The Butler - Danielle Steel

The Butler

By Danielle Steel

  • Release Date: 2021-10-05
  • Genre: Fiction & Literature
Score: 4
4
From 638 Ratings

Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Two different worlds and two very different lives collide in Paris in this captivating novel by Danielle Steel.

Joachim von Hartmann was born and raised in Buenos Aires by his loving German mother, inseparable from his identical twin, Javier. When Joachim moves to Paris with his mother in his late teens, his twin stays behind and enters a dark world. Meanwhile, Joachim begins training to be a butler, fascinated by the precision and intense demands, and goes on to work in some of the grandest homes in England. His brother never reappears.

Olivia White has given ten years of her life to her magazine, which failed, taking all her dreams with it. A bequest from her mother allows her a year in Paris to reinvent herself. She needs help setting up a home in a charming Parisian apartment. It is then that her path and Joachim’s cross.

Joachim takes a job working for Olivia as a lark and enjoys the whimsy of a different life for a few weeks, which turn to months as the unlikely employer and employee learn they enjoy working side by side. At the same time, Joachim discovers the family history he never knew: a criminal grandfather who died in prison, the wealthy father who abandoned him, and the dangerous criminal his twin has become. While Olivia struggles to put her life back together, Joachim’s comes apart.

Stripped of their old roles, they strive to discover the truth about each other and themselves, first as employer and employee, then as friends. Their paths no longer sure, they are a man and woman who reach a place where the past doesn’t matter and only what they are living now is true.

Reviews

  • Great book

    5
    By Yea true
    I highly recommend this book to anyone, I’m not the type to read but for the first time I read the whole book without actually stopping
  • Enjoyed

    5
    By tobyclay
    I enjoyed this book. Unlike the last couple DS books, this one did not seem rushed at the end and the story was very interesting.
  • The Butler

    1
    By CAmcrap
    The Butler Hated this book - someone wrote she repeats so much - well what else is new? I don’t know why I even finished this book. It was a waste of my time and money. a waste of my time and money. a waste of my time and money.
  • Good story line

    5
    By Golfingtwoyearold
    Loved the characters.
  • Highly recommended & wonderfully written!

    5
    By Cattywammpuss
    Loved reading the engaging and engrossing novel. When Joachim's butler's position ends, he begins working for a single, beautiful woman, Olivia, as her assistant. When unforeseen circumstances arise, Joachim leaves his position with Olivia. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, full of twists and turns, and another great story by Danielle Steel.
  • Courage to love living.

    5
    By Show Smart Staging
    Heartfelt way to example living courageously. Well done.
  • Easy to read

    3
    By BruxaNew
    Typical Steele story, simple and easy to read. When I have been reading several intense and/or complicated books it is a good break to pick up one of these that you can come and go to without losing the story Line since there is a lot of repetition.
  • Loved this book!!

    5
    By carmie mommy
    I love all of Danielle Steel’s books. I can’t wait to read them when they come out ! I couldn’t put this one down. Loved the characters, the decorating, the description of large English manor houses……yes, I loved Downton Abby too.
  • The Butler

    3
    By gmakjs
    Routinely I eagerly dive into Daniel Steels new books. Did the same with this one, however I found that she kept repeating the same information over and over and over again at least 3/4 of the way through the book. I found I could actually skim multiple pages and not miss anything worth reading so I was very disappointed thank you
  • A story about love and families

    5
    By princezz24789
    Four and a half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ The Butler by Danielle Steel is about love, family, and brothers. It’s a family saga that starts out in Argentina, and goes to Paris, New York and London. It’s an inside look into a dying profession, the butler, but so much more. The characters are strong, memorable and very likeable. Joachim and Javier, twins, are raised by a single mother in Buenos Aires, Argentina. When the twins are teenagers, their mother remarries and moves to Paris. Javier doesn’t go with them and instead stays in Argentina with his friends. Joachim finishes his schooling, and then is lost without his twin brother and does odd jobs until he finds an ad for a butler school in England. Without a passion, or a career, Joachim decides to go to butler school and learn the trade. Joachim is surprised that he loves the job, and spends the next sixteen years working as a butler for a noble family in England. After his employers pass away, and his job is over, he returns to Paris to spend time with his mother, who is now widowed until he can find another job as a butler. As butler jobs are rare, he takes a temporary job in Paris helping a woman set up a home and acts as her personal assistant. Olivia, his employer is taking a break after her high end decorating magazine failed after ten years. She decides to spend a year in Paris, and hires Joachim, a master of four languages, to help her set up her apartment. Danielle Steel is a master at developing deep and realistic characters and this book does not disappoint. Joachim and his mother are such loving characters, and so is Olivia. I’ll admit there is a bit of an info dump in the beginning of this book, but it’s worth it to plow through it, as the story is so very good. I just loved Joachim, his relationship with his mother and then his relationship with Olivia, it all seemed so real, and true. I highly recommend this book, especially to all who love Danielle Steel Novels. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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