You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
It was repetitive and predictable
I had never read a Danielle Steel book, but I bought this one from a local bookshop as a “Mystery Date With a Book” (it was wrapped in paper with a vague description on the outside so I didn’t know what I was buying.)
I have regrets.
There are some TV shows that you don’t really watch but it’s fine if they stay on in the background. This is the book equivalent of that. What I thought would be the climax comes and goes with no drama. There are absolutely no twists. Read the first 50 pages and predict the rest with ease. The auxiliary characters stories are all more interesting than the main character. It passes the time, I see why people read Steel in the airport. You can read it to pass time but when you get to where you’re going you can set it down and never look back because you’re so uninvested in the characters/story.
I guess I’m glad I broadened my reading horizons a little bit, but my instincts about how I would feel were spot on.
I have regrets.
There are some TV shows that you don’t really watch but it’s fine if they stay on in the background. This is the book equivalent of that. What I thought would be the climax comes and goes with no drama. There are absolutely no twists. Read the first 50 pages and predict the rest with ease. The auxiliary characters stories are all more interesting than the main character. It passes the time, I see why people read Steel in the airport. You can read it to pass time but when you get to where you’re going you can set it down and never look back because you’re so uninvested in the characters/story.
I guess I’m glad I broadened my reading horizons a little bit, but my instincts about how I would feel were spot on.
Not a usual romance book that you would expect from Steel, this book is more women’s fiction. Enjoyable read, great cast of characters, you will be drawn in from page 1. I found this a nice break from some of my darker reads. But it brought up Abuse...handled realistically, honestly.
I hate to add triggers because they are often spoilers but at the same time, sometimes hard issues are dealt with in realistic ways in novels..
Triggers: domestic abuse, death of a child
all in all, a really good read!
I hate to add triggers because they are often spoilers but at the same time, sometimes hard issues are dealt with in realistic ways in novels..
Triggers: domestic abuse, death of a child
all in all, a really good read!
Meredith White, a former Hollywood Actress and icon, has isolated herself from the world. After divorcing her cheating husband and experiencing the tremendous loss of her son, she rarely leaves her home. Estranged from her daughter, she has come to rely on Debbie and Jack. Debbie and Jack work for her and live in a guesthouse on her property. For all intents and purposes, they are her only friends. But are they really friends?
When a devastating earthquake hits, Meredith does the unthinkable. Her house having sustained the damage, she invites in her neighbors who have not been so lucky. I found the section of the book where the neighbors resided inside Meredith's house the most interesting. I liked learning more about the other characters, but wish Steel would have spent more time on the development. Once they returned to their own homes, the story went a bit downhill for me.
While the saga between Meredith and Jack & Debbie was interesting, it was not enough to build a large portion of the book around in my opinion. I feel like a lot of moving parts happened in the book, but there was not enough time spent showing how it got from point A to point B. For example, Peter and Ava being in a romantic relationship. How did that happen? It would have been nice to read about that journey so that it was more believable.
All in all, I believe the book was good, but not great. Would this particular book make me want to read more of Danielle Steel's books? No. Probably not her best, just wasn't inspired enough.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of "Neighbors" by Danielle Steel in exchange for an honest review.
When a devastating earthquake hits, Meredith does the unthinkable. Her house having sustained the damage, she invites in her neighbors who have not been so lucky. I found the section of the book where the neighbors resided inside Meredith's house the most interesting. I liked learning more about the other characters, but wish Steel would have spent more time on the development. Once they returned to their own homes, the story went a bit downhill for me.
While the saga between Meredith and Jack & Debbie was interesting, it was not enough to build a large portion of the book around in my opinion. I feel like a lot of moving parts happened in the book, but there was not enough time spent showing how it got from point A to point B. For example, Peter and Ava being in a romantic relationship. How did that happen? It would have been nice to read about that journey so that it was more believable.
All in all, I believe the book was good, but not great. Would this particular book make me want to read more of Danielle Steel's books? No. Probably not her best, just wasn't inspired enough.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of "Neighbors" by Danielle Steel in exchange for an honest review.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
I decided to give Danielle Steel another try! Last mistake I will ever make regarding this author. I use to devour her novels back in the 80's and 90's. This is nothing like the stuff she used to write. If I had to read one more time about how the main character loved to garden in the hot sun I thought I was going to scream. The descriptions of what people were wearing or their history seemed to be written by a 10 year old. Not impressed...When you have to write that someone was wearing a black dress and had breathtaking cleavage, you know it's time to put down the pen! So not impressed. If you're looking for a good read, give this a skip and read something else. Now, how do I get those hours back.
I liked the storyline, but I felt like the narration of character backgrounds and thoughts got repetitive
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes