The Butler

 Note: This is a new, unread book.

Two different worlds and two very different lives collide in Paris in this captivating novel by Danielle Steel.

Joachim von Hartmann was born and raised in Buenos Aires by his loving German mother, inseparable from his identical twin. When Joachim moves to Paris with his mother in his late teens, his twin stays behind and enters a dark world.

In Paris, Joachim trains to be a butler, fascinated by the precision and demands of the profession, eventually working in some of England's grandest homes. His brother never reappears.

Olivia White has dedicated ten years to her magazine, only to see it fail, taking all her dreams with it. A bequest from her mother allows her a year in Paris to reinvent herself. In her charming Parisian apartment, she needs help setting up her new home, and that's when her path crosses with Joachim’s.

Joachim takes the job working for Olivia on a whim, enjoying the change for a few weeks, which turn into months as they realize they enjoy working together.

As Olivia strives to rebuild her life, Joachim's begins to unravel. He discovers a family history he never knew—a criminal grandfather who died in prison, a wealthy father who abandoned him, and a dangerous criminal twin.

Stripped of their old roles, Olivia and Joachim strive to uncover the truth about each other and themselves. Their relationship evolves from employer and employee to friends, reaching a place where the past no longer matters and only the present is true.