From Publishers Weekly
Once again Bradford's ( A Woman of Substance ) characters are purely secondary to the settings--rather like Architectural Digest married to Vogue . No matter what disaster strikes plucky heroine Rose Madigan--and there are many--every item of her apparel is minutely described, with particular attention paid to its label. This trick goes a long way to cover up the basic superficiality of the dramatis personae. Rosie is a world-famous costume designer for the screen and the sister of an undercover policeman named Kevin. In their early youth, the two were part of a circle of six friends who banded together against the vicissitudes of their respective family lives. One has been lost to drugs, one has vanished without a trace, another, Nell Jeffrey, is a high-powered theatrical agent, and the last, Gavin Ambrose, has become a major movie star. Gavin and Rosie, currently friends and co-workers, were once lovers, as Kevin and Nell are now; Gavin is unhappily married and Rosie is strongly tied to her estranged French husband's family, whose members live in a lavishly appointed chateau. Rosie scuttles off to France whenever she can to offer emotional and financial support to her in-laws. Meanwhile, she makes the acquaintance of rock music megastar Johnny Fortune, who showers her with gifts and passionate declarations of love, little suspecting that her brother is involved in an investigation which will bring disaster to Johnny's mafioso family. The dialogue is even more unbelievable and studded with cliches, while the love scenes are unintentionally hilarious. This is the '90s, though, and at least everyone uses protection as they go from bed to bed. Those who thrive on fantasies about the rich and famous will lap this up. Major ad/promo. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
Rose, Gavin, Neil and Kevin were all orphaned as teens and have bonded into a family. Neil and Rose learn to accept love into their lives as Gavin and Kevin face their limitations. Lorelei King provides a glowing voice and suitable accents for the characters, ranging from French and British to New York Italian. (Her British pronunciation sometimes trips on American words.) King smoothly moves from scene to scene and wraps this romantic tale in sweet tones that transport the listener. M.B.K. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine


Book Description
All were orphans when they met in their teens in the late seventies, and they vowed to be a family. As they reunite at a film party in London, it is Rosalind Madigan, the angel of the title, who holds them together. An Academy Award-winning designer blessed with innate goodness, Rosie is troubled by commitments that leave her feeling estranged from herself and her friends: Gavin Ambrose, a Hollywood megastar, a brilliant actor/producer whose personal life is not as successful as it appears (Nell Jeffrey, head of an international public relations firm and Rosie's best friend, a glamorous woman having a secret love affair (and Kevin Madigan, Rosie's brother, an undercover cop in the NYPD Crime Intelligence Division who specializes in fighting organized crime, an assignment that threatens his life. Into their midst come a dashing French aristocrat and the world's most successful popular singer, two men who disrupt--and irrevocably transform--"the family."...
ANGEL
Told with the power that only Barbara Taylor Bradford can bring to the page, this stunning novel is about a group of friends--and also about individuals who, facing their own mortality, must reevaluate their lives and strengthen their commitments. Exciting and moving, it will fascinate you from beginning to end.



From the Inside Flap
All were orphans when they met in their teens in the late seventies, and they vowed to be a family. As they reunite at a film party in London, it is Rosalind Madigan, the angel of the title, who holds them together. An Academy Award-winning designer blessed with innate goodness, Rosie is troubled by commitments that leave her feeling estranged from herself and her friends: Gavin Ambrose, a Hollywood megastar, a brilliant actor/producer whose personal life is not as successful as it appears (Nell Jeffrey, head of an international public relations firm and Rosie's best friend, a glamorous woman having a secret love affair (and Kevin Madigan, Rosie's brother, an undercover cop in the NYPD Crime Intelligence Division who specializes in fighting organized crime, an assignment that threatens his life. Into their midst come a dashing French aristocrat and the world's most successful popular singer, two men who disrupt--and irrevocably transform--"the family."...
ANGEL
Told with the power that only Barbara Taylor Bradford can bring to the page, this stunning novel is about a group of friends--and also about individuals who, facing their own mortality, must reevaluate their lives and strengthen their commitments. Exciting and moving, it will fascinate you from beginning to end.

ANNOTATION

The magnificent New York Times bestseller by the author of such blockbuster successes as Remember and The Women in His Life: From the streets of New York to the boulevards of Paris, and from life as orphans to Hollywood stardom, four special friends are bound together by desire and destiny.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Barbara Taylor Bradford, the internationally beloved bestselling author of A Woman of Substance, The Women in His Life, Remember, and other novels, now captivates us once again with Angel. A contemporary, compassionate drama, Angel probes the lives of four unforgettable characters. All were orphans when they met in their teens in the late seventies, and they vowed to be a family, bound to one another by a loyalty fiercer than friendship. Having entered adulthood with nothing, each of them has earned prominence, three in the dazzling world of international show business. But as the story unfolds, all of them find that they have broken their promises to one another, each in his or her own way. As they reunite at a film party in London, it is Rosalind Madigan who holds them together. An Academy Award-winning costume designer, Rosie, blessed with an innate goodness, is the Angel of the title. Despite her glittering success in European and American theater and film, Rosie is troubled by personal commitments that leave her feeling estranged from herself and from the friends who love her:. Gavin Ambrose, a Hollywood megastar, a brilliant actor and producer extraordinaire, whose personal life is not as successful as it appears to be on the surface. Nell Jeffrey, head of an international public relations firm and Rosie's best friend, a glamorous woman with a secret love affair. Kevin Madigan, Rosie's brother, an undercover cop in the NYPD Crime Intelligence Division who specializes in fighting organized crime, an assignment that threatens his life. Into their midst come a dashing French aristocrat, Guy de Montfleurie, and Johnny Fortune, the world's most successful popular singer, and these two men disrupt - and irrevocably transform - " the family." Moving from the streets of New York and the studios of Hollywood to the boulevards of Paris and a chateau in the Loire Valley, Angel takes us on an unforgettable journey of lost innocence. Told with the power that only Barb

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Once again Bradford's ( A Woman of Substance ) characters are purely secondary to the settings--rather like Architectural Digest married to Vogue . No matter what disaster strikes plucky heroine Rose Madigan--and there are many--every item of her apparel is minutely described, with particular attention paid to its label. This trick goes a long way to cover up the basic superficiality of the dramatis personae. Rosie is a world-famous costume designer for the screen and the sister of an undercover policeman named Kevin. In their early youth, the two were part of a circle of six friends who banded together against the vicissitudes of their respective family lives. One has been lost to drugs, one has vanished without a trace, another, Nell Jeffrey, is a high-powered theatrical agent, and the last, Gavin Ambrose, has become a major movie star. Gavin and Rosie, currently friends and co-workers, were once lovers, as Kevin and Nell are now; Gavin is unhappily married and Rosie is strongly tied to her estranged French husband's family, whose members live in a lavishly appointed chateau. Rosie scuttles off to France whenever she can to offer emotional and financial support to her in-laws. Meanwhile, she makes the acquaintance of rock music megastar Johnny Fortune, who showers her with gifts and passionate declarations of love, little suspecting that her brother is involved in an investigation which will bring disaster to Johnny's mafioso family. The dialogue is even more unbelievable and studded with cliches, while the love scenes are unintentionally hilarious. This is the '90s, though, and at least everyone uses protection as they go from bed to bed. Those who thrive on fantasies about the rich and famous will lap this up. Major ad/promo. (May)

AudioFile