NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In Danielle Steel’s gripping new novel, a reclusive woman opens up her home to her neighbors in the wake of a devastating earthquake, setting off events that reveal secrets, break relationships apart, and bring strangers together to forge powerful new bonds.Meredith White was one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces. But a personal tragedy cut her acting career short … cut her acting career short and alienated her from her family. For the last fifteen years, Meredith has been living alone in San Francisco with two trusted caretakers. Then, on a muggy late summer day, a massive earthquake strikes Northern California, plunging the Bay Area into chaos. Without a moment’s hesitation, Meredith invites her stunned and shaken neighbors into her mostly undamaged home as the recovery begins.
These people did not even realize that movie star Meredith White was living on their street. Now, they are sharing her mansion, as well as their most closely kept secrets. Without the walls and privacy of their own homes, one by one, new relationships are forged. For every neighbor there is a story, from the doctor whose wife and children fear him, to the beautiful young woman dating a dishonorable man, to the aspiring writer caring for a famous blind musician.
In the heart of the crisis, Meredith finds herself venturing back into the world. And thanks to the suspicions and the dogged detective work of a disaster relief volunteer, a former military officer named Charles, a shocking truth about her own world is exposed. Suddenly Meredith sees her isolation, her estranged family, and even her acting career in a whole new light.
Filled with powerful human dramas, Neighbors is a penetrating look at how our world can be upended in a moment. In a novel of unforgettable characters and stunning twists, acts of love and courage become the most powerful forces of all.
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Neighbors is the latest novel by Danielle Steel. It is a character driven story featuring Meredith White. I thought Neighbors was easy to read with a diverse cast of characters. Normally, I would object to so many characters in one book, but it works in this story. I did not find it hard to keep track of each one and their story. Meredith White was once a famous actress. Betrayal and a tragic accident changed the course of her life. Meredith retreated from the world with only two employees for company. She is estranged from her daughter which means she has not seen her only grandchild in about ten years. An earthquake changes Meredith’s life for the better. She opens the gates on the grounds of her home and welcomes her neighbors inside. The story moved along at a good pace, but I did feel there was too much repetition. A domestic abuse situation is described in detail (terrible violence). We see how it affects those involved as well as their close friends. I did feel that this took over the second half of the book. I did like how the author handled the subject. Romance is not the dominant part of the book which I appreciated. Neighbors is a good book to read on a lazy afternoon or rainy day. Neighbors is a book of love, danger, secrets, and hope.
Meredith is a reclusive famous actress, who lives protected under the watchful eyes of her staff. When an earthquake damages her neighbor’s homes, Meredith opens hers to them. They are all prominent people, yet strangers to each other. As the story twists and turns, the book shifts into an intriguing domestic thriller.
Interwoven with suspense, betrayal, friendship and romance, this fast moving plot is captivating. For such a short book, the characters are well developed and the multilayered plot wraps up seamlessly.
There’s a lot of mixed reviews about this author’s writing style (ie. redundancy, plot framework) But, I found the writing to be very enjoyable. There are many characters, so I appreciated the author’s reiteration of their back stories placed throughout the book. It saved me having to flip back and forth to remember who they were.
Surprisingly, this is my first Danielle Steel novel. But it definitely won’t be my last.
I really enjoyed this. It was set during a big earthquake in San Francisco where a famous actress who has been living as a recluse, takes her neighbors in and comes out of her shell. Wonderful story.
Neighbors by Danielle Steel is a genre romance, which is apparently Steel’s forte. This is not to say that reading it was not enjoyable. It was a romance so the reader knew how it would end. It was the journey and it was a great trip. Meredith White had been a movie star, a very bankable one. She had given that all up about 15 years earlier when he husband caused a scandal with another woman, and her son drowned. Since then she has been living holed up in her San Francisco home with only a husband a wife to live with and take care of her. She was estranged from her daughter, had been, really, since before the tragedies. She saw no one and only occasionally snuck out to attend a yoga class. She was never recognized. Then it happened: an 8.2 on the Richter Scale earthquake. Hers was the only block on the house that was stone, not wood frame, and so safer than the others. So she did the right thing. She took them in. She was enjoying herself for the first time in years. She like the commotion. She loved it all. Sad to say about an earthquake. She even went with a couple of the other women to volunteer at the shelter. It had been so long; she was happy again.
I read online that this trope is typical for Steel. I don’t care. I liked it. It taught several important lessons: don’t give up on life; don’t trust others with you life-follow up; include others in your life. Meredith was a good character. She was strong, resilient, although she had buried that for years, and supremely talented, in many different ways. She had been living so long without support that she had forgotten what it was like to depend on herself, not one people trying to take advantage of you. This was a surprising lesson considering she had probably been taken advantage of her entire life. The plot was not bad and had some extremely good subplots. All in all it was a terrific read. Happily ever after for most of the cast…those who deserved it, at least. I recommend it, especially if you are not a Steel fan because it won’t feel overdone.
I was invited to read Neighbors by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #neighbors
Book was okay. I have decided I am tired of Danielle Steele. Very repetitive. Says the day thing over and over.
Though somewhat predictable- it was enjoyable !
I really enjoyed reading this book.
i haven’t read Danielle Steel for a few years because it seemed as if the books were the same, just changing names but I enjoyed this book and story
Another excellent book by Danielle Steel! Meredith White used to be a well recognized face in Hollywood. A tragedy in her life cut her acting career short and she became estranged from her family. She has been living alone in San Francisco with two trusted caretakers. After a major earthquake hits the area she opens her home to her neighbors, none of whom ever realized that a once famous actress lived there. Not all is as it seems though as she finds out her two trusted caretakers are anything but. Great characters and an excellent story about reaching out and helping strangers and learning that not everyone is as they appear to be. I loved this book! Highly recommend!
I am a huge Danielle Steel fan but this book was so repetitive it was like she needed to fill pages and just rambled about things that were just discussed. I really would not recommend this book I quit reading it at chapter 2.5.
I received this book from NetGalley to read and review. I love Danielle Steel and have been reading her books for so long now.
I found this book to have an interesting premise. The main character goes through some horrible events in her life and becomes a recluse. In doing so she leaves herself open to being used and misused by people that she has hired to take care of her.
When another major event happens she is woken from herself and goes out to meet her neighbors and see if she can help. Since her home is the only one livable she invites the neighbors to live with her until the abodes are repaired and safe again.
So start the intertwining of people lives, loves, secrets and daily issues. As the neighbors grow closer they start to depend on each other more and more and the problems they all have start to surface.
Ride along as we follow these characters dealing with issues that some of us might now or have dealt with and how they overcome life on a daily basis.
I had never read anything from this author before. I thought the plot looked interesting so I picked it up and started reading. The characters in the book meet because of an earthquake and become fast friends and allies. The characters are rich and Danielle takes you through the depths of emotion with each one. It was woven together fantastically and will be a book I won’t soon forget. Not my normal genre, but a great book nonetheless. It was a quick, easy read that was like a cleansing of my palette.
Loved this book and could not put it down!
An Earthquake brings together a group of neighbors who don’t know each other A secluded actress and the couple that take care of her and her house, a orthopedic surgeon along with his wife and 2 children, a concert pianist and his caretaker, and a playbook and his latest flavor of the month. Each person has secrets that the others do not know about….but living together may bring them out, as well as make them more than just neighbors
Loved reading the engaging and enthralling story by the phenomenal author, Danielle Steel. After an earthquake, Meredith invites her neighbors to stay with her and builds lasting relationships with them. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, riveting storyline with captivating characters, and a must read story.
You think you know the people in your life but when an earthquake happens, things will change in the blink of an eye. Recluse, former actress Meredith has opened her house to her neighbors, mere strangers. There will be secrets, new friendship bonds and tearing relationships apart. This book does deal with spousal abuse. This was a book that I had a hard time putting down.
I love all of Danielle Steele’s books. I have been reading them for many years and have never been disappointed
I read it in two days. Again Danielle Steel has written another great one.
Neighbors is about a group of neighbors who come together in the home of a former actress after an earthquake in San Francisco. I loved how the author brought the characters together. As we learn about the characters we also learn of the many secrets that in the neighborhood. I enjoyed the heartwarming story and although sometimes I felt like it repeated some information overall this is a great story. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
4 1/2 STARS!
Danielle Steel is the queen of wrapping a group of characters around your heart and not letting go! With her latest release NEIGHBOR, Steel quickly delves into the past of an aging Hollywood recluse showcasing the personal tragedy that led her to close herself off from the world and into her elaborate mansion with only her trusted caretakers.
Meredith White may have been living life out of the spotlight for a decade and a half, but when an earthquake endangers her San Francisco neighborhood, she’s quick to offer up her home as a sanctuary to several displaced neighbors. We’re quickly thrust into a fast paced telling of recovery, healing and moving into the next stage of livelihood as turmoil thrives and forever friendships are forged. The characters are enchanting, the drama is spot on and the happily ever afters are well-deserved.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an interwoven story of friendship and life lessons with light romantic elements.
I an a fan of Danielle and read all her books.
A wonderful story of a reclusive Woman finding her way back to living her life after an earthquake
brings her to new friends, a relationship, a permanent parting with some estranged family and friends. A new meeting and relationship with other family, a reviving of her former career and what seems to be an awakening of other things around her.
This book was an absolute delight to read I really enjoyed the simplicity of it.
Thank you to Netgalley, Delacorte Press and the Author Danielle Steel for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.