With fourteen bestsellers to her name, dating back to 1979's A Woman of Substance (Doubleday), Barbara Taylor Bradford has proven herself to be one of the world's most popular storytellers. With each new novel, millions of readers come back for more of her glamorous characters, exotic locations, and intricate plots filled with romance and suspense. All of these elements are in full force in her latest novel, A Sudden Change of Heart, which also touches on a controversial topic very much in today's news--the efforts by the heirs of Holocaust survivors to retrieve priceless paintings stolen by the Nazis during World War II. Set primarily in Paris and New York, and featuring several utterly engaging characters, A Sudden Change of Heart is a story of the tumultuous changes people go through during a lifetime, and how the gifts of family, friendship and love help us survive the greatest of tragedies. At its heart is an extraordinary friendship between two extraordinary women--Laura Valiant and Claire Benson. When the 7-year-old Laura risks her own life to save her friend Claire from drowning her grandmother makes a prediction: "Those two will always be there for each other." Those words prove true many times over as, throughout their adult lives, the two women come to depend on one another to help them through various times of adversity. Laura, raised by her grandparents to take pride in her Welsh heritage and famous family name, goes on to become a renowned art expert and advisor, whose efforts to acquire masterpieces for her wealthy clients frequently take her to Europe, where Claire is currently living. Claire, the chic publisher and editor of Decorative Arts and Design magazine, lives in Paris with the light of her life, her 14-year-old daughter Natasha. While both women have used their intelligence, charm and talents to attain career success, they've proven less successful when it comes to affairs of the heart. Claire has divorced her husband, Philippe Lavillard, and harbors a deep hatred for him that is so out of character for her it even shocks Laura. At the same time, Laura's storybook marriage to attorney Doug Casson (whom Claire teasingly refers to as "the proverbial tall, dark, and handsome hero") has suddenly come to a standstill. For reasons she can't quite figure out, Doug's feelings for her have changed, and he no longer is able to muster the passion for her that once came so easily. When Claire is diagnosed with breast cancer, she turns yet again to Laura for comfort and support--and to make the painful request that should she die, she'd like Laura to become Natasha's guardian. As Laura struggles with the notion that she might lose the person who means the most to her in the world, she attempts to convince Claire to allow Natasha's father, Philippe, and grandmother, Rosa, to be part of her life. In the process, Laura comes to radically change the way she feels about the Lavillards, realizing that having seen them solely through Claire's eyes blinded her to their many good qualities. When Laura hears the horrifying story of what happened to Rosa and her family during the Holocaust, she cannot help but be tremendously moved as well as impressed by the strength and courage that enabled her to survive such atrocities. She decides to use her artistic expertise to track down and help Rosa reclaim her family's paintings that had been stolen by the Nazis, no easy task as she must also find proof of original ownership and convince the current owners to return the works. Before Claire can similarly have a change of heart regarding her ex-husband and mother-in-law, though, she must come to terms with a shocking family secret from her own past--and have the strength to reveal it to Laura for the first time. From the chilling horrors of the Holocaust to the joys of friendship and newfound romance, A Sudden Change of Heart, another masterfully crafted tale by bestselling writer Barbara Taylor Bradford, is brimming with strong emotions that stay with the reader long after the final page. To buy the book, click here.