A Woman's Place: A Novel

by Danielle Steel, George Weightman (Reader)

An exciting new novel from Danielle Steel, whose countless #1 New York Times bestselling novels have made her one of America’s favorite storytellers.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Historical, Adult, Audiobook, Historical Romance

1 pages, Audio CD

Published May 5, 2026

About the author

Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's bestselling authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include All That Glitters, Royal, Daddy's Girls, The Wedding Dress, The Numbers Game, Moral Compass, Spy, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Expect a Miracle, a book of her favorite quotations for inspiration and comfort; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.

Facebook.com/DanielleSteelOfficial
Instagram: @officialdaniellesteel

Reviews

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick read. It’s about a woman who is far superior to the time that she lives. The book is set in the early 1900’s when women marry early, stay home with the children, and depend on their husbands for everything. Victoria is very modern in her views, and when her husband dies less than a year after they were married, she decides to take over his mills that he owns. She even does out on the limb and hires women when the men are called to war. She does in the beginning of the book take a trip on the Titanic so there’s lots of history in this book. Very enjoyable reading.

[Barbara Baillie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the story very much. But found the writing a bit annoying. I have never read Danielle Steele until now. I just found the constant repetition very distracting. When she describes someone, we are reminded three times in 5 pages about them using the same description again and again. It’s like she thinks we can’t remember what we just read. Perhaps it was just this book, but the style was very off putting to me.

[Heather Putnam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. A little Titanic sprinkled in... very quick read.

[Janet R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Titanic and a very modern woman

[Olivia Heikka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this book up at the book exchange box on a camping trip, not knowing anything about it but I ended up quite liking it!

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how Danielle Steel weaved together a handful of significant historical events - from the Titanic to the Spanish Flu to the war and how one woman's perspective on love and marriage changes over time and how she views herself. Especially after losing her father on Titanic then a year or so later, the death of her husband, who she met on the Titanic. She's always been strong-willed and she learns quickly that others are not to keen on her being able to think and do for herself. But through all that she's been through, she comes out the other side stronger than ever before.

[Sandy Wasinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Danielle Steals book are always good but this love is exceptional. I can't wait for the next one!! She never disappoints.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really don’t know why I continue to read DS books. It’s the same story lines recycled every few books.
The writing is quite stale.

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was given to me as a joke and read spitefully. It is blessedly a fast read and there's no need to pay attention to details because everything is repeated many many times (like the impossible to miss age gap 🤮). One star for being a fast read. One star for feminism I guess?

[Ann Bloetscher · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the story. But this was not a very well written book.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This latest book by Steel is about the early 1900’s. A young woman is very independent and educated for the time period. She isn’t interested in getting married and having children. She just wants to take care of her older father. When crossing from England to the US on the new Titanic, her father drowns when the ship sinks. Victoria ends up marrying the wealthiest mill owner in Manchester who promised her father that he would take care of her. She learns all about the textile industry from her new husband. She becomes very much a part of the business world and even hires women to run the factories after all of the men go off to fight in WWI. It seemed a little too far-fetched for me.

[Chris Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Experience the sinking of the Titanic, World War I, age-gap romance, the Spanish Flu (or, since it’s only a couple pages, the Spanish sniffles), and let Danielle Steel teach you about a woman’s place, sugar!

[Linda Ayala · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐⭐ 2 Stars

As someone who absolutely loved Danielle Steel’s Jewels, this book was a huge disappointment.

Jewels was an unforgettable historical saga that spanned generations, immersing readers in love, loss, heartbreak, and triumph. I went into A Woman’s Place expecting that same emotional depth and sweeping storytelling.

Unfortunately, it never came.

The premise had so much potential. Beginning aboard the Titanic and following Victoria Oldbrooke as she defies societal expectations in the early 1900s, I was expecting an epic historical novel about one woman’s resilience in a changing world.

Instead, the story felt surprisingly shallow.

Major historical events that should have carried enormous emotional weight, the sinking of the Titanic, the Spanish Flu, World War I, and the changing role of women, were rushed through in only a page or two before the story quickly moved on. Rather than immersing the reader in these pivotal moments, they often felt like historical footnotes.

The characters also lacked the depth I was hoping for. Victoria is portrayed as almost impossibly perfect. She rarely makes mistakes, overcomes nearly every obstacle with ease, and never felt like a fully realized person with meaningful flaws or internal struggles. Because of that, I found it difficult to emotionally invest in her journey.

The supporting cast suffered as well. Most of the male characters felt interchangeable, existing primarily to move Victoria’s story forward rather than standing as compelling characters in their own right.

Another issue for me was the repetition. Many ideas and conversations were revisited multiple times without adding anything new, and I eventually found myself skimming pages and rolling my eyes more often than becoming emotionally engaged.

I truly wanted to love this book. Danielle Steel has proven she’s capable of writing rich, emotionally layered historical fiction, which is exactly why this one left me feeling so disappointed.


Tropes & Themes:

• Historical fiction
• Strong female protagonist
• Women’s empowerment
• Titanic disaster
• Early 20th century
• Widowhood
• Female business owner
• Society vs ambition
• Historical family saga
• Women’s rights

This wasn’t a bad book, it simply never reached the emotional heights I know Danielle Steel is capable of. After reading Jewels, my expectations were high, and unfortunately, A Woman’s Place never delivered the immersive, character-driven historical epic I was hoping for. It ultimately felt more like a summary of one extraordinary woman’s life than a story that allowed me to truly live it alongside her.

[Veronica · Rating 1 out of 5]

BAD. Bizarre. This is all of Steel's worst writing qualities wrapped up in 250 pages. Main girl Vicki is Not Like Other Girls, survives the titanic, marries a man FORTY years older than her because her she understands older men because she was so close to her decrepit dad (he's 80 when he dies on the Titanic). Industrialist Burt loves haggis and dies immediately. She then takes over his factories in order to find A Woman's Place (see what Steel did there?). And becomes The Best at Business. And then marries her foreman over going to Oxford which has only just started giving women degrees. Clearly Oxford is not yet A Women's Place. But Business is!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing story, A Woman's Place. We see the strength of Lady Victoria and the wisdom of her growth. She grows up with her Father and he teaches her everything he knows, not concerned that she is a woman. Her husband, Bert treats her the same way, even her social class can't bring her down. Victoria must start again when the war starts, but her foresight on how to succeed wins. Their foreman, Thor is the next step to success and love.

[Kendelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good DS book! Interesting reading about the Titanic and the world at that time. I didn’t realize it was so common to marry with a big age difference—evidently, it was super common!

4 stars, by the end, it was quite predictable.

[Penny Dawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical Fiction is my genre and I particularly find The Titanic interesting so I found this DS novel better than most. I also loved the gumption and strength of the main character and how she came of age.

[Brandy Lemire · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Another great read!

[Sue Fitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable but predictable. The repetition was annoying. Did no one edit this book? The narration was good. A quick listen.

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read and an interesting read. This is a historical story about a young woman who lost her dad on the titanic and is way beyond her years as she takes over his mills. She was very determined and beat all the odds to be successful.

[Tracy Bruno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a nice sweet read. I didn’t want the story to end. It wasn’t mind blowing. It was just a good comfortable read.

[Deity World · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it classic Danielle steel novel a must read

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/B

[Linda Rook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Danielle Steel does not let you down. Good book, I could not put the book down.

[Kathy Brinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

The start of women working outside of the home. They did what it took to keep their family together.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone needs to have a word with her editor, because this shouldn’t have been allowed, and that’s the ones I noticed before I gave up and just read the story.

Page 7
She had no interest in marriage, and said she didn’t want children, since giving birth to her had killed her mother.

Page 13
Victoria had a dread of having babies, since her mother had died having her.

Page 77
“My mother died having me, and I don’t want to die to have a baby”

Page 46
The crew had suffered the greatest losses.

Page 50
The crew had suffered the highest number of casualties, only a few had survived and had been picked up by the lifeboats.

Also, why were so many important periods of time severely condensed? The Titanic’s sank before page 50 (she did something similar in No Greater Love.) First World War? Done and dusted within a handful of pages. The Spanish Flu? No bother, just a simple cold.

Considering No Greater Love mainly focused on the characters lives after the sinking, what was stopping her putting more focus on the Titanic for this book?

[Julie Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've given most of Danielle Steel's books in recent years a four star rating, but this one was easily a five. Her historical novels are among her best and this was no exception. It begins with the sinking of the Titanic and ends shortly after the end of WW1. This novel is definitely a commentary on the brutality of the class system in England during that time period and speaks volumes about the snobbery of the aristocracy. Victoria, the heroine, is a trailblazer for initiating the changes in societal attitudes about "a woman's place" in the world as she fearlessly embarks on a leadership role in business and commerce. This is an inspiring story of a woman's strength and tenacity in a world that was determined to tear her down at every turn.

[Doreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great DS book taking place in 1912. A stirring portrait of a strong young woman who carves out her own place against all odds. Lady Victoria Oldbrooke defies society’s expectations to love snd lead on her own terms.
Traveling with her father from England on the maiden voyage of the Titanic, Victoria survives, but her father Lord Alfred does not. Refusing to get on the lifeboat, Lord Alfred makes his friend, Bert Banning, a mill owner, promise to take care of Victoria, marry her. Mourning the loss of her father, they take comfort in a growing friendship and in time, Bert married Victoria. She is shunned by her friends and moves to Manchester, where she learns the milling business from Bert.
Bert dies unexpectedly and Victoria become the first female mill owner.

[Sheila Penwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is A GREAT READ especially for readers who enjoy some history.This book starts in 1889 with the birth of Victoria and that of her mother 's death during childbirth. She raised by her father Lord Alfred. She enjoyed a lot of things and traveled a lot with her father. She wanted to go to Oxford to study but women couldn't do so at this time. She was intelligent , asking lots of questions and always wanting to do something. She came out as she was suppose to but she had no desire to marry or have children. She didn't want to be under the rule of man . Later she feels different. After the death of her father her life becomes very different. To write more would be spoiling the book.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been quite some time since I've read Danielle Steele. The story itself touched on so many important issues. The antiquated division of classes, the subordination of women, women's value in the workplace and even slavery issues were all addressed in an engaging storyline. Unfortunately the quality of writing was just not there and there was so much repetitiveness that it took away from what could have been a powerful novel. Despite that it was an enjoyable story and I would like to thank Goodreads for the giveaway in exchange for an honest review.