ALL THAT GLITTERS by DANIELLE STEEL

My Rating: ★★★

Nicole "Coco" Martin is destined to have it all. As the only child of doting and successful parents, she has been given every opportunity in life. Having inherited her mother's stunning beauty and creativity, along with her father's work ethic and diligence, she has the world at her feet.

Her life couldn't be better--until tragedy strikes. Coco's beloved parents are killed in a terrorist attack while on vacation in France.

Now devastated and alone, Coco must find a way to move forward and make her way in the world without the family she loved. Determined to forge her own path and make her parents proud, Coco pursues her dreams, dazzled by exciting opportunities that come her way.

Along her journey, she will face both ups and downs and, in the end, she will discover herself.

Being a huge Danielle Steel fan, I eagerly wait to read her books mainly because of her portrayal of strong female characters whose journey through the plot tend to be inspiring. Unfortunately for me, that was missing in this book.

I could not relate to the main character, Coco. And rather than feel sympathetic I felt annoyed at her actions. Initially, I felt that her immature behavior was due to the sudden tragedy of losing both her parents unexpectedly.

But, as the plot progresses, she repeatedly keeps on making the same mistakes. She goes from one bad relationship to another but not being affected much thanks to her inheritance.

I was more interested in Sam’s struggles and how he faced them. And the bond of friendship between Sam and Coco was something special.

The ending was on predicted lines but it did take several mistakes and lessons to reach there!