Characters Never Say Never Danielle Steel

Ashley Rowe: A Character Analysis from Never Say Never

Overview

Ashley Rowe is a celebrated film actor whose path crosses with protagonist Oona Webster in rural France during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The text establishes him as someone who rose from humble beginnings in Tobago to become an international star, yet he carries that success with unassuming grace. His character functions as both a romantic lead and a catalyst for Oona's emotional recovery after her husband's devastating revelation.

The author depicts Ashley as naturally curious, openhearted, and grounded—traits that make his fame feel incidental rather than defining. He collects antique objects, cooks Cajun recipes taught by his mother via Skype, and rides a bicycle to a neighbor's house without pretense. The evidence supports that he is approachable and genuinely interested in other people, as seen when he spends nearly two hours exploring La Belle Florence with Oona and talking as though they are old friends.

Plot Role

Ashley enters the story at a low point for Oona: she has lost her marriage, her job, and her sense of purpose, all while isolated in a foreign country during a global crisis. He serves as a lifeline of human connection when she needs it most. Their friendship deepens through shared meals, brocante outings, and confidences about their respective losses. He tells her about his divorce from actress Claire, and she reveals her husband Charles left her for a man named Roberto. These mutual vulnerabilities form the foundation of their bond.

Midway through the narrative, Ashley's role expands when his ex-wife Claire dies of COVID-19, leaving their children Alana and Simon devastated. He brings them to France, and Oona steps in to help. The novel then positions Ashley as someone who must navigate single parenthood, grief, and a demanding acting career while pursuing a relationship with a woman who is deeply afraid of being hurt again.

By the final chapters, Ashley becomes the stable center around which Oona rebuilds her life. He arranges for her children to join them on a Caribbean yacht for Christmas and reveals he has rented La Belle Florence for the following summer with an option to buy, intending it as a possible wedding gift. The text suggests that he is both a romantic partner and a catalyst for her emotional healing.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Genuine Connection Over Status

Ashley shows no interest in using his fame to impress Oona. He forgets to introduce himself when they first meet because he is so absorbed in the history of her house. The text notes that she feels no flirtatious vibe from him initially—just congenial warmth. This patience and lack of agenda become defining traits.

Emotional Courage

Unlike Oona, who hesitates for months, Ashley consistently names his feelings and acts on them. He kisses her, tells her he loves her before they become physically intimate, and repeatedly urges her not to let fear rule her life. When she worries about their age gap, his fame, and her insecurities, he responds with steady reassurance: "You have a right to a life, Oona."

Devotion to Family

Ashley's love for his children is clear throughout. When Claire dies, he immediately brings Alana and Simon to France to be with him. He involves them in his daily life with Oona, creates a summer routine of swimming and baking, and makes sure they feel included. His grief over Claire's death is present but does not prevent him from being present for his children or from opening his heart to Oona.

Humility and Gratitude

Despite his celebrity, Ashley remains grounded in his origins. He speaks nostalgically about growing up without electricity in Tobago and describes his path from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts to Hollywood as a fortunate accident. The text supports that he is aware his fame could vanish at any moment and that he is not attached to it. He tells Oona that if everything falls apart, they could go to Trinidad and "live simply."

Chronological Arc

Ashley's journey in the novel follows a clear emotional trajectory:

  • Initial Meeting (Chapter 5–6): He spots Oona at a café and asks to see her dog, Florence. Their first long conversation at La Belle Florence establishes reciprocal curiosity and trust.

  • Deepening Friendship (Chapter 6–7): Over weeks, he and Oona share meals, confidences, and daily activities. He describes his divorce, his family in Trinidad, and his career. She drops her husband's surname for the first time.

  • Grief and Transition (Chapter 7–8): Claire dies of COVID-19. Ashley brings his children to France. Oona supports them, and their emotional bond intensifies.

  • Romance Begins (Chapter 8–9): He kisses Oona. She confesses her love but remains terrified of the age gap, his fame, and the risk of heartbreak. He urges her past her fears.

  • Physical Intimacy and Separation (Chapter 9–10): On the night before he must leave for an L.A. series, they finally make love. He gives her a miniature painting of Florence de Montmarrin as a parting gift.

  • Long-Distance Commitment (Chapter 11–13): He supports her through her divorce, her son Will's COVID hospitalization, and her emotional low points. He calls faithfully morning and night.

  • Reunion (Chapter 13): Oona flies to Los Angeles, walks onto the studio lot, and tells him "Home." He welcomes her without hesitation.

  • Resolution (Chapter 14): They spend Thanksgiving and Christmas together. He surprises her with her children on a chartered yacht and reveals plans to buy La Belle Florence.

Relationships

Oona Webster

This relationship is the emotional core of the novel. Ashley is the first person Oona trusts after Charles's betrayal. He listens without judgment, shares his own vulnerabilities, and never pressures her. The evidence shows that he loves her before they ever make love—a point he makes explicitly: "I can't believe I'm saying that, and feeling it for a woman I haven't made love to." His patience and consistency gradually erode her defenses.

The text supports an interpretation that Ashley represents a healthier model of love than Oona experienced with Charles: one built on honest communication, mutual respect, and emotional availability.

Alana and Simon

Ashley is an attentive and affectionate father. When his children are devastated by their mother's death, he does not turn inward but brings them into Oona's orbit. He is grateful when Oona buys toys and games to cheer them and includes them in the couple's daily life. His children become eager advocates for his relationship with Oona, suggesting that they trust his judgment and feel secure in his love.

Charles Webster

Ashley and Charles never meet on the page, but Ashley functions as a foil to Charles. Where Charles hides his true self for twenty-five years and abandons his family without warning, Ashley is transparent about his feelings and committed to showing up. The text supports that Oona's choice of Ashley is also a choice to value honesty over comfortable illusion.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Decision to Approach Oona at the Café

By asking to see her dog, Ashley initiates a friendship that becomes the foundation of their romance. This small act of openness has the consequence of changing both their lives.

Decision to Bring His Children to France After Claire's Death

Rather than manage their grief from a distance, Ashley integrates them into his life with Oona. This decision deepens his bond with Oona, who steps into a nurturing role, and allows his children to heal in a supportive environment.

Decision to Accept the L.A. Series

Ashley takes a starring role that forces a physical separation from Oona at a critical moment. While this creates temporary pain, it also forces Oona to confront her fears and ultimately decide to commit to him. The consequence is a stronger, more deliberate partnership.

Decision to Persist with Oona Despite Her Resistance

Ashley does not give up when Oona lists reasons they cannot be together—age, fame, her emotional state. He repeatedly tells her he is willing to wait. The consequence is that she eventually trusts him enough to take the leap.

Theme and Symbol Connections

Betrayal and Trust

Ashley operates as a counterexample to Charles. Where Charles concealed his true self and then abandoned Oona, Ashley is transparent from the start. He does not hide his fame, his past, or his feelings. His consistency becomes proof that trust can exist after betrayal.

Self-Discovery and Resilience

Oona's journey toward selfhood is helped by Ashley's belief in her. He sees her as "the most stable, sane human being" he has ever met, a description that contradicts her own feelings of failure. His mirroring of her strengths helps her rediscover them.

Pandemic and Isolation

Ashley and Oona's relationship is forged in the crucible of lockdown. The text explicitly describes their bond as a "pandemic friendship." Their isolation strips away the distractions of normal life and forces them to connect at a deeper level. Ashley acknowledges this context but insists the relationship is not merely a product of circumstance.

Second Chances

Ashley embodies the idea that love can emerge after loss. He has lost his marriage to Claire. She has lost her marriage to Charles. Together, they build something new without erasing their pasts. His willingness to risk another heartbreak models the courage the novel ultimately endorses.

Family Bonds

Ashley does not treat Oona as separate from her family. He brings her children into their world, supports her through Will's illness, and includes Meghan and Will in Christmas plans. The text supports that he understands love as expansive rather than exclusive.

Questions and Answers

1. Why does Ashley pursue Oona despite her obvious resistance and their differences in age and fame?

Ashley sees something genuine in Oona that he does not find in the Hollywood world. The text supports that he values authenticity over glamour. He tells her explicitly that she is "the most stable, sane human being" he has ever met, and that he loves her before they have even made love. His pursuit is steady but never pushy; he states his feelings, then gives her space to catch up. The author portrays this as a choice rather than a whim.

2. How does Ashley's background in Tobago influence the way he treats Oona and handles fame?

His humble upbringing gives him perspective. He speaks of missing the simplicity of his childhood home, which lacked electricity. He is not attached to celebrity and tells Oona he could walk away from it and "live simply." This grounding allows him to treat Oona as an equal, not as a conquest. His lack of entitlement makes him trustworthy in a way that Charles, with his privileged life and hidden secrets, was not.

3. Is Ashley's love for Oona a product of pandemic isolation, or does the text suggest it would have happened regardless?

The text addresses this question directly through Oona's own doubts. She worries that their bond is a "wartime romance, fraught with uncertainty." Ashley's counterargument is that they are "the only stable thing we've got" in a chaotic world, and that their connection is real regardless of context. The evidence supports an interpretation that the pandemic accelerated their intimacy but did not create it. They would likely have found each other in any circumstance, given their mutual need for genuine human connection.

4. What does Ashley's choice of gift—the miniature painting of Florence de Montmarrin—reveal about his character?

The miniature is a symbol of his attentiveness and his understanding of what matters to Oona. He buys it at a brocante they visited together, and he notes its resemblance to her dog, Florence. The text shows that Oona later takes only this painting with her when she leaves France. By giving her something personal rather than expensive, Ashley demonstrates that he knows her heart. The gift becomes a talisman for their reunion.

5. How does Ashley change over the course of the novel?

Ashley enters the story already emotionally mature, so his arc is less about transformation and more about expansion. He begins as a single man grieving his divorce and gradually becomes a devoted partner and a father actively co-parenting through loss. The text shows him taking on new responsibilities—bringing his children to France, accepting an L.A. series, making long-term plans to buy La Belle Florence—without losing the humility that defines him. If he changes at all, it is in his willingness to risk again after Claire's death. By the end, he is ready to build a permanent life with Oona.

Deeper Reading