The Color of Hope: A Novel

by Danielle Steel

A hopeful new novel from Danielle Steel, whose countless #1 New York Times bestselling novels have made her one of America’s favorite storytellers.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Chick Lit, France

272 pages, Hardcover

Published November 18, 2025

About the author

Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's bestselling authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include All That Glitters, Royal, Daddy's Girls, The Wedding Dress, The Numbers Game, Moral Compass, Spy, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Expect a Miracle, a book of her favorite quotations for inspiration and comfort; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.

Facebook.com/DanielleSteelOfficial
Instagram: @officialdaniellesteel

Reviews

[Read Rest Recharge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Standard, predictable story. My guilty pleasure. Be nice, don't judge.

[AlohaKarina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah, her books are so short you can finish in a day. Basically they’re like Danielle Steel Harlequin romances. Still cute, still her voice, but not like her old books that were twice the size. Still, if you like her books, you’ll like this one. Very Danielle Steel formula.

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book by Danielle Steel that earned 5 stars. Loved the main characters, Sabrina and Xavier, as they get to know each other. Especially loved the children who came to live with Sabrina from the monastery.

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable as always. Somewhat predictable, but not completely.

[paige (ptsungirl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Sometimes, the price of doing the honorable thing was just too high.”

[Cyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Same old. Lonely perfect woman tries to flee from her boredom by moving into a posh little dower house overseas. She is of course wealthy, even has her yacht shipped over. She meets a beautiful sad man. Together they are happy. The end.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another complicated romance/family drama.

[Jessica Boland · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Nana was a Danielle Steel fan, and it’s been a very long time since I’ve read one her books. This was a sweet story.🩵

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the heartbreaking death of her husband, who was the love of her life, Sabrina decides to go to France for a vacation. She ends up renting a chateau in a small village near the border of Spain. While in this beautiful, peaceful place, she begins to heal from her devastating loss. Her three adult children live in New York, London, and Milan. They witness their mom’s rebirth. And of course, she ends up falling in love again. Nice story.

[Deity World · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic novel about love and lost a must read but not for everyone

[Tatyana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book reminded me why I stopped reading Steel's book after two I read a few years ago. This book could have been so much more, it had a promising setting, a French village, but there wasn't any description of the French village life, culture, nothing of her liking to live there. So, per story, her choice on where to live was essentially tied to one person and one house.

I did not like:
1. How much emphesys were placed on what brands of clothing/shoes/jewelry characters wore. Characters were described not by personality, not even looks, but what brands they showed up in.
2. Author repeated similar descriptions and texts a lot. Reading half of the page with same info (just rephrased) I read 10 pages back seemed like waste of time and took away from what could have been more other specifics not mentioned.
3. The ugly way author kept desribing Xavier's wife Brigitte. Just because their marriage wasn't working out isn't a reason to call her vile. awful woman. Just becuase she didn't want to wear expenisve clothing and didn't try to look 20 years younger than her age doesn't mean she deserves to be called nasty, ugly, and old. She is Xavier's age (in 50s) and author emphasized how she's now so old, and her hair is graying, and how awful it is that she wears loose clothes, and that she doesn't deserve a man because she looks her age. Just so many ugly statements and calling names regarding her physical appearance, that it was hard to continue the book.
4. The way Sabrina's adult children looked down on helping orphaned children, describing it as something terrible, too much work, dangerous, unnecessary, not their problem, etc. made me roll my eyes at such entitled and selfish way of seeing the less fortunate people.

I liked:
1. History of Chateau, even thought it's mentioned just few times in short sentenses. I wish it was expanded a bit more and weaved into a story in more significance.
2. Part where Sabrina and Xavier both realized and accepted the fact that new generation is differnt and her adult children will not follow parents' rules out of obligation or for the sake of a certain public image.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Color of Hope is just that, hope. When Sabrina's husband dies suddenly, she feels like her whole world has died with him. He we three children try to help, but the all live far away and have their own lives. She is encouraged to try to move on, one day at a time. Sabrina finally allows herself to slowly move forward. She travels to France and discovered a small town and a beautiful chateau. The owner, Xavier isn't bad either, but he has his own troubles. Watch as Sabrina's new life is empowering her to reach for the stars, even though there we will be some stumbling blocks to overcome. Beautiful story.

[Lesli Heard · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ because of the ending

I enjoyed this book, but a lot of it was spent with descriptive writing. I’ll save you the first 50ish pages: Sabrina and Malcolm had a great marriage, raised 3 great kids and were empty nesters, were rich, and were planning on retirement soon and traveling. Then he passed away and threw her into grief and all their plans went away.

Sabrina spends several months mired in her grief then gets out and finds Xavier’s chateaux to rent. I enjoyed seeing their friendship blossom. I was afraid it would be the cheating trope since he was married but it really wasn’t. It was a sweet story and the ending was satisfying, if predictable.

It was a decent book to read between some intense thrillers.

[Ashley Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was fun to read. took place in new york, LA, France, etc. so many places around the world was kind of fun that the main characters kids all lived in different cities around the world. once her husband passed away, she had to start finding a different way to live without him. i loved the things she got into and the love story that came later on. great book.

[Suzanne Viola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, it was an easy read. The storyline caught your interest and kept you curious what would happen next. The authors description of the locations of the story line were very vivid.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical Danielle Steel story, but i liked it.

[Kathy Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this Danielle Steel book. It was a light hearted read, a fast read. It was a little predictable but sometimes you just need to read a book like this one.

[Brandy Lemire · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Kaitlyn Griffith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have DNF if I wasn’t listening via audiobook. A few themes were really beating a dead horse.

[Shari · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an ok book. It was not a gripper and a quick read. There were no surprises.

[Rowley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I liked the orphanage plot in here.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful new Beginning

Loved the name The Color of Hope and all the details and thoughts of the Mural.And the peaceful feelings of the Chateau.

[Pam Krocak · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terribly Trite and Boring.

Extremely predictable and very disappointing read! Book was not anywhere near as interesting and satisfying as the many other books written by Danielle Steel!

[Linda Reiser · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read The Color of Hope by Danielle Steele. The story is about a woman with an ideal marriage and family. Her husband dies and she is so forlorn her grown children encourage her to travel to France and stay there for a while. Very predictable things happen there. VERY predictable things. I think it’s the same basic story as the last Steele one I read. Only read it if you’re bored one day.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Again really confused by Danielle Steel. This book reads like AI or a very amateur author wrote it.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast read. Sometimes I just need something easy to pass the time.


Following the unexpected death of her beloved husband, art gallery owner Sabrina Thompson finds herself adrift in their Malibu beach house. Her three adult children—scattered from New York to London to Milan—are concerned for her well-being and encourage her to take a trip to Paris.

Once abroad, an impulsive day trip from Paris to Biarritz leads Sabrina to discover the charming medieval village of Arcangues in the Basque countryside, with its unique and iconic blue shutters and historic château. The château is the ancestral home of Xavier de Bonport, who is trapped in a loveless marriage and trying to dig himself out financially after a business failed due to the pandemic. He needs rental income as urgently as Sabrina needs a refuge. With Xavier living in a smaller house on the property, Sabrina begins to transform the château into a temporary home.

As they each sense compassion and resilience in the other, as well as kindness, a friendship blossoms. Inspired by the stories of Xavier’s grandmother, who saved hundreds of Jewish children during World War II, Sabrina considers fostering some children at the request of the local Dominican nuns, whose orphanage is filled to capacity. As a newfound family begins to fill the château, Sabrina and Xavier wonder if their friendship is becoming something more.

[Toriii · Rating 3 out of 5]

In “The Color of Hope,” Danielle Steel masterfully weaves a poignant tale that explores the themes of grief, resilience, and the profound journey of self-discovery. Through the intricate relationship between Xavier and Samantha, the narrative delves into the complexities of love and healing.

As both characters navigate their personal struggles and past traumas, the story beautifully illustrates how connection can lead to emotional revival and strength. Steel employs vivid imagery and deeply relatable emotions, drawing readers into a world where hope shines even in the darkest of times.

The characters’ growth is both inspiring and uplifting, highlighting the idea that embracing vulnerability can pave the way to renewed purpose and joy. The novel's warmth resonated with me, leaving an indelible mark on my heart and reminding me of the transformative power of love and hope. It’s a compelling read that serves as a testament to the human spirit's capacity to heal and thrive, making it a true gem in contemporary literature.

3.5 ⭐️

[Merceda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, easy read over the holidays. Of course, the widow falls in love with a French man who owns the chateau that she is renting after her husband quickly passes away from ALS. She also volunteers at a monastery who take in children, and she leans again on the pandemic for this book. The pandemic left children orphaned, and the monastery take them in while trying to find relatives who will care for the children.
Sabrina and Xavier become friends, then eventually lovers. Her 3 adult children aren't enthused about her fostering 3 children from the monastery, and they are sort of bitchy about it. Then her son impregnates his rich girlfriend and Sabrina is really angry about that. Telling him he isn't done with school, doesn't have a job, and they should be married before his girlfriend becomes pregnant. This sort of surprised me, but I'm almost beginning to feel like she might be using a ghost writer now a days.

[Debbie Deissler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sabrina and her husband have it all... 3 wonderful adult children, a house on the beach in Malibu, financial success and their health. Until they don't - her husband unexpectedly passes away after a short illness and Sabrina finds herself adrift. Her children live in New York, London and Milan and are active in their own lives. She owns an art gallery that runs itself.
After visiting each of the children - they encourage her to take a trip to Paris - one of her favorite places. She visits and on an impulse drives to Biarritz from Paris. That leads her to a small charming village called Arcangues. She feels peaceful here and searches out rentals.
She ends up renting a chateau from the owner Xavier de Bonport. He is in a dead end marriage and a financial mess. He spends time in a caretakers cottage on the property and they become friendly.
As Sabrina emerges herself in the local orphanage live takes on a new meaning for her.

[Lindsey Escaja · Rating 4 out of 5]

One note for readers: the front cover contains multiple misprints, listing the main character as Samantha when her correct name throughout the book is Sabrina Thomas. It’s a small but noticeable error that can be momentarily confusing.

While the story is heartfelt, I couldn’t help but wish for something different from Steel’s usual formula. Once again, the characters are surrounded by wealth, fame, and seemingly endless resources. I’d genuinely love to read a Danielle Steel novel where the main characters are more grounded — navigating hardship without financial cushions, privilege, or high-profile lifestyles — because her emotional storytelling could shine even brighter in a more relatable, everyday setting.

That said, The Color of Hope still offers warmth, hope, and an easy emotional escape, making it an enjoyable read for longtime fans — just with room for a fresh perspective.