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The Right Time
Filled with heartbreak and betrayal, triumph and fulfillment, The Right Time is an intimate, richly rewarding novel about pursuing one's passion and succeeding beyond one's wildest dreams.
Abandoned by her mother at age seven, Alexandra Winslow takes solace in the mysteries she reads with her devoted father—and soon she is writing them herself, slowly graduating to dark, complex crime stories that reflect skill, imagination, and talent far beyond her years. After her father's untimely death, at fourteen Alex is taken in by the nuns of a local convent, where she finds twenty-six mothers to take the place of the one she lost, and the time and encouragement to pursue her gift.
Alex writes in every spare moment, gripped by the plots and themes and characters that fill her mind. Midway through college, she has finished a novel—and manages to find a seasoned agent, then a publisher. But as she climbs the ladder of publishing success, she...
Abandoned by her mother at age seven, Alexandra Winslow takes solace in the mysteries she reads with her devoted father—and soon she is writing them herself, slowly graduating to dark, complex crime stories that reflect skill, imagination, and talent far beyond her years. After her father's untimely death, at fourteen Alex is taken in by the nuns of a local convent, where she finds twenty-six mothers to take the place of the one she lost, and the time and encouragement to pursue her gift.
Alex writes in every spare moment, gripped by the plots and themes and characters that fill her mind. Midway through college, she has finished a novel—and manages to find a seasoned agent, then a publisher. But as she climbs the ladder of publishing success, she...
429 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2017
About the author
Danielle Steel
829 books15.1k followersDanielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's bestselling authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include All That Glitters, Royal, Daddy's Girls, The Wedding Dress, The Numbers Game, Moral Compass, Spy, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Expect a Miracle, a book of her favorite quotations for inspiration and comfort; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 799 reviews
August 27, 2022
This is a Women's Fiction with a little romance at the end. The first part of this book is told in the point of view of Alexandra's father (I cannot remember his name...Sorry). But, Most of the book is told in the point of view of Alexandra. I think her point of view starts when she is 14 years old. I have to say I love the see her grow up through out this book. This book is really just about Alexandra writing dark thrillers/mystery books from a young age. I love the writing in this book, and I loved all the characters. Alexandra makes a family after she has no family left, and I loved that to. There is so much I really love about this book. I have to say books that follows writers are hit or miss for me, but this book was 100% a hit for me. I have recently started reading Danielle Steel's book. This is the four book I read of her books, and she has become one of my new favorite authors. I did not want to put this book down. I listen to the audiobook for this book, and the narrator was great.
September 16, 2017
Danielle Steel, you’ve done it again!! Since I joined Goodreads about 4 years ago, I just finished my 16th book by Danielle Steel. I know I’ve read many others back in the 80’s before Goodreads was around but I don’t have them accounted for. This Danielle Steel book was fabulous. From page 1 to page 325. I read it in 2 days. It was so easy just to keep reading and not put it down. I loved everything about this book and I just love Danielle Steel.
April 22, 2024
As always, I read DS when in need of a lighter book between the heavy nonfiction I seem to find myself devouring. This one was great! Very different to the norm, therefore refreshing and very welcomed. I devoured it in a day on audio.
An unusual theme for this author which revolved around a young girl, abandoned by a self absorbed mother, and adored by an older father. Danielle Steel always adds a layer of greed and wealth, but this was only a small portion, which was a nice change.
Alexandra loved reading with her father, it was their special time together. Becoming interested in gritty crime thrillers at an early age, she quickly loved writing from an early age. Antiquated ideas made me roll my eyes many times, though plot reliant. Her father drilled down from an early age that only men could sell crime novels, and if written by a woman this would certainly need to be carried out under a pen name. These moments were annoying. Alex clutched onto this ideal at a young age and held onto it for dear life, even though this would make it much harder in so many ways.
She would become an amazing writer, though meeting many fellow writers along the way, these men would put her down along the way with this cycle repeating for years. Although a gifted writer, Alex was extremely naive. These portions were a tad cringy.
DS started writing at the same age as her protagonist, and her joy of writing was evident. This story was as much about the writing industry about love and loss and going through the ebbs and flows of life. I enjoyed this title so much more than most. It was a very quick read which I flew through.
I listened to this via the BorrowBox app and my public library. The narrators for this author’s books are never great, they are always male (nothing wrong with this), they lack emotion or anything good.
3.5⭐️
Ranging between 3-4 as I can't compare it to the four star reads which I love.
An unusual theme for this author which revolved around a young girl, abandoned by a self absorbed mother, and adored by an older father. Danielle Steel always adds a layer of greed and wealth, but this was only a small portion, which was a nice change.
Alexandra loved reading with her father, it was their special time together. Becoming interested in gritty crime thrillers at an early age, she quickly loved writing from an early age. Antiquated ideas made me roll my eyes many times, though plot reliant. Her father drilled down from an early age that only men could sell crime novels, and if written by a woman this would certainly need to be carried out under a pen name. These moments were annoying. Alex clutched onto this ideal at a young age and held onto it for dear life, even though this would make it much harder in so many ways.
She would become an amazing writer, though meeting many fellow writers along the way, these men would put her down along the way with this cycle repeating for years. Although a gifted writer, Alex was extremely naive. These portions were a tad cringy.
DS started writing at the same age as her protagonist, and her joy of writing was evident. This story was as much about the writing industry about love and loss and going through the ebbs and flows of life. I enjoyed this title so much more than most. It was a very quick read which I flew through.
I listened to this via the BorrowBox app and my public library. The narrators for this author’s books are never great, they are always male (nothing wrong with this), they lack emotion or anything good.
3.5⭐️
Ranging between 3-4 as I can't compare it to the four star reads which I love.
November 16, 2017
Oh, this was NOT a good one. Maybe I'm just not cut out for Danielle Steel - but this book just got on my nerves!
1. So much explanation, so little action. We were told what people thought and felt, but never saw them acting in a way that portrayed those thoughts and feelings.
2. I understand (don't agree with, but understand) Alex's dad's position that men won't read thrillers written by a woman; I can chalk that up to him being of an older generation that was more chauvinistic. But his dogmatic approach made her miss out on the opportunity to live an honest life. What a jerk.
3. Of course all the men in Alex's early life turned out to be jerks. I was totally expecting the jealous TA to steal her stories... at least that would have given the book some conflict.
4. The only character I liked was Sister MaryMeg. The rest of the nuns were one-dimensional, her agent and publishers were stereotypes from Central Casting, and as for the men - see above.
5. Oh, but wait - the last guy she met got the truth almost right away. Wtf??
6. Time passed oddly... the story jumped 6 years ahead in a matter of a few lines. I think time jumps deserve chapter breaks, don't you?
7. Speaking of time, dad's chauvinism and Alex's typewriter (plus one comment of "she called and gave him the house phone number) made me wonder if the book was set in the early 20th century instead of modern times.
Overall, I felt cheated. After reading about what an amazing writer Alexander Green was, I would have liked the surrounding story to be well written. It wasn't. I have no idea why I finished this book instead of abandoning it when it started to irritate me, but I wish I hadn't.
1. So much explanation, so little action. We were told what people thought and felt, but never saw them acting in a way that portrayed those thoughts and feelings.
2. I understand (don't agree with, but understand) Alex's dad's position that men won't read thrillers written by a woman; I can chalk that up to him being of an older generation that was more chauvinistic. But his dogmatic approach made her miss out on the opportunity to live an honest life. What a jerk.
3. Of course all the men in Alex's early life turned out to be jerks. I was totally expecting the jealous TA to steal her stories... at least that would have given the book some conflict.
4. The only character I liked was Sister MaryMeg. The rest of the nuns were one-dimensional, her agent and publishers were stereotypes from Central Casting, and as for the men - see above.
5. Oh, but wait - the last guy she met got the truth almost right away. Wtf??
6. Time passed oddly... the story jumped 6 years ahead in a matter of a few lines. I think time jumps deserve chapter breaks, don't you?
7. Speaking of time, dad's chauvinism and Alex's typewriter (plus one comment of "she called and gave him the house phone number) made me wonder if the book was set in the early 20th century instead of modern times.
Overall, I felt cheated. After reading about what an amazing writer Alexander Green was, I would have liked the surrounding story to be well written. It wasn't. I have no idea why I finished this book instead of abandoning it when it started to irritate me, but I wish I hadn't.
October 8, 2022
*Timing*
Alexandra Winslow has not had the best start. Her father adored her but she was an inconvenience for her mother. Her mother had big dreams to be a starlet and kept disappearing with the next meal ticket and had affairs along the way. Her father overcompensated and had a love of crime stories which he shared with Alexandra. By age 7 her mother left for good.
At school she wrote a crime story which horrified her teachers so much so that they dragged her father into the school. They thought she was disturbed. Her Father had a different take after reading it and was impressed and he could see had real talent.
As her aspirations to write were getting stronger her father warned that no one would buy a crime book by a woman. Tragedy strikes and Alex is only 14. She is eventually taken in by nuns who were not sure about having her there at first but they encouraged her to follow her dream.
She was so dedicated to writing and rarely socialised. At 19 after securing an agent and an editor her first book was born with one stipulation thinking of her father’s words her identity was to remain anonymous and she would write under the name Alexander Green.
We see how boyfriend’s who want to write try to belittle her claiming she could never write anything anywhere near as good as the talent of her male pseudonym. She keeps her secret going and chose to remain single until the right one came along.
Over time we see how much her secret takes its toll on her and we see more heartbreak for her with glimmers of joy along the way.
Will she ever reveal her secret to the world? When exactly would be the right time….
Alexandra Winslow has not had the best start. Her father adored her but she was an inconvenience for her mother. Her mother had big dreams to be a starlet and kept disappearing with the next meal ticket and had affairs along the way. Her father overcompensated and had a love of crime stories which he shared with Alexandra. By age 7 her mother left for good.
At school she wrote a crime story which horrified her teachers so much so that they dragged her father into the school. They thought she was disturbed. Her Father had a different take after reading it and was impressed and he could see had real talent.
As her aspirations to write were getting stronger her father warned that no one would buy a crime book by a woman. Tragedy strikes and Alex is only 14. She is eventually taken in by nuns who were not sure about having her there at first but they encouraged her to follow her dream.
She was so dedicated to writing and rarely socialised. At 19 after securing an agent and an editor her first book was born with one stipulation thinking of her father’s words her identity was to remain anonymous and she would write under the name Alexander Green.
We see how boyfriend’s who want to write try to belittle her claiming she could never write anything anywhere near as good as the talent of her male pseudonym. She keeps her secret going and chose to remain single until the right one came along.
Over time we see how much her secret takes its toll on her and we see more heartbreak for her with glimmers of joy along the way.
Will she ever reveal her secret to the world? When exactly would be the right time….
September 2, 2017
Wow, Amazing, Extraordinary, Awesome, Stupendous!!!!!
Well I don't even know if I can do a review to do this book justice, but, I'm going to do my best. This has to be one of my favorites of Steel's right up there with The Duchess.
This story showed just WHY Steel is a Master at what she does. It was like a fine wine and it was smooth like silk or satin. The characters growth are done subtlety but artfully. She did a great job with Alex from childhood to womanhood.
It almost felt as if you knew Alex on an intimate level. You were taken on her journey in such a way that you could feel vulnerable with her. You got to feel her joy, sorrow, loneliness, happiness, love, sexual awareness, her highs and her lows.
I highly recommend this to anyone.Danielle Steel you did an extraordinary job on this one. Thanks for the journey.~Your Faithful Reader
Well I don't even know if I can do a review to do this book justice, but, I'm going to do my best. This has to be one of my favorites of Steel's right up there with The Duchess.
This story showed just WHY Steel is a Master at what she does. It was like a fine wine and it was smooth like silk or satin. The characters growth are done subtlety but artfully. She did a great job with Alex from childhood to womanhood.
It almost felt as if you knew Alex on an intimate level. You were taken on her journey in such a way that you could feel vulnerable with her. You got to feel her joy, sorrow, loneliness, happiness, love, sexual awareness, her highs and her lows.
I highly recommend this to anyone.Danielle Steel you did an extraordinary job on this one. Thanks for the journey.~Your Faithful Reader
September 5, 2017
I know I've probably said this before but DS books are like comfort food to my belly. I know I'll always become immersed in the characters & smile happily as I turn the last page.
September 15, 2022
Good one!
January 13, 2018
This was a great story but all the males except like two or three were awful! I have read very few books where all the males were just so unlikeable except a couple. It was a very intriguing story and I really liked the main character, Alex. It was a quick read where you were able to follow her life thoroughly through four decades so there was a great amount of her life, and I really liked that. I took off one star because the males in the story will make you believe the statement, "The more boys I meet, the more I love my dog."
My quick and simple overall: a quick read that gives a great story. Most will read this in one seating.
My quick and simple overall: a quick read that gives a great story. Most will read this in one seating.
September 3, 2017
Sometimes you need a book that gets you out of daily life and focused on a character far away. Danielle Steel’s novels are the perfect antidote to a bad day for me; no matter how tired or fed up I am, I can always fully engage with the story. The plot is never too hard to follow nor is the language so complex that you have to read each line several times. They are just easy reads that transport you to a different place and people. Each story is full of over the top drama with the characters often having more than their fair share of hardship.
Alexandra Winslow, the protagonist of The Right Time is no exception. Before she even finishes high school, she’s lost both her parents and is living in a convent. She also has a scarily good talent for writing crime thrillers that freak out her teachers and some of the nuns. But Alex is determined to make it in what her father termed a man’s world – he told her that nobody would read thrillers written by a woman as they would be considered inferior. Alex hangs on to this one statement right through to signing an agent. She won’t publish under her own name, but the nom de plume Alexander Green. Naturally, Alexander Green is the crime world’s answer to J.K. Rowling and Alex is suddenly a very popular writer. Except that no-one knows just who she is – a young woman in college.
The story follows Alex through her life as Alexander Green becomes more and more popular, writing increasingly brilliant thrillers that capture the world by storm. Nearly every man Alex becomes involved with raves about how good Green is but is sceptical of Alex’s writing. They seem to think that all she is capable of writing is women’s fiction and it probably wouldn’t even be very good. This made me wonder if Alex’s story had an autobiographical tinge to it – she gets treated horribly from tutors who belittle her and mark down her work to jealous men who think she can’t even write. Yet Alex keeps it all secret, barely defending herself. It’s quite awkward to read and also made me wonder whether Green would have created if Alex’s father was still alive.
Danielle Steel certainly isn’t afraid to kill her darlings. Alex is put through the wringer many, many times by arrogant, selfish men. Then, of course when she seems finally settled, tragedy strikes. I couldn’t help but exclaim at this point that the poor girl needed a break! But of course, it’s all for the good of the plot and there is a happy ending.
I found the writing in The Right Time to be superior to the last Danielle Steel I read (The Duchess). That seemed stilted at times but The Right Time flows much better with dialogue that is more natural to read. Maybe it’s the modern setting, maybe I’m just getting used to her style. Whatever – I know that if I’m looking for a light, entertaining read that is bigger than life, I’ll turn to Danielle Steel happily.
Thanks to Pan Macmillan for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
Alexandra Winslow, the protagonist of The Right Time is no exception. Before she even finishes high school, she’s lost both her parents and is living in a convent. She also has a scarily good talent for writing crime thrillers that freak out her teachers and some of the nuns. But Alex is determined to make it in what her father termed a man’s world – he told her that nobody would read thrillers written by a woman as they would be considered inferior. Alex hangs on to this one statement right through to signing an agent. She won’t publish under her own name, but the nom de plume Alexander Green. Naturally, Alexander Green is the crime world’s answer to J.K. Rowling and Alex is suddenly a very popular writer. Except that no-one knows just who she is – a young woman in college.
The story follows Alex through her life as Alexander Green becomes more and more popular, writing increasingly brilliant thrillers that capture the world by storm. Nearly every man Alex becomes involved with raves about how good Green is but is sceptical of Alex’s writing. They seem to think that all she is capable of writing is women’s fiction and it probably wouldn’t even be very good. This made me wonder if Alex’s story had an autobiographical tinge to it – she gets treated horribly from tutors who belittle her and mark down her work to jealous men who think she can’t even write. Yet Alex keeps it all secret, barely defending herself. It’s quite awkward to read and also made me wonder whether Green would have created if Alex’s father was still alive.
Danielle Steel certainly isn’t afraid to kill her darlings. Alex is put through the wringer many, many times by arrogant, selfish men. Then, of course when she seems finally settled, tragedy strikes. I couldn’t help but exclaim at this point that the poor girl needed a break! But of course, it’s all for the good of the plot and there is a happy ending.
I found the writing in The Right Time to be superior to the last Danielle Steel I read (The Duchess). That seemed stilted at times but The Right Time flows much better with dialogue that is more natural to read. Maybe it’s the modern setting, maybe I’m just getting used to her style. Whatever – I know that if I’m looking for a light, entertaining read that is bigger than life, I’ll turn to Danielle Steel happily.
Thanks to Pan Macmillan for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
February 2, 2018
When I first saw this book at Target, I was drawn in by the beautiful cover. I'd never read a book by Danielle Steel before, but the story seemed interesting and I immediately put it on my to-read list. After seeing the great ratings and reviews for it here on Goodreads, I felt even more excited to read it! Maybe my high hopes for this book were what made it so disappointing.
The biggest problem I had with this book was the writing. The author didn't show us things about the characters, she told us. This might not seem like a big issue at first, but trust me, it gets old fast. Imagine that you're out somewhere and a friend of yours is crying over a breakup. You wouldn't need someone to tell you that she's sad, would you? You'd understand the situation, and realize that she is sad on your own. I felt condescended to, and bored with all of the dialogue.
Our main character, Alex (or Alexandra) was supposed to be this highly accomplished, brilliant writer, but I never saw her that way. She seemed flat and boring to me. All of the characters did. Considering that Alex is supposed to be the author of these apparently amazing books, you'd think she would be a bit more dynamic.
Fresh out of finishing this book, I don't really have anything good to say about it. I simply didn't like it.
The biggest problem I had with this book was the writing. The author didn't show us things about the characters, she told us. This might not seem like a big issue at first, but trust me, it gets old fast. Imagine that you're out somewhere and a friend of yours is crying over a breakup. You wouldn't need someone to tell you that she's sad, would you? You'd understand the situation, and realize that she is sad on your own. I felt condescended to, and bored with all of the dialogue.
Our main character, Alex (or Alexandra) was supposed to be this highly accomplished, brilliant writer, but I never saw her that way. She seemed flat and boring to me. All of the characters did. Considering that Alex is supposed to be the author of these apparently amazing books, you'd think she would be a bit more dynamic.
Fresh out of finishing this book, I don't really have anything good to say about it. I simply didn't like it.
July 14, 2018
Cannot for the life of me understand why this book has a 4 (+) star rating. I can only figure that the people who read and rated it are avid Danielle Steel fans. I'm not saying it's the worst book I've ever read but it's close. Bland characters, and a time line that skips through the years like they are nothing. I probably wouldn't have enjoyed the story anymore..but I wish the main character had outed herself at the end. Had she owned up to her accomplishments I would have respected her more. I might even have bumped this review up a star.....mayybe.
September 11, 2017
Danielle Steel never lets me down!
September 6, 2017
Every Danielle Steel book I read moves me but The Right Time had me on the first page. The story centers on Alexandra Winslow from birth into her 40s. Her mother abandoned her and her father when Alex was 7 years old. Her mother was killed when she was 9 and it was just her and her father until he died when she was 14 years old. Her love of mysteries and crime novels began with her dad reading Nancy Drew books with her and progressed to crime thrillers. Prior to her father's death, she had written some short stories that belied her age. . . Her passion only grew and thus began her career with it's ups and downs. . . I recommend this story where I laughed and cried and hated to reach the end. Thank you Ms. Steel!
January 26, 2018
I know I keep saying this, but I truly do not believe Danielle Steel is still writing her own books. This the worst of the recent pseudo-Steel stinkers I have read in the last year, utterly ridiculous. It was either written by some underpaid romance novel sweatshop workers in a San Francisco basement or by some AI algorithm that has had all her books fed into it. Truly just a sloppy mess of a story.
December 19, 2017
This was my first Danielle Steel book, and I am sad to say I wasn't at all impressed. She repeats herself over and over and over which gets very annoying; I skipped entire paragraphs at times. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen -- it never did. Very disappointed.
September 18, 2017
This book was okay. I felt like it was a bit ridiculous with the continuous "a woman can't write mysteries", but overall enjoyed the book.
September 29, 2017
**2.75 stars**
December 3, 2017
An entertaining, escapist read. Really enjoyed it!
October 8, 2017
I'm loving this book; it has to be one of my most favorite Danielle Steel books of all time! And it's inspiring me to want to write my own book, if I could come up with an idea for one!!
I really really liked this book; it spoke to me. It's about a young girl, Alexandra Winslow, whose mother abandons her and then dies when she is only seven, leaving her to be raised by her father, who is a crime novel enthusiast. Alexandra becomes a fan of that genre as well and starts to write (very well, by the way) at a very young age. But as a young teen, at age 14, she becomes orphaned when her father dies. As she has no mother and no other family, her family attorney arranges for her to live in a convent with (modern) nuns, who all become like mothers to her. She publishes her first book as a teenager, but publishes under a pseudonym as a male, because her father told her men would not read crime books by a female author. She becomes wildly successful and writes more books all during college, with only her agent, mentor, the nuns, and finally, her publishers knowing her true identity. I don't want to give away any more of the story, except to say it was wonderful, and I think this is one book I wish DS would write a sequel to! The writing and story just flow along seamlessly; a real delight. Bravo, Danielle Steel!
I really really liked this book; it spoke to me. It's about a young girl, Alexandra Winslow, whose mother abandons her and then dies when she is only seven, leaving her to be raised by her father, who is a crime novel enthusiast. Alexandra becomes a fan of that genre as well and starts to write (very well, by the way) at a very young age. But as a young teen, at age 14, she becomes orphaned when her father dies. As she has no mother and no other family, her family attorney arranges for her to live in a convent with (modern) nuns, who all become like mothers to her. She publishes her first book as a teenager, but publishes under a pseudonym as a male, because her father told her men would not read crime books by a female author. She becomes wildly successful and writes more books all during college, with only her agent, mentor, the nuns, and finally, her publishers knowing her true identity. I don't want to give away any more of the story, except to say it was wonderful, and I think this is one book I wish DS would write a sequel to! The writing and story just flow along seamlessly; a real delight. Bravo, Danielle Steel!
January 22, 2018
This is the second recent Danielle Steel I have read and found completely boring. She’s writing a story about a mediocre girls life. There is no begging if no middle no climax no end. It’s just about an average life where nothing happens. No mystery to solve, no suspense. I have one more of her recent books and if it’s also about nothing then I’m done with this author. She used to write a great mix of family love and a bit of mystery, now it’s just words on paper. I have no clue how this got such a high rating on good reads. I checked here before I bought this book. I have no idea how one enjoys sitting around and reading about someone else’s mundane life.
June 9, 2018
This book was such an unexpected treasure for me! I love reading the kind of books mentioned in this one and sadly reality reflects fiction. It is very much a male dominated genre although today female authors in the genre are slowly starting to get some well deserved recognition. I loved reading about Alex’s journey through this world, it was really interesting to see how she overcame the obstacles that came with the decisions she made.
September 7, 2017
One of her greatest books!!
Miss Steel is one of my favorite authors. I've been reading her books since I was a young girl. This is one of her best books. I started reading and couldn't put it down. Please more of the same!!
Miss Steel is one of my favorite authors. I've been reading her books since I was a young girl. This is one of her best books. I started reading and couldn't put it down. Please more of the same!!
October 29, 2020
4 stars
Being an avid reader myself, I especially love how this book explores gender roles and behaviors related to authors and readers
Being an avid reader myself, I especially love how this book explores gender roles and behaviors related to authors and readers
June 19, 2018
This is the first book that I read by Danielle Steel. I had read very positive reviews about it and knew that I will like it. I ended up loving the book and liked it the most when I was about to reach the ending.
This story had everything - success, fame, loss, love and the way it was narrated evoked all sorts of emotions in me while reading that, which I have observed, rarely happens with me. I am more of a thriller lover and do not prefer to read such emotion driven books. But this book was different and made me feel sad and happy along with the characters. It was a very easy read with not so complicated writing that was way too easy to grasp.
The story started with a little seven year old girl Alexendra Winslow waiting for her parents to stop arguing in the next room. Alexendra's mother was not happy with her marriage and was more interested in living her life to the fullest and partying with her friends in Miami as she was an actress and model and didn't want to confine herself to domestic rituals. Alexendra's father was more of a down-to-earth person who did not let the quarrels with his wife affect his bonding with his daughter and was always keen to spend time with her reading crime stories to her before bed. Thus started Alexendra's journey as an ardent reader and lover of crime stories and that also inspired her to write her own stories that were full of crime, suspense and shocking plot twists. She started writing such brilliant stories that it became hard to believe that it was written by a teenager like herself the proof of which was obtained when her school teachers got worried that Alexandra might be a psychopath writing such gory stories in such a young age. But that was just a taste of her amazing talent. Her father encouraged her and even worked towards getting her stories published in magazines. Alexandra had her father as her everything especially after her mother died in a car accident while she was twelve years old. Her mother used to rarely visit her or care about her but her loss was still felt by her.
I must say that I was totally involved in the story by this time and felt for the little Alexendra and the way she cared for her mother who had no interest in her daughter was very touching. However, what happens next broke me. Alexendra was losing her father to Dementia and how he got distanced from his daughter gradually until his death was described in a very touchy manner. He was not even able to find a suitable place for her daughter to stay at until she turns eighteen and Alexendra was left as an orphan at the young age of fourteen with no place to call home. I was not able to imagine how a child of that age could at that point stay without her parents and whom could she trust at such a tender age. She ultimately found a place to stay at a convent full of nuns. As soon as you hear the name of a convent and nuns you start thinking of the dull life that the nuns lead and it seems almost impossible to spend time with them. But, surprisingly, all nuns are not the same. The group of twenty six nuns that Alexendra got to spend her time with were anything but dull. They had interesting jobs and were always jovial and friendly with Alex. They cared for her and genuinely loved her. Alex got twenty six mothers. After reading this I started believing that nuns don't have to have a dull and monotonous life as stereotyped but they are also human beings whose energy levels are just directed towards what they do in a different way than normal people .
Up until this point it was an amazing read. After this, right until almost the end, Alexendra's success story is then described - how she obtained success as a prolific crime writer but with one absurd condition - she had to write under the name of a male writer and to never reveal to the world her true identity all because the world did not believe that women could write such gory crime thrillers and thus her readership might have got affected due to this prejudice. This was a very silly statement and Alex believed in it just because her father believed in the same notion and never bought crime thrillers written by women. I am quite sure this is not the case in the real world.
Because of this alternate and fictional author Alexander Green who was the male version of Alexandra Winslow, Alex couldn't reveal the truth to anyone apart from her family and close friends lest her career might get destroyed with her fans feeling betrayed. She had to adjust with this and couldn't fully acknowledge the praise and compliments that she received for her books with the people not knowing that the person before whom they were praising the author was the author herself. Several times during the novel I realized how difficult it might have been for Alex to lead such a life where she couldn't reveal her real profession to people she met - even those with whom she was romantically involved.
During her life she dated a few men but she was always left heartbroken because those men were already jealous of her - whether it was her wealth or her apparent budding writer's talent that seemed to undermine those men. They were jealous of her even without knowing her true identity. It seemed very tough for her to find love in such circumstances. However, she was always waiting for the Right person to come at the Right time. The right person to whom she could reveal her true identity and trust him this much. Only the person whose love was true for her would never betray her.
The rest of the book follows her journey and answers the question that will she ever find the right person. The beginning and the end of the book were terrific but the intermediate part was not so eventful and sometimes I felt bored with the uneventful journey of Alex's life and also was a bit doubtful about how can somebody be so talented and successful.
But, all is well that ends well and the culmination of the plot made me like this book a lot. The author writes in a very provocative way that makes us feel the character's emotions deeply. I finished it fast as it was an easy read and will look forward to more books by Danielle Steel !!
Five absolutely right stars !! (And at the right time as well ;)
This story had everything - success, fame, loss, love and the way it was narrated evoked all sorts of emotions in me while reading that, which I have observed, rarely happens with me. I am more of a thriller lover and do not prefer to read such emotion driven books. But this book was different and made me feel sad and happy along with the characters. It was a very easy read with not so complicated writing that was way too easy to grasp.
The story started with a little seven year old girl Alexendra Winslow waiting for her parents to stop arguing in the next room. Alexendra's mother was not happy with her marriage and was more interested in living her life to the fullest and partying with her friends in Miami as she was an actress and model and didn't want to confine herself to domestic rituals. Alexendra's father was more of a down-to-earth person who did not let the quarrels with his wife affect his bonding with his daughter and was always keen to spend time with her reading crime stories to her before bed. Thus started Alexendra's journey as an ardent reader and lover of crime stories and that also inspired her to write her own stories that were full of crime, suspense and shocking plot twists. She started writing such brilliant stories that it became hard to believe that it was written by a teenager like herself the proof of which was obtained when her school teachers got worried that Alexandra might be a psychopath writing such gory stories in such a young age. But that was just a taste of her amazing talent. Her father encouraged her and even worked towards getting her stories published in magazines. Alexandra had her father as her everything especially after her mother died in a car accident while she was twelve years old. Her mother used to rarely visit her or care about her but her loss was still felt by her.
I must say that I was totally involved in the story by this time and felt for the little Alexendra and the way she cared for her mother who had no interest in her daughter was very touching. However, what happens next broke me. Alexendra was losing her father to Dementia and how he got distanced from his daughter gradually until his death was described in a very touchy manner. He was not even able to find a suitable place for her daughter to stay at until she turns eighteen and Alexendra was left as an orphan at the young age of fourteen with no place to call home. I was not able to imagine how a child of that age could at that point stay without her parents and whom could she trust at such a tender age. She ultimately found a place to stay at a convent full of nuns. As soon as you hear the name of a convent and nuns you start thinking of the dull life that the nuns lead and it seems almost impossible to spend time with them. But, surprisingly, all nuns are not the same. The group of twenty six nuns that Alexendra got to spend her time with were anything but dull. They had interesting jobs and were always jovial and friendly with Alex. They cared for her and genuinely loved her. Alex got twenty six mothers. After reading this I started believing that nuns don't have to have a dull and monotonous life as stereotyped but they are also human beings whose energy levels are just directed towards what they do in a different way than normal people .
Up until this point it was an amazing read. After this, right until almost the end, Alexendra's success story is then described - how she obtained success as a prolific crime writer but with one absurd condition - she had to write under the name of a male writer and to never reveal to the world her true identity all because the world did not believe that women could write such gory crime thrillers and thus her readership might have got affected due to this prejudice. This was a very silly statement and Alex believed in it just because her father believed in the same notion and never bought crime thrillers written by women. I am quite sure this is not the case in the real world.
Because of this alternate and fictional author Alexander Green who was the male version of Alexandra Winslow, Alex couldn't reveal the truth to anyone apart from her family and close friends lest her career might get destroyed with her fans feeling betrayed. She had to adjust with this and couldn't fully acknowledge the praise and compliments that she received for her books with the people not knowing that the person before whom they were praising the author was the author herself. Several times during the novel I realized how difficult it might have been for Alex to lead such a life where she couldn't reveal her real profession to people she met - even those with whom she was romantically involved.
During her life she dated a few men but she was always left heartbroken because those men were already jealous of her - whether it was her wealth or her apparent budding writer's talent that seemed to undermine those men. They were jealous of her even without knowing her true identity. It seemed very tough for her to find love in such circumstances. However, she was always waiting for the Right person to come at the Right time. The right person to whom she could reveal her true identity and trust him this much. Only the person whose love was true for her would never betray her.
The rest of the book follows her journey and answers the question that will she ever find the right person. The beginning and the end of the book were terrific but the intermediate part was not so eventful and sometimes I felt bored with the uneventful journey of Alex's life and also was a bit doubtful about how can somebody be so talented and successful.
But, all is well that ends well and the culmination of the plot made me like this book a lot. The author writes in a very provocative way that makes us feel the character's emotions deeply. I finished it fast as it was an easy read and will look forward to more books by Danielle Steel !!
Five absolutely right stars !! (And at the right time as well ;)
June 14, 2022
Questo è uno dei migliori libri che io abbia mai letto in tutta la mia vita e ringrazio di cuore la scrittrice per aver dato voce ai suoi pensieri, donandoci l'opportunità di sbocciare insieme ad una protagonista dotata di una dedizione e vitalità incredibile - una protagonista speciale, che custodirò nel mio cuore per sempre.
"Il momento giusto" parla di crescita, solitudine, maturazione, amore, dolore, coraggio, paura, pregiudizi, gelosia, perdite e di un mondo pieno di crudeltà... eppure reale.
La prima cosa che ho pensato, una volta aver iniziato la lettura, è stata: «Certo che questa ragazza non ha molta fortuna nella sua vita.» Ed è bizzarro, perché durante lo svolgimento della storia, "questa ragazza", viene circondata soltanto da persone che non fanno altro che ripeterle il contrario. Giudicandola per qualcosa che ha ottenuto grazie alla sua forza, con sudore, mettendoci tutto il suo impegno e sacrificandosi constantemente.
Alex è una protagonista che non dimenticherò mai perché è la persona più matura, brillante e talentuosa che io conosca.
È la persona che ha rinunciato agli anni migliori della sua vita per raggiungere i suoi obiettivi. È la persona che ha combattuto contro l'invidia ogni singolo giorno e che ha strinto i denti più forte che poteva nei momenti peggiori della sua vita, per sostenere le persone a cui teneva nonostante anche lei stesse male.
È una delle persone che ammirerò fino alla fine dei miei giorni.
Ti ringrazio, Alex, per non aver mai ceduto. Ti ringrazio per non esserti mai piegata al giudizio degli altri. Ti ringrazio per aver sempre cercato una soluzione e non di esserti mai arresa. Ti ringrazio per aver avuto sempre speranza. Grazie.
Perché ho dato 4 stelle?
Ci sono state alcune scene che hanno rallentato la lettura e il finale mi è sembrato particolarmente frettoloso.
Ma per un libro speciale come questo, posso facilmente chiudere un occhio a riguardo. :)
"Il momento giusto" parla di crescita, solitudine, maturazione, amore, dolore, coraggio, paura, pregiudizi, gelosia, perdite e di un mondo pieno di crudeltà... eppure reale.
La prima cosa che ho pensato, una volta aver iniziato la lettura, è stata: «Certo che questa ragazza non ha molta fortuna nella sua vita.» Ed è bizzarro, perché durante lo svolgimento della storia, "questa ragazza", viene circondata soltanto da persone che non fanno altro che ripeterle il contrario. Giudicandola per qualcosa che ha ottenuto grazie alla sua forza, con sudore, mettendoci tutto il suo impegno e sacrificandosi constantemente.
Alex è una protagonista che non dimenticherò mai perché è la persona più matura, brillante e talentuosa che io conosca.
È la persona che ha rinunciato agli anni migliori della sua vita per raggiungere i suoi obiettivi. È la persona che ha combattuto contro l'invidia ogni singolo giorno e che ha strinto i denti più forte che poteva nei momenti peggiori della sua vita, per sostenere le persone a cui teneva nonostante anche lei stesse male.
È una delle persone che ammirerò fino alla fine dei miei giorni.
Ti ringrazio, Alex, per non aver mai ceduto. Ti ringrazio per non esserti mai piegata al giudizio degli altri. Ti ringrazio per aver sempre cercato una soluzione e non di esserti mai arresa. Ti ringrazio per aver avuto sempre speranza. Grazie.
Perché ho dato 4 stelle?
Ci sono state alcune scene che hanno rallentato la lettura e il finale mi è sembrato particolarmente frettoloso.
Ma per un libro speciale come questo, posso facilmente chiudere un occhio a riguardo. :)
February 17, 2018
This was more of a sad chick-lit with a little bit of romance yet it evoked lots of emotion and was hard to put down. The heroine's talent was remarkable and her perseverance was admirable. The liked the climax and didn't want the story to end hoping for even more. Alex loses her parents when she was young then lives with nuns and all the while aspires to be a crime thriller writer.
August 10, 2023
"The Right Time" by Danielle Steel is a captivating novel that explores the journey of Alexandra Winslow, a young woman facing numerous challenges in her pursuit of becoming a successful writer. Unlike some of Steel's other heroines, Alexandra is portrayed as a strong and determined character, with her head firmly on her shoulders. From a young age, Alexandra endures the loss of both her parents and finds herself living in a convent. Despite her difficult circumstances, she possesses an exceptional talent for writing crime thrillers, impressing her teachers and the nuns. However, Alexandra's father's belief that thrillers written by women would be considered inferior discourages her from publishing under her own name. Instead, she adopts the pseudonym Alexander Green, leading to her sudden popularity as a writer. The secrecy surrounding her true identity adds an intriguing layer to the story.
One compelling aspect of the book is the exploration of gender biases in the publishing industry. Alexandra's father's belief that men would not read thrillers written by women reflects the chauvinistic attitudes prevalent in society, especially during his generation. While I may not agree with his viewpoint, I can understand the influence of his upbringing and societal norms. However, his narrow-mindedness ultimately hinders Alexandra's ability to live an authentic life, which is frustrating to witness.
One minor issue I had with the book was the way time was portrayed. The story jumps six years ahead in just a few lines, which can be disorienting for readers. Personally, I believe that time jumps of such magnitude should be accompanied by chapter breaks to provide a smoother transition and maintain the flow of the narrative.
Despite this minor flaw, "The Right Time" is a highly enjoyable read. Danielle Steel's talent for crafting over-the-top and dramatic storylines shines through in this novel. The character of Alexandra, with her determination and resilience, is a refreshing departure from Steel's typical heroines. Overall, "The Right Time" is a captivating read that will keep readers engaged from beginning to end.
One compelling aspect of the book is the exploration of gender biases in the publishing industry. Alexandra's father's belief that men would not read thrillers written by women reflects the chauvinistic attitudes prevalent in society, especially during his generation. While I may not agree with his viewpoint, I can understand the influence of his upbringing and societal norms. However, his narrow-mindedness ultimately hinders Alexandra's ability to live an authentic life, which is frustrating to witness.
One minor issue I had with the book was the way time was portrayed. The story jumps six years ahead in just a few lines, which can be disorienting for readers. Personally, I believe that time jumps of such magnitude should be accompanied by chapter breaks to provide a smoother transition and maintain the flow of the narrative.
Despite this minor flaw, "The Right Time" is a highly enjoyable read. Danielle Steel's talent for crafting over-the-top and dramatic storylines shines through in this novel. The character of Alexandra, with her determination and resilience, is a refreshing departure from Steel's typical heroines. Overall, "The Right Time" is a captivating read that will keep readers engaged from beginning to end.
December 6, 2017
I think this book makes it official, Danielle Steel is no longer one of my favorite authors. I remember growing up and reading books like kaleidoscope, and just being enthralled for hours. The past few years her books have followed the exact same format, it's like she creates an outline, then puts in sentences and occasionally elaborates.
It's a flat timeline of someone's life. At one point we jumped from 9th grade to college in a single chapter. The promise of this book was SO much bigger than delivered. She's a writer, she could have made the main character, also a writer, a lot more real and less flat. She had the opportunity to really let us get inside the main characters head. The entire story was basically a this character flying through life, really fast, so fast that we don't get to know many of the characters. I couldn't tell you what any of them look like. I didn't have a sense of world-building at all. There was no conflict, the lie she based her life on basically, but there wasn't any climax. Even in my basic creative writing classes we learned to have climax in all books.
The lie wasn't even that realistic in this day and age, people can find out anything. Hackers and papertrails, and paparazzi and hidden cameras. And everyone knows that females can write horror and crime novels, hello...Sue Grafton, Patricia Highsmith, Karin Slaughter, Tess Gerritsen, Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, Ann Rule, even Gillian Flynn if you're jumping on that bandwagon. I was so intrigued with the main characters "talent" that I wanted examples and more of a breakdown of a book, but it was flat.. a title and how amazing it was. Blah.
I think I'm done with Danielle Steel, I had hoped based on all the 5 star ratings I saw, but I was let down..again.
It's a flat timeline of someone's life. At one point we jumped from 9th grade to college in a single chapter. The promise of this book was SO much bigger than delivered. She's a writer, she could have made the main character, also a writer, a lot more real and less flat. She had the opportunity to really let us get inside the main characters head. The entire story was basically a this character flying through life, really fast, so fast that we don't get to know many of the characters. I couldn't tell you what any of them look like. I didn't have a sense of world-building at all. There was no conflict, the lie she based her life on basically, but there wasn't any climax. Even in my basic creative writing classes we learned to have climax in all books.
The lie wasn't even that realistic in this day and age, people can find out anything. Hackers and papertrails, and paparazzi and hidden cameras. And everyone knows that females can write horror and crime novels, hello...Sue Grafton, Patricia Highsmith, Karin Slaughter, Tess Gerritsen, Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, Ann Rule, even Gillian Flynn if you're jumping on that bandwagon. I was so intrigued with the main characters "talent" that I wanted examples and more of a breakdown of a book, but it was flat.. a title and how amazing it was. Blah.
I think I'm done with Danielle Steel, I had hoped based on all the 5 star ratings I saw, but I was let down..again.
November 17, 2017
Nothing too deep, but I guess it doesn't have to be. It's a good book, very easy reading, but very interesting story and some very likable characters. There were one or two events that seemed a bit random, like they didn't have good justification for happening. Sure, life is exactly like that, or so it seems to us because we are too limited to see all the chain of causality, but what I mean is that some events seemed unrealistic even under these terms. But the rest of the book is pretty good.
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