Cover Image: Without a Trace

Without a Trace

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Member Reviews

This was yet another engaging Danielle Steel book! It was intriguing and captivating. A must read for fans of her writing!

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Without a Trace" is a novel by Danielle Steel. It tells the story of Charles and Annabelle Harrington, a wealthy and successful couple living in San Francisco. Their lives are turned upside down when their beloved son, Alex, mysteriously disappears without a trace. As they grapple with their grief and search for answers, they uncover shocking secrets that threaten to tear their family apart. With its blend of suspense, drama, and emotional depth, "Without a Trace" is a gripping tale of love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit.

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I love all her books with the twists and turns of her stories. This was a very suspenseful read. Well Done Danielle Steel!

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It was bound to happen.
I mean you can be a fabulous amazing author and make millions of people happy with your novels - even DS junkies that will read ANYTHING you put out - but there will be one book that the reader comes across that they don't care for. For me, it was this one. I feel that there were so many missed opportunities to make this story juicy - would have LOVED for a comeuppance for the scandalous money sucker wife/exwife and for the greedy toy maker boss. The resolution to Aude's kidnapping was pretty quick and while violent, it was pretty blah. I still adore Danielle Steel and will continue to read everything that she publishes - but this is one is def not a fave at all. Nergalley gifted me a digital copy of WIthout a Trace. All opinions are my own.

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This was an intriguing book, one that really made me stop and think about what Charles did and how I felt about it, how I felt about him. The author did such a great job at creating his character in such a way that the reader got to know him, got to see a side of him that maybe the reader was reluctant to feel because of his actions. I still do not approve or understand, but it did make an interesting read. Parts were a bit drawn out and repetitive, and Aude’s past seemed too too much, too extreme, yet overall was an interesting and compelling read.

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A quick read/short book. A lot of repetitiveness and happenings that didn’t line up on the time frame. I struggled with all the French names and their story/background. Disappointed. Felt rushed. Characters were brought to life but felt pushed onto my lap. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group -Ballantine for ARC read

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Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Without a Trace by Danielle Steel. I haven’t read anything by Steel since I was in high school. The premise follows a man named Charles who is unhappy with the state of his life and gets the opportunity to sort of start over. While it might be a selfish one, this is one of my favorite tropes. That alone made this book a good read.

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Without a Trace by Danielle Steel is a quick read about a man who is given the chance to walk away from everything and create the life he truly wants, but will he?

The first 1/4 was quick and action-packed, and the next 1/4 was a bit slower. Halfway in, there is an interesting twist that recaptures the reader's interest. The end of the book was pretty predictable but still enjoyable.

I would give this book 3.5 stars if that was an option. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

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If you could start over for a chance at happiness, would you take it? This story around Charles Vincent. After surviving what should have been his death, he finds himself in love with Aud. But both of them have pasts that need to be dealt with if they hope for a future together.

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This was a really good book. I read it in one day, I just couldn't put it down! I definitely would recommend this book.

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If given the chance would you walk away from it all and start all over for a chance at happiness? Well Charles has been given this opportunity, but the question is should he take it? Stuck for most of his life in unhappy jobs and marriage Charles meets Aud and she could change it all. The two will have to deal with what comes after choices are made and can't be taken back. The queen of writing life drama does it again. If you have ever thought what if or should I? give this title a read.

Thanks to Netgalley and pubsliher for allowing me to review.

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This was the first Danielle Steele I’ve enjoyed in awhile. Can you start over? Charles thought he could. The little twists in the story kept me going. I highly recommend this one!

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Another outstanding story by Danielle Steel when a businessman Charles Vincent seems to have it all a beautiful wife, two successful children and a well paying career. But for him happiness is out of reach. Trapped in a loveless marriage and his job is just a paycheck he hates. On fateful night everything changes forever while driving home along the Normandy coast on the way to their chateau for the weekend. Charles falls asleep at the wheel plunging thirty feet down the face of a rocky cliff. After gathering his courage to climb to safety he manages to walk bruised and bloody desperate for help. He happens upon a cabin where he meets Aude Saint-Martin. Their connection is instant and she nurses him back to health and Charles starts to have feelings for her with a passion he’s been missing for years. Charles decides he doesn’t want to go back to his real life with his family and stay with Aude. It Aude has secrets of her own too a abusive ex-husband who is supposed to be in jail for murder but when she calls the prison she finds out he escaped and she knows he’s coming after her. While Charles goes back to his old life so he can be with his kids Audi’s ex finds her and takes her with him bound and gagged to a cabin far in the national forest where nobody could find them but Charles hires a private investigator to find her. Once they find her the cops shot her ex and she is finally free Charles takes her back with him to make a life together once he settles his divorce.

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This book is written in a very different style for Danielle Steel. While I didn’t love some of the choices made by the characters, I found the storyline more intriguing than many of her other recent books. This is not a story that I could easily identify with the main character, which is something I find about a lot of the books I enjoy. However, it was a book that grabbed me from the beginning and took me on a journey to read.

In this story, we follow a man, Charlie, who is unhappy in his marriage to Isabelle. Charlie is unexpectedly “given” an opportunity to step away from his current life, his business and his fortune, and finds that his new life is better, or so he thinks. Until he finds that his new love interest has a past of her own.

I can’t imagine being in a loveless marriage like Charlie’s, but for the purpose of reading for entertainment, this fit the bill nicely. There was just the right amount of suspense to keep me wondering what would happen next. Without a Trace definitely broke the mold, so to speak, when it comes to the formulaic books written by Danielle Steel. It is worth the read, especially if you’ve read Danielle Steel’s books before and want something different, or have read her books and didn’t love them in the past!

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A big thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I found this to be an interesting different book. Ms. Steel does it again. 4 star

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Very good women’s fiction book ! This is about a man who is in a car accident on the way home from work. He survives the accident and stumbles upon a house. Aude takes him in and nurses him back to health. With two grown children and a wife who barely notices him, he decides to turn back and return to Aude. What would you do if you were given a chance to do it over? Once again, Steele writes a great novel set in France about chances, good fortune, and decisions

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I absolutely loved this story and the atmospheric setting. Steele has a mighty narrative talent.
Many thanks to Random House and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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If you had the chance, would you check out of your current life and live another one?
Charles had a charmed life- so it seemed. He had a great job, he was wealthy, Paris apartment and estate in the country, beautiful socialite wife. His two children were successful in their own careers and lived away. These should be the best years of his life. Yet his wife, who is from a wealthy background, wants more and more and more. Weekends at the country mansion consist of entertaining her socialite friends. Not exactly a relaxing weekend for him.

On a Friday evening, trying to make it to the country in time for dinner, Charles drives his car off a cliff. Miraculously, he survives with minor injuries. He is taken in by a village woman who cares for him. How does Charles re-enter life after a period of time?

Don't mis this intriguing story!

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Without a Trace, by Danielle Steel, is an interesting story, to say the least. Charles Vincent, has a life that many people would want. But he doesn’t see to have an ounce of happiness and he doesn’t think things are going to get better. He is no longer in love with his wife and he works to make money for her and she is never happy. One night on his way to their chateaux, he falls asleep and his car goes into the water. He somehow survives this horrific crash and gets back to the road. While walking for help he finds the cabin of Aude Saint-Martin. She takes him and helps him recuperate. Charles starts to think he doesn’t have to go home. They will find his car and assume he is dead. He could stay with Aude and start a new life. But Aude has her own secrets. The comfortable life they start to create, has to many secrets. Something has to give. This story seemed pretty far fetched. I have read so many books by Danielle Steel and just couldn’t get into this one. It was a quick read and it won’t be my last book by the author. I love a good old Danielle Steel novel. I gave this one 3 stars. I want to thank Netgalley and the author for my copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this book.. What were your thoughts?

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This is an author that I have been reading for many, many years. One of the things I enjoyed about this author is her writing skills. She is able to create a story that is fast paced and pulls you in the characters world. This book is no different. This is a well developed story where the characters bring the story to life. They pulled me into their world with ease and kept me there until the end. A story that will make you question if you had a chance to have a blank slate, a do over with life, what would you chose to do. Charles and Aude are faced with just that. Secrets and pasts that come crashing into the present, you don't want to miss what happens. I enjoyed what they added to the story. Their twists and turns are like no other, page turning for sure. I loved reading this book. I highly recommend this book and this author.

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