Against All Odds

Against All Odds by Danielle Steel          Audio Book: 9 hours, 14 minutes     Mass Market Paperback:   448 pages                   

Strangely enough, though, I associate Danielle Steel with Romance writing, this book is more drama about a lot of the screw-ups we can bring into our lives.    The grandmother in this story, is a total globetrotter.   After her husband passed away she decided that she would pick herself up out of the doldrums and do what she had always wanted to do but never was able to – travel.   She gets her best friend to join her and they go from one glorious vacation in a faraway exotic location to another.    As soon as they get home they begin to plan their next big destination even breaking an arm and an ankle do not dissuade them from their journeys.   Her daughter Kate, also a widow, ends up falling for a married French man who says he doesn’t love his wife (how many times have we heard that one, huh, folks?)  and that he and his wife have an arrangement so they each do what they want to while remaining married.   Really?   More to the story I won’t spoil it.    Kate’s kids are a mess.    One son is aloof with the family but goes through women like a whirlwind,  her other son is gay and has been in a monogamous relationship for 6 years and while they choose not to marry, her son has talked his lover into having a baby.   They don’t want to adopt, they want their own baby so the lover is going to donate the sperm and his best female friend he has known since childhood is donating the egg which will be grown outside the womb in a lab then inserted into into a surrogate mother they pay to carry the baby for them.    The family all disagree with this, not because they are gay but because of all the potential problems – what if the surrogate decides she wants to keep the baby,  what if their relationship breaks up,  there is so much more to raising children than the romantic idea of parenting a child, etc.   The story takes many twists and turns here that will keep you wondering what will happen.   Kate’s two daughters are not immune from the screw-up gene, either.   One daughter, who is a successful lawyer ends of falling for a druggie client she has to take on pro bono.    A spoiled 30 something living off bits of a trust fund who won’t work choosing to stay high and using his good looks and charm to get by.  Until the one day he is arrested and charged with possession and intent to sell the narcotics he has on him.   Facing a prison sentence and denied any funds by the trustees due to his constant screw ups, no help from his rich parents who have broken off contact with him because he is always doing some shameful thing or another, he goes for the pro bono legal help he knows is available.   A lot to this part of the story.   More here than the reader will expect.    Last but not least is Kate’s youngest daughter who is dyslexic but seems to find the perfect man to spend her life with.   Things are never as they seem there is always more to the story.    Good read.    I was glad this story had a lot of bite.     Honestly romance is at a minimum throughout, lots of broken people in broken situations.   Well written,  good character development and shinging examples of what we need is often right in front of us.    Well done, once again, Danielle Steel.