Bel Air [Mass Market Paperback]

Katherine Stone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1990

Set in the lavish homes of Bel Air, this novel of opulent living and romance among the privileged classes is rife with details of designer labels, elegant mansions, luxurious cars, and exclusive parties. Reissue.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Against a requisitely glamorous backdrop of Bel Air, Calif., six good, beautiful, wealthy and extraordinarily talented central characters all succeed spectacularly despite tragedy and adversity. Insofar as there is a pivot to this overstuffed story, it is the untimely death of award-winning playwright Peter Dalton's wife, Sara, an heiress to $12 million, and Dalton's conflict with his brother-in-law, Rob, editor of the star-studded Portrait magazine. There's more atmospheric glitz than plot here, though Stone ( Twins ) spices the story line g with dashes of child abuse, drugs, presumed murder, a hostage seizure and unrealized dreams. But while the novel's opening snapshot takes of various protagonists seem promising, the author finally inundates the reader with a host of characters, and reveals too much too soon, dispelling any chances for suspense. Stone displays narrative talent, but fewer characters with greater contrast in their personalities and fates would have been preferable to this razzle-dazzle.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Zebra Books (May 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821729799
• ISBN-13: 978-0821729793
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,237,956 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bestselling Seattle-born author Katherine Stone set about plotting her life's journey at a very young age. At age five she knew she hoped to become a doctor. Then, after writing her first short story at age 11, she realized that she'd love to be a writer, too.

In pursuit of that youthful dream, Katherine attended Stanford University, where she completed her premed requirements while majoring in English. She received her M.D. from the University of Washington. Following her internal medicine residency in San Francisco, she accepted a fellowship in infectious diseases in Los Angeles.

What remains one of the world's largest outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease coincided with her fellowship, which gave her the opportunity to write and lecture on this mysterious new disease. But it was not all work and no play. There was also romance in L.A. It was there (during a spinal tap!) that she met her future husband, physician and novelist Jack Chase.

While she had accomplished the first half of her young-life goals, Katherine never really got around to the second part--being a writer--until Jack bought her a word processor and urged her to "Just do it." The result? Bestselling books in the distinctive Katherine Stone style: a marriage of lyrical prose, evocative emotion and, above all, romance.

"There's nothing wrong with incurable romanticism," the physician asserts. "I love writing about nice people, who are giving life their best shot despite the sometimes monumental obstacles I place in their paths and who discover, despite those obstacles, the splendor and power of love."

Although Katherine has hung up her stethoscope for the moment and is writing full-time at her home near Seattle, her medical background is often evident in her books. "I very much enjoy sharing my passion for medicine--its drama, its emotion and yes, its science--with my readers."

The author of 21 novels, including Twins, Bel Air, Love Songs, and Pearl Moon, Katherine's books have been translated into 20 languages and sold worldwide. She is in the midst of converting all her novels into e-book formats (and thinking about her next book!)

Please visit her website at www.katherinestone.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book Good Buy, October 12, 2011

By 

Kathy C Zang (St. Louis, MO United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bel Air (Zebra Books) (Mass Market Paperback)

I was very happy to receive this book so quickly. I love to read and Katherine Stone is my favorite author!

3.0 out of 5 stars Go to beach. Read book, April 4, 2011

By 

E. S. Charpentier (Brainerd, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bel Air (Zebra Books) (Mass Market Paperback)

A sweet beach read with a far-fetched but lovable plot, impossibly adorable characters and excessive use of italics. I'm really quite torn about this because I should despise this clichéd trope, but I don't. I just lose myself in the story and suspend all disbelief. Seriously the only things that took me out of the reading trance was the aforementioned italics (i.e. Peter:"Is this too late to call?" Allison: "No" /No time is too late, ever.// Peter: "Would you--?" Allison: "Yes" /Yes to anything.// Me: throwing up), as well as the fact that they use each others names in dialogue far, far more often than anyone does in real life. Except possibly rich people in the '80s. I have no way of knowing as I wasn't there. ("Peter, I love you." "Peter, I wouldn't know what to say." "Winter, I am very much in love with Peter."
(Apparently you can't put html tags in these boxes. Imagine / = italics, // = end italics.)

3.0 out of 5 stars Dull..., September 1, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Bel Air (Zebra Books) (Mass Market Paperback)

I like a lot of KS's books, but I simply couldn't get interested in this one, even though it's very similiar to some others she's written. None of the characters were exciting. The plots showed promise, but they soon fell flat. (Sorry)