Matters of the Heart Author:Danielle Steel In a spellbinding blend of suspense and human drama, Danielle Steel tells a powerful and unusual story of one woman's journey from darkness into light, as she fights to escape a mesmerizing sociopath who holds her in his thrall. — Hope Dunne has carved out a name for herself as a top photographer, known the joys of marriage and motherhood, and th... more »e heartbreak of loss. In her chic SoHo loft, Hope is content with her life, finding serenity and beauty through the lens of her camera. She isn't looking for a man or excitement. But these things find her when she accepts a last- minute assignment to fly to London at Christmas and photograph one of the world's most celebrated writers -- an Irish-American author known for novels of thrilling literary darkness.
To Hope's surprise, Finn O'Neill exudes warmth and a boyish charm. Enormously successful, he is a perfect counterpoint to Hope's quiet, steady grace -- and he's taken instantly by her. He courts her as no one ever has before, whisking her away to his palatial, isolated Irish estate.
Hope finds it all, and him, irresistible. Finn's magnetism and brilliance are undeniable. But soon cracks begin to appear in his stories: gaps in his history, a few innocent lies, and bouts of jealousy unnerve her. Suddenly Hope is both in love and suspicious, caring and deeply in doubt, and ultimately frightened of the man she loves. Alone, thousands of miles from home, her mind is reeling. Is she just being paranoid? How many lies has he told? Are there more secrets to come? Is it possible that this adoring, attentive man -- like the characters in his novels -- is hiding something even worse? The spell cast by a brilliant sociopath has her trapped in his web, too confused and dazzled to escape as he continues to tighten his grip on her.
With razor-sharp insight, Danielle Steel delivers an unforgettable tale of danger and obsessive love. Fearlessly telling the truth, refusing to look away, Steel proves once again that as an American storyteller she has no peer when she explores the dark secrets that sometimes lurk just below the surface of ordinary lives, writing about men and women and their courage to prevail, in this case, even in the face of evil.« less
I used to really like Danielle Steele, but this book left me wanting more. I am not sure if it was purposely repeating the same information as part of the story or if she just didn't have enough to fill the book, but I found it very annoying to keep re-reading the same information. I also don't remember any of her books being scary. This one was creepy and unnerved me.
Not one of her better books. Towards the end I just skimmed to get through it as she refuses to allow her character to evolve. It's more of the same chapter after chapter.
Matters of the Heart was a very good book. It was so true to life, telling about how we sometimes become involved with another person, not really knowing them, and then disaster strikes. The book will hold your attention to the end. After I started reading it, it was hard to put down. You just want to keep reading wondering what will happen next. I have read all of Danielle Steels books. She is one of my favorite authors.I give this book a 5.