History Creator / DanielleSteel

* RichesToRags: The protagonists of ''Remembrance'', ''Family Album'', ''Loving'', ''Zoya'', ''Pegasus'', and ''The Duchess'' all go through this in the first act of their stories. In fact, poor Zoya goes through the experience '''twice''' (first thanks to UsefulNotes/RomanovsAndRevolutions, second thanks to UsefulNotes/TheGreatDepression).

* RichesToRags: The protagonists of ''Remembrance'', ''Loving'', ''Zoya'', ''Pegasus'', and ''The Duchess'' all go through this in the first act of their stories. In fact, poor Zoya goes through the experience '''twice''' (first thanks to UsefulNotes/RomanovsAndRevolutions, second thanks to UsefulNotes/TheGreatDepression).
* RippedFromTheHeadlines: The book ''Vanished'' is clearly inspired the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh, Jr. With a much happier ending, of course -- [[spoiler: the child is eventually found safe and sound, and his ''father'' is revealed to be the one who engineered everything, allowing the heroine to get him out of her life and reunite with her first love]].

* ChickLit: Not all of her novels fall under this heading, but among those that are less about romance and high drama and more about "a modern woman in a modern world" are ''Big Girl'' and ''Sisters''.

Danielle Steel is an American author who has written at least one book a year since 1973, totaling well over 100 novels as of 2018. (22 have been adapted for television, mostly in UsefulNotes/TheNineties; only ''Now and Forever'' has been adapted for the big screen.) Most of her novels involve a love story of some kind, and especially early in her career she specialized in {{Romance Novel}}s, but as the decades have passed a significant number of them alternatively or also qualify as ChickLit, {{Generational Saga}}s, HistoricalFiction, and even ScienceFiction and {{Fantasy}}.

Danielle Steel is an American author who has written at least one book a year since 1973, totaling well over 100 novels as of 2018. (22 have been adapted for television, mostly in UsefulNotes/TheNineties; only ''Now and Forever'' has been adapted for the big screen.) Most of her novels involve a love story of some kind, though not all of them place romance front and center; many of her books qualify as {{Generational Saga}}s, HistoricalFiction, and/or even ScienceFiction and {{Fantasy}}.

Almost all of her books are {{Romance Novel}}s.

** UsefulNotes/TheEdwardianEra: ''No Greater Love'', ''A Good Woman'' ('''both''' of these use the ''UsefulNotes/RMSTitanic'' disaster as the inciting incident), and ''Past Perfect''

** UsefulNotes/WorldWarII: Probably '''the''' most popular historical setting, it figures into ''The Ring'', ''Remembrance'', ''Crossings'', ''Family Album'', ''Kaleidoscope'', ''Zoya'', ''Jewels'', ''Silent Honor'', ''Lone Eagle'', ''Echoes'', ''Pegasus'', and ''Property of a Noblewoman''

* MonochromeCasting: As of 2018 '''one''' of her heroines has been non-white (the Japanese heroine of ''Silent Honor''). In ''HRH'', the titular heroine travels to an African country for missionary work. ''Legacy'' has a Caucasian protagonist tracing the history of her Native American ancestor. Otherwise, aside from an occasional BlackBestFriend or trip to a country such as India (as in ''Dangerous Games'') one would think minorities don't exist in the Danielle Steel universe.

* RichesToRags: The protagonists of ''Remembrance'', ''Zoya'', ''Pegasus'', and ''The Duchess'' all go through this in the first act of their stories. In fact, poor Zoya goes through the experience '''twice''' (first thanks to UsefulNotes/RomanovsAndRevolutions, second thanks to UsefulNotes/TheGreatDepression).

** UsefulNotes/TheEdwardianEra: ''No Greater Love'' and ''A Good Woman''; '''both''' use the ''UsefulNotes/RMSTitanic'' disaster as the inciting incident

* MonochromeCasting: As of 2018 '''one''' of her heroines has been non-white (the Japanese heroine of ''Silent Honor''), and in ''HRH'', the titular heroine travels to an African country for missionary work. Aside from an occasional BlackBestFriend, one would think minorities don't exist in the Danielle Steel universe.

Danielle Steel is an American author who has written at least one book a year since 1973, totaling well over 100 novels as of 2018. (22 have been adapted for television, mostly in TheNineties.) Most of her novels involve a love story of some kind, though not all of them place romance front and center; many of her books qualify as {{Generational Saga}}s, HistoricalFiction, and/or even ScienceFiction and {{Fantasy}}.

* GratuitousRape: Often paired with numerous other versions of Rape Tropes--RapeAsDrama, RapeAsBackstory, etc. In a book where the female lead was already going through hell -- daughter injured in a car accident, husband cheating and leaving her for the other woman, distant [[RichBitch ice queen mother]] and equally frigid sister, was it really necessary for a revelation that she'd been sexually abused by her father? There are numerous examples in her books, but that one really stands out as it has no bearing whatsoever on the story.

* HistoricalFiction: She's worked through quite a few periods of HollywoodHistory in her career. Depending on the plot, the novel might be entirely set in one period, cover several (often up to ThePresentDay), have a FramingDevice set in ThePresentDay, or alternate between two time periods in a case of TwoLinesNoWaiting as a connection between two sets of characters is formed/revealed. Time periods she's used include:

** UsefulNotes/TheEdwardianEra: ''No Greater Love'' (sinking of the UsefulNotes/RMSTitanic is a key plot point)
** UsefulNotes/RomanovsAndRevolutions: ''Zoya'' (starting point; ends in UsefulNotes/TheEighties) and ''Granny Dan''
** UsefulNotes/WorldWarII: Probably '''the''' most popular historical setting; appears in (among others) ''The Ring'', ''Remembrance'', ''Kaleidoscope'', ''Jewels'', ''Silent Honor'', ''Echoes'', ''Pegasus'', and ''Property of a Noblewoman''

* SecondaryCharacterTitle: ''Pegasus'' is the name of a snow-white Lipizzaner stallion who helps secure the American fortunes of a German refugee family in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. (Its original name is Pluto, but it's changed by a Ringling Bros. executive because by that time Americans had come to associate that name with Mickey Mouse's pet dog.)

* TraumaCongaLine: For someone whose books are geared towards women, Steel has a disturbing tendency to frequently employ this trope, ''Malice'' and ''The Long Road Home'' being two of the most egregious examples. The only redeeming factor is that there's always a happy ending for the protagonist but still...

* ChickLit

* SoBeautifulItsACurse: It is outright stated that the reason one of the heroines in "Kaleidoscope" has spent her entire life fending off sexual assaults is because of her beauty. It's also implied that beauty is somehow the reason for many of her other heroines' woes due to the jealousy of those less fortunate.

* TooHappyToLive: If a book starts off with an endless description of a character's utterly perfect life, there's a pretty good chance that either (a) all hell is going to break loose any minute, or (b) the person is a StepfordSmiler who is actually miserable.
* WantonCrueltyToTheCommonComma: Sometimes... her characters... they tend to use a lot of... ellipses... usually when they are in deep thought.

* UsefulNotes/WorldWarII: Figures prominently in several of her novels, including ''Remembrance'', ''Jewels'', ''Silent Honor'', ''Echoes'', ''Pegasus'', and ''The Award''.

* FalseRapeAccusation: At least one book had a scorned ex-lover filing one of these. And it's often inverted--a handful of her rape[=/=] AttemptedRape stories will have the assailant claiming that the woman tried to seduce him.
* FlatCharacter: Plenty. Especially if someone's sole purpose is to be a villain. Even the good characters get this if they're merely just a stop on the hero or heroine's way to true love.

* MonochromeCasting: Only ''one'' of her heroines has been non-white (the Japanese heroine of the novel ''Silent Honor''), and in the novel ''HRH'', the titular heroine travels to an African country for missionary work. Aside from an occasional BlackBestFriend, one would think minorities didn't exist in the Danielle Steel universe.

Danielle Steel is an American author. Steel's novels have been on the New York Times bestseller list for over 390 consecutive weeks and 22 have been adapted for television. She has written at least one book almost every year since 1973. Many of her works are self-referential: for example she marries and divorces a heroin addict, and then her next novel is about -- ''quelle surprise''! -- a woman who marries and divorces a heroin addict.

* AirportNovel

* BeautyEqualsGoodness[=/=]BeautyIsBad: And ''how''. Every. Single. One. of her lead characters is stunningly gorgeous or handsome, and if they're over forty, it's frequently mentioned that they [[OlderThanTheyLook look much younger than they actually are]]. Their good looks are just the tip of the iceberg, as the reader soon learns that they are [[PuritySue perfect in every other way]]--intelligent, funny, hard-working, etc. Any "flaws" only serve to make them more endearing. The closest she's come to an unattractive heroine is the HollywoodPudgy protagonist of the book "Big Girl".
** Conversely, her villains are just as attractive but it's always repeatedly stated that ''their'' good looks are artificial and fading, (whereas the heroine is naturally lovely without any extra effort on her part necessary), and is the only attribute they have.
* BigApplesauce: While she sets her books all over--see SceneryPorn below--New York City is a favorite locale, probably because it's where she's from.
* BrokenBird: The female protagonist.

* DeusAngstMachina: Very common. An example is Gabbie in ''The Long Road Home'', who has a very abusive mother, a father who doesn't help and leaves when she is 9 years old. Her mother then moves to California and leaves her in a convent, where she decides to become a nun and falls in love with a priest. However, they are not allowed to be together, and her lover feels guilty and hangs himself. She is kicked out of the convent and ends up moving into a boarding house. Just as things seem to be moving up, she falls in love with a con-man who beats her half to death so he can get the money she was left in a will.
* DoubleStandard: Very often, depending on the type of character. Questionable or controversial behavior is always given a positive spin for her heroic characters, while being portrayed as downright despicable for her villains.

* RippedFromTheHeadlines: The book ''Vanished'' is clearly based on the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh, Jr. With a much happier ending, of course--the child is eventually found safe and sound, his ''father'' is revealed to be the one who engineered everything, allowing the heroine to get him out of her life and reunite with her first love.
** ''Rushing Waters'', is clearly based off the events of Hurricane Sandy in New York, even referencing the tragedy several times.

* StrictlyFormula: Probably what she is most known for. Common elements include the female protagonist who had a hard life but who now is most likely a career woman, who is with a husband who cheats and lies to her and is probably abusive, then she will meet a wonderful man who changes her life, who may be still married or unavailable in some way. They will have their affair and get together at the end. Or, this man may turn out to be a RomanticFalseLead and he will either die or they will get divorced, then she falls in love with another man (or the same guy again) and they have hot sex and live happily ever after.

* TraumaCongaLine: For someone whose books are geared towards women, Steel has a disturbing tendency to frequently employ this trope, "Malice" and "The Long Road Home" being two of the most egregious examples. The only redeeming factor is that there's always a happy ending for the protagonist but still...
* TooHappyToLive: If a book starts off with an endless description of a character's utterly perfect life, there's a pretty good chance that either (a) all hell is going to break loose any minute, or (b) the person is a StepfordSmiler who is actually miserable, despite the seeming perfection.

* WholePlotReference: The novel ''Fairytale'' is based on, Literature/{{Cinderella}}, with the GenderFlip of the heroine having to deal with two evil step'''brothers'''.

* IvyLeagueForEveryone: In line with the "elite" trope mentioned above, most of her characters attend or are alumni of Ivy League colleges, their equivalents (the Seven Sisters, Oxford, the Sorbonne, etc), or schools that are excellent in their own right.

* MayDecemberRomance: A favorite trope of hers and unfortunately one where she frequently displays a blatant DoubleStandard, depending on the type of character. A villain (usually male, of course) will always look ridiculous paired with someone younger (who will almost inevitably be a villain herself-- [[GoldDigger gold-digging]], airheaded, trampy, etc.)--even if the age difference is a mere 15 years. Meanwhile, a heroine can marry someone ''44'' years her senior (as happened in the book ''A Perfect Stranger'') and no one bats an eye. The most egregious example of this is in one of the subplots of the novel ''Family Album''. A 49 year old man falling in love with his daughter's ''15 year old'' best friend is presented as a romance (to the point where they marry as soon as she turns 18) rather than what it truly is--ephebophilia and statutory rape (they consummate the relationship while she's still underage, but she refuses to testify against him when her infuriated parents threaten to press charges).

** One of her recent novels, ''Rushing Waters'', is clearly based off the events of Hurricane Sandy in New York.

* {{Ephebophile}}: The "hero" of one of the subplots of ''Family Album'' is this, as he falls in love with a '''''15-year-old''''' girl (his daughter's best friend) and marries her as soon as she turns 18, though the relationship is consummated while she's still underage. In what is probably her worst example of ''PCM'', it's presented as a grand romance, with many of the excuses disturbingly used by RealLife predators and their victims--"I'm/She's very mature for her age", "She looks much older than she is", etc. The book ends with them still together, the HappilyMarried parents of four.
** Technically, so is the "hero" of ''A Perfect Stranger'', who at '''''62''''', falls in love with and marries his friend's '''''18-year-old''''' daughter. (She's of legal age, but this disorder indicates an attraction to those 15-19 years old.

* {{Ephebophobile}}: The "hero" of one of the subplots of ''Family Album'' is this, as he falls in love with a '''''15-year-old''''' girl (his daughter's best friend) and marries her as soon as she turns 18, though the relationship is consummated while she's still underage. In what is probably her worst example of ''PCM'', it's presented as a grand romance, with many of the excuses disturbingly used by RealLife predators and their victims--"I'm/She's very mature for her age", "She looks much older than she is", etc. The book ends with them still together, the HappilyMarried parents of four.

* {{Ephephobile}}: The "hero" of one of the subplots of ''Family Album'' is this, as he falls in love with a '''''15-year-old''''' girl (his daughter's best friend) and marries her as soon as she turns 18, though the relationship is consummated while she's still underage. In what is probably her worst example of ''PCM'', it's presented as a grand romance, with many of the excuses disturbingly used by RealLife predators and their victims--"I'm/She's very mature for her age", "She looks much older than she is", etc. The book ends with them still together, the HappilyMarried parents of four.

* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex: Ad nauseum. The heroes and heroines always have a terrific sex life, with it always being better than it was before. Even if it was ''already'' good before--one hero is floored at how spectacular sex with his new girlfriend is, having thought his and his ex-wife's love life was "perfect".

* GoodAdulteryBadAdultery: It will almost always be perfectly okay for the hero/heroine to cheat on his/her partner/spouse, because said partner/spouse is a horrible, awful person. Conversely, it will always be despicable for the villain to cheat on his/her [[MarySue wonderful, perfect]] lover--played perfectly straight in ''The Wedding'', where the heroine cheats on her boyfriend with a man she meets on a business trip, but it is outraged when she comes home and finds him cavorting with another woman. He's regarded as a bastard and gets kicked out, while she ends marrying the other guy at the end, in the wedding in question.

* RichBitch: Plenty.

* MumLooksLikeASister: Any character who either is or becomes a mother is said to look more like her child's older sister.

* GoodAdulteryBadAdultery: Mostly played straight. It will almost always be perfectly okay for the hero/heroine to cheat on his/her partner/spouse, because said partner/spouse is a horrible, awful person. Conversely, it will always be despicable for the villain to cheat on his/her [[MarySue wonderful, perfect]] lover. To her credit, Steel does not always make all the bad adulterers male and good adulterers female and she often subverts this trope as well.