#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • This deeply moving novel from Danielle Steel tells the story of a woman who finds her life turned upside down while living temporarily in the French countryside. Oona Kelly Webster has much to be grateful for. A striking woman with red hair and green eyes, she has a loving family and a job she adores, editing a prestigious line of books. To celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, she and her husband, Charles, have planned a visit to France. But then Charles drops a bombshell. He has been living a lie—hiding an affair for a year—and he is leaving Oona for a younger male lover. Although devastated, Oona decides to travel to France without Charles. She arrives in a charming village an hour outside of Paris, and settles into the house she has rented, called La Belle Florence—named after the king’s mistress for whom it was built. But just as she’s catching her breath, she’s dealt another blow: Her company’s merger will eliminate her job. In the space of a few months, everything she nurtured for decades has slipped through her fingers. The only silver lining is that she can remain in France, where the simple life in beautiful surroundings slowly begins to heal her, as does the little white dog she rescues, and her friendly neighbor hailing from Trinidad, who delights her with his openness and warmth. Though she does not recognize him at first, she soon realizes her neighbor is a well-known actor. As their feelings for each other begin to deepen, Oona wrestles with the risks of opening her heart again—especially to a younger, very famous man. Never Say Never is an inspiring novel about a woman who finds a second chance at happiness and love, all because she understands the importance of being brave enough to stay open to change. Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world’s bestselling authors, with a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include Upside Down, The Ball at Versailles, Second Act, Happiness, Palazzo, The Wedding Planner, Worthy Opponents, 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 . Chapter 1 Oona Kelly Webster put the finishing touches on the Thanksgiving table with a critical eye, and made sure it looked as perfect as she wanted it, and her family expected it to be. Everything in Oona’s life was orderly, and impeccably planned well in advance. She didn’t like surprises, and tried to anticipate problems so that they would never happen. She’d had an impressive career in publishing at Hargrove Publishers, a small but highly respected house that existed under the umbrella of a larger publishing conglomerate. She had worked at the same company since she’d graduated from Princeton, and had taken classes from some of the greatest contemporary writers of our time. From junior editor, over time she had risen to being the head of the small but most lofty literary imprint, publishing exceptionally fine authors. The house was prestigious, although its revenues did not compare to those that published commercial fiction. And as the publisher of her own imprint, Oona Kelly was a greatly respected, distinguished person in the literary world. She was very proud of the talented authors she had discovered, even if their sales figures were not as high as the blockbuster bestsellers of commercial fiction. Their work was for an elite readership who preferred obscure literary work, of a more intellectual nature. Now almost forty-seven, Oona had discovered and published many very fine writers, several of whom were famous. She nurtured and encouraged her authors with great care. Unlike the world of bestselling commercial fiction, hers was not a dog-eat-dog existence. It was one of dignity, finesse and great literary minds. As head of the house, she had a protected and very secure situation, with considerable prestige. She didn’t abuse the power she had, but she enjoyed her position and all that it entailed. In spite of the highbrow literary nature of the books she published, Oona looked a decade younger than her age, and the older authors whom she published were surprised and delighted to meet a pretty young woman with big green eyes, a youthful face, and a warm smile, who understood and appreciated their work, and had an excellent education and twenty-five years of experience. She was dedicated to the imprint she represented and to its authors, and defended their interests fiercely. She got them the best advances she could, given their somewhat limited sales. The owners of the publishing house were a brilliant, astute family who had owned it for three generati