I simply can not believe I am going to say this but this book gets zero stars and a DNF.
I have read ALL of DS ‘s books and for the most part, have always enjoyed them.
But after 25% of this book, I could not believe how dumb it was. And I just could not go on.
Thank you to NetGalley

Unfortunately I could not even finish this book. I really enjoyed the first chapter but by the second chapter all sense of realism was gone and it was just too much. Imagine a stranger showing up to your doorstep at midnight who had just fallen off a cliff—and then making love to them twice. Way over the top!

This is a very dark book, not resembling the Steel books I generally enjoy. I couldn’t identify with the protagonist and I couldn’t engage with the plot.

Charles is an incredibly unhappy man who uses the opportunity of a car accident to reshape his life. Honestly, I found him cowardly and despicable since there are many other ways to deal with unhappiness.

I think Steel fans will find this book disappointing. I always seek charm. I’m willing to ignore some of the unlikely events, but this was too much for me.

Thank you Netgalley.

This book came at a perfect time in my life as I may have been dreaming recently of giving it all up and disappearing for awhile Charles has just been getting by in life, working only for the sake of his wife's demanding lifestyle and not experiencing a lot of joy for himself. A random opportunity presents itself and he makes a rash decision to start a new. lots of twists and turns in this one!

I enjoy her books because they are quick reads and enjoyable. Without a trace is about toxic relationships, selfish spouses, abusive ex-spouses and second changes. Was a bit slow paced but still wanted to find out how it turned out. thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for a review.

Without A Trace
Danielle Steel
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Danielle I feel like stepped out of her comfort zone on this book, but it 100% was one of the best works I’ve read. Finished in one setting and definitely kept me intrigued from the absolute beginning…. I feel like doing the exact same thing this guy did sometimes!!!

Have you ever wanted to just disappear from your life? This is a story of a man who did just that... up and decided to disappear from his life. I did find the storyline interesting, but at the same time I did wonder if the plot was really possible. You will fall in love with the characters and enjoy this story!

It's like I have amnesia when I see Danielle Steel's name and I forget how meh the last book was, and the book before that, etc. This one was okay but it needs some heavy editing done and it could have been told in probably half the amount of pages. It felt like the same formulaic and cliché book you're used to, complete with a masochistic bad guy and other underdeveloped/unrealistic characters and an insta love story. Your grandma will probably enjoy it.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Without a Trace is Danielle Steel's latest, upcoming release. As I have said before, I am a HUGE fan of her work and she is one of the first romance authors I remember reading.

Filling stuck in a stressful job and a loveless marriage, Charlie Vincent's life feels stagnate until turning upside down after a car crash. Embracing the idea to vanish without a trace, Charlie realizes that love not money matters.

Unfortunately, I didn't love this book. I felt like something was missing and I struggled to finish it. I am sure others will love it, but this one wasn't for me.

Without a Trace by Danielle Steel Family drama with toxic relationships, selfish spouses, and abusive ex-spouses, second chances, and a new lease of on life with a new love. The pace was extremely slow due to the repetitious text, with very little depth to the characters. Not a favorite from Ms. Steel for me.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

This Danielle Steel book was amazing and was so good! Charlie’s life wasn’t the greatest till his car ran over a cliff and he decided he wanted to really live his life. Family drama, a very selfish wife, new love and a new leash on life mixed in with some great action at the end. This was such an amazing story about being true to yourself. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this great ARC!! #WITHOUTATRACE

Danielle Steel is one of my favorite authors for quick, entertaining, escapist reading. This latest offering fits that description – I was engaged from the start and read it in one day.

Charles Vincent (aka Charlie) is in a loveless marriage with a woman only interested in his ability to support her lavish, indulgent lifestyle. While he is devoted to his children, they are now grown and moving on with their lives. His career, while lucrative, provides no real satisfaction. In essence, he is a man trapped by the very circumstances he has created and feels something is sorely lacking.

When he miraculously survives a horrific accident, Charlie takes time to sort out his values and priorities in a remote cabin on the Normandy coast. His mangled car is discovered and he is presumed dead – vanished without a trace. It is the perfect opportunity to reinvent himself and rediscover his passion for life, which includes a relationship with Aude, a beautiful, caring artist who nurses him back to health. As Charlie clarifies the simplicity that he seeks, he realizes he needs to return to his former life to settle matters in order to truly be free. The storyline has added dimension with Aude’s history of an abusive ex-spouse who resurfaces and threatens their fledgling happiness.

I enjoyed both Charlie and Aude, the two main characters, and feel they are believable and relatable (in spite of the trappings of wealth). The emotional landscape portrays universal wants and needs. This is not a profoundly moving story; it is simply solid entertainment and perfect for a weekend or vacation read.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

I am a long time fan of Danielle Steel and enjoy the quick reads to enjoy on a lazy weekend afternoon. However, “Without a Trace” has to be one of my least favorite DS books I've read. The story centers around a successful, but unhappy husband who chooses to allow his family to believe he was dead (totally selfish) and his young love interest with whom he jumps into bed with the SAME night following a car accident where he goes over a cliff into the sea. If you can believe that, then perhaps you can believe other parts of the story that had me shaking my head. Add to the mix, an escaped murderer, whom the police didn't think to notify the ex-wife…nor stake out her house… It just didn’t work. I appreciate the advance copy and will continue to read Danielle Steel because when she's good, she's really good. Best this book be left behind “without a trace.”

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

This. Book. Is. Awful. I don't say that lightly. I try to be as fair as I can because I realize how hard it is to put a book out and let the world see a piece of your work. But some books should not be written or published and this is one of them. Steel has been skating by for at least 15 years being one of the top authors in the US and this book is a prime example. Why? Let me tell you.

First, the whole plot hinges on a man driving off of a cliff and walking for over an hour while marginally injured. Already off to a rocky start, but sure, we'll go with it. He manages to stumble upon the house of a gorgeous younger woman living on the outskirts of town who opens up the door and lets said injured, bloody man in. A little hinky, but okay, I'll let it slide. Within hours they're intimate. Not long later we discover she is a victim of domestic violence and her ex-husband is in prison for murdering her last boyfriend eight years before. And THAT'S where I said, "this wouldn't happen." No person with a history of domestic violence like that is going to up and let a strange man into her home. She is for sure not going to sleep with him hours later. So from then on, I am just reading in a rage because it's simply SO implausible. But it gets WORSE. After this random hookup, the man is so enamored with this gorgeous younger woman that he lets his family think he is dead for MONTHS. There's more, but that's the gist of this novel.

If the plot wasn't bad enough, the characters of this book are just...I don't even know. First, they aren't likable. They don't read as real people. They're the same stereotypes Steel loves to use. Gorgeous young blonde. The icy older wife who is money hungry. Poor, put upon rich white guy. There wasn't a single character of substance in this book. Plus, the main character, Charles is a garbage human. Anyone who can let their children think he is dead for months is no hero. The fact that Steel thought she could make him the hero of this book shows how out of touch she is.

All in all, this leads me to my point. I used to love a DS book. She wrote some really, really strong character-driven books that kept me enthralled. That has changed, however. I don't know who her ghostwriter is or if she's just winging it now, but the books she puts out now feel like afterthoughts. They're always repetitive, vapid, and silly. Even if they are about serious subjects the impact of the storytelling is missing. It honestly makes me angry because I know there are probably some incredible authors out there looking to publish books that will knock us out of the park but they won't get the chance because DS has such power in the publishing world. This book is drivel, and it's taking up space in a competitive market just because of the author, and that author is no longer doing work that is worthy of being published.

I loved it. Suspenseful and romantic story. I couldn't pur it down. How many times have we ever thought about a redo on life. Come on we all have one time or another. When all circumstances align would you take the opportunity for the redo? Danielle steel has made me think what if.... would I or wouldn't I? I'm sure you will enjoy this page- turner as I did. And I'll never tell if I would or wouldn't.

Danielle Steel is one of the most consistent authors of this generation. I started reading Without a Trace synopsis unread. I was not disappointed. The story of Charles, a moral man with a money and prestige hungry wife, He spent years of his life in a job he hated and a marriage that was demoralizing. The story brings to light the lengths he went to to honor his commitment to her and their family. A near fatal crash on a dark and winding road changed everything. In a flash, Charlie learned what was and wasn’t important. Charlie literally and figuratively walks away from everything and everyone he’s known in order to find happiness and ultimately, true love. This story has everything….characters that will make you feel a wide range of emotions, suspense and an unexpected adrenaline inducing last chapter. Escapism at its finest.

Charles’ life before his accident sounded so horrible I would have wanted out of it, too. It seemed a little far fetched that he climbed/walked away from the accident with cuts and bruises and then when he spends the weekend with Aude I was a little surprised. Doesn’t Aude know not to let strange men into her home in the middle of the woods at night? But lucky/unlucky for her, Charles isn’t the psycho in her life. There are definitely parts of the story that are unexpected and those parts make you want to keep reading. Overall, it’s a good book with lots of twists and turns.

I am a longtime Danielle Steel fan and was excited to be gifted this ARC! In this story, Charlie has been married for several years to his wife, who seems to appreciate his money more than him. He is also unhappy with his job. One night, he falls asleep at the wheel and goes over a cliff. He manages to survive. He makes his way to a cottage and meets Aude. She helps him recover and they begin a relationship. At home, he is pronounced dead and his family moves on without him, with his wife trying to find a new husband and more money. Charlie realizes he doesn't have to go home and back to the life where he was unhappy. But, circumstances occur that may affect that decision.

Steel's writing was impeccable as always. Her ability to tell a story and create rich characters is almost unparalleled. This book not only questions the ethics of Charlie's decisions, but that of his wife's, although the way his wife behaves is not that uncommon. I do not support Charlie's choices. He had other options, even though I know that he did not feel as though he could find another job or leave his wife. Letting his kids think he was dead was horrific The story became more interesting when the danger element kicked in and Steel is always excellent when she adds in action plots.

Overall, this wasn't my favorite of Steel's books, but that was because of Charlie's actions, not due to the writing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Danielle Steel did it again with this new book Without a Trace. I was immediately got sucked in with the characters. Charlie seems to have it all, wife, 2 children good job, but nothings is really right. All his wife wants is money and status. Charlie is driving to their/her chateau on a winding coastal road. He falls asleep goes off the cliff and somehow survives. Battered, bruised and bleeding he manages to climb the cliff and find help. He found a cottage with the lights on. A woman, Aude, who lived in the cottage took him in. They immediately had an attraction to each other. He decided to hide from his life and stay with her. Aude had a past life that she was hiding from. One day life catches up with them both and everything changes.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to review Without a Trace.

So here we go.. I enjoy Danielle Steel because they are quick reads and typically all the same, which sometimes can be comforting.

While I enjoyed this book, I just thought it wasn't very well written. Get this woman an editor. If all the repetitive text (which is considerable) was removed, the story could be distilled down to 80 pages. Ms. Steel's writing style is more copy and paste than anything else. What could have been an interesting novel is bogged down with the same text (paraphrased only slightly) over and over again.

I liked the story though.. so I don't know lol