This was one of those tender sweet love stories that makes you go aaawww. It starts out with two separate couples that are going through hardships in their marriages. The first couple is about a middle aged man that works to many hours as a soap opera writer and doesn't have anytime left for his family. His wife has fallen out of love with him and wants to start a new life with her two boys in New York. They divorce and he moves to California to be closer to his work. He is content to date actresses and models until he runs into a beautiful lady at the grocery store.The second couple are doing fine until she becomes pregnant. Her husband absolutely does not want any children. He gives her an ultimatum to either abort the baby or divorce. She chooses to keep the baby. Her husband moves out and takes everything with him, including her toothbrush. She can't believe he would go this far. He sends her messages through his lawyer telling her she has to find a new place to live and that he is filing for divorce. She is holding onto hope that once their child is born and he sees their child that he will change his mind. She makes a late night stop at the grocery store and runs into a handsome stranger who happens to live in the same complex as her who changes her life.I couldn't believe the lengths that Steven went to just because he didn't want a child. Even though this part of the story was very pathetic it is sad to say that there are actual guys in this world that behave like that. Sad but true. I liked the slow pace that the romance went in. They became friends first and didn't even realize that they were falling in love along the way. I didn't like her constant want of hoping that her husband would change his mind and want her and the baby back when it was born, when she had this wonderful man here in front of her, taking care of her and loving her. She was loving him as well. But for some reason she felt she had to leave the door open for her husband. Once she had the baby and her husband came to see her and his child, I thought o-no , you bimbo what are you doing. It was her way of getting peace so she could move on. I guess everyone deals with certain situations differently to get the peace they need to move on. If it would have been me I would have had peace and moved on after he moved out and took everything even my toothbrush.Over all it was a pleasant read.
2 STARS"Bill Thigpen, writer producer of the No.1 daytime TV drama was so busy watching his career soar that he never noticed his marriage collapse. Now, nine years later, living alone in Hollywood, even without his wife and kids, his life and success are still reasonably sweet. Top-of-the-chart ratings, good-natured casual affairs, and special vacations with his two young sons. His life is in perfect balance, he thinks.Adrian Townshed thought she had everything: a job she liked as a TV production assistant and a handsome husband who was a rising star in his own field. In as enviable life they'd worked hard for--the American Dream. Until she got pregnant. Suddenly all she had was chaos. And Steven's ultimatum. Him or the baby. The question was: did he mean it? He did.Bill Thigpen and Adrian Townshed collided in a supermarket. And the very sight of her suddenly makes him want more in his life.... a woman he really loves, a real family again. But does he need the heartache of another man's baby, another wife? Neither does. But they couldn't help it.Danielle Steel touches the "Heartbeat" of two wonderful people as their friendship deepens into love, as they meet the obstacles that life presents with humor, humanity, and courage." (From Amazon)Originally when I read Danielle Steel novels I would have rated them 3-4 STARS, but now I would classify them as 1-2 STARS. These are great for those who like mild sex, unrealistic dramatic romances and grand plots.
What do You think about Heartbeat (2007)?
If you didn't see the 1990s TV movie version or want to read or reread the print version, in Danielle Steel's Heartbeat, she introduced to two people who needed each other at the right moment. Bill Thigpen was a top TV drama producer who was on a rise, when he didn't notice that his marriage collapsed at the seems. Now, nine years later, alone with no wife, he lived in Hollywood and thought it was a perfect balance between high ratings and occasional visits with his two young sons. As for Adrian Townshed, thought she had everything with a husband who was a raising star and loved her job as a production assistant. Until she learned she was pregnant, chaos ensued, when her husband gave her the ultimate ultimatum--the baby or him. Now when they met in the supermarket, he knew she was someone she could love. But he could hold onto her, when he didn't want to deal with another man's baby and wife. From there, their friendship turned into love and a second chance to make something wonderful out of it.
—Kristen
Bill Thigpen, terpaksa berpisah dengan Sylvia dan anak-anaknya hanya kerana dia terlalu sibuk dengan kerjayanya yang sedang meningkat naik sebagai penulis dan penerbit drama TV popular.Adrian dan Steven Townsend merupakan pasangan yang sangat bahagia. Mereka ada segala-galanya. Sejarah kehidupan Steven membuatkan mereka berjanji agar tidak memperkatakan tentang hal anak. Tanpa dirancang, Adrian mengandung dan Steven tidak menyetujui akan hasrat Adrian untuk melahirkan bayinya. Akhirnya mereka berpisah kerana Adrian telah melanggar penjajian yang telah sama-sama mereka persetujui.Pertemuan secara tidak sengaja di sebuah kedai dan bertembung semula di tempat letak kereta tempat mereka tinggal telah menjadikan Bill Thigpen dan Adrian Townsend berkawan rapat dan akhirnya mereka menyayangi di antara satu sama lain. Namun begitu, peristiwa lalu mengajar mereka untuk lebih berhati-hati dan kerana ketulusan hati Bill, maka Adrian menerima kehadiran Bill dalam hidupnya.Nota:Pergolakan dalam rumahtangga sudah menjadi kebiasaan bagi pasangan yang telah berkahwin dan kadangkala ianya berlaku dengan tidak disangka-sangka sekali. Walaupun kita amat menyayangi pasangan kita tetapi belum pasti pasangan kita akan mempunyai perasaan yang sama, terutamanya bila terjadi sesuatu perkara yang tidak disukai oleh mereka.
—MamaErra
At first I really blamed BILL on what had happened to his marriage. But when ADRIAN came in his life and started falling in love with her, everything has changed. I don't think his different with her because he learned from his failure with LESLIE. I believe that there is something great in ADRIAN that's why she loved her with all of his heart. He became the man of every woman's dream. He accepted her with all of her baggages in her life. He loved her no matter what. And the most amazing thing about him is he really is a very affectionate person. He gave his 100% devotion to his soap and more importantly he gave a lot more than that to his children. And the part that he love ADRIAN's baby even though it is not mine. I also love the part when his children got the chance to know ADRIAN. They were really a family. It was amazingly perfect.
—Charmaine
