Tag: Danielle Steel

Never Too Late by Danielle Steel

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Delacorte Press

Date of publication: March 5th, 2024

Genre: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Adult, Womens Fiction, Adult Fiction

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

An act of terror. A summer of change . . .

Never Too Late is a stirring drama about the power of human connection and embracing brave change, from the billion copy bestseller, Danielle Steel.

Following the death of her beloved husband, Kezia Cooper Hobson decides to leave her home in San Francisco and move to a luxury penthouse in Manhattan, where she’ll be closer to her two adult daughters.

As she watches the 4th July firework display from her terrace, Kezia is shocked to see smoke and flames pouring from famous landmarks across New York City. Her neighbour, the famous movie star Sam Stewart, is also aware of the crisis, and watches in horror as the terrifying drama unfolds.

Determined to offer their assistance, Kezia and Sam hasten to the site and swiftly become involved in the rescue effort. Shocked and traumatized by the events they experience, Kezia and Sam bond in the days and weeks that follow one of the worst nights the country has ever known.

What follows is a summer of healing and change, and the discovery that it’s never too late for dreams to be born again . . .

First Line:

Kezia Cooper Hobson flew from San Fransisco to New York in first class, with four big suitcases that held the last of her things she was bringing to New York.

Never Too Late by Danielle Steel

Important details about Never Too Late

Pace:  Slow

POV: 3rd person (Sam, Kezia, Felicity, Kate)

Trigger Warnings: Never Too Late contains themes that include terrorism, adoption, adult-minor relationships, alcohol consumption, dead bodies & body parts, death of a parent, death of a spouse, grief & loss depiction, building collapse, explosions, gun violence, and murder & attempted murder.

Language: Never Too Late contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is mild sexual content in Never Too Late.

Setting: Never Too Late is set in New York City, New York. A couple of chapters are set in Southern Africa and one in France.

My Review

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.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Never Too Late, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Danielle Steel

Mini-Reviews: The Doom of Odin, The Ball at Versailles On the Plus Side, The Second Duke’s a Charm, and Public Anchovy #1

I very rarely do mini reviews. My main reason is because I love doing in depth reviews. But, in this case, I got very behind with my reviews. I had planned on being caught up by Christmas but then everyone in my family (including myself) got the flu. I was in bed for four days and couldn’t function until yesterday. So, being behind a couple of reviews snowballed into six. But, I am feeling better now and I decided the best way to catch up was mini reviews. So, here they are!!

The Doom of Odin by Scott Oden

This was an interesting book to read. I enjoyed that it heavily featured Norse mythology and used Norse gods and goddesses. The Doom of Odin was a bloody, violent book. While it wasn’t a put-off to me, it might be to some other people. The storyline was interesting but could be a bit hard to follow. But overall, this was a good, interesting book to read.

The Ball at Versailles by Danielle Steel

The Ball at Versailles is your typical Danielle Steel novel. It has drama, intrigue, and a healthy sprinkling of love and loss. I enjoyed reading the book and liked that the author featured four different girls (even if they were from similar backgrounds). I did find the end a little too typical, but hey, it is a Danielle Steel book. The endings are supposed to be nice!!

On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe

I loved this book. The author created a character that made me laugh and cry simultaneously. The author wrote a thoughtful note explaining the character’s relationship with her mother and apologized if it was triggering. The situations that Everly found herself in on the show horrified and amused me. And the ending was perfect!!

Second Duke’s the Charm by Kate Bateman

Kate Bateman is an auto purchase author for me. So, when I saw that she had a new series starting, I couldn’t wait to read it. This book lived up to my expectations. There was romance, a little bit of intrigue, and sexual tension that came off the pages.

Public Anchovy #1 by Mindy Quigley

I wasn’t sure about this book when I first started reading it. But, as the book went on and the mystery was revealed, I liked it. The author did a great job of keeping who the murderer was up in the air. I am usually good at figuring things out, and I was surprised at who the killer was and what the motive was behind the killings. I could have done without the romance (it seemed forced).

Fairytale by Danielle Steel

Fairytale: A Novel by [Danielle Steel]

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Date of publication: October 10th 2017

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Romance, Drama

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Alibris | IndieBound | Indigo |Audible | Walmart eBook

Format Read In: eBook

Where Did I Get Fairytale: Library via Overdrive

Trigger Warning: Mild violence, attempted sexual assault, death of a parent, grief, cancer

Goodreads Synopsis:

Camille Lammenais has grown up in the beauty of the Napa Valley, surrounded by acres of her family’s vineyards. Her parents, Christophe and Joy, still deeply in love after two decades of marriage, have built a renowned winery and château modeled after Christophe’s ancient family estate in his native Bordeaux. Camille has had a perfect childhood, safe in her parents’ love. After graduating from Stanford, she returns to help manage Château Joy, her lifetime goal. But their fairytale ends suddenly with her mother’s death from cancer.

Six months after losing his wife, the devastated Christophe is easy prey for a mysterious, charming Frenchwoman visiting the valley. The Countess de Pantin is the essence of Parisian seductiveness and sophistication. Within weeks they are a clandestine couple, making love like teenagers, glowing with their secret. Camille, still grieving for her mother, is shocked by the news that her father intends to remarry. Then she begins to see past the alluring looks, designer clothes, and elegant manners of the countess, while her innocent father is trapped in her web.

When tragedy strikes again, Camille is at her stepmother’s mercy, and that of the two evil stepbrothers who appear. Camille needs to fight—first for her legacy, and then for her very life. But as she grapples with the plots being carried out against her, the countess’s elderly, kind, clever mother becomes her only ally, and a childhood friend emerges as a prince worthy of any fairytale.

First Impressions:

When I was browsing my library (virtually, of course) and saw that Fairytale was available for takeout, I was excited. My grandmother introduced me to Danielle Steel when I was a tween. She had a vast collection of her early works and was more than happy to share them with me. So, I had to take this book out and read it.

I was a little taken aback by the lack of dialogue in the first half of the book. While it was beautifully written, I wanted to see some verbal interactions between Camille, Christophe, and Joy.

The characters came across as flat. I couldn’t connect to Joy, Christophe, or Camille. That frustrated me because I wanted to connect but couldn’t.

Going into the middle of the book, I got bored and put the book down for 2-3 days. I debated on continuing. I decided since I had already read 1/2 the book, then I will continue reading it.

Mid-Book Impressions:

The middle of the books starts with Christophe meeting Maxine. I knew what she was the minute she came into the picture. A gold digger and I knew her true colors would come out as soon as they got married.

They did, oh boy, did they. Maxine dropped her act with Camille as soon as she said her vows. She was trying to separate and alienate Christophe from Camille, and it almost worked.

I will say that the book did get better when Maxine brought her mother over from France. I loved her!! She brought much-needed laughter and light to an otherwise depressing part of the book.

I wish that Camille had more of a backbone. She let her stepbrothers, Maxine and Cesar, run rampant all over her. There were parts of the book where I was shaking my head in disbelief. Of course, it only amped up after Christophe died and left Camille his sole heir.

There was a lag in the middle of the book, and it almost derailed it. I also found that there was a lot of unnecessary repeating of events. I wouldn’t say I liked that there was an emphasis on how evil and bad Maxine’s sons were. It kept being driven home. After the 4th or 5th time, I was like, “Stop; I get it. They’re evil jerks.”

End of Book Impressions:

The last half of Fairytale was challenging for me to finish. I will admit, I skimmed over some parts. I couldn’t wrap my head around a woman being pushed around the way Camille was. I mean, she was forced out of her house and into a freaking horse barn, and she allowed it!!!! I wanted to reach through the book, shake her, and tell her to be assertive. Uggh.

The Cinderella angle of the book came into play during the last half of the book. I was looking forward to seeing how that played out. I was sorely disappointed. There were 3-4 (maybe a couple of more) chapters with Camille in the Cinderella role. Such a disappointment!!

The end of Fairytale was predictable and boring. The minute that Camille decided to go to the Harvest Ball, I figured something would happen. I also figured who was involved. But I didn’t figure the surprise twist. That took me by surprise because it came out of nowhere.

My Overall Thoughts on Fairytale:

While I am a fan of Danielle Steel, I was not too fond of this book. The book seemed hastily written with a lot of repeating of unnecessary scenes/dialogue. The characters came across as flat and two-dimensional. They got into predictable situations that had predictable outcomes. The Cinderella angle of the book was short and kept to only a few chapters.

I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book. There is sex but it isn’t graphic. There is an attempted sexual assault (not graphic) and talk of elder abuse.