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Lightning
Lightning
Author: Danielle Steel
As a partner at one of New York's most prestigious law firms, Alexandra Parker barely manages to juggle husband, career, and the three-year-old child she gave birth to at forty.  But Alex feels blessed with her life and happy marriage--until lightning strikes her.  Suddenly a routine medical check-up turns her world upside do...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780440221500
ISBN-10: 0440221501
Publication Date: 6/2/1996
Pages: 464
Rating:
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 100

3.8 stars, based on 100 ratings
Publisher: Dell
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

Modaba avatar reviewed Lightning on + 75 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
I don't read a lot of Danielle Steel's books, but I chose this one because it is about a breast cancer survivor. I felt it was quite realistic in its content. I can't say I was thrilled with the ending, but once again, it was realistic. Going through breast cancer surgery and chemotherapy are life changing, traumatic events that can affect an entire family. The experience indeed can strike like "lightning". This is a story of just such an experience. Good, quick read.
reviewed Lightning on + 43 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Great book!
reviewed Lightning on + 15 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoy all of Danielle Steel books. They are all great.
As a partner at one of NY most prestigious law firms, Alexandra Parker barely manages to juggle husband, career, and the three year old child she gave birth to at forty. But Alex feels blessed with her life and happy marriage--until lightning strikes her. Suddenly a routine checkup turns her world upside down when tests reveal shattering news.
reviewed Lightning on + 28 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
With a fabulous career, wonderful husband, and adorable child, Alexandra Parker's life is perfect--until devastating news from a doctor turns her world upside down. Can the bonds of love and marriage withstand this unexpected bolt of lightning, or will Alexandra have to seek a completely new life? --From Amazon.com

I did not read this book. Tried to read Danielle Steel novels and just did not find them interesting.
reviewed Lightning on + 25 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Typical Steele drama...enjoyable for such a deep subject as breast cancer
Read All 34 Book Reviews of "Lightning"

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scrapbooklady avatar reviewed Lightning on + 472 more book reviews
I have read way too many Danielle Steel books and this is one of my least favorites. The characters are shallow and the ending is just awful. Don't waste your time.
reviewed Lightning on + 533 more book reviews
The latest offering from the indefatigable Steel is as much a cancer-survival manual as it is a romance novel. Alexandra Parker has it all?a partnership at one of New York's most prestigious law firms, a lovable husband of 17 years and a beautiful little girl. Then a routine checkup reveals breast cancer. Like lightning, her whole world is shattered. At 40, Alex loses not only her breast and hair but also her husband and happy home. Wall Street wizard Sam Parker loves his wife, but Alex's illness terrifies him (his mother died of cancer). So, instead of supporting her, he turns to a younger, healthier woman. Alex, devastated by Sam's emotional abandonment and scared to death of what is happening to her body, is ready to give up on herself and life when in steps a wonderful younger man who helps her regain her spirit, her courage and her sense of worth. Planning to remarry, Alex is about to ask Sam (now living with his girlfriend) for a divorce when lightning strikes again. This time, it's Sam who's on the brink of disaster: his partners have embezzled their clients' money. Suddenly, Sam realizes how much he needs and loves a cancer-free Alex; but will the spurned heroine return to him? Steel's message?that women are stronger than men but more foolish in love?may annoy some readers, but Alex's brave struggle to survive is inspiring and will have most of the author's fans cheering as usual by the novel's sentimental, three-handkerchief finale.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY REVIEW
emeraldfire avatar reviewed Lightning on
As a partner in a prestigious New York law firm, a doting mother to a rambunctious and beautiful three-year-old girl and a loving and supportive wife to a man who is a star venture capitalist, Alex Parker believed that she had it all. Sure the work was hard; the hours long - juggling a marriage, career and raising a child was exhausting. for Alex. Her life was difficult but rewarding until a routine mammogram shatters her stable little world.

Now, Alex and her formerly loving husband, Sam are struggling to keep their marriage together in the midst of a bombshell diagnosis of breast cancer and honestly, failing to pull together. Alex and Sam become strangers to each other virtually overnight. When Sam's successful career suddenly explodes in disaster and he is left questioning his very identity, Alex must decide whether her life - as well as their future as a couple - is worth saving.

I have to say that contrary to Mareena's belief that I don't like Danielle Steel at all; I do. I found this book very fast and easy reading with a relatively good plot. I will say that I give my first reading experience of it - a few years ago a definite A+! However, I found that - and I don't mean this in a bad way at all - the plot was rather "smaltzy" towards the end.

Sam and Alex is the quintessential New York power couple - "Ken and Barbie" type fantastic lives together, dream careers and an adorable little girl that they've wanted for years. "Happy, happy, joy, joy, until the world implodes!" :) Then it's a slow, torturous crawl back to greatness for both of them; somewhat like a soap opera plot, I thought.

Not that it was a bad storyline at all, it was just slightly over dramatic in my opinion. :) All in all, I enjoyed my second reading of Lightning very much and I would certainly recommend this and other books by Danielle Steel to other readers, however this is the final time I will be reading this book. I can now pass this book along to another person without any remorse. Overall, I give my second reading of Lightning an A!
reviewed Lightning on + 2 more book reviews
A good Danielle Steel book. Every book is like meeting a new person.
reviewed Lightning on + 10 more book reviews
This is a great story about love. It really makes you think about what could happen if lightening struck you!
reviewed Lightning on + 21 more book reviews
This book was very good until the end. I enjoyed most of it and couldn't wait to see what happened. I was disappointed in the ending because I really didn't agree with the choice the main character made.
reviewed Lightning on
Great book. Did not want to put it down!!


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