Power of a Woman

by Barbara Taylor Bradford

No Matter How Much a Woman Has,
There's Always too Much to Lose Stephanie Jardine is at the apex of her career and life running the American branch of Jardine's, the prestigious Crown Jewellers of London. A young widow, she has three grown sons and one very precious teenage daughter, Chloe. Then one day, an unexpected act of violence committed by a stranger on the other side of the world plunges Stevie into turmoil and despair. To save her injured daughter's life and ensure her future, Stevie must go back to her own past and confront a relationship that has only brought her heartbreak. As she battles for her daughter, Stevie comes to understand how fragile life is and how it can be forever changed by others when least expected. A moving novel about family secrets, betrayal, and redemption, Power of a Woman is the story of an innocent victim of a stranger's vengeance, who manages to triumph through her own inner power as a woman.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Relationships, Womens Fiction

432 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Barbara Taylor Bradford was a British-American best-selling novelist. Her debut novel, A Woman of Substance, was published in 1979 and sold over 30 million copies worldwide. She wrote 40 novels, all bestsellers in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Reviews

[Noella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dit is het verhaal van een rijke familie. We lezen over hun goede en kwade dagen, hun vreugde en verdriet, hun feesten en drama's. Ook hun verleden wordt uit de doeken gedaan, hun goede en slechte beslissingen. Bijna op het einde wordt er nog heel onverwacht een verschrikkelijk feit uit het verleden onthuld, iets wat ik totaal niet had kunnen vermoeden.
Maar uiteindelijk komt het meeste toch wel goed, al is er ook een verdriet dat alleen met de tijd kan slijten.
Leuk ontspannend boek voor tussendoor.

[Kath · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was laughable. Nothing happened for at least a third of the book then there was suddenly a dramatic event without introducing the perpetrator at all beforehand. Shallow, unbelievable characters and events. Unrealistic and two dimensional.

[Shellie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I will probably never read another Barbara Taylor Bradford.

[Linda Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should join the Barbara Taylor Bradford fanclub. This is an excellent read about a family, a shattering event, & picking up the pieces. It is a story of love & the strength that is is us all if we will it to be there.

[Anne Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with other reviewers that for most of the book, nothing happened. We were introduced to the characters in the book...Stevie, the "powerful" woman who runs the jewelry store Jardine's, her three sons, father-in-law Bruce, mother Blair, and step-father, Derek, a well known British actor. At times, their wealth was a bit over dramatic. Spending over ten million dollars for a diamond? No problem! Mansions and flats here and there across the ocean? Of course! A senseless killing, and Stevie's illegitimate daughter Chloe finding out who her father is was the "dramatic" conclusion to the book.

[Sue · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very disappointed with this. The description on the back wasn't particularly accurate.
I have read othe Barbara Taylor Bradfords before and thoroughly enjoyed them, which was why I picked this one up. Not sure what went wrong when she wrote this, could it be a ghost writer I wonder? Certainly not up to standard I'm sorry.

[Jackie Simons]

Read 8/99

[Debbie Burchell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yawn

[S.J. Tyson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I definitely did not like this novel as much as others I have read by Barbara Taylor Bradford. The first 50+ pages are mostly just introducing a multitude of characters and giving you background information on them. If you read the synopsis on the book sleeve (as well as the one below), you will find that the majority of the storyline outlined does not really get started until the last quarter of the book. I picked up a little interest midway when there was a discussion of a "mystery man" situation, wondering who he might be. However, any mystery having to do with that and other situations turned out to be people who were unknown to the reader before they were revealed, which took away any investment in the storyline since there was no connection to the characters that were brought in so late in the story. It just seemed to lose all of its momentum (what little of it had been created) at that point. Also, in the middle of the book, there is a long lapse into a background story for the main character's stepfather, who is an English actor. It seemed long and out of place for a character that soon took a major backseat in the overall story. Actually, it felt more like filler. The storyline overall was good...I just wish the last quarter of the book had been closer to the beginning and gone on from there. Very frustrating to try to figure out whodunit situations when you have no chance of doing that, since you haven't "met" the people involved. Bringing in the new characters near the end just took the wind out of the sails badly on this one.

Synopsis:
Stephanie Jardine is at the apex of her career and life running the American branch of Jardine's, the prestigious Crown Jewellers of London. A young widow, she has three grown sons and one very precious teenage daughter, Chloe. Then one day, an unexpected act of violence committed by a stranger on the other side of the world plunges Stevie into turmoil and despair. To save her injured daughter's life and ensure her future, Stevie must go back to her own past and confront a relationship that has only brought her heartbreak. As she battles for her daughter, Stevie comes to understand how fragile life is and how it can be forever changed by others when least expected. A moving novel about family secrets, betrayal, and redemption, Power of a Woman is the story of an innocent victim of a stranger's vengeance, who manages to triumph through her own inner power as a woman.

[The Hungry Mind · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephanie 'Stevie' Jardine is the epitome of all things a woman would ever dream of being, she is smart, beautiful, compassionate and is one of the best minds in the jewellery business.
.
Despite having everything, she has had to fight for all that she has ever earned, with some people out there just waiting for her to falter.
.
Starting with having her first child at the mere age of 17 and then losing her husband at the young age of 23, having been left with 3 young sons and a family that just will not accept her, Stevie rose through everything by the sheer power of her will, she took over one of the biggest and baddest businesses in the world and became the best in her field.
.
But, Shakespeare was accurate when he said, 'uneasy is the head that wears the crown', because no amount of success could gurantee Stevie a painless life.
.
It is at a time when she is grappling with several changes in her life that have taken her by shock when she is delivered the biggest blow of her life.
.
Having to fight for the life of here beloved daughter is when Stevie truly shines and reveals the power of a woman. It is this situation that leads to her making a decision that will change the life of everyone involved, forever.
.
'Power of a Woman' by Barbara Taylor Bradford is a masterpiece in its own right, with a slew of different characters that one goes from loving to hating to somehow loving again, all through the process of them dealing with astounding losses in their own lives.
Entwined in the life of Stevie, are the lives of her firstborn Nigel, her twin sons Miles and Gideon, and her youngest daughter, Chloe, who is the illegitimate product of a torrid love affair which is a secret that Stevie keeps closest to her heart.
.
As the book follows Stevie and her family's story, Bradford regales us with descriptions of places described in such an aesthetically pleasing way that one can't help but fall in love with them.

Her writing and her ability or spin yarns that keep the reader entangled for days on end are her speciality and thus makes her a must read for anyone who likes to read heart rending tales of love, will power and strength.

[Sharon Forbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a re-read for me, I read it so many years ago that honestly, it was almost like reading it for the first time. I remembered certain things that happened and certain characters, but not much, really. This is another one of Ms. Bradford's wonderfully written books. I loveher writing style, she is very descriptive of where she takes you, her characters, or even just the room a certain scene is taking place in. This is about Stephanie Jardine, her life, her family, and the events that occur throughout her life, one in particular, which is, unfortunately tragic. I picked this from my bedroom bookshelf, as I've been craving older books of mine, due to the events of the pandemic corona virus that has been plaguing us all. I was in need of some comfort books, and this one definitely fit the bill.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gosh this story held my interest from the first page till the last! A young Stephanie married Ralph Jardine, heir to the prestigious Crown Jewellers of London, when she was very young. Although she was pregnant at the time, it was a spontaneous love match that would have lasted forever if her worldly husband had not died! This grieving young widow with three young boys started a change in her life that eventually fulfilled her destiny as a strong mother and business woman. Her dominant father-in-law saw in Stevie a good mind and business acumen, that grew his jewellery business into the U.S. At forty-seven, it has been a wonderous life for Stevie, despite the family dynamics at home and within the business and some nineteen years earlier the arrival of baby Chloe! Life has had its ups and then a tragic down, that left you, as the reader, wondering how the story will end ...

[What to read next ....... · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an ok read , l was really hoping more with this book 😗🤔

Stevie Jardine , married at 16 , widowed at 23 , and now with three grown children.

Stevie is a successful powerful business woman , prestige and wealth, life is just remarkable,

Stephanie is at the peak of her career she is unstoppable 👏

Running a prestigious ' Crown Jewellers 👑 of London.

One day , an unexpected act of violence committed by a stranger on the other side of the world , puts in Stevie in turmoil.

Lots of great twists and turns, family drama and lots of wealth.

But the story unfortunately was weak , no depth, no conclusions in lots of the storyline, l was honestly board in some parts of the book 😕

[Melayna Arbona · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was meh. It was just a random story of a normal family running their family business. Then mid way a tragic event happened with absolutely no context and then just kinda moved on and never found out why Alexis did what he did. There was no follow up with Chloe when she got out of the hospital. It did keep my interest and was an easy read so it gets 3 stars but it definitely could’ve been better. I’m glad Nigel came back to being a good respectful son and Stevie and Giovani were able to mend their relationship while Chloe got to finally meet her dad in the end.

[Janice Spina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author writes lovely stories about families, their emotions, problems, heartaches and strengths and flaws.
She draws the reader in with her creative and descriptive prose.

I enjoyed reading the tale of a woman who is formidable despite all the struggles she must face within her family. She proves that one can face anything as long as one stays strong and believes that he/she can do the impossible and survive the worst the fates send one’s way.

This was an enjoyable read but her book, Woman of Substance, is still my favorite!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started reading Power of A Woman I thought I had read it already and perhaps I did but just don't remember. There were parts that were a bit dragged out but there were parts that made you want to keep reading. Just the right amount of characters to keep them all straight and just enough mystery for me to keep reading to find out just who Chloe's dad is.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is too hot in Arizona to do anything but curl up with summer reads and no one is better than Barbara Taylor Bradford, who also touches on characters from past novels from time to time. Fast reads that do not usually insult the reader, altho I have dropped a couple over the years that I was disappointed in.

[Paula Galvan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stevie Jardine is a smart, wealthy, beautiful widow who runs a renowned diamond franchise. This book is similar to the Emma Harte books, just shorter and with less flair. It does have plenty of family drama, and the author's signature rich and tortured characters are well crafted. Although there are several tragedies, the ending gives it a fairytale vibe.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy book to speed read through the descriptions of the colour of the furnishings etc. The injury referred to on the fly leaf doesn’t happen until 75% of the way through the book. The whole book takes a long time going nowhere in particular 🥱

[Kathy Trimbell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my least favorite book by this author. The plot line was very weak and drawn out, to the point where the reader lost interest. Too much useless description that was probably filler. Ending was contrived and too convenient. With so many fantastic books to read, I don’t recommend this one.

[Connie Moser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I did not read too many of the reviews, because i was shocked by the few I did read. I really liked the book. I will agree that it was a little slow in parts, but overall I thought it was very good.

[Nina E · Rating 5 out of 5]

another great story!

She never lets us down! Family love, inner strength to overcome the obstacles life throws at us, secrets kept. Laughter and tears, it’s a beautiful story of a woman who never backs down, loves deeply

[Martta]

Tämä kirja löytyi kirjahyllyn uumenista. Kirja oli sopivan kevyttä kesälukemista, vaikka rikkaiden ja kauniiden tarinat eivät oikein jaksa innostaa.

Helmet 18/2024 Kirjan kannessa tai nimessä on koru =>
📖 Barbara Taylor-Bradford, Naisen voima (korvakoru) 👍

[Bernie Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with others that this book took a long time to get exciting. Nevertheless, I enjoyed all the detail and beautiful descriptions of scenery and jewels, and a very satisfactory ending.

[Mindy Cossins · Rating 4 out of 5]

hard time getting into book but picked up in the middle and end

[Nora Olmo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m learning a little about the British language. I couldn’t connect with this book. ....

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant read

[Rozani]

I thought it was well written, women centric and easy reading

[Pauline Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant read, didn't want to put it down

good read
Brilliant author, never read one bad book
Would recommend
good book to take to the beach to relax

[Isabella Procida · Rating 2 out of 5]

so fucking boring till the last few chapters when the plot actually starts