All That Glitters: A Novel

All That Glitters by Danielle Steel is a touching story. I have been reading Danielle Steel novels since I was twelve years old (I was bored). I amazed at the variety and types of stories that Danielle Steel produces. All That Glitters tells us about Nicole “Coco” Martin and her best friend since the fourth grade, Samuel Stein. Despite opposition from his Jewish parents, the pair have remained close friends. While Coco’s parents are kindhearted, loving, and supportive with her, Sam’s parental units have certain expectations of Sam as well as being judgmental and religious. Coco is our central character who is devastated when her parents die in a terrorist bombing in Cannes. She inherits her parents’ entire estate which leaves her vulnerable. Coco is left anchorless which has her searching for someone to fill the gap. She is attracted to bold men who are flashy. Coco has relationships with various men who teach her a variety of different lessons. Some of the experiences are good, but, oftentimes, they are painful and upsetting. We get to see that we do not always get it right the first time. Some people are lucky and find true love right out of the gate. Others must go through a few bad eggs before coming upon the right life partner. The hard part is picking up the pieces, dusting ourselves off, and moving forward having learned from our mistakes. I like how close Sam and Coco were throughout the book. They were there for each other through the good and the bad. Their unbreakable bond helped them get through the grief and heartache. I thought All That Glitters was well-written, with interesting characters, and it moved at a steady pace. This is a book that I did not want to rush through. I found myself wanting to shake Coco at times and yell at her, but I wanted to enjoy every single page. I enjoyed the descriptions of the London and the cozy house Coco lived in when she first moved to England. The author captured Coco’s lifestyle and took us from New York to London, Frances, and beyond. All That Glitters is a moving story with handsome homes, glitzy guys, gratifying jobs, terrible loss, devastating defeat, and a firm friend.

Danielle Steel know how to pull your heart in and not let go until the end. I wanted to savor every page in this story, of Coco finally finding love like her parents had. Loved Coco and Sam's friendship, always there for each other even though they have different upbringings. Coco goes through a few relationships before she finds her happiness in life. I highly recommend this story.

an truly wonderful read. again, life is a challenge and its obstacles can really make living hard and lonely. This book gives the reader lots to think about while traveling along with Coco.