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 First edition | |
| Author | Danielle Steel |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Delacorte Press |
Publication date | June 25, 1997 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 224 |
| ISBN | 0385316917 |
Special Delivery (1997) is a romantic novel written by Danielle Steel.
Danielle Steel explores finding love when, and from whom you least expect it in Special Delivery. Jack Watson was a man hardened to the idea of love. The death of his one true love followed by a messy divorce led him content to lead the ultimate bachelor's life. Written about in the society pages, and despite his reputation, he never had trouble finding a date. It didn't hurt that he owned one of the most successful women's boutiques in Beverly Hills. Amanda Robbins was a successful actress who had already claimed an Academy Award when she met her husband Matthew Kingston and fell in love. Amanda gave up her acting career to be a devoted mother of two children. Her husband Matthew wasn't interested in a working wife and Amanda was happy to oblige, until his sudden death from a heart attack. With the center of her life suddenly gone Amanda fell into despair and depression.
Jack and Amanda didn't travel in the same social circles however, the marriage of their children, Paul and Jan, created an undeniable connection. In the past, while Jack and Amanda were cordial with one another they didn't go out of their way to spend much time together. One day Jan offers to take Amanda to one of Jack's infamous parties. Amanda surprises herself when she accepts and has a great time. This sparked a new beginning as she and Jack began spending more time together, initially just to talk about their children. However, they soon discover that they have more than just children in common. This new relationship helps Amanda heal from the loss of her husband and causes Jack to realize that life isn't as fulfilling when alone. An unexpected pregnancy nearly destroys their love, but ultimately brings them closer together. They end up seeing this new life as an opportunity to support Jan and Paul who have had trouble conceiving. At the last moment Jan finds out she's pregnant and have decided not to adopt Amanda and Jack's baby.
Interwoven throughout Special Delivery are the stories of family challenges for both the Robbin's and the Kingston's. Tension between Amanda's daughters, the difficulties of starting a family, and healing from the loss are all included as we watch Jack and Amanda fall in love with each other and learn how to make both of their families stronger in times of need.
In the beginning Jack and Amanda got along for the sake of their children, but did not particularly enjoy each other's company. These quotes highlight the shift in the mind-set of Amanda as she realizes there's more to Jack than she originally thought. This is the beginning of a true friendship between Jack and Amanda that exists beyond the relationships between their children.
At this point in the novel Amanda realizes she has come to the end of the mourning period for her deceased husband. She has begun to have feelings for Jack that are greater than friendship and the initial realization that she could love someone else after so long is terrifying. Jack also goes through a period of mourning his past love. Unlike Amanda he got through his mourning period by having a series of disposable relationships. After spending time with Amanda he also comes to the realization that he could and has fallen in love again.
Jack and Amanda’s relationship had gradually evolved from friendship into something deeper and more intimate. After spending so much time together, their growing affection made it only a matter of time before they took their relationship to the next, most personal level.
The next morning Amanda is racked with guilt having slept with another man, not even a year after the death of her husband. She felt as though she was betraying her past relationship with Matthew and made it especially worse by sleeping with another man in the bed that she had shared with her late husband for 25 years.
For the majority of the novel Jack and Amanda choose to keep their relationship a secret from their children. When they make the decision to unveil their love to their children it signifies how serious Jack and Amanda's relationship has become. To the shock of Amanda and Jack nearly all of their children react negatively to their announcement.
Jack and Amanda face an unplanned pregnancy that nearly destroys their relationship. Jack and Amanda both have grown children and the prospect of having another child is unacceptable to Jack, he refuses to even consider the idea. Amanda while shocked, is unwilling to terminate the pregnancy. The pregnancy drives a wedge between Jack and Amanda. Neither are unwilling to compromise on their beliefs about the pregnancy.
The novel was not well received by critics. [1]
