The Butler
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- Create Date：2021-10-06 10:50:58
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Danielle Steel
- ISBN：1984821520
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Summary
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。 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。
Joachim von Hartmann was born and raised in Buenos Aires by his loving German mother， inseparable from his identical twin。 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
Renee
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awesome bookGreat book！ A must read！ I can’t wait for her next one！ She is simply the best！ Simply the best！！
Beth Hommes
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Joachim has been raised in Argentina and moves to Paris in his late teens。 His identical twin stays behind working for criminals。 Joachim decides to become a。 Butler until he figures out what he wants to do with his life。 He works in grand homes for some of England’s richest families。 When those opportunities end， he takes a short term job for Olivia as her personal assistant。 A few weeks become months and then years。 Joachim and Olivia form a friendship。 Steel has done a fine job of describing Joachim has been raised in Argentina and moves to Paris in his late teens。 His identical twin stays behind working for criminals。 Joachim decides to become a。 Butler until he figures out what he wants to do with his life。 He works in grand homes for some of England’s richest families。 When those opportunities end， he takes a short term job for Olivia as her personal assistant。 A few weeks become months and then years。 Joachim and Olivia form a friendship。 Steel has done a fine job of describing the lifestyles of the rich in Europe。 The character development was solid but the plot was a bit lacking。 I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC。 。。。more
Michelle Lindo-Rice
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Two different people from two different backgrounds meet in Paris and find their way to each other。 Joachim von Hartman is from Buenos Aires and has an identical twin， Javier。 Raised by their single mother， Joachim enters a life of service as a butler。 Trained by the best， Joachim has worked for some of England's most powerful elite。 Olivia White is recovering from her magazine folding， a magazine she labored with for ten years。 The only child of a single mom， Olivia decides to start fresh in Pa Two different people from two different backgrounds meet in Paris and find their way to each other。 Joachim von Hartman is from Buenos Aires and has an identical twin， Javier。 Raised by their single mother， Joachim enters a life of service as a butler。 Trained by the best， Joachim has worked for some of England's most powerful elite。 Olivia White is recovering from her magazine folding， a magazine she labored with for ten years。 The only child of a single mom， Olivia decides to start fresh in Paris。 She is excited about her new venture， having never done anything so spontaneous。 New to the country， she needs an assistant， familiar with the language to help her set up her home and hires， Joachim。 Both will find themselves on a new chapter， a new journey and maybe， find love and solace in each other。First， I have to say that I truly enjoyed this read。 I was sucked into the story and couldn't believe the trauma and tragedy they went through。 I loved the title and concept。 Just that alone made me want to read。 This was a story of self-discovery， forgiveness， renewal， family。 It had intrigue that kept me swiping on my kindle to get to the end。However， as I am seeing with Danielle Steel， there is a lot of info dumping in the beginning。 I am guessing she is able to get away with all those pages of narratives because of who she is。 Because of this， I had stopped reading another book but after reading The Butler and another book of hers， I think I might go back and give that book a chance。People will enjoy the strong characters who you want to root for。 Their love felt organic and it wasn't the central part of the story， though of course， there was the happy ending。 Rather it was about Joachim and Olivia coming to terms with their past and using what they have learned to embark on a new future。 Sometimes things happen in life that make up skeptical about love or about becoming vulnerable to another person。 But it is beautiful when it happens and that is what I enjoyed reading。 。。。more
Diane Saul
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This is a typical Danielle Steel book。 A predictable， but enjoyable story that will allow you to escape the real world。 Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy。
Lovely Loveday
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The Butler by Danielle Steel is different from most Steel books， with a male protagonist， the butler。 A man with a fascinating backstory that has made him very sensitive and empathetic。 The Butler is a lovely story of 2 people nearing middle age and finding new beginnings。
Kristina
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The Butler by Danielle Steel takes us from Argentina to Paris and New York。 This is a unique story for this author with a male protagonist as the main character。 Joachim von Hartmann is a modern-day butler in a world where butlers are no longer needed。 Olivia White is a woman at a crossroads。 She is not sure what she wants to do or where she wants to it。 The characters are developed and interesting。 I particularly liked Joachim’s mother， Liese。 She has a rich， diverse history。 I especially enjoy The Butler by Danielle Steel takes us from Argentina to Paris and New York。 This is a unique story for this author with a male protagonist as the main character。 Joachim von Hartmann is a modern-day butler in a world where butlers are no longer needed。 Olivia White is a woman at a crossroads。 She is not sure what she wants to do or where she wants to it。 The characters are developed and interesting。 I particularly liked Joachim’s mother， Liese。 She has a rich， diverse history。 I especially enjoyed the work Liese was doing helping to return stolen art from World War II to its rightful owners。 Personally， I felt that Liese’s story would have made a more compelling story。 Joachim’s life is complicated by his identical twin brother， Javier who joined a drug cartel in Columbia。 This provides complications for Joachim。 Olivia and Joachim end up working together。 They have a companionable relationship。 They each get a chance to find their path。 While some aspects of The Butler were interesting， others were lackluster。 There is quite a bit of repetition and there is mild foul language。 The way Olivia was introduced was abrupt。 There needed to be a smoother entrance， or it should have been done earlier in the story。 She came out of left field。 We get to see Joachim discover that a butler’s role is changing and， in many cases， is no longer needed。 Olivia must discover where she belongs and what she should do with her skills。 The ending felt rushed though it was satisfying。 The Butler felt disjointed with repetitive details。 This is not my favorite book by Danielle Steel， though， it will not keep me from checking out her future books。 。。。more
Barb Lie
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The Butler by Danielle Steel was another one of her excellent standalone novels。 The Butler is a saga about a family that is broken by some of its past， with twin brothers， one bad， and the other good。 The story starts off in Argentina， with the mother and son moving to Paris， with her remarrying; the bad （Javier） brother refuses to leave， and later becomes deeply involved with the drug cartel。Joachim， our hero， is the good son， who loves his mother， and since many years pass without any knowled The Butler by Danielle Steel was another one of her excellent standalone novels。 The Butler is a saga about a family that is broken by some of its past， with twin brothers， one bad， and the other good。 The story starts off in Argentina， with the mother and son moving to Paris， with her remarrying; the bad （Javier） brother refuses to leave， and later becomes deeply involved with the drug cartel。Joachim， our hero， is the good son， who loves his mother， and since many years pass without any knowledge of his twin， he moves on。 Sort of like a Cain and Able story， but Joachim is the hero in this book， with the other reappearing nearer to the end for a very short period。Joachim decides while still home in Paris with his mother and step father， to go to Butler school， and from there he rises to become the main butler in a wealthy mansion in London for over 16 years， and when the family passed on， he moves back home temporarily to spend time with his now elderly mother。 We meet our heroine， Olivia， who lives in New York， and recently ran a decorating magazine， which after 10 years failed。 Oliva lost her mother， and decides to use the money bequeathed to her， to spend a year in Paris。 She decides to rent for one year a beautiful charming apartment， and realizes she will need an assistant to help her set up and arrange everything。 Joachim is bored after a bit， as his mother continues to work， so he decides to take a job as an assistant to pass the time。 With Olivia his employer， Joachim begins to enjoy the different kind of work， as he and Olivia visit places for furniture， antiques， as well as Joachim hiring the help to fix and put all the pieces together。 Olivia finds herself dependent on Joachim， for he has done a fabulous job helping her， and they become friends。 Both Joachim and Olivia are older adults （early 50’s）， and each has their own issues to never allow themselves to become involved。 I loved Joachim and Olivia， as they were true and wonderful people， and rooted that they would end up together。With things going smoothly， Olivia takes a trip to New York to take care of things， and asks Joachim if he wanted to go with her for the weekend。 All hell breaks loose when they arrive， as the police pull Joachim into custody， thinking he is Javier， a known drug cartel member。 When proof is found that he is not Javier， they return to Paris， but things fall apart。 Joachim also learns the truth from his mother about the dark days when he was a child， and the family that were criminals。 Joachim knowing how dangerous his brother has been all the 25 years he was missing; decides he needs to be protective to both his mother and Olivia。 He abruptly will make a decision to leave， in order to keep them safe。 Will he find a way to return to them？ Will Olivia be able to forgive him for leaving？The Butler was very well written by Danielle Steel。 It was a beautiful story line revolving around two people who led different lives， and a friendship that changed slowly changed everything。 The story also has a lot of history for both families， with some dark secrets along the way。 I suggest you read The Butler， as I enjoyed it very much。BarbThe Reading Cafe 。。。more
Barbara Powell
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As always with Danielle Steel books， you can count on strong characters and settings that sweep you away， and this is no different， What is different， however， is that the main character is a male。 Joachim and Javier are twins who have been living apart from each other for all their adult lives。 Joachim is very sensitive and empathetic and attached to their mother， especially given their past as well as hers， he feels very protective of her。 Javier has always been the difficult one， and has chos As always with Danielle Steel books， you can count on strong characters and settings that sweep you away， and this is no different， What is different， however， is that the main character is a male。 Joachim and Javier are twins who have been living apart from each other for all their adult lives。 Joachim is very sensitive and empathetic and attached to their mother， especially given their past as well as hers， he feels very protective of her。 Javier has always been the difficult one， and has chosen a life very different from theirs。 Joachim chooses a life of service as a butler and is very good at it。 When his long term employer’s pass away， he’s given a new assignment with Olivia， who unbeknownst to Joachim has had a similar past， to renovate a chateau。 In the process， they become very good friends until Javier shows back up and threatens everyone and everything that Joachim is close to。 It’s a nice and simple story of love， loss and friendship and the power of new beginnings。 Classic Danielle Steel。 Thanks to Delacorte Press and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review。 。。。more
Stephanie
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Danielle Steel's latest novel tells the story of Joachim and Olivia in Paris。 Joachim and Olivia's backstories are told in the opening chapters so that you understand their baggage; Joachim has been working as a butler in England and Olivia is from the US where she recently shut down her magazine。 They find their lives crossing in Paris and a work relationship and friendship ensues。 Like all Steel novels it's a privileged world and the reading is easy though the story seems to wrap up all of a s Danielle Steel's latest novel tells the story of Joachim and Olivia in Paris。 Joachim and Olivia's backstories are told in the opening chapters so that you understand their baggage; Joachim has been working as a butler in England and Olivia is from the US where she recently shut down her magazine。 They find their lives crossing in Paris and a work relationship and friendship ensues。 Like all Steel novels it's a privileged world and the reading is easy though the story seems to wrap up all of a sudden。 Steel's fans will likely enjoy an afternoon reading about Paris。 。。。more
Sarah Carper
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 All opinions are my own。 I enjoyed this book for many reasons。 Danielle Steel typically seems to write with a particular outline and then fits all her characters and storylines within that outline。 I felt like this story broke out of the box a little bit。 Our main character is a man， which is not common in Danielle Steel's books， and she also takes us to Buenos Aires for some of the book。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 All opinions are my own。 I enjoyed this book for many reasons。 Danielle Steel typically seems to write with a particular outline and then fits all her characters and storylines within that outline。 I felt like this story broke out of the box a little bit。 Our main character is a man， which is not common in Danielle Steel's books， and she also takes us to Buenos Aires for some of the book。 Most often， I find that her books are set in France， where she lives。 However， this was an interesting change of pace。 I found that the characters in this story had more depth and history to them than other books of hers and I really enjoyed all the layers that the characters had。 This book includes family trauma， both in their history and current day。 I found all of the characters to be so realistic。 This was a very enjoyable read that you won't want to miss。 。。。more
Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews
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*https://mrsbbookreviews。wordpress。com“I don’t mind a life of service。 I kind of like the idea of keeping people’s lives in good order。”American author Danielle Steel is loved around the world for her romance novels。 The Butler is Steel’s most recent contemporary romance release。 A story of family， wealth， secrets， betrayal， loss， trauma， estrangement， employment， friendship and love， The Butler is an engaging read， ideal for fans of the bestselling author。Joachim von Hartmann leads the events o *https://mrsbbookreviews。wordpress。com“I don’t mind a life of service。 I kind of like the idea of keeping people’s lives in good order。”American author Danielle Steel is loved around the world for her romance novels。 The Butler is Steel’s most recent contemporary romance release。 A story of family， wealth， secrets， betrayal， loss， trauma， estrangement， employment， friendship and love， The Butler is an engaging read， ideal for fans of the bestselling author。Joachim von Hartmann leads the events of Danielle Steel’s latest novel。 Joachim and his twin brother Javier come from a very rich family， but when their grandfather is charged with serious war crimes， this family takes a big fall from grace。 Joachim and Javier’s mother Liese is forced to bring up the boys alone， on a small income。 Over time things improve for Liese。 Liese falls into a satisfying position as a French art expert。 However， Liese leaves behind one son in Argentina， who goes off the rails when he becomes involved in the dark drug underworld。 Joachim follows his mother to France， but he eventually moves on and takes up a lucrative position as a butler。 After sixteen years of loyal service to his employer， Joachim returns to France to be with his ageing mother。 While trying to secure a new long-term position as a butler in France， Joachim takes up interim role with an American businesswoman who is starting afresh in France。 Joachim’s new employer Olivia never thought she would need a butler， but Joachim proves his worth in gold。 But as this employer and employee grow closer， threats from the past will impact this couple。The Butler offers a slight departure from Danielle Steel’s usual fodder。 This time around Steel chooses the narrate events from mainly a male perspective through the central voice of Joachim von Hartmann， the butler figure of this tale。 Steel also integrates the perspective of Olivia， a successful American woman looking to restart her life in France。 It was refreshing to read a Danielle Steel book from the eyes of a male lead。 Joachim was quite a charming figure！The initial premise of The Butler was intriguing and I was interested to see where this novel would go direction wise。 Those who are fans of Danielle Steel will know that the author loves the cult television series Downton Abbey and France。 Steel combines both these elements in her novel and she includes a focus on the wealthy， which is another of the author’s common narrative threads。 The Butler looks at a family who take a tumble from the upper class due to an unexpected revelation。 I enjoyed the way in which the war crime element involving the lead’s grandfather played out in this book。 I actually would have loved more air time on this component of the novel as I found it fascinating。 Likewise， I found Liese to be a very absorbing character with a compelling profession。 I devoured the sections involving Liese’s art work and her dedication to recovering stolen paintings from the war。 Steel presents a very intriguing subject area in minimal form only。 I would have liked a stronger exploration of this highly engaging subject line。Joachim von Hartman leads proceedings in Danielle Steel’s most recent publication。 Joachim is an appealing and likeable protagonist。 Joachim’s family background， education， further studies， training and eventual employment as a butler proved to be enjoyable points in this story。 I did feel some areas around Joachim and his family were repetitive， which was unfortunate。 The female lead of this tale was inserted into the novel without much warning or build up， which was a bit odd， but I did appreciate the relationship progression between these two leads。 What I found most surprising was the changing position of a butler in modern times as opposed to the past， this aspect of the tale held my interest。 Olivia and Joachim’s relationship took some time to develop and the happy ever after came just a bit too fast for me， more build up was definitely required in this area of The Butler。With some predictable elements and plot turns， The Butler takes an additional focus on Joachim’s twin brother Javier。 Javier’s disappearance and possible death contributes to a valued level of suspense in this contemporary romance tale。 Steel uses this aspect of her novel to explore the drugs trade and Argentina’s dark underworld。 This was another alternative storyline focus for Danielle Steel。 It was good to see Danielle Steel branch further afield with some elements of her new novel。*Thanks extended to Pan Macmillan for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes。 。。。more
Magi
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Does Ms。 Steel ever write a bad book
Kelly
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What a change of pace for a Danielle Steel book！ Most of her books have the female as the main character， this time it's a man。 Joachim is a butler who is temporarily out of work and staying with his mother when he agrees to work on a temporary basis for Olivia。 It was a little different reading about a butler in modern times， but it was a very interesting and fun read。 I wish it had continued at the end， I wanted more to the ending。 Still a really good book！This review is based on an ARC from N What a change of pace for a Danielle Steel book！ Most of her books have the female as the main character， this time it's a man。 Joachim is a butler who is temporarily out of work and staying with his mother when he agrees to work on a temporary basis for Olivia。 It was a little different reading about a butler in modern times， but it was a very interesting and fun read。 I wish it had continued at the end， I wanted more to the ending。 Still a really good book！This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley， courtesy of the publisher。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Janilyn Kocher
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It’s always a pleasure to slip back into a DS novel。 This one is international， jetting between Europe， South America， and the US。 Joachim decides to be a butler， which leads him on many adventures。 Olivia is resetting her life in Europe and hires Joachim。 The back story of both characters is interesting。 It’s a simple， straight forward read with no frills and that’s what I needed。 Thanks to Ballantine and NetGalley for the advance copy。
Tiffany www。instagram。com/tiffs_bookshelf
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Danielle Steele is in my opinion the queen of romance and always will be！！！！！！！ I've heard some people say that her stories are starting to sound too much alike but in my opinion each book is different and so are the characters。 This book is a beautiful story of loss， rediscovery， and finding yourself again as well as love。 I highly recommend this book to all romance lovers。 Danielle Steele is in my opinion the queen of romance and always will be！！！！！！！ I've heard some people say that her stories are starting to sound too much alike but in my opinion each book is different and so are the characters。 This book is a beautiful story of loss， rediscovery， and finding yourself again as well as love。 I highly recommend this book to all romance lovers。 。。。more
Jordan Moore
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The Butler – Danielle Steel Stars: 4 stars Danielle Steel is an author that I have had the chance to read through NetGalley twice now and I am so happy that I continue to pick up her novels and requesting her ARCs。 She is such a strong writer and has a lot of novels that I hope to pick up over time and read more from her。 Her writing style is so easy to devour that I tend to read through her novels in a day or two。 This novel seemed very different from the typical love stories she writes， and I The Butler – Danielle Steel Stars: 4 stars Danielle Steel is an author that I have had the chance to read through NetGalley twice now and I am so happy that I continue to pick up her novels and requesting her ARCs。 She is such a strong writer and has a lot of novels that I hope to pick up over time and read more from her。 Her writing style is so easy to devour that I tend to read through her novels in a day or two。 This novel seemed very different from the typical love stories she writes， and I greatly appreciated that while reading through。 When I read the title of this novel， I was not sure what would come from the novel or how a romance would come about it。 I enjoyed that it was based in the modern world but looked at the past usage of butlers in Europe which was a fun idea。 This novel was a refreshing change from love at first sight romance novels and looks at the themes of family， friendship， and trauma inflicted by life experiences。 This was an interesting way to look at trauma based on experiences and how that can affect the lives that people live including protecting themselves so much that they never can live a full life。 The only reason I gave this novel a 4 star instead of 5 stars was because of the side story line of Joachim’s twin brother， Javier， because it seemed to place an added conflicted that may not have been entirely necessary。 This portion of the story seemed to not be so important even though it would be dire and important。 This second story line almost seemed like an afterthought and a storyline driver which can be important to the development of some stories。 Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for the E-ARC copy for an honest review of the novel before publication。 。。。more
Bobbi Wagner
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This is an author that I have been reading for years。 I never hesitate to pick up one of her books。 They are well written stories that pull you in from the beginning。 This book is no different。 It is a well written story that has characters that are written with heart and soul。 They are connectable and kept the story engaging。 This is a story that will show you what happens when you are from two different sides of the fence and then their lives collide in one place。 This is a really great story This is an author that I have been reading for years。 I never hesitate to pick up one of her books。 They are well written stories that pull you in from the beginning。 This book is no different。 It is a well written story that has characters that are written with heart and soul。 They are connectable and kept the story engaging。 This is a story that will show you what happens when you are from two different sides of the fence and then their lives collide in one place。 This is a really great story that I loved from the beginning。 Joachim and Olivia are from two different parts of the world but what will happen when their lives collide in Paris？ This is where the story really picks up and was hard to put down。 One life is falling apart and one life is struggling to be put back together。 I enjoyed their growth throughout the story and what they brought to the story。 I highly recommend this book and this author。 。。。more
Christopher Wills
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This one took me a little while to get in to which is strange for a DS title。 She usually grabs me in the first chapter or two and doesn’t let go until the end。 In the end I did enjoy this one but it’s not as memorable as some others， the female lead is not very engaging， but the male lead is a good character and I adored his mother。 The ending felt rushed and I felt like there was some sex thrown in at the end just because there hadn’t been any throughout the book。 I feel like the ending would This one took me a little while to get in to which is strange for a DS title。 She usually grabs me in the first chapter or two and doesn’t let go until the end。 In the end I did enjoy this one but it’s not as memorable as some others， the female lead is not very engaging， but the male lead is a good character and I adored his mother。 The ending felt rushed and I felt like there was some sex thrown in at the end just because there hadn’t been any throughout the book。 I feel like the ending would have been fine without the rushed sex…I would have preferred a will they or won’t they cliff-hanger for lack of a better word。 All in all it’s ok…not one of the better DS titles IMHO 。。。more
Cynthia Van Camp
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Very easy read。 Really enjoyed the storyline。 Seemed like it repeated the words a lot to make the story longer but over all enjoyed the story。 Ms。 Steels book flow easily。 Thanks to Netgalley for allowing to read and review and St。 Martins Press。
Donita Qualey
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The Butler- hmmm。 When I read the title， I was intrigued。 How could a book about a butler be interesting？ Of course， the lives of servants in Downton Abbey come to mind。 We think of them being totally at the beck and call of the estate owners and not having a life of their own。 But， the story of Joachim Canal is intriguing and very interesting。 He grew up in Argentina， from a family once thought of with great regard at one time。 With disgrace of his family， his mother raised her twin sons in pov The Butler- hmmm。 When I read the title， I was intrigued。 How could a book about a butler be interesting？ Of course， the lives of servants in Downton Abbey come to mind。 We think of them being totally at the beck and call of the estate owners and not having a life of their own。 But， the story of Joachim Canal is intriguing and very interesting。 He grew up in Argentina， from a family once thought of with great regard at one time。 With disgrace of his family， his mother raised her twin sons in poverty。 When the twins were 17， the mother married a Frenchman and moved to Paris with Joachim in tow。 Javier， the rebellious son， stayed with friends in Argentina。 Always in trouble， Javier chooses a life of crime。 This breaks Joachim's heart。 Always a great student， he drifts and eventually enters service as a butler to aristocratic families in England。Olivia grew up with a single mother and barely knew her father。 When her mother dies， and her decorator magazine folds， she decides to spend a year in Paris。 She finds a beautiful apartment she has to decorate and hires an assistant。 The story of Joachim and Olivia is a great one。 Two souls have vowed to live their lives in solitude because of the awful relationships they experienced between their parents comes to light。 Can they make this work？ This is a delightful story about overcoming obstacles in life， charting your own path and choices。 I know that once I start a Danielle Steel book， I won't want to put it down until the story is complete。 This book is no exception。 And， yes， butlers do have a life beyond service。*I received an advance copy of the book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Terri
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Now I remember why I like Danielle steel books so much。 There is nothing too dramatic going on， nothing too exciting going on， just a good story to sit down and read。 It sounds boring， but sometimes I just want to read and enjoy a book without having to think too much。 It’s a comfort thing， I guess。 The Butler tells the story of a young man who has been disappointed in life by his father and his twin brother。 We also meet a young woman who has been disappointed in life。 This is the story of thei Now I remember why I like Danielle steel books so much。 There is nothing too dramatic going on， nothing too exciting going on， just a good story to sit down and read。 It sounds boring， but sometimes I just want to read and enjoy a book without having to think too much。 It’s a comfort thing， I guess。 The Butler tells the story of a young man who has been disappointed in life by his father and his twin brother。 We also meet a young woman who has been disappointed in life。 This is the story of their meeting and how they work together。 Of course， it all ties up neatly at the end。It was just what I wanted！ 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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Joachim and Olivia are both coping with change in middle age- he's lost his long time position as a butler in the UK and she's lost her mother and her magazine。 They meet when she is looking for assistance with her new apartment in Paris and， well， this is a Danielle Steel novel so。。。。 It's also a bit different from her usual work because Joachim is at the forefront。 His back story- his life in Argentina， his twin Javier， etc- could make a novel on its own。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 It's Joachim and Olivia are both coping with change in middle age- he's lost his long time position as a butler in the UK and she's lost her mother and her magazine。 They meet when she is looking for assistance with her new apartment in Paris and， well， this is a Danielle Steel novel so。。。。 It's also a bit different from her usual work because Joachim is at the forefront。 His back story- his life in Argentina， his twin Javier， etc- could make a novel on its own。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 It's a quick and entertaining read that Steel fans will welcome。 。。。more
Julie
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I've been a bit down， or at least "meh" about the last view Danielle Steel books I've read。 In that sense， this one was a refreshing change in that I enjoyed the characters and the storyline， and didn't have a lot of negatives。 It was still somewhat predictable， although less so in many ways。 It was refreshing that this didn't follow the typical timeline you find in most of her books。 I really liked the two main characters， Joaquim and Olivia - their characters were relatable and likable。 I enjo I've been a bit down， or at least "meh" about the last view Danielle Steel books I've read。 In that sense， this one was a refreshing change in that I enjoyed the characters and the storyline， and didn't have a lot of negatives。 It was still somewhat predictable， although less so in many ways。 It was refreshing that this didn't follow the typical timeline you find in most of her books。 I really liked the two main characters， Joaquim and Olivia - their characters were relatable and likable。 I enjoyed the twist of having the familial issues on the male character's side rather than just another "damsel in distress" story。 I also really enjoyed the secondary character of Joachim's mother。 I've been a long time reader of Danielle Steel， and this one is definitely one of her better ones， in my opinion。Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Cozy Cat Reviews
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Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley 。 My review opinions are my own。 This is by far one of her best books。 Its a wonderful story of rich charcters ， friendship and family。 I loved the way she wove the charcters backgrounds into who they grew up to be。 The Butler is the primary charcter and a masterful work of creating a charcter with strong sense of family loyalty， morals and class。 The author incorporated historical references and tied the history of each charcter to the present day st Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley 。 My review opinions are my own。 This is by far one of her best books。 Its a wonderful story of rich charcters ， friendship and family。 I loved the way she wove the charcters backgrounds into who they grew up to be。 The Butler is the primary charcter and a masterful work of creating a charcter with strong sense of family loyalty， morals and class。 The author incorporated historical references and tied the history of each charcter to the present day story。 This is a book you will read through to the end 。 I loved it from beginning to end。 5 star read I highly recommend。 Its a lovely book to read in these terrible times that truly sweeps the reader away。 Very well done to Ms。 Steel。 。。。more
Laura
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I rediscovered Danielle Steel a few years ago。 Some of her newer books have reminded me of why I loved her book so many years ago。 Unfortunately， The Butler is not her best。 The writing is often repetitive and doesn't flow smoothly。 The premise is fascinating。 The books takes place in the present and the main protaganist is a male character， the butler named Joachim。 He has had a difficult life and his family origins are compelling。 Joachim has trouble finding a career and goes to "Butler school I rediscovered Danielle Steel a few years ago。 Some of her newer books have reminded me of why I loved her book so many years ago。 Unfortunately， The Butler is not her best。 The writing is often repetitive and doesn't flow smoothly。 The premise is fascinating。 The books takes place in the present and the main protaganist is a male character， the butler named Joachim。 He has had a difficult life and his family origins are compelling。 Joachim has trouble finding a career and goes to "Butler school"。 He finds satisfaction in being a butler， but his life is lonely。 Eventually， he meets Olivia， who is career driven and her personal life is lacking。 Will they fall love or just be friends？ I'm not giving up on Ms。 Steel just yet。 Thank you NetGalley for the ARC！ 。。。more
Patty
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Taking a different path than most of Ms。 Steel's books， this one has a male lead character， and the majority of the storyline is through his eyes。 Joachim and his twin， Javier， were raised by their mother for most of their lives， until she met a wonderful man who lived in Paris and convinced them to move there， away from Argentina。 Javier chose to stay behind in Argentina， and Joachim went to Paris， finished his schooling there， even attended the Sorbonne。 His mother took a job tracing the prove Taking a different path than most of Ms。 Steel's books， this one has a male lead character， and the majority of the storyline is through his eyes。 Joachim and his twin， Javier， were raised by their mother for most of their lives， until she met a wonderful man who lived in Paris and convinced them to move there， away from Argentina。 Javier chose to stay behind in Argentina， and Joachim went to Paris， finished his schooling there， even attended the Sorbonne。 His mother took a job tracing the provenance of paintings that were separated from their owners by the Nazis。 It was fulfilling work but emotional as well。Joachim moves on with his life， learning the skills of a butler and after working several jobs for very important people， starts to work for Olivia。 Olivia is struggling a bit， and she and Joachim start to bond。 Along the way， Joachim discovers some very distasteful information about his brother and his family， causing him to struggle with his identity。Rather than a coming of age story， this was more of a tale of mature individuals finding comfort in themselves first as individuals， then in each other。 It was a good， solid read。Thanks to the author， publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book， but my opinions are my own。 。。。more
Cathy Garrison
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Danielle Steel has done it again！ The Butler is a bestseller just waiting to be released。 This is a lovely story of change， love， loss， and family secrets。 Joachim and Olivia are from two very different backgrounds and when they meet in Paris they must learn to let go of the past in order to live in the future。 Beautifully told Danielle Steel keeps the reader captivated until the very end。 Thank you to #NetGalley ， Danielle Steel， and her publisher for my requested ARC and this is my honest revi Danielle Steel has done it again！ The Butler is a bestseller just waiting to be released。 This is a lovely story of change， love， loss， and family secrets。 Joachim and Olivia are from two very different backgrounds and when they meet in Paris they must learn to let go of the past in order to live in the future。 Beautifully told Danielle Steel keeps the reader captivated until the very end。 Thank you to #NetGalley ， Danielle Steel， and her publisher for my requested ARC and this is my honest review。 。。。more
Lou
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One of the best Danielle Steel books。 Joachim and Olivia come from different worlds - They find together the importance satisfying work ， friendship and the start of a new life together。 Great Read！！
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Butler
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Butler&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Butler&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0