The author of more than 210 books, 182 of which are novels, Danielle Steel is by some distance the world’s best-selling living author having sold over one billion copies globally.
She shows no signs of slowing down, with five books scheduled for the remainder of 2024 alone.
Her books have been translated into 43 languages, with 24 adapted for the small and big screen, and she’s also a successful children’s author, writing the Max & Martha series and the Freddie series.
Steel continues to write several books a year so, with so many to choose from, it’s hard for a beginner to know where to start.
To help out, we’ve had a look at how the millions of readers of book website Goodreads have rated her books.
Here are the top 13.
Her books have been translated into 43 languages, with 24 adapted for the small and big screen, and she’s also a successful children’s author, writing the Max & Martha series and the Freddie series.
![Competing the top five is 2017's The Right Time, with an average rating of 4.23 from 11,945 reviews. "Abandoned by her mother at age seven, Alexandra Winslow takes solace in the mysteries she reads with her devoted father and soon she is writing them herself, with a talent far beyond her years. After her father’s untimely death, Alex is taken in by the nuns of a local convent, who encourage her to follow her dream. Alex writes in every spare moment and completes her first novel in college. It’s quickly snapped up by a publisher, but Alex, remembering her late father’s advice, insists on writing under a male pseudonym, with her true identity known only to a few. Success comes easily to Alex, but its toll is heavy. Her secret life as the mysterious Alexander Green exposes her to the envious, the arrogant, and the Hollywood players who have no idea who she really is. The right time to open up always seems just out of reach. But once her double life is revealed, the truth could have devastating consequences."](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/06/18/9/15/Untitled%20design%20-%202024-06-18T104545.099.jpg.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
5. The Right Time
Competing the top five is 2017's The Right Time, with an average rating of 4.23 from 11,945 reviews. "Abandoned by her mother at age seven, Alexandra Winslow takes solace in the mysteries she reads with her devoted father and soon she is writing them herself, with a talent far beyond her years. After her father’s untimely death, Alex is taken in by the nuns of a local convent, who encourage her to follow her dream. Alex writes in every spare moment and completes her first novel in college. It’s quickly snapped up by a publisher, but Alex, remembering her late father’s advice, insists on writing under a male pseudonym, with her true identity known only to a few. Success comes easily to Alex, but its toll is heavy. Her secret life as the mysterious Alexander Green exposes her to the envious, the arrogant, and the Hollywood players who have no idea who she really is. The right time to open up always seems just out of reach. But once her double life is revealed, the truth could have devastating consequences." | Contributed
![First published in 2022, Beautiful scores an average rating of 4.23 from 12,702 reviews. "Véronique Vincent is a star. At twenty-two, she is one of the most sought-after models in fashion, gracing the covers of magazines and walking runways across the world. But Véronique does not seek the limelight, preferring to spend time at home with those she loves most. But on a much-anticipated getaway, tragedy strikes, changing her life forever. She is forced to confront the harsh reality that neither her personal and professional life will ever be the same, and secludes herself, hiding the truth from the industry that adored her. As Véronique struggles to find herself after losing so much, she discovers long-held family secrets. These new bonds help her see a light beyond the darkness and to find peace helping others. She begins to understand what it truly means to be beautiful as she uncovers a life more meaningful than she could ever have imagined."](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/06/18/9/10/Untitled%20design%20-%202024-06-18T104912.653.jpg.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
6. Beautiful
First published in 2022, Beautiful scores an average rating of 4.23 from 12,702 reviews. "Véronique Vincent is a star. At twenty-two, she is one of the most sought-after models in fashion, gracing the covers of magazines and walking runways across the world. But Véronique does not seek the limelight, preferring to spend time at home with those she loves most. But on a much-anticipated getaway, tragedy strikes, changing her life forever. She is forced to confront the harsh reality that neither her personal and professional life will ever be the same, and secludes herself, hiding the truth from the industry that adored her. As Véronique struggles to find herself after losing so much, she discovers long-held family secrets. These new bonds help her see a light beyond the darkness and to find peace helping others. She begins to understand what it truly means to be beautiful as she uncovers a life more meaningful than she could ever have imagined." | Contributed
![The recent novel's just keep coming, with 2023's Second Act
earning an average rating of 4.20 from 8,937 reviews. "As the head of a prestigious movie studio for nearly two decades, Andy Westfield has had every professional luxury: a stunning office, a loyal assistant who can all but read his mind, access to a private jet and company cars. Andy always put his career before his marriage, and now, besides his daughter and young grandchildren, it’s the only thing he truly loves. But then Andy’s world is upended. The studio is sold, and the buyer’s son demands the top seat. Out of a job and humiliated, Andy knows he needs to get as far away from Los Angeles as possible until the dust settles and he can find a new way forward. Andy signs a six-month rental agreement for a luxurious home in a small town on the south coast of England. When he arrives, he hires a local woman to help get his affairs in order. A former journalist, Violet Smith is at a crossroads as well. But when Violet leaves the manuscript of her unfinished novel behind after work one day, Andy is captivated by a story that begs to be adapted for the big screen. Could this be the miracle they’ve both been looking for?"](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/06/18/9/20/Untitled%20design%20-%202024-06-18T105335.473.jpg.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
7. Second Act
The recent novel's just keep coming, with 2023's Second Act earning an average rating of 4.20 from 8,937 reviews. "As the head of a prestigious movie studio for nearly two decades, Andy Westfield has had every professional luxury: a stunning office, a loyal assistant who can all but read his mind, access to a private jet and company cars. Andy always put his career before his marriage, and now, besides his daughter and young grandchildren, it’s the only thing he truly loves. But then Andy’s world is upended. The studio is sold, and the buyer’s son demands the top seat. Out of a job and humiliated, Andy knows he needs to get as far away from Los Angeles as possible until the dust settles and he can find a new way forward. Andy signs a six-month rental agreement for a luxurious home in a small town on the south coast of England. When he arrives, he hires a local woman to help get his affairs in order. A former journalist, Violet Smith is at a crossroads as well. But when Violet leaves the manuscript of her unfinished novel behind after work one day, Andy is captivated by a story that begs to be adapted for the big screen. Could this be the miracle they’ve both been looking for?" | Contributed
![Published in 2022, Invisible scoreds an average rating of 4.20 from 12,781 reviews. "Antonia Adams is the product of a loveless marriage between a beautiful young model and a wealthy entrepreneur. As a child, she is abandoned in the chasm between them. Unprotected and unloved, she learns that the only way to feel safe is to draw as little attention as possible, to be invisible. In her isolation, films are her escape, and she dreams of one day becoming a screenwriter. During a summer job at a Hollywood studio, she meets a famous filmmaker, and is invisible no longer. He wants to put her in a movie and make her a star. It is a dazzling opportunity but a terrifying one. Suddenly she is thrust into the public eye – even more so when they fall in love. Antonia never lets go of her true dream of becoming a filmmaker, but to make that leap she will have to expose herself in ways she never has before. When tragedy strikes, she must decide whether she will remain center stage or retreat to safety once more. Will she face her demons, or run and hide?"](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/06/18/9/57/Untitled%20design%20-%202024-06-18T105717.697.jpg.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
8. Invisible
Published in 2022, Invisible scoreds an average rating of 4.20 from 12,781 reviews. "Antonia Adams is the product of a loveless marriage between a beautiful young model and a wealthy entrepreneur. As a child, she is abandoned in the chasm between them. Unprotected and unloved, she learns that the only way to feel safe is to draw as little attention as possible, to be invisible. In her isolation, films are her escape, and she dreams of one day becoming a screenwriter. During a summer job at a Hollywood studio, she meets a famous filmmaker, and is invisible no longer. He wants to put her in a movie and make her a star. It is a dazzling opportunity but a terrifying one. Suddenly she is thrust into the public eye – even more so when they fall in love. Antonia never lets go of her true dream of becoming a filmmaker, but to make that leap she will have to expose herself in ways she never has before. When tragedy strikes, she must decide whether she will remain center stage or retreat to safety once more. Will she face her demons, or run and hide?" | Contributed