Happy Birthday

By: Danielle Steel

Narrated by: Angela Dawe

Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Valerie Wyatt is the queen of gracious living and the arbiter of taste with a successful TV show. Since her long-ago divorce, she’s worked hard to reach the pinnacle of her profession and to create a camera-ready life in her Fifth Avenue penthouse. So why is she so depressed? All the hours with her personal trainer, the careful work of New York’s best hairdressers, cosmetic surgeons, and her own God-given bone structure and great looks can’t fudge the truth or her lies about it: Valerie is turning sixty.

Valerie’s daughter, April, has no love life, no rest, and no prospect of that changing in the foreseeable future. Her popular one-of-a-kind restaurant in downtown New York, where she is chef and owner, consumes every ounce of her attention and energy. Ready or not, though, April’s life is about to change, in a tumultuous transformation that begins the morning it hits her: She’s thirty. And what does she have to show for it? A restaurant, no man, no kids.

Jack Adams once threw a football like a guided missile. Twelve years after retiring from the NFL, he is the most charismatic sports analyst on TV, a man who has his pick of the most desirable twentysomething women. But after a particularly memorable Halloween party, Jack wakes up on his fiftieth birthday, his back thrown out of whack, feeling every year his age. A terrifying act of violence, an out-of-the-blue blessing, and two extremely unlikely love affairs soon turn lives inside out and upside down. In a novel brimming with warmth and insight, beginning on one birthday and ending on another, Valerie, April, and Jack discover that life itself can be a celebration — and that its greatest gifts are always a surprise.

©2011 Danielle Steel (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Enjoyed story narrator shocking

I really enjoyed this story as I have most of Danielle Steel's books. I bought it because of the author without sampling it.
Never again I started to listen but have to do it in small bursts. I have 60 audio books in my library however have not struck a book where the narrator reads it so quickly. it is not at all enjoyable or relaxing. Never will I purchase another book with this narrator she races through it so fast I have still not managed to finish it.

Great book

What did you love best about Happy Birthday?

I am a big Danielle Steel fan, and this book did not disappoint. It was fun, and made a 10-hour road trip much more enjoyable!!!

"You're The Super Bowl, Baby!"

Where does Happy Birthday rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

this was a daily deal, and what an up lifting listen I have ever had. Simple, but made you feel good and will stay with you

What did you like best about this story?

It teaches you to be "Open, Interested and Excited!" I can see why this author is an all time big seller. Simple but effective.

Have you listened to any of Angela Dawe’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Ms Dawe is one of my top fave readers. Her male and childs' voices are great.
If you liked this read, try her Tiffany Snow series and of course the Nora Roberts MacGregor series, not to be missed.
I do use the new 1.25x speed to get the most out of anyone's read.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I love the opening when Jack had too much Halloween, "Cat woman reduced him to rubble in one night!"
When the baby's stuff was assembled, "the U.S. Equestrian team doesn't use this much equipment!"

Good book. Narrator talks way too fast!

I have been enjoying this book all week however I listen to books during a long commute and use them to unwind from a stressful job. I have not been able to listen for too long as the narrator of this book has a constant very rapid reading speed.I am not sure why they had her read it so fast. Maybe trying to save money on recording time. The book itself has a good story and I did like the characters. I will not purchase another Danielle Steele audio book without sampling.

So Much Fun

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes

What was one of the most memorable moments of Happy Birthday?

The birth of the baby of course and the moment the mother meets her new beau.

What three words best describe Angela Dawe’s performance?

Voice was perfectly paced, easy on the ears and inviting.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes. I usually use audiobooks for my running but I found myself not wanting to stop my ipod with this one.

Any additional comments?

This story is so much fun. Real life issues. Real people. You feel like you could be these characters. There's glitz and glam mixed in with real heart and soul of the working class as well and it's all about connecting with loves and finding a way through tough times...mostly that we make tough on ourselves. What a great story.

Pretty Good

I did like the overall story. It was pleasant. Not as exciting as I thought it would be.

This book was refreshing

The last few books I’ve read, by Danielle Steel, seemed to be so repetitive I could hardly finish them. This held my interest and actually had a story.

An "OK" light read that is typical Danielle Steele

I bought this title because I wanted something that wouldn't "engage" my brain much and wouldn't require any thinking on my part. I was not disappointed. This book is vintage Danielle Steel and this book is pretty light. Within 5 paragraphs, you know the entire story. There are no surprises as every character is quite predictable. This book reminds me that Danielle Steel has a template on her word processor where she fills in the characters' names with the same plot over and over.

The reader, Ms Angela Dawe, is average and doesn't add or take anything away from the story. I don't think that she could have done very much with this anyway. This book is OK for lounging around the pool or napping without missing anything. You can fall asleep for an hour, wake up and know exactly what happened while you were asleep.

Did Ms Steel achieve anything with this novel? Well, if you start this book with no expectations, you will be rewarded otherwise, this isn't going to impress you very much.

Happy Birthday

It’s ok but I think I’m like the food critic. The book could of been better

Unrealistic and just ok.

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Those who still believe in unrealistic love possibilities may have a chance at enjoying this book.

Would you ever listen to anything by Danielle Steel again?

Probably won't listen again, though I used to in the past.

Would you be willing to try another one of Angela Dawe’s performances?

I have listened to other books that she has narrated in the past, but with this book she kept ending her sentences almost as though she were asking a question. It was tiring to listen to her run on cadence over and over.

What character would you cut from Happy Birthday?

The issue isn't the characters, it's the whole plot line.

Any additional comments?

The daughter in this book, though 30, "fell in love" with her one night stand after only having had 1 date and maybe 2 other encounters, and those didn't go so well. Lust is more like it. I need people to stop confusing lust for love. And then after not talking to each other for months, they see each other, realize they're in love and get married within 2 months??? Get real.