Reviews - Never Too Late | The StoryGraph

Danielle Steel never disappoints. This novel brings widowed Kezia across the country to be closer to her daughters and restart her life. After losing her husband, who was many years her senior, she is able to start fresh. She meets her movie star neighbor Sam, because they share a balcony. When tragedy strikes NYC, both Kezia and Sam chip in to help any way they can.

I love the connection between Kezia and Sam. Two different people, from different worlds, forming a long-lasting friendship. This was a quick, engrossing read.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for my gifted copy of this book.

mdpbernal's review against another edition

3.0

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

jenniferbbookdragon's review against another edition

4.0

hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Starting over is a theme throughout the book as we follow a widow and her 2 adult daughters through a pivotal summer filled with pain and hope.

Content Warnings

angela1025's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring relaxing fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

martha27k's review against another edition

4.0

fast-paced

chymerra's review against another edition

3.0

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I have been reading Danielle Steel’s books since middle school. I have always found them to be quick, light reads, so I went into reading Never Too Late with a certain expectation based on previous reads. While I got it, I wasn’t a big fan of what was going on in the background (the terrorist attack). It left a sour taste in my mouth that didn’t go away once the author quickly wrapped it up. I also didn’t care for Kezia or her daughters. So, this book became a “meh” book for me.

The main storyline of Never Too Late centers on Kezia, Sam, and the terrorist attack that changed their lives. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, I wasn’t a big fan of this storyline. It brought back a lot of unneeded memories of 9-11. But, thankfully, the author did put that part of the storyline in the background. The storyline then focused on Kezia, Sam, Kate, and their issues. This was the storyline that I enjoyed reading (even if I didn’t like Kezia or her daughters). I enjoyed seeing Kezia and Sam’s relationship bloom from friendship to love.

I mentioned that I was not too fond of Kezia or her daughters. Kezia alone was fine. I enjoyed her interactions with Sam and seeing their relationship flourish. But when Kezia interacted with Kate or Felicity, two different sides came out. She was either a caring mother who equally loved both daughters, or she put Felicity up on a pedestal and flaunted it to Kate.

I didn’t have a really big opinion of Felicity. I thought it was a little icky that she was dating a man in his 30s and had been dating him for years (since she was in her late teens). Compared to Kate and Kezia, she was not as flushed out and came across as a little flat.

I couldn’t stand Kate. She rubbed me the wrong way. While I did feel bad for her (her birth father wanted nothing to do with her), she did have a great adoptive father who did everything for her. I can understand why she felt the odd one out, but it doesn’t excuse how she treated Kezia and Felicity throughout the book. Even after she returned from Africa, she was a douchecanoe. But, there was a slow shift in her attitude once she realized her boyfriend was only with her for the free ride (she had a trust fund and didn’t have to work). By the end of the book, she had a change of heart and attitude, but for me, it was too little too late.

The love angle of Never Too Late was pure Danielle Steel, which is why I didn’t give this book a 2-star rating. She knows how to write a love story, and she wrote this one in a way that I really enjoyed reading. You knew who was going to end up with how and possibly when. It was the in-between, the build-up that I enjoyed.

The end of Never Too Late was your typical HEA. I liked that everyone got an HEA. There was a character (coughKatecough) who I was firmly convinced would be bitter forever. So, I was surprised about that. I was also surprised at who she ended up with.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Delacorte Press, NetGalley, and Danielle Steel for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Never Too Late. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

jryberg's review

4.0

emotional hopeful medium-paced

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