Ruthless

by Danielle Steel

A story of wealth, power and attraction, and the truth behind two of America’s wealthiest men. From the billion-copy bestselling author Danielle Steel.

When talented journalist Charlotte Ramsey is tasked with profiling the lives of two of America’s richest men, she discovers more than boardroom battles.

John Williams, a widowed shipping magnate, hides his sociopathic tendencies beneath a veneer of charm and wealth. His latest conquest, a young woman drawn into his dangerous web aboard his luxury yacht on the sun-drenched shores of St Bart’s, might just be his undoing.

Ben Sharpe’s empire was built from nothing but raw intelligence and ambition. His unexpected warmth and sincerity catch Charlotte off guard, igniting a bond neither anticipated but both yearn to explore.

As Charlotte delves deeper, guided by surprising allies and her own relentless determination, she’ll uncover the sinister truth. With lives entangled and reputations at stake, the ultimate revelation threatens to shake the foundations of fame and fortune.

Genres: Adult Fiction, Audiobook

229 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 29, 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

[Yalla Balagan · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

John Williams, sixty-six, owns a fleet of cargo ships in New York. The press calls him ruthless, meaning merciless. His wife Helen has died. His daughter Gabby, a surgeon in Aspen, Colorado, keeps her distance.

At a dinner party John meets the wonderfully named Lillith, a twenty-seven-year-old interior designer. He invites her to his yacht for Christmas in St. Barth, a Caribbean island. No strings attached. Nearby, a magazine writer named Charlotte interviews Ben, a tech founder with a bigger yacht. Size matters.

The novel announces its villain before the story begins. The dedication, addressed to Steel's nine children, tells them to stay away from sociopaths. An epigraph, a short quotation placed before chapter one, gives the dictionary definition of the title word. Inside the chapters, forms of ruthless and sociopath appear at least 20 times.

Steel judges her two rich men by how they got rich. Ben was homeless as a teenager and now owns Karma, a 450-foot motor yacht with a crew of sixty-four. John inherited his shipping line. He owns Lady H, a 350-foot sailboat with a crew of forty. Ben has married three times. He says his relationships last a year or two, then states his outlook.

“Technology becomes obsolete in the blink of an eye … and so do people.”

Steel narrates loosely, moving between minds. Brand names stand in for character. Hermès, a French luxury maker, appears a lot, from Charlotte's secondhand loafers to the handbag John gives Lillith. Cinderella, the fairy tale of a poor girl lifted into a rich man's world, is also evoked a few times. Lillith and Charlotte both apply it to their yacht trips.

Ruthless is the newest 2026 novel by Danielle Steel, an American author credited by her publisher's biography with a billion copies sold. Ruth is an old English word for pity. Of the novel's two yacht owners, pity goes to the poor-born one. Contempt goes to the inheritor.
[image error]
Predictable, predictable, predictable. The cast comes pre-polished, beautiful, and handsome. Flat characters make smooth sailing for a Caribbean voyage. The one scene with menace, an editor imagining gunfire in his own office, stays inside his head.

Charlotte keeps a hard-and-fast rule against falling for her subjects. Her second interview with Ben leads to a kiss on a beach. That is one way to get a follow-up. Her professional ethics, she admits, are “severely stretched.” She plans to write the article “while I can still be somewhat objective.” Objectivity gets a shelf life of one flight home. Her editor soon cites “quite a reputation for your profiles.” Stretch an ethic far enough and it becomes a career.

Charlotte's grown son Hugh, posted to Dubai, offers a fortune-cookie line, “We have to reach out and grab the gifts we’re given.” The plot delivers the fortune in person. Cruelty ends in smoke, kindness ends on a private plane. A great beach read or something to keep you occupied on an airplane. There is a message here and perhaps a moral stance. Unfortunately, the formulaic machinery, the unbelievable characters, the repetitive adjectives, the foreseeable twists, prevent the literature from showing itself and coat everything with industrial saccharine.





❤️ 🇮🇱

[Melissa Burling · Rating 1.5 out of 5]

I should just stop reading her books, but they are an adiciton.
It was a little different to what she normally writes, with the main guy being a monster, but other things still the formula - big age difference, women that are total victims etc etc.

[Alex (Alex's Version) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't half bad, but it's not like I'm gonna scream from the rooftops that you gotta read this book. It's fine, nothing offensive. Okay, I take that back – what's offensive is how often she repeats stuff. How many times do we need to know that John's daughter hates him? She really treats us like we can't remember things. But hey, I can't blame her so much because Ms. Steel releases 7 books a year, and you know what? I am grateful. Her books are like comfort food for the brain.

Shipping magnate John Randall Williams is feared by his competitors, loathed by his only daughter, Gabby, and at sea after the recent death of his devoted wife. As he faces his first Christmas alone, John meets a young woman named Lillith at a dinner party and is immediately drawn to her beauty. He invites her to share the holiday with him on his 350-foot sailboat in Saint Barts, and Lillith allows herself to be swept away.

Charlotte Ramsay, a senior editor at Vanity Fair, is in Saint Barts during the holidays on assignment. Known for her integrity as a journalist, she has come to the island to interview another powerful man: the elusive high-tech billionaire Ben Sharpe, whose luxury yacht is also anchored in the harbor. Although the first interview goes badly, she eventually agrees to have dinner with him and becomes intrigued by the real man behind the façade.

A chance encounter between the two couples sets the stage for a face-off between Charlotte and John. Despite his well-earned reputation for ruthlessness, she never backs down when in pursuit of her story.


From the power corridors of Manhattan to the sunsets in Saint Barts, Danielle Steel masterfully pulls back the curtain on the private lives of the wealthy elite, where all is not always what it seems.

[Kim Clarke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Same old tired formula

The older DS novels had depth as well as twists and turns and often complicated plots. Now her books are churned out at breakneck speed and can be read in just a few hours. And that same tired formula shows up in every book: old man/beautiful young woman. I don’t know any young woman who wants to have sex with a man 40 years old. It defies belief most of the time and is just pathetic.

[Tracy Bruno · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was good. Storyline fabulous. First time she’s written about a nasty character. But again her closing is too fast. I wanted so much more on the ruthless man!

[Terri A Twedt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruthless

Great story with very interesting characters once again! A great read! From start to finish I was hooked and could not put it down.

[Lorenia Aguirre · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚 Books that captivate you, stories you never forget.

Ruthless by Danielle Steel

Danielle Steel never disappoints when it comes to delivering an entertaining story with a message to reflect on.

This novel centers on John, a wealthy tycoon who owns a fleet of shipping containers and presents himself as an honorable man. Beneath that polished façade, however, lies a very different personality. As the story unfolds, we meet the people surrounding him, including friends, family, and those whose lives become entangled with his. Charlotte, a journalist with strong principles and integrity, plays an important role in bringing the truth about John’s real character to light.

What I enjoyed most was the contrast between appearances and reality. The story reminds us that people are not always who they pretend to be and that charm and wealth can influence how others perceive them. I particularly appreciated that the young woman who falls for John’s charms eventually chooses to distance herself from him rather than risk becoming further entangled in his life. Sometimes, recognizing a troubling situation and choosing to walk away is an act of strength.

Reading Danielle Steel is a little like watching a Lifetime movie: there’s romance, drama, and a compelling plot, but often there’s also a meaningful lesson about human nature. Her stories remind us that good and bad people exist everywhere, and that looking beyond appearances can reveal a very different truth.

My only disappointment was that I wanted to learn more about some of the characters. The story introduces several interesting personalities, and I would have enjoyed a deeper look into their lives. The ending also leaves some questions unresolved, allowing readers to imagine what might happen next.

🎧 Audiobook narration: The narrator does an excellent job bringing the story to life. His voice is pleasant and engaging, and his comfortable pacing makes the audiobook easy to follow. He delivers emotional scenes convincingly, making them feel moving and authentic. His narration is a great fit for the mood of Danielle Steel’s storytelling and kept me engaged throughout. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audiobook.

My recommendation: An entertaining, easy-to-follow read for Danielle Steel fans and anyone who enjoys stories about relationships, deception, and the difference between appearances and reality. A compelling story with a message that encourages us to look beyond the façade and pay attention to what people’s actions reveal.

📖 Books that captivate you, stories you never forget.

#Ruthless #DanielleSteel #BookReview #AudiobookReview #LugaresEntreLibros

[Jennifer · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

This book is about a writer for a paper. She meets and interviews two different men.They are both rich, but they are so very different in persnality. Ben is her first interview and she spends the holidays with him because her son is out of the country. He is a very kind and gentle person. They start a relationship and they fall in love. Then she interviews John is the complete opposite of Ben. He is ruthless in love and in business. He buys things and then lays off people with no regard to their lives. He is also ruthless in his personal life. He starts seeing two people at one time hoping they will not find out about each other. Charolotte writes a story about him revealing everything that she has found out about his life. This book will keep you wanting to read more. The true plot of the story is what is revealed by the articles and the love that is found and lost because of it.

[Tom Harvell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I disliked everything about the book. I stuck with it because I kept hoping it would get better. John was a despicable human and the way DS wrote such weak, female characters actually made me angry. I have read many of her books over the years, this one felt like it was really missing a storyline and instead was filled with fluff. Such a huge disappointment.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me Danielle Steel never disappoints!

[Judi Bowen · Rating 1.75 out of 5]

I almost gave up on this, but my determination wouldn’t let me! I have loved just about all the characters DS writes about. But this main character was beyond my realm of enjoying the book. I have never known such a disgusting person in my life. The story was overall good, it did not have the ending I would have preferred. Hanging maybe, firing squad?

EDIT: The book was about a narcissistic ruthless man. I did not enjoy this book. But it was good story tied to a very ruthless man…The ending could have been so much better…

[LouAnna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

Ugh. This was hard to read as right now the 2024 Cornell gang r@pe of Jane Doe is in the news as she’s suing Cornell and the 7 who participated.

Ruthless shows a powerful man’s reputation being more important than women’s pain/suffering.

The end was rushed way too fast. I was hoping for some justice but we don’t get that. My fave part was between Isabelle and Angela at the end but this book broke my heart.

[Tiffany Clement · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars – Ruthless by Danielle Steel

A great read that kept me engaged! While I enjoyed the story, I would have loved to see the ending take a different turn. Imagine John returning to New York only to find both women either gone or happily moving on without him, all while watching his empire begin to crumble. Now THAT would have been a satisfying twist!

Still, a great book and definitely worth the read. I just wanted a little more karma served at the end!

[Sheila Penwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about John Randall a businessman who is feared by everyone he associates. See what kind of businessman he is and the things he has done to people. His daughter( a doctor) doesn't care for him. See what things are found during Charlotte's interview and how his past comes back to him. See what happens to the 2 women hi is seeing while this interview comes out. See why they call him Ruthless.

[Patty Bridges · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Liked It But…..

I liked this book even with all the repetition as is typical with DS books. But…..this book needed one more chapter to close out John and what becomes of him with all the info that came out from the article that Charlotte writes about him. It was a very abrupt ending.

[Lynn Gambardella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fast read and good story. My only
Complaint is that the one character was just so bad and just such a horrible person and I would have liked more punishment to him then what happened. Strong female characters, which I always like. This is probably the only book I have read by this author that I felt was rushed at the end and I wanted a little more from the ending.

[Amy · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Ruthless is the only word strong enough to describes the protagonist. What starts as a charming man sharing the Christmas holiday with a young woman turns into manipulation. Successful in business he's internalized those aspects revealing a cold and calculating predator. Will the women caught in his game play free themselves before being entangled in his web of lies?

[Avalon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of wealth and corruption by a narcissistic man who doesn't care who he hurts in order to better himself and will do anything to get what he wants in business or pleasure even rape. A journalist has been sent to do an article on him but she will only publish the truth. A real page turner at the pen of a favorite author of mine. Definitely recommended reading

[Ann Peachman Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

A shipping magnate is considered ruthless, but is thrown off his game by the death of his beloved wife. At a party he meets a young girl 40 years his junior. Facing his first Christmas alone, and because she is by herself as well, he invites her to spend it on his boat. In typical Danielle Steele fashion, this book involves wildly rich people and a predictable plot.

[Betty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed this author but have become increasingly disappointed in her books. They seem lighter, less involved, and often repetitive, both in story and language. I remember my last book review and stated something about if I had to see the word “Hermes” one more time…. The word in this book is ruthless. Granted that this is the title and the description of her MC, but how many times can you use the same word over and over in one book? You know who the villain is, almost from the beginning. The characters and interactions seem to occur much too quickly and despite the authors attempts, I was never really pulled into the characters. As usual, she describes all the fancier and more expensive items, clothing, locations, etc in deep detail which can be a little heavy at times.

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Women's Fiction. I have read a lot of different Danielle Steel's books, and this one is like her other books it has a hard hitting message. I enjoyed reading this book a lot, but I did not like the ending. This book left me wanting more, and I did not feel that anything in this book came to a end/closer.

[Elizabeth Wyatt · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first Danielle Steel and I'm sad to say it disappointed me. The story was engaging and engrossing but the writing was very redundant. The story was leading up to a big blowup but it didn't even really give closure! That's it?

[Jennifer · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Typical DS’s books! Read them all thru the years, telling my age!! I didn’t like one of the MC at all, I wished she would have gone into more details at the end on him. Won’t give a spoiler! On to the next one!

[Nanci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally Different

“Ruthless” is totally different to me from Danielle Steel’s other books. I have not read anything similar, though there may be. The story was such a mixture of good/bad, happy/sad. I cannot truly say how I felt about it.

[Karen · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Interesting read, the one character lives up to the name Ruthless for sure. In a world of billionaires and business tycoons where business comes first I can imagine this type of situation happens often.

Recommend this book.

[Patsy Metz · Rating 4 out of 5]

One billionaire is very dishonest and only out fir himself. The other billionaire grew up in the streets, hungry, cold and made it big with his ideas. Each treat the women in their lives so differently.

[Sherralynne Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A different story

This story is very different. Danielle describes a darker side of human behaviour which I haven't encountered previously in her other stories.

[Carrie Battaglia · Rating 3 out of 5]

the ending?

Wasn’t thrilled with the way it ended. Seemed to leave some things hanging
And couldn’t connect with most of the characters
But the story flowed well

[Janilyn Kocher]

John was such a scumbag and a$$hole.
Lilith was a tool and Isabelle not much better
The ending was not satisfying because John should have been dealt with.
DS needs to retire.

[PottWab Regional Library]

E, O