The Maiden's Court: Audiobook Review: Five Days in Paris by Danielle Steel

Monday, August 24, 2009

Audiobook Review: Five Days in Paris by Danielle Steel

Five Days in Paris by Danielle Steel

Unabridged, 8 hr.

Random House Audio

Victor Garber (Narrator)

September 28, 2004

★★★½☆☆

Heat Level:

Genre: Romance

Source: Borrowed from the Library

‘”As president of a major pharmaceutical empire, Peter Haskell has everything: power, position, and a family that means everything to him. Compromise has been key in Peter Haskell’s life, and integrity is the base on which he lives. Olivia Thatcher is the wife of a famous senator. She has given to her husband’s ambition and career until her soul is bone-dry. She is trapped in a web of duty and obligation, married to a man she once loved and no longer even knows.

Accidentally, they meet in Paris. Their totally different lives converge for one magical moment in the Place Vendôme, as Olivia carefully, silently, steps out of her life and walks away. Peter follows her, and in a café in Montmartre, their hearts are laid bare. Peter, once so certain of his path, is suddenly faced with a professional future in jeopardy. Olivia is no longer sure of anything except that she can’t go on anymore.

Five days in Paris is all they have. They go back to their separate lives, but nothing is the same. Everything they believe is put on the line, until they each realize they must stand fast against compromise and face life’s challenges head-on.”

The course of life can be changed in just a few short days. This is exactly what happens in Five Days in Paris. Peter is a well to do businessman in the pharmaceutical world. While on a trip to Paris for testing of their new drug Peter meets a woman, Olivia, whom he finds very intriguing. Peter is married and has a great family (or so he thinks); his father-in-law owns the company that he works for. Olivia is the wife of a high-reaching politician. Both of them are vastly unhappy. In the five days that Peter is in Paris he comes to some shocking revelations about his life, with the help of Olivia. How will his life change…or remain the same…when he returns home?

This was another one of my audio book endeavors. The exposition of the book was very, very long. I felt like it dragged on describing Peter’s background and early life experiences. There really was no action that occurred. This description would end up being important to the main plot of the story but I almost turned it off because it was quite boring. Once the main part of the story was reached, I enjoyed the story of Peter and Olivia. It is not your typical romance, quite unconventional. I could see the ending coming a mile away but thought that it was very well played out.

I’m not sure that this author is my cup-of-tea but my first experience was ok.

★★★★★

I have to say, I absolutely love Victor Garber, so you can only imagine how excited I was to find out that he was narrating this book. He has an amazing voice to begin with and he made the listening experience enjoyable, even if I didn't love the story he was telling. I could pretty much find the telephone book an enthralling read if Garber was reading it!

You can listen to a sample from the audiobook at Audible.com.

If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?

Other blogger reviews of this book: