Een perfect leven

by Danielle Steel, Marcella Houweling (Translator)

Het leven van tv-ster Blaise verandert totaal als haar blinde dochter vanwege een ernstige ziekte weer thuis komt wonen. Dat is nog maar het begin van een reeks problemen. Kan Blaise er nog bovenop komen?

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Audiobook, Drama, Contemporary, Adult

319 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

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

[Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wonder if I am getting too old for these books. They don't seem to hold my interest as they once did. A part of me was worried about this book when the daughter was described as a type one diabetic. My mother is also a type one diabetic and has been since she was a young girl, so I wondered how Danielle Steel would explain the disease. I'll get to that later. Let's begin with the main character. I can only describe Blaise as a red headed Barbara Walters. World famous, known for her TV specials, interviewing world leaders, celebrities, the best of the best, top of her profession. Much like Barbara Walters, Blaise also has a string of husbands and lovers in her past and a darling daughter. Unlike Ms. Walters Blaise has shipped her daughter off to a school somewhere else. The daughter and diabetic, Salima is also blind and basically lives like an invalid, not even able to put her own toothpaste on her toothbrush. Her mother basically wants her to be helpless, because everyone who is blind or has diabetes can't live a normal independent life. Salima has all the makings of a spoiled brat. I can't blame her though, I mean if my father was ashamed of me for having an incurable disease and my mother was too busy with her career to worry much about me I would act out too. Salima is forced to move back home when her caretaker dies suddenly. There is a new caretaker around who seems to have a brain in his head and decides that Salima can live an independent life and begins to make both women see that. The inevitable romance occurs between Blaise and the new caretaker with the predictable ending, an ending I frankly am tired of seeing when I read Danielle Steel books, but that's just me. One of these days I will quit these books for good, but old habits continue to die hard.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

-maybe spoilers?-

This will be my first and last Danielle Steel book I read. I didn't think it was well written and it was extremely predictable. While I don't need characters to suffer to enjoy a book some conflict would have been nice. I feel like Blaise led a too perfect life and got pretty much everything she wanted which makes for a really boring read. Also, if Blaise or anyone mentioned the age difference ONE MORE TIME I was going to pull my hair out. It was too overused and not as taboo as anyone would think nowadays. Blaise started out a strong character but soon unraveled into a woman who just couldn't seem to function without a man and those characters always, without fail, rub me the wrong way.

[Minty McBunny · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this is certainly not the worst Danielle Steel book I have read, it is definitely the most poorly edited. I don't know who was asleep at the switch, but there are sentences in here where the syntax doesn't match, where she clearly went back and changed the context in one part of the paragraph but not the other and no one caught it. It was quite a distraction, but not the author's fault.

Other than that, it was pretty much what I expect from Steel, no surprises but decently readable unlike some of her recent novels. To me her books are like mental potato chips, something to put in me when I'm bored and just snacking to occupy my time as opposed to sitting down to a literary meal that will actually nourish my brain and/or heart.

[♥️Annete♥️loves❤️books♥️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

A readable story with not much to say. The book is written in a simple,understandable language but the story was weak and the characters incomplete.
The writer keeps reminding her readers about how perfect her main heroine is and when she falls for a man 15 years younger than her,Danielle Steel, keeps reminding us of the age difference,literally all the time. Even if we wanted to put this fact aside,it always pops up,eventually. Trying to prove that age is just a number,she points out the opposite. It seems that to her, age, does matter because every now and then she feels the need to justify her main couple's age difference and how fine they are with it.
I did not like this book but it was not a total let down. However, i can not rate it with more than 2 stars.

[Alyssa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't even believe how poorly this book was written. I have a broken arm and my concentration level isn't where it normally is, so I wanted something really light and I figured I'd give Danielle Steel a shot. I may have read something by her years ago, but I can't remember. I figured she'd written so many popular books that she must be a great storyteller. I couldn't have been more wrong. The writing was completely abysmal. Perspective changed multiple time on the page, to the point you couldn't even tell who is talking. Who even thinks like that? Minor details were repeated over and over for no apparent reason. And despite the drama of the characters, they were boring and fairly unremarkable and boring people. Never again.

[Kookie9200 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been reading Danielle Steel books since I was a teenager, and I've loved them. She has some truly great reads. This is not one of them. The story is tired and predictable. Strong, overachieving female character has the perfect, cosmopolitan life and doesn't need a man. That is, until she meets one. I have to say, I DESPISED Blaise. I'm supposed to admire a woman that has put her career over every facet in her life, including her child? No, thanks. For me, she wasn't admirable, and my ire for her only rose as I realized how she'd made sure to completely rendered her daughter helpless on top of sending her away to a special school so she wouldn't have to deal with the realities of her illness.That may not be how Ms. Steel intended Blaise to be seen, but it is how she came across to me. As much as I love her books, I feel like the last few have been really reaching. The plots are mundane and predictable and I don't feel the fire and passion that I once did when I read her books. I hope she snaps out of this streak, because I do enjoy her writing.

[Debbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Typical DS writing of late. Is she phoning these in now? I had figured out the (flimsy) plot about 10 pages into the book. Of course Blaise, the main character, was beautiful, successful, blah, blah, blah. Of course she's been unlucky in love before. And of course she's wealthy enough to afford not only a decent size apartment in NYC, but can keep her blind, diabetic daughter at a high class private school. Don't waste your time reading this crap.

That said, I used to love DS's books many years back when they had interesting plots and well-developed characters. Several were set around WWII, and those were good stories. Her recent books don't come close.

[Merrill Medansky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Danielle Steel is a good story teller, but after having read several of her books, I realized that they are all basically the same... and actually not very well written. Little dialogue, lots of description and background that's repeated through the book.

This one was as quick a read as her others, set in the typical upper class of New York City. People meet, fall in love, have a conflict, and come back together... very formulaic.

A good diversion and summer read.

[Jean St.Amand · Rating 2 out of 5]

Typical Danielle Steel: Character 1: Attractive, wealthy, famous woman (journalist, this time) Character 2: Disabled person (type 1 diabetic and blind, this time) Character 3: Good looking, multi-talented Mr.Perfect who is unsuitable for some reason (15 years younger than Char. 1, this time). At first, Char. 1 wants nothing to do with Char. 3 because he is a MAN, and how can a man be a caregiver for her 19 year old daughter who can't (or won't) dress or bathe herself or put her own toothpaste on her toothbrush (or even brush her own teeth some days)? Of course, after a millisecond Char. 1 realizes how wonderful he is, he manages to make Char. 2 quite confident and self-sufficient, and Char. 3 and Char. 1 fall in "love"....then, hardship....of course. He has to return to his former job at a school for the blind for 4 months and also decide who he really wants to be with; 15 years his senior Char. 1 that he has been sleeping with for a month? or the same age married-to-an-abuser co-worker he had a 3 year affair with? He leaves and Char. 1, in spite of being 47, finds out she got pregnant the first time they slept together, and Char. 3 realizes at the first dinner with his now separated same ager that he is no longer interested in her, he wants Char. 1. Of course. Does she tell him she is pregnant? Of course not. Does he contact her and tell her he wants to be with her? Of course not. Four months go by, he suddenly shows up at her ritzy New York apartment, they tell each other their news and, because the book is called A Perfect Life, all is forgiven and they have a baby and live blissfully ever after. Also, in spite of Char. 2 living full time at the same school for 12 years because her Mom is too busy to take care of her or see her more than once a month, if that, their relationship is perfect AND somehow nobody at the school realized that Char. 2 was a Julliard quality singer so she is now attending Julliard and living with Mom for the first time since she was 7 with a new caregiver because Char. 3 is too busy being Char. 1's lover and baby-Daddy and personal chef . By the way, the nasty opening with the mentally ill young man shooting and killing a bunch of people was completely unnecessary; it seemed that it only operated as a way to introduce Char. 1 as a journalist, but she didn't even cover the story. It felt like D.S. was using the terrible, constant U.S. mass shootings to garner interest in her crap book. Weak, Danielle Steel, really weak.

[lacy white · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a perfect fluff story after the disappointment that I had with the last book I read. Yes, it covers some serious topics but Danielle Steel's writing makes it easy to read and she navigates those tricky subjects with ease. Whenever I am feeling down, I just pick up a Danielle Steel book and get whisked away in the wonderful worlds that she creates.

The story follows Blaise McCarthy. She is an extremely successful reporter, who clawed her way to the top. She has daughter, Salima, who lost her sight to Type 1 Diabetes. Salima is at a school for the blind when unforeseen circumstances forces Blaise to bring Salima to her home.

I loved the realness in this. Blaise willing admits she is not the best mom. She has no idea how to care of Salima. The school Salima is at sends a teacher with, named Simon, to help Salima and Blaise. I loved that Simon strove for Salima to have independence. That sends a good message to the disability community. You can do whatever you set your mind too. You have independence and no one can take that away from you.

The book also touched on the male ego. Simon was completely overwhelmed by Blaise with her success at times. He made it seem like Blaise being so successful meant he was a failure as a man, which isn't the case. Women can be successful in work when in a relationship, just like men. It doesn't mean that they are any less of a man. I'm glad Steel brought it up and kind of showed how dumb it was to even feel that way.

Overall, I can't complain. It was a solid book. Yes, it had the instalove but it also touched on important topics. Steel is a professional in her craft. I highly recommend this book simply because of how heartfelt it is.

[Annelies Eeckhaut · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omdat ik graag iets luchtigs wou lezen nam ik dit boek ter hand. Het las vlot, maar na een tijdje had ik het gevoel dat het plot voorspelbaar was. Ik verloor even de aandacht maar las toch door en ik werd uiteindelijk verrast. Ik had dit boek gekozen als een gemakkelijk tussendoortje nu ik na lange tijd terug wat vaker lees en dit boek was daarvoor uitermate geschikt. Niet perfect, maar het is goed zo...

[Mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow this lacked the typical Steele magic, and was repetative at times. Still a decent read.

[Labeba Salameh · Rating 3 out of 5]

قراءة سريعة لتغيير الأجواء لا أكثر


لم تعجبني الرواية على أية حال ولا أدري إن كانت قد ترجمت أم لا فغالبا لا يتم تحديث روايات دانيال ستيل حين تترجم على الجودريدز
لكنها بالطبع مكتوبة بإنجليزية سلسلة يروق لي أدعوها إنجليزية المدارس إذ من النادر أن تجد كلمة واحدة جديدة أوصعبة في كتابات ستيل .. أعتقد ان هذه ميزة الكتاب الذين يتحدثون أكثر من لغة.🤔
أعتقد اني سأكتفي بقراءة ما املك من كتب دانيل ستيل ولن أورط نفسي بشراء المزيد لإني فعليا أرغب بتقييم هذه الرواية نجمتين ونصف لكن نظام الجودريدز لا يسمح بنصف نجمة

بيلز المذيعة المشهورة تغدوا في ورطة عندما يتم إعلان مدرسة ابنتها معلقة لمدة 3 اشهر بسبب حالة وفاة من مرض السحايا
هذا الإعلان المفاجىء يقود إلى إخلاء الطلبة إلى بيوتهم وهذا يعني عودة سليمة إبنت بليز الكفيفة إلى المنزل مما سيشوش عليها الاستمرار بنفس الكفاءة في حياتها المثالية والمتمثلة بالعديد من المقابلات والسفر والعمل والإقامة في الفنادق.🙄
لا لا تكونوا بتلك القسوة في الحكم على بليز فهي تهاتف ابنتها كل ماسمحت لها الفرصة وأظنها تقوم بزيارتها شخصيا مرة كل ثلاثة أشهر بل وتستضيفها لديها في عيد الميلاد ومن الممكن أن تشاهد الأوبرا برفقتها على عكس طليقها الذي لا يرى أبنته سوا مرة واحدة في السنة! ويدفع والدتها لاختيار هدايا الأعياد لها!
يالتأكيد انا وستيل لا نتفق في تعريف الحياة المثالية
فيما تجد هي بشحن صغارك ذوي الصعوبات لمدرسة داخلية قمة في العطاء و الإنسانية!!
هل كانت ستيل تعرف معنى اسم سليمة بالعربية !! عندما اختارت هذا الأسم
Salima
فتاتنا الصغيرة ذات ال19 ربيعا والتي تعاني من السكري النوع الأول الذي قادها لفقدان بصرها في سن مبكرة على غير المعتاد
والتي اعتادت ان تقدر كل مجهودات والدتها بعين الرضا لما لا تفعل وهي لم تكن تملك مثالا للمقارنة سوا والد متعال مشغول وبعيد دوما
لذا لن تكون إقامة سليمة في منزل والدتها يسيرة أو متاحة إلا بحضور مساعد لها يدعى سايمون والذي تقبلته الاثنتان على مضض
لكن سايمون والذي يصغر بليز ب 15 سنة "شيء لم تغفل دانيال ستيل عن تذكرينا به في كل صفحة" .. هذا السايمون لن يمر وجوده عبثا بل سيقلب حياة هذه الإسرة بالتأكيد

حتى اكون واضحة لا الفكرة ولا الشخصيات اعجبتني
ذكرتني بساذجتي في الثانوية العامة عندما كنت أظن إن اردت كتابة شخصية مثالية فعليها أن تكون وسيمة/ ثرية/ وذات أصول اروستروقاطية
وهذا شيء لم تمل ستيل من فعله في كل مرة أقرأ لها شيئا ما وهو ما فعلته هنا مع كل الشخصيات الاساسية
التكرار كان قاتل في هذه الرواية
المعلومات الطبية لست متيقنة من صحتها
والرواية رغم التكرار المريع فيها والحشو لأحداث لم يكن لها داع على الإطلاق فهي سريعة القراءة أخشى ان أقول قد تساعد على التخلص من فتور القراءة لكنها على الأرجح قد تكون سببا فيه لدى البعض

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

Great story!

Blaise McCarthy is known throughout the world as a famous news anchor. She's interviewed presidents, vice presidents, royalty, movie stars, prime ministers, and just about anyone famous you could imagine. She's been married twice and widowed once. Her second marriage resulted in the birth of her daughter, Salima. She was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes when she was only three years old and she lost her sight when she was only 7. Her parents sent her away to a specialized school for the blind when she was eight and she's been there for the past 11 years.

When Salima's aide unexpectedly gets sick with meningitis and dies, the school shuts down to quarantine for three months. Blaise takes her daughter back to NY to live with the help of another aide, only this time she's assigned to a man.

Simon Ward knew Abby, Salima's former aide. He also knew that Abby catered to Salima's every need, which led the 19 year old to be too dependent on others. He's determined to spend the next three months teaching Salima how to be more independent, giving her a sense of freedom she's never had before.

Simon was happy to leave school, he was dating a married co-worker who had promised him that she was getting a divorce. But three years later she's still with her husband and he was done with the constant drama. Getting to know Blaise was something he never expected.

When they fall in love with each other, they are completely happy. But when his ex calls him right before Christmas telling him that she filed for a divorce, he knows that he needs to think things through. He's in love with Blaise, but he also knows that he will regret it if he doesn't try with his ex. With the school reopening again, Blaise sends Simon back to his ex. Salima applies to Juilliard and wants to live at home with her mom and a new aide.

Blaise is devastated that she opened up her heart again and ended up hurt. But she pushes Simon to go back to his ex because of their 15 year age gap. He also wanted kids, and Blaise had done that before.

Months go by without any word from Simon, but she slowly moves on. When he comes to her after four months asking for a second chance, what will she do?

A good read!

[Tyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Danielle Steel are incredibilul talent de a țese povești de viață complexe, cu bune și cu rele, toate conținând un mesaj important. Personajele ei sunt departe de a fi perfecte, toate au mici defecte, dar și multe calități, care le conferă unicitate și le fac cu atât mai veridice.

O viață perfectă m-a încântat prin mesajul transmis, anume că nu contează aparențele ci fiecare trebuie să se descopere pe sine însuși și să aleagă ceea ce i se potrivește, indiferent de prejudecăți sau de părerile celorlalți. Povestea de dragoste este și ea una deosebită, dintre un cuplu cu totul atipic, ea fiind mai în vârstă cu cincisprezece ani decât el.

O carte caldă și sensibilă, ce îți demonstrează că viața poate produce mici miracole tocmai când te aștepți mai puțin, pe care o recomand cu mult drag tuturor iubitorilor de romance!

Recenzia mea:

https://www.delicateseliterare.ro/o-v...

[Mireille · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lang geleden dat ik een boek van Danielle Steel las. Ik weet nu weer waarom. Sentimenteel en enorm voorspelbaar. En een lichte lunch met kaas, foie gras, zalm en Champagne? Ik dacht meer aan een crackertje.

[BookGirl-4 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow, this book actually sucked. The plot line was so boring, and the romance in it was forced. Definitely would not read again and I don’t think I’ll be reading anymore books from this author.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story! I loved the characters.

[Shifa · Rating 1 out of 5]

WE GET IT, SIMON IS A MAN AND HE'S 15 YEARS YOUNGER THAN YOU

[Nancy Lang · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the book was an easy read but good. It had a lot of repetitiveness throughout and a suspected ending, which I liked.

[All Things Carmenable · Rating 5 out of 5]

she does it again…

I felt I was every part of this story of love, heartbreak, but most importantly family. I loved it. Danielle, my favorite author, never lets me down.

[Patricialogan8 · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good, I had read it before

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audiobook. The beginning really peaked my interest, but the book very quickly got boring and I was just waiting for it to end. It was also very predictable.

[Reem Eisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who didn’t see that coming 😅😅😅
When it went on and on about what her ex did to her you knew she was going to get hurt again, and to be sit up with someone who faced the same issues I mean and then him leaving !!!

[Namita Ahluwalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its a beautiful story and wonderfully written, as always by Danielle. The start was interesting, but as it progressed, it followed a pattern. As a reader, I was able to predict what might happen next. Overall, a light and breezy read.

[Kathy Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical D.S.

[Aamina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disclaimer*
Review may contain spoilers (not like you should be reading it)

This book didn't even give a good first impression.'The Perfect Life'. Seriously, Danielle that was all you could come up with? Come on.

This book is about a mother and a daughter and the challenges and hardships they face while maintaining the disguise of a 'perfect life.' Blaise is a working and very career focused person who has a daughter who was left blinded by type 1 diabetes. Seems very sad and emotional. But isn't. Don't read it.


She is described as a established, rich  and a very career driven woman and everything always works out in her favour  but the author still wants us to feel sorry for her because her taste is men is shit. Boo hoo cry about it. It's not my fault she has such trashy taste is men. If the author had made her so perfect, she should have made her love life perfect as well 🤡. I have no sympathy for this woman.

The worst part about this book is that there are no grey characters. They are either the best and perfect in every way or they are complete idiots who always make a fool of themselves.

This book was predictable and boring. She tried to create an air of suspense but I could easily predict what was going to happen next.

Okay I don't need to know how attractive and handsome and cute and intelligent and what not Simon is every two pages🤦. Once is enough. Don't push it in my face. I GET IT!! And ofcourse , he falls for the perfect and flawless protagonist of our novel😍 (Rab nay bana di joudi)even though he was in love with another woman for three years. Don't worry. It's just the effect Blaise has on men.

There was no proper conflict, no fights, no drama. This was a pathetic book and they just lived happily ever after at the end. What am I reading , a fairytale?

Danielle , it's a no from me (in Simon Cowell's voice.

[Kathy Saunders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lately the same formula for all of her books the last few years-a high powered successful woman who is older than the man she becomes involved with, an unexpected pregnancy. This is a summer read and I'll continue to read her books but wish she would get back to her history oriented books centering in Europe or elsewhere.
Blaise McCarthy a single mother who managed her well-ordered career meticulously, always prepared on the air or interviewing world-renowed figures and heads of state. To her audience, Blaise seems to have it all. But privately, there is another untold story she has kept hidden for years.
Blaise's teenage daughter, Salima, was blinded by Type 1 diabetes in childhood, and her needs have kept her in a year-round boarding school with full-time medical care and assistance. When Salima's school closes after a tragedy, Selima returns to her mother's NYC apartment, and suddenly they face challenges they're never had to deal with before. A new caretaker, Simon Ward, creates as many problems as he solves- Handsome, accomplished, thirty-two with strong opinions on every topic. He questions how mother and daughter view themselves and each other, turns their world upside down, but the three become friends.
Then everything starts to unraval and Blaise can't keep her two worlds separate anymore. Her career as she has known it is threatened, and her previously well-ordered life feels totally out of control. For the first time, Blaise's life is not perfect , but real.

[Desiree Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blaise McCarthy is a world renowned journalist. When her daughter Selima, ( who is blind), has to come home from private school because of the death of her caretaker, she is devastated. They have no one else to send home with Delima e crept for a man. (Simon). Blaise and Selima are both adamant about not having a man in the home, but since there is no one else to send besides Simon, they have to accept him.

In time, Blaise and Selima come to love and accept Simon. Blaise and Simon secretly begin an affair and fall in love. They come to a rough patch, work through it and Blaise gets pregnant and gives birth to a healthy baby. Selima is not dependent on Simon as much as she was in the beginning and goes on to Juilliard School of Music. Read: July 2015

[Smita Beohar · Rating 3 out of 5]

a typical Danielle steel novel with a famous protagonist and her perfect life. same old description of her perfect life same old repetitions. same old formula of suddenly her world changing and later correcting itself.
what makes this book a little different is that it isn't as bad coz there are some actual dialogue there and not a passive writing. what doesn't work is that the book has no high point. it works on a linear frame and ends therein. no drama etc. possibly after having read so many books from the author I don't really find anything very new in her books.
all said and done a decent read by Danielle steel standards.