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Palomino
Samantha Taylor is shattered when her husband leaves her for another woman. She puts her advertising career on hold and seeks refuge at a friend's California ranch, where she loses herself in the daily labor of ranch life.
Here, she discovers the healing powers of trusted friends, simple joys, and hard work. She also meets Tate Jordan, the ranch foreman, and a tumultuous relationship ensues.
When Tate disappears and a fall from a horse changes Samantha's life forever, she is confined to a wheelchair and must look deep inside herself to finds the courage to begin again.
Now, fighting the battles of the handicapped, she finds new challenges, new loves, and even the adopted child she's always longed for.
From the Paperback edition.
Here, she discovers the healing powers of trusted friends, simple joys, and hard work. She also meets Tate Jordan, the ranch foreman, and a tumultuous relationship ensues.
When Tate disappears and a fall from a horse changes Samantha's life forever, she is confined to a wheelchair and must look deep inside herself to finds the courage to begin again.
Now, fighting the battles of the handicapped, she finds new challenges, new loves, and even the adopted child she's always longed for.
From the Paperback edition.
463 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1981
About the author
Danielle Steel
1,009 books17.4k followersDanielle 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 322 reviews
July 2, 2012
This was my first Danielle Steel book and I loved it. I have the old version with 306 pages so I didn't have as much reading to do as the newer version.
"Palomino" was a good read. I enjoyed the book because it had so many twists and turns, but poor Samantha having all these issues to deal with from a lousy husband leaving her, to a handsome Ranch Hand falling in love with her and leaving her, then to a loving child she tried to adopt not going thru, gee whiz after all that you think it was over HECK NO! She then becomes paralyzed from the waist down.
I enjoyed going through the journey with Samantha as she endured all these terrible trials. She was a strong woman, who was young, vivacious and who had good friends and an undestranding boss who was on her side. She was great at what she did as a commercial wrtier, producer and despite her disability proved she could keep on going. It wasn't easy but she maintained her dignity and continued to live!
I hated her husband for leaving her, but I really fell for Tate Jordan the ranch hand who fell in love with Samantha. He gave her the name Palomino because of her hair. Their love story was genuine and as they fell in love it was sad to see it end over thoughtless pride and old rules that need to have been broken.
Alot of characters in the book and different scenarios but overall a good read. I do look forward to reading more of Ms. Steels books, but for now I'm content with this read. Thank you!
"Palomino" was a good read. I enjoyed the book because it had so many twists and turns, but poor Samantha having all these issues to deal with from a lousy husband leaving her, to a handsome Ranch Hand falling in love with her and leaving her, then to a loving child she tried to adopt not going thru, gee whiz after all that you think it was over HECK NO! She then becomes paralyzed from the waist down.
I enjoyed going through the journey with Samantha as she endured all these terrible trials. She was a strong woman, who was young, vivacious and who had good friends and an undestranding boss who was on her side. She was great at what she did as a commercial wrtier, producer and despite her disability proved she could keep on going. It wasn't easy but she maintained her dignity and continued to live!
I hated her husband for leaving her, but I really fell for Tate Jordan the ranch hand who fell in love with Samantha. He gave her the name Palomino because of her hair. Their love story was genuine and as they fell in love it was sad to see it end over thoughtless pride and old rules that need to have been broken.
Alot of characters in the book and different scenarios but overall a good read. I do look forward to reading more of Ms. Steels books, but for now I'm content with this read. Thank you!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2021
Wow. This was really unexpected. Lots of twists and turns! Had trouble putting it down at times, and the ending, while good, had me wanting more or a sequel. Would rate this a 6/5 if I could. Definitely one of Danielle Steel’s best!
March 26, 2021
*** ATTENZIONE SPOILER ***
(Ispirato alle ultime pagine del libro)
Poi, lentamente, dando un colpetto di redini allo stallone, salì oltre la piccola altura. Rimase lì, mentre le lacrime, che scendevano lente, le rigavano le guance. Improvvisamente, mentre osservava quel luogo, che pareva appartenere a un'altra vita, si accorse che il purosangue si innervosiva e, guardandosi intorno, lo vide, ritto fieramente, come sempre, sul suo destriero, anche lui la faccia bagnata di lacrime, la robusta corporatura dall'atteggiamento altero e la forza dei suoi lineamenti mitigate da un'espressione di infinita dolcezza. Poteva ancora fidarsi realmente di lui? Sarebbe fuggito di nuovo? Era un sogno, un'illusione? Mentre lo fissava negli occhi, non ebbe un tremito la sua figura, e lei poté quasi sentire che il loro legame era forte come un tempo. Entrambi erano a casa. Finalmente.
Danielle Steel distribuisce disgrazia e morte, manco fossero dei buoni sconto, per tutta la durata della storia! Non me l'aspettavo. In realtà, non conoscendo affatto l'autrice ed essendo questo il suo primo libro che leggo, non sapevo esattamente cosa aspettarmi. Ci sono alcuni stereotipi che si ripropongono, in alcuni punti, a mio avviso, in maniera eccessiva, ai limiti tra il ridicolo e l'irritante, ma, nel complesso, le vicende narrate mi hanno coinvolta e lo stile della Steel è particolarmente adatto al mio gusto del momento. Perciò leggerò di certo altri suoi libri.
(Ispirato alle ultime pagine del libro)
Poi, lentamente, dando un colpetto di redini allo stallone, salì oltre la piccola altura. Rimase lì, mentre le lacrime, che scendevano lente, le rigavano le guance. Improvvisamente, mentre osservava quel luogo, che pareva appartenere a un'altra vita, si accorse che il purosangue si innervosiva e, guardandosi intorno, lo vide, ritto fieramente, come sempre, sul suo destriero, anche lui la faccia bagnata di lacrime, la robusta corporatura dall'atteggiamento altero e la forza dei suoi lineamenti mitigate da un'espressione di infinita dolcezza. Poteva ancora fidarsi realmente di lui? Sarebbe fuggito di nuovo? Era un sogno, un'illusione? Mentre lo fissava negli occhi, non ebbe un tremito la sua figura, e lei poté quasi sentire che il loro legame era forte come un tempo. Entrambi erano a casa. Finalmente.
Danielle Steel distribuisce disgrazia e morte, manco fossero dei buoni sconto, per tutta la durata della storia! Non me l'aspettavo. In realtà, non conoscendo affatto l'autrice ed essendo questo il suo primo libro che leggo, non sapevo esattamente cosa aspettarmi. Ci sono alcuni stereotipi che si ripropongono, in alcuni punti, a mio avviso, in maniera eccessiva, ai limiti tra il ridicolo e l'irritante, ma, nel complesso, le vicende narrate mi hanno coinvolta e lo stile della Steel è particolarmente adatto al mio gusto del momento. Perciò leggerò di certo altri suoi libri.
January 21, 2016
¡Uy! No apto para llorones como yo. No había llorado tanto con un libro en mi vida entera (Bueno sí, pero lloré mucho). Tengo que agradecer a la persona que me lo regaló. No sé ni qué decir, no quiero decir nada porque me gustaría recomendar este libro a muchos amigos míos que les gusta este género y no quiero ser un spoiler. Simplemente tengo que decir que me gustó demasiado y no dudaría en leer otro libro de Danielle Steel.
Read
August 8, 2018A friend mentioned Danielle Steel tonight, and I remembered that I had read this book. It has to be 20 years since I read it. But I can still remember parts of it clear as day. I kinda wanna read it again - but I’m also nervous that I might ruin the mystique.
March 26, 2011
Like so many others this was one of my first romance novels and first Danielle Steel book, it was sooo many years ago, but for some reason I can remember the storyline and I remember enjoying it. I've read other Danielle Steel books, but this in the only one that stood out for me!
July 6, 2015
Danielle Steel's novel, "Palomino," was pretty good. However, unfortunately, it DID NOT meet the high expectations that I had hoped that it would. :-(. I found out that I preferred watching the made-for-TV movie MUCH MORE. Some details contained within Danielle Steel's plot were the represented similarly in the movie, but others were vastly different. I am glad that I can now say that I have read "Palomino," but it DID NOT have me as hungry, enthralled, or engrossed as I had wanted to be. It was not NEARLY AS impressive as "Wanderlust" was for me.
February 8, 2011
If Palomino is representative of her work, I can comfortably say that Danielle Steel is not a good writer -- period. She repeats words and phrases, she changes narrator mid-paragraph and her sense of time is completely out of whack. Palomino's characters are stereotypically perfect, the plot was rambling and things fell into place much too conveniently. This 450-page beast was a waste of my time.
September 30, 2018
Dlouho jsem tuto americkou autorku odsuzoval, přiznávám, že bezdůvodně, jen tak z podstaty. Proto jsem si chtěl udělat vlastní názor. Palomino jsem vybral na základě hodnocení čtenářů na Databázi knih – zrovna tato kniha je hodnocena skoro nejlépe. A já s tímto hodnocením musím souhlasit. Četla se mi výborně, těšil jsem se na každé další řádky, naprosto jsem se vžil do děje. Samozřejmě ukáplo i několik slz. Nemůžu říct, že Steel je skvělá spisovatelka, protože jsem četl jen jednu její knihu, ale pokud jsou i ostatní takto dobře napsané, chápu její celosvětový úspěch. Palomino byl pro mě zážitek (až na několik překladových podivností). A jak jsem sám sobě slíbil, podíval jsem se i na film. Pane bože, to byl hrozný zážitek. Jak je kniha dobrá, tak je film špatný.
July 18, 2012
This is one of the first books I read by Danielle Steele. She has turned out to be one of my favorite authors to read as a quick "summer read". What can I say -- I'm a sucker for romance novels!
March 14, 2023
[English below]
C’est le deuxième roman que je lis après Ouragan, lu il y a deux ans, je n’avais pas trop apprécié le premier, et je n’ai pas été plus emballé par celui-ci,histoire soit différente, mais c’est pour moi de la littérature commerciale, tant mieux si ça plaît à certains ou certaines, mais je vais dorénavant passer mon chemin. Certaines situations sont ridicules, certains dialogues sont ridicules, SPOILER : je n’y connais rien en adoption, mais je doute que cela puisse se faire en une journée, concernant ta apprends qu’elle ne pourra plus jamais marché et ce retour en fauteuil roulant à 32 ans ou quelque chose comme ça, elle dit : « oh zut », non mais sérieusement ? ! Et puis se dire, je t’aime au bout de deux jours, je t’ai toujours aimé, bla-bla-bla… Non c’est bon j’arrête là.
[English]
This is the second novel I read from this author after reading Rushing Waters two years ago. I had not really liked the first one but I wanted to give the author a second try and I think this will be the last one because this is really not for me, some ridiculous situations, some ridiculous dialogues, rich people problems, people who meet and tell each other I love you, I’ve always loved you after two days, SPOILER: I know nothing about adoption, but I really doubt this can be done in one day and also when Samantha discovers she will never be able to walk again and will spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair at 30 years old-ish, she just says “ oh darn” or something like that, really?! Thank you but no, thank you, at least, I tried.
C’est le deuxième roman que je lis après Ouragan, lu il y a deux ans, je n’avais pas trop apprécié le premier, et je n’ai pas été plus emballé par celui-ci,histoire soit différente, mais c’est pour moi de la littérature commerciale, tant mieux si ça plaît à certains ou certaines, mais je vais dorénavant passer mon chemin. Certaines situations sont ridicules, certains dialogues sont ridicules, SPOILER : je n’y connais rien en adoption, mais je doute que cela puisse se faire en une journée, concernant ta apprends qu’elle ne pourra plus jamais marché et ce retour en fauteuil roulant à 32 ans ou quelque chose comme ça, elle dit : « oh zut », non mais sérieusement ? ! Et puis se dire, je t’aime au bout de deux jours, je t’ai toujours aimé, bla-bla-bla… Non c’est bon j’arrête là.
[English]
This is the second novel I read from this author after reading Rushing Waters two years ago. I had not really liked the first one but I wanted to give the author a second try and I think this will be the last one because this is really not for me, some ridiculous situations, some ridiculous dialogues, rich people problems, people who meet and tell each other I love you, I’ve always loved you after two days, SPOILER: I know nothing about adoption, but I really doubt this can be done in one day and also when Samantha discovers she will never be able to walk again and will spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair at 30 years old-ish, she just says “ oh darn” or something like that, really?! Thank you but no, thank you, at least, I tried.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2026
What is it about Danielle Steel books? They have an attention grabbing beginning,hurdle into implausible territory, adds some stupid off stuff but for some reason,make you keep turning the pages to the end? I picked up an old copy with a pretty cover pic of horses and meant to only flip through but got hooked. The story follows a wonder women who works at a NYC ad agency who is sent on an open ended sabbatical to recover from her traumatic divorce. wow! She goes to stay with her Aunt Caro in California on her huge ranch. There she rides and works the ranch,mending fences,finding orphan calves,pushing cattle with seasoned cowboys and they respect and admire her and accept her just like them! She even falls in love with a real cowboy! The ranch cured her sadness over her divorce. Alas,love is lost again.A lovely Thoroughbred stallion is her Aunt's special mount and our girl rides him beautifully but recklessly. Anyway,stupid riding leads to needless accidents which happen with another horse. So now the scene switches to the hospital. Her life is completely broadsided. The best surgeon in the nation cannot save her from a wheelchair. Aunt Caro dies and wills the ranch to her. So now it can be remade into a first rate camp for paralyzed children. They ride horses and get happy.Then a poor little abused child who got polio because his drug addicted teenage prostitute mom did not get him shots turns up at the ranch. A bid for custody ensues, and the biological mom wins. Then the mom overdoses and dies so the child goes back to the ranch.For good! With another giant twist of fiction fate,the love lost cowboy comes back. They have true love that will last at last! I read every word. I rolled my eyes but kept reading.
May 27, 2024
Heartbreaking but equally as heartwarming...love a bit of Danielle Steel.
July 18, 2025
En utmärkt hammockbok!
May 5, 2021
Definitely outdated (written 1981), but was the perfect amount of cheesy, unrealistic, and unpredictable.
March 8, 2026
After falling in love with the movie as a teenager, I've always wanted to read the book..... Now I desperately want to watch the movie again. Such an amazing read 😍
August 18, 2014
If you haven't seen the 1990s TV movie version or haven't read the print version, if you're a horse lover, you'll love Danielle Steel's Palomino. When Samantha Taylor's husband left her for another woman, it devastated her and left her bereft and heart-broken. She placed her advertising career on hold and sought refuge in a friend's California horse ranch, and lost herself in the daily rigorous hard labor of ranch life. Later, she discovered daily joys, hard work and trusted friends to help her heal. And that's when she met the horse ranch foreman, Tate Jordan. And from there, a heated relationship ensued between Samantha and Tate. When Tate disappeared and Samantha fell from her horse, it changed her life forever... now confined to a wheelchair, she would have to find the courage to begin again. From there, she would deal with the daily battles on the handicapped, she would find new joys and loves, and the adopted child she always wanted. A beautiful and heart-warming romance.
July 31, 2016
A novel that I read 8 years ago. The first novel that I read twice. The weird thing is that the feelings when I read this story hasn't changed. It brings warmth. If Danielle Steel only has 1 single book that she has ever written in her life, then Palomino is enough. Those out there who are nature lovers, who never mind getting their hands dirty, who enjoys sweating under the sun working for what you believe is right, who wants to love and be loved despite all the defects... This is one story that you should not neglect.
May 7, 2014
Three years of heartaches, love, pain, faith, and friendship were tested in this story. Each and every sorrow and happiness was detailed in this very special book. This was -and still is- the kind of book that will make one's faith and ability to love come alive with the challenges, the pains, and a large dose of REALITY.
Palomino - a beautiful book about eternal love and life.
GOD BLESS, READERS!
Palomino - a beautiful book about eternal love and life.
GOD BLESS, READERS!
July 1, 2023
The story was quite nice and I loved the plot turns and twists. I would have given 5 stars if it weren't for the glorification of the author regarding the main characters. Apart from Tate being a quite narrow-minded egocentric man (the toxic hero here), Sam being astonishingly beautiful and Timmy being way to mature for his age and experiences, I would have love to see more character development and therefore a different ending for Sam and Tate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2024
Es un libro que me ha encantado. Me gusta como Steel va contando todo y como se va desarrollando la historia. Es un libro que te hace reflexionar mucho.
January 31, 2024
I really enjoyed this! There were lots of twists and turns, I absolutely loved the ending. The main character was really likeable and I had a lot of empathy for her situation. I used to really love books about ranches and horses so much when I was younger so this story was right up my alley 😅
July 24, 2025
Great story! Once again Danielle Steel has ripped my heart out and pieced it back together. Loved it!
September 10, 2023
This was such a drawn-out plot which I loved. Sam was a great main character and her willingness to (eventually) pick herself up after each an every hardship she faces is admirable. I hated the way she was treated by men in this book especially by those who claimed to love her. The setting of a ranch was idyllic and I was transported there so vividly when I read it.
March 26, 2026
I don't usually write anything about the book I just read ,because I want others to experience the same things as I did,but this one was very well written, good reading book
September 25, 2023
Absolutely loved this - another I read years ago & don't remember.
September 16, 2021
Couldn't put this down and read it in a day, brilliant read
September 9, 2021
Late review.
Good read. As always, DS stories are poignant, tragic, with twists here and there...
I remembered the heroine had an accident that left her disabled. And she loves riding horses. But the accident didn't stop her to tend to her farm and animals. Prior to that she was married and was left high and dry by her husband. I vaguely remember also that she's trying to adopt or gain custody of a kid.
When she went away to find her solace at the farm, she met Tate Jordan, a ranch hand. They fell in love but she pushed him away coz' of her disability. The hero later found out though and his love for her didn't fade.
Probably this could also be my first cowboy romance book ever. Nice.
Mentally adding this as one of my rereads.
Good read. As always, DS stories are poignant, tragic, with twists here and there...
I remembered the heroine had an accident that left her disabled. And she loves riding horses. But the accident didn't stop her to tend to her farm and animals. Prior to that she was married and was left high and dry by her husband. I vaguely remember also that she's trying to adopt or gain custody of a kid.
When she went away to find her solace at the farm, she met Tate Jordan, a ranch hand. They fell in love but she pushed him away coz' of her disability. The hero later found out though and his love for her didn't fade.
Probably this could also be my first cowboy romance book ever. Nice.
Mentally adding this as one of my rereads.
January 26, 2023
4.5 stars, rounded up
Over-the-top melodrama at its best!
Originally published in 1981, Palomino is the first Danielle Steel book that I've read from her classic catalogue. It's epic, gloriously pretentious, and now very dated. But I loved every minute of it.
There's a lot of falling in love and a lot of falling out of love. A lot of horses and a lot of cowboys. A lot of hard-driving, yet kindhearted New York ad executives. A lot of wheelchairs and a lot of television news anchors. And a lot of conflict and pining. Endless pining. It's... a lot.
This book certainly won't appeal to everyone, but if you love romance novels that aren't vulgar, or have an appreciation for the schmaltzy art of a well done soap opera, Palomino is for you.
Over-the-top melodrama at its best!
Originally published in 1981, Palomino is the first Danielle Steel book that I've read from her classic catalogue. It's epic, gloriously pretentious, and now very dated. But I loved every minute of it.
There's a lot of falling in love and a lot of falling out of love. A lot of horses and a lot of cowboys. A lot of hard-driving, yet kindhearted New York ad executives. A lot of wheelchairs and a lot of television news anchors. And a lot of conflict and pining. Endless pining. It's... a lot.
This book certainly won't appeal to everyone, but if you love romance novels that aren't vulgar, or have an appreciation for the schmaltzy art of a well done soap opera, Palomino is for you.
July 9, 2014
I am just not a fan of romance novels, but I am a HUGE fan of books with a kind of western theme (ranch life, cowboys, cattle drives, horses, etc.) and traditional westerns. This is why, when my mom recommended this book, I had a very open mind about it. I enjoyed the first part, but about halfway through it got annoying and, by the end, I had completely lost interest. I didn't find it believable in the least, and for this genre that is important to me. The characters were a bit generic, especially the high-powered executive who insisted she everything when, in reality, she knew painfully little about how real ranch life works.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 322 reviews