Star by Danielle Steel: A Romantic Page Turner

Happy month of May! It has been too long since my last post… this year is seriously flying by! I started off the year with the intention to read more books. I was able to read a few before I became very busy once the school semester began. This post has been drafted for a while and I’m finally getting around to publishing it. Star by Danielle Steel is a poignant love story. The book had me tear up a few times throughout the story. Danielle Steel has a truly amazing way with emotional, romantic descriptions.

The story begins at the end of WWII, a time before cell phones and social media. Star is the story of Crystal Wyatt, a simple farm girl with a love of nature, hard work and family. She is incredibly beautiful, kind-hearted, and has a talent for singing. She loves the quiet Californian ranch she grew up on with all her heart, but has aspirations for more out of life. Crystal dreams of becoming a movie star one day. Her older sister Becky is getting married to Tom now that he has returned from the war. The couple will live on a small cottage on the family ranch. Tom will help Crystal’s father with the ranch work. Crystal knows there is more to life than having babies and living on the ranch. At Becky’s wedding, Crystal briefly meets a handsome stranger named is Spencer Hill, a captain and friend of the groom. This stranger will fill her dreams for the rest of her life.  

Spencer Hill is a captain, originally from New York. He feels pressured to live up to his family’s expectations. His older brother died in the war, and his parents have career and life aspirations for him that don’t align with his own. He felt something he never felt before when he met Crystal Wyatt on the ranch, but convinced himself he was being foolish. Feeling pressured by what’s expected of him, he marries a judge’s daughter even if he isn’t really convinced that he loves her. 

When her father dies, Crystal’s family turns on her and she’s forced to leave the ranch and start a new life. She sets out for San Francisco for her chance to live her dreams. Through a series of events, Crystal gets her shot at stardom. Later, through a twist of fate, Crystal and Spencer cross paths again. The same passionate feelings never left them. A series of tragedies and twists take place, and the pair must ultimately decide what’s more important in life: true love, or keeping up appearances?

I absolutely recommend this book for hopeless romantics. It’s an amazing piece from Danielle Steel.