The Ranch

by Danielle Steel

In her 39th best-selling novel, Danielle Steel brings to life the story of three women, old roommates from college, who come together after twenty years, one summer at The Ranch .

They had been inseparable in college, Mary Stuart, Tanya, and Zoe. But in the more than twenty years that followed, the three had moved on with their lives, settled in different cities, and found successful careers and new roles as mothers and wives. By chance, each would find herself alone for a few weeks one summer, wrestling with the present and the past. At a sprawling ranch in the foothills of Wyoming's Grand Teton Range, the three women come together and find courage, healing, and truth, and reach out to each other once again.

Despite the honesty they once shared, now pretense between them runs high. Mary Stuart Walker, married for twenty-two years to a Manhattan lawyer, kept herself busy with volunteer work, and now masks the loneliness that consumes her life. A year has past, and Mary Stuart still hasn't gotten over the guilt, or the fear that her husband will never forgive her for their son's death... Tanya Thomas, an award winning singer and rock star, enjoys all the trappings of fame and success--a mansion in Bel Air, legions of fans, and a broken heart. All the Grammy awards in the world can't make up for the children she wanted but never had, the men who have taken advantage of her, and just gone along for the ride, and still are... Dr. Zoe Phillips has her hands full as a single mother to an adopted two-year-old, and as a doctor at an AIDS clinic in San Francisco. Predictably, as they all know, she is as liberal as she ever was, and marriage was never a dream she coveted or shared with them. Tending to her patients is a full-time job that leaves Zoe little time for herself--until unexpected news forces her to reevaluate both her future, and her current life.

But despite the changes in their lives, their friendship is still a bond they all treasure and share. For each of the women, a few weeks at the ranch will bring healing and release, as old hurts are buried, ancient secrets revealed, and love replaced or renewed. In The Ranch , bestselling novelist Danielle Steel brings reality to the meaning of friendship, with dramas whose truths we all share.

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

432 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

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

[Mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very quick read! Enjoyed the characters a whole lot but.. not the romance so much, felt it kinda forced but there was a twist at the end that made me feel so conflicted with everything lol!

Anyways, it was a bit entertaining yet I think I expected to see a little bit more of certain aspects that had so much potential. But it’s alright.

[Connie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I cannot believe it only took me a month to read this book, seriously it seemed like a year.

Way too repetitive and hokey. No three woman can be that wonderfully perfect and beautiful. If all of the parts were taken out about how beautiful they are were, the book would have been half it's size.

[Sabrina Bellesbach · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have nothing nice to say. I'm not even going to bother writing a review for this.

[Becky · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reading books like this piss me off because the writing is so bad. It's like reading something I would have written in high school. It could have been about 150 pages shorter with all the extraneous sentences we didn't need. How many times are you going to talk about how they don't look their age?! We get it.

I get pissed off because I should have 360 million copies of books sold since I can write better. Maybe I should read more of Danielle Steel to force me to get off my ass and write something of my own.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

First Steel book I have ever read. It actually wasn't that bad but it seemed very dramatic and unlikely to happen in real life. I was surprised with the ending when Bill and Maria ending up getting back together.

[Karlie Nyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I realized about two thirds of the way through this book, which I had been devouring ever since I started to read it, that I had in fact read this book once before. And I loved it the second time through as well. I enjoyed the three main characters so very much, and I feel like I could identify with all in some way, even though they all are written as very successful women, and having all achieved an extraordinary standard of living, neither of which applies to me. I am highly recommending this book for a nice read, and happy endings, even though tragedy is woven throughout the entire story. At this time in my life, however, I do not feel the need to keep this book on my shelf. Too much has changed in me since the first time I read it, and too much hits home in it for me to want to read it again. But I believe it to be a fantastic book, and it makes me miss the mountains more than I already do.

[Bigedsgirl1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Danielle Steel's best! A story that will resonate with all women, especially those of us who have longtime friendships with other women that we treasure and still count on, no matter the distances of place or time between visits. As you read this extraordinary novel, you will experience the full gamut of emotions caused by the loss of a child, the betrayal of a spouse, and the strength of spirit regained through a renewal of faith in the love, loyalty, and trust of others. In the book, The Ranch has a wondrous effect on all who visit there and the effect on every reader will be just as great and long lasting.

[Mel Schanz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Complete and utter boredom. I'm not even kidding. I love Danielle Steel, so this is hard and utterly shocking for me to write about one of her books. I finished it out of respect of her, but it was completely boring and predictable. Surprisingly, I felt like it needed an epilogue. Where are these three ladies a year from when they parted? Or ten years later? There are much better Danielle Steel books out there.

[Cat. · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was difficult to read because it's so very poorly written; there's no editing, the style is almost oral storytelling, as if she wrote it directly from dictation with no changes whatsoever. The plot is obvious, with a completely unreal ending, and all tied up in a neat little package end. Yuck--hence 0 stars.

Now I can honestly say I've read a Danielle Steel.

[Mayra Flores]

everyone has their crap reads. lol.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ La verdad que el concepto del libro es muy chulo, y me gusta que los personajes sean más mayores, en plan 40 tacos y en crisis con su vida. Si que es verdad que el romance entre Tanya y Gordon se ha desarrollado DEMASIADO rápido, me hubiese gustado un poco más de chicha en ese sentido. Y bueno, el final de Mary Stuart y Hartley si que no me lo esperaba, es una forma bonita de cerrar su historia pero realmente pensé que lo elegiría a él antes que a Billy, porque es que me cayó fatal durante todo el libro y ahora (en las últimas 10 páginas) se ha redimido y para siempre felices? No lo compro. También me hubiese gustado saber más de Zoe. Eso sí, la amistad de las tres me ha recordado tantísimo a mis amigas de la uni que cada vez que tenían un momento sentimental me ponía a llorar JAJAJJAJAJAJA

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tanya, Mary Stuart and Zoe. 472 pages of okay.

[Ashton Noel · Rating 1 out of 5]

So I have this really stupid goal to read all of Danielle Steel's books. Don't ask me why, because I end up hating 75% of them. This is no exception. It was a solid 3.5 until the very end when one of the main characters ended up making a decision that literally made me say "wtf" out loud. It is another dud. Not my least favorite DS but it's close. Do not recommend.

[Celeste Giudice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tres amigas 👯‍♀️
Un viaje ✈️🧳
Romances de verano ❣️🌡️🏖️
Suicidio 🥀
Sida 💉🩸
Segundas oportunidades ❤️‍🩹

El rancho es la historia de tres amigas de la universidad que se reencuentran veinte años después de graduarse. Tanya cumplió su sueño y es una de las cantantes más famosas de Estados Unidos pero el precio a pagar por esa fama es muy alto, historias inventadas en la prensa sensacionalista que destruyen sus vínculos, juicios, no parar un segundo entre conciertos- ensayos- grabar películas- entrevistas-, lidiar con el amor-odio que le profesan, etc; tenemos a Marie Stuart a punto de divorciarse, su matrimonio ya no fue el mismo después del suicidio de su hijo; y por último tenemos a Zoe una prestigiosa doctora, que dirige su propia clínica especializada en sida, muy unida a sus pacientes que ésta pasando unos momentos muy tristes y desolados al contagiarse el sida.

Las tres amigas se van a pasar dos semanas a un rancho en Wyoming donde pueden reencontrarse y fortalecer el vínculo (ya que por sus respectivas obligaciones no pueden verse tan seguido como les gustaría), ser ellas mismas y pasar lindos momentos acompañadas las una de las otras, escucharse, consolarse y apoyarse, reviviendo emociones de la juventud ya olvidadas, te metes en la piel de las cuatro y todas pasan momentos muy difíciles en la vida.

Una historia profunda, de amistad y unión, tierna, llega a tocar el alma, es divertida pero triste también. Tiene su 50/50. Y ese equilibrio está bien.

El Second Chance final me encantó, usualmente no volvería con alguien que promete cambiar porque ya sabemos cómo termina ese cuento, pero en este caso fue algo muy duro que tuvieron que atravesar estos dos personajes y entiendo por todo lo que ambos pasaron por separado y juntos, se merecían esa segunda oportunidad después de lidiar con las sombras más oscuras.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three college roomates get back together at a dude ranch for some r and r after over 20 years apart. Each is successful in her chosen path, yet underneath all that success are hidden sorrows and insecurities. They find forgiveness and romance at the ranch.

[Sruthy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good storyline but most of the book made me feel sad. The author explained the grief of the all three women and their emotional struggles in an exaggerated manner. I would not suggest to someone who reads a book to make them feel better

[Flor Zimmermann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Danielle steel siempre logra entretenerte un rato. Tiene mejores, la trama es bien pochoclers

[Tiffunee · Rating 5 out of 5]

They had been inseparable in college, Mary Stuart, Tanya, and Zoe. But in the more than twenty years that followed, the three had moved on with their lives, settled in different cities, and found successful careers and new roles as mothers and wives. By chance, each would find herself alone for a few weeks one summer, wrestling with the present and the past. At a sprawling ranch in the foothills of Wyoming's Grand Teton Range, the three women come together and find courage, healing, and truth, and reach out to each other once again.

I started this book, fully expecting another Danielle Steel story, this one was pretty good. Surprise ending.

[Jyotika Varmani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book took the 'feel good' factor to a very far fetched extreme. Everything turns out to be so perfect that it's hard to digest. The protagonists are like some goddesses, and have simply no flaw and can do nothing wrong. This book is like a fairytale, where the ranch is the solution for the protagonist's issues. Also, it was too predictable. I seriously expected something better from an author I heard so much about. A very overdone affair.

[Alex (Alex's Version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a quick read, taking me only about 3 hours to finish. However, I found it to be overly repetitive, particularly in its portrayal of the three women as perfect and beautiful. If the excessive focus on their beauty was reduced, the book could have been much shorter.

But sometimes you just need a Danielle steel novel in your life.

[Tami · Rating 1 out of 5]

I normally enjoy DS, although I know she does not necessarily write the most edifying books ever. However, this book was horrible. Really? After agonizing for chapters over their individual relationships, they all fall madly in love in the same three days?!? Ugh.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this may be my last Danielle Steel book. I just can't handle her overwritten books any more! I've ready too many good authors lately...

[Heidi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Totally unrealistic! besides its poorly written,way too repetitive and obviously it wasnt edited!

[Suz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a long blurb from another DS but 3 stars for me; unable to jog memories for a review.

[☆~Stephanie ~☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a great book but wish the ending was different .you will know what I mean when you read it.

[Ayesha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird is the word!

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didnt enjoy this as much as other Danielle Steels i've read. I skippedto the end to see what happened to Stu, the only 1 of the 3 main characters that i was interested in.

[Debbie Wheeler]

Very good

[Debi Bourdette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did this one on audio. I enjoyed listening to it

[Mira · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my freaking god. I cannot remember the last time I have been so disappointed by a book. Even when I saw the turn the book was taking I tried to keep an open mind because it was lent to me by someone and obviously you don't want to trash a book someone you know likes. But I can't. Jesus Christ. By the last third I was almost in tears every time I picked up this book and not because it tore at my heartsrings.

When I read the plot summary for this book, I really was decently excited. Steel's is a name I've heard/seen around quite often, but I didn't know much about what she writes, and the plot of this really sounded like it could have been quite interesting. I thought it was going to be about three women genuinely rekindling a simmered out friendship and working to bond together through the traumas and difficulties that they've all been through, learning that female friendship can be a force for great good. Nowhere in the summary did it sound like it was going to get all schlocky love at first sight bullshit romance (pardon the language I do try not to cuss on Goodreads but Christ on the cross). The only woman who sounded like she would get a significant romance subplot was Zoe, and though it wasn't love at first sight, her love interest is so disgustingly pushy, and one thing in particular he said set me off so bad it made me spiral into my worst thoughts because I was so mad. I really really tried to be open once I saw the spin this crap was actually taking, I tried so hard, but nothing can salvage this. Zero chemistry, zero time to let an actual relationship grow; I cannot for the life of me stand love at first sight/in three freaking days(!!!) tropes. They legitimately make me ill with anger because I hate the trope that much. Only one book ever has made me like it and it was because of the writing style, not the relationship.

Which, speaking of, the writing style on this was terrible too! Absolute garbage to be frank and very very blunt. How many times do you have to repeat how beautiful and young-looking the women are, how much Tanya and her INFATUATION made love, etc. for Christ's sake. I was speaking with a co-worker about how we were in awe Steel had like, what, 100+ books out? And when I started reading I instantly thought "well, I see how." Which I'll be honest, is unfair of me. No matter how little effort I put into writing, I know I couldn't pump out that much. I'll give her that she is insanely dedicated and that is admirable. But unfortunately dedication doesn't mean skill or high quality. Subtle characterization is a foreign word to this novel and, I'd assume, to her style as a whole. Absolutely everything is spoonfed to you. The absolute epitome of what happens when you don't show instead of tell. Another point I'll give her: I'm more confident in my ability to do so now, though I know I also lack in that skill.

I'm sure I will not be reading another Steel book. And I am very sorry for my friend who lent me this book. I finished for you, but it was terrible.