekingese and snarling housekeeper. Then, after a disastrous dinner party with John’s biggest client, Fiona and John’s relationship began to unravel with alarming speed. What happens next will set Fiona on a journey filled with pain, revelation, and awakening. When she risks everything and returns to Paris alone, an extraordinary series of events begins to unfold. And as the snow falls on the city of light, the curtain will rise on a second act Fiona never saw coming.

In a dazzling tale of modern misadventures and career-crossed relationships, Danielle Steel captures the heady magic of instant attraction, the challenges of change–and the hope that comes when we dare to do it all over again.

Publishers Weekly

Fiona Monaghan, 42, lives the high life. With six years under her belt as editor-in-chief of Chic Magazine, a high fashion rag, Fiona is wined and dined around the world, has closets full of fabulous clothes and throws spirited dinner parties. Marriage has never been an option for the self-possessed Fiona; her ancient English bulldog, Sir Winston, is her main companion. Then she meets staid advertising exec John Anderson, head of the new agency handling Chic's account. Anderson, a handsome widower with two daughters, is utterly charmed by the phenomenal Fiona and dazzled by her lifestyle. Sparks fly and, after much inner turmoil, Fiona agrees to marry Anderson. The beginning of their relationship is rocky: Anderson's college-aged girls and housekeeper hate Fiona at first sight, and even the family dog attacks. But it's Anderson who can't handle Fiona's frenetic, glamorous life, and less than a year after their marriage he files for divorce. Devastated, Fiona quits her job and moves to Paris to write a book, finally allowing herself to be wooed again by her chastened ex-husband. Some readers will bridle at the idea that Fiona must give up her career to find happiness, but others will enjoy the usual Steel frills: plenty of gorgeous outfits, fine dining and exquisite real estate. Agent, Mort Janklow. (June 24) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.