
Heartbeat is a typical Danielle Steel story about a romance between two beautiful, personable, talented, wealthy-but-hardworking people in the California television industry.
The male half of the romance is Bill Thigpen, writer-producer of the hottest daytime soap opera and father to two boys who live in New York with his ex-wife and her new husband. Bill grieves not being able to have his sons with him.
The female half of the romance is Adrian Townsend. Adrian is a production assistant for TV news show that’s headquartered in the same building as Bill’s soap opera.
Adrian has about as much common sense as a caterpillar. She has been married for nearly three years to a hard-driving ad agency executive who is a control freak, ruthless in his drive for money and power. Adrian always explains away Stephen’s behavior as a reaction to having grown up poor.
Before they married, Stephen made Adrian promise they’d never have children. When Adrian learns she’s pregnant, Stephen says either she gets rid of the fetus or she’s rid of him.
Adrian is surprised and shocked.
Anyone who has ever read a Danielle Steel novel knows what will happen.
The happy ending is totally predictable and totally absurd.
Heartbeat by Danielle Steel
Delacourt Press. ©1991. 392 p.
1991 bestseller #5; my grade: C-
©2020 Linda G. Aragoni