The Cottage

On a sunny day in Hollywood, a gleaming Rolls-Royce convertible drives through the gates of the estate known as The Cottage. Modelled after the cottages of Newport, Rhode Island, the spacious, elegant property, set in lush 14 acres, and the owner, sitting behind the wheel, is Hollywoods ageless wonder, Cooper Winslow, A star of the silver screen for decades, a man whose allure to women is the stuff of legend. But today, Coop is in for a surprise. Hes broke. And with no major roles coming his way, he is faced with the prospect of selling his beloved home, or at least, renting it out. A huge blow to Coop, whose debonair attitude allows him to escape reality much of the time.His new tenants, Mark Friedman and Jimmy OConnor, are coping with problems of their own. Marks wife of sixteen years just walked out, and Jimmy recently lost his wife to a devastating illness. But everything changes when Marks teenage son and daughter move in. Suddenly, The Cottage is transformed, music blaring from every corner, teenagers on skateboards crashing into vintage cars, and a never-ending parade of young starlets streaming in an out to visit Coop. But amid all the noise and chaos, something unexpected is happening. Three men who never would have met are becoming friends – and each man finds himself changing in surprising ways, Coop most of all. But beneath the dazzle and flash, the sheer bravado, is a man trying to keep control of his carefully ordered world – a world that is becoming more and more unpredictable with each passing day.Against a glittering backdrop of celebrity and glamour, Danielle Steel digs deeper to tell a story of friendship and love, tragedy and second chances.. of the choices and unexpected turns of fate that can shape characters and lives.