CHANGES

by Danielle Steel ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 2, 1983

In this latest Steel romance, readers will have to snooze through a sizable siesta before N.Y. anchorwoman Melanie Adams and L.A. cardiologist/surgeon Peter Hallam declare their love. Melanie's husband split when she was but 19, leaving her with twin daughters, now-teenaged Jess and voluptuous Vol. Peter's wife Anne died three years ago (she wouldn't allow him to operate on her heart), leaving him with teenagers Mark and Para, plus six-year-old Matthew. And these single parents meet when Mel is sent on an assignment to the coast to do a human-interest documentary on heart-transplants: Mel trails Peter on rounds; Peter's a doll of a concerned doc; dinners and visits with the kids ensue; then, when Mel's back in N.Y., coast-to-coast telephone lines vibrate with accelerating heart-throbs. But not till an assassination attempt on the President brings Mel back to L.A.--about 250 pages in--do they make love (""she screamed and he groaned""). And there's an attempted vacation-with-kids: Mark makes a beeline for Val; Jess seems to cheer up Pam, who's not recovered from her mother's death and resents Md; Matt causes no trouble--till he temporarily disappears in Colorado during a terrifying interval with many recriminations. Eventually, however, there's marriage, with a big career sacrifice by Mel. But the kids present all sorts of crises: a pregnancy and near-fatal abortion; Pain's rebellion and drugs; Jess' resentments. Mel has her resentments too, about living in another woman's house, with another woman's furniture and crabby housekeeper. And what about Peter? ""The only thing that had changed for him was the face he kissed before he left for work, and maybe he didn't even notice that."" Add to that Mel's new co-anchorperson (who hates her)--plus a bomb threat! And it's small wonder that Mel bops off by herSelf for a while. . . so there'll be a group dressing-down before the happy end. Slower pace, less romance, more kid-problems, but otherwise the surefire Steel formula: a swarm of troubles reduced to a gentle, saleable hum.

Pub Date: Sept. 2, 1983

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Delacorte

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1983

Categories: FICTION