This was just an absolutely lovely book! I really enjoyed the character development throughout the story. It's a perfect weekend read.

I loved the arcs that so many characters go through. Everyone has their own piece of the story, and it was wonderful to see how the MC, Meredith interacts with each of them. There is pretty severe domestic violence, so please be aware of that.

Overall, this was a wonderful read!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Every new Danielle Steel book is better than her last.

Neighbors is set in San Francisco, and tells the story of Meredith White, a former actress who now lives in recluse with her caretakers. After an earthquake makes her neighbor's homes uninhabitable, Meredith invites them to live with her and now becomes involved in their lives. She also discovers that behind closed doors, everyone has their own stories. One neighbor beats his wife and his children live in fear of him, another neighbor is blind and has live in help, a third is a single man who has no interest in marriage, and goes through women like water.

Meredith also meets Charles, who has gone around to make sure that all the homes are now inhabitable. Their friendship turns to romance, and Charles helps her get rid of her current caretakers, who are stealing from her and becomes a savior to one of her neighbors and her children. He also is her support when dealing with her estranged daughter and her actress granddaughter who wants to star with her in her next film.

A great story that shows that the family that we are born in may not be the family that supports and loves us as we age.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

There is just something about a Danielle Steel book. Especially in winter. Her books are perfect for a cold day in front of the fire with a warm drink and comfy blanket. And that is exactly what I did and read this book pretty much all day.

In Neighbors we meet Meredith. A woman in self isolation (perfect for 2020, right?) who’s life is passing her by while she misses her daughter, is robbed blind by her live-in help and she withers until tragedy strikes. An earthquake hits her neighborhood of San Francisco and while her luxurious mansion is intact her neighbors are not so lucky. So Meredith does the only logical thing and invites them to stay while they get their lives in order.

I found this story so compelling. The characters are so interesting and, well, real. I loved how with every new person Meredith meets she grows some herself. Especially one older gentleman that may bring something a bit more than friendship.

I have always loved Danielle Steel and it is hard to believe this woman still has so many stories in her back pocket.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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.

One tragic incident leaves Meredith a recluse. Throw in Mother Nature. Which leads Meredith to invite her neighbors to her home. Bring in the drama that comes from neighbors and different personalities.

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.

This book was a pleasant distraction. If you're expecting the usual Danielle Steel story, this book isn't it. I was so delighted by that. I've read so many of her books, they are all good, but they tend to follow the same recipe after awhile. This book was so refreshing to read.

Meredith White, a leading Hollywood movie star, goes into seclusion after a tragic loss. Her husband betrays her on set with a younger, newly discovered actress and the scandal rocks her two young children in San Francisco while he's living on the East Coast. Later that year, when her 14 year old son, Justin, dies in a boating accident while he's spending time with her soon-to-be ex husband, what's left of Meredith's reality dies. She has two care takers who live on her property who take care of her every need from then on; making it easy for her to become a recluse.

The couple she's living with are two con-men disguised as a husband and wife, Debbie and Jack. They met when they were both arrested years ago and have been skimming off of her accounts and stealing precious valuables from her for the last 15 years. When a big earthquake hits San Francisco, Meredith decides to open up her home to her a few of her wealthy neighbors who are now homeless. It's also the first time she's felt alive in years.

Three different couples/families end up living with Meredith, slowly taking away Jack and Debbie's control of her and her home. Each couple has a story of their own and is unique. A famous, blind pianist and his aide, an abusive doctor, his meek wife and two kids, and a big tech billionaire with his current girl.

While Meredith regains her independence through these people, she has finds a love interest in a retired pilot/security specialist Charles when he comes by her home to check for damages after the earthquake.

When Debbie starts making trouble trying to get rid of the guests and her new friends, only an outsider can see her deceit.

A lovely story. A must read!

There are certain authors that a reader can always count on to provide them with a great read. Danielle Steel is definitely one of those authors. This story about an iconic actress that goes into seclusion with only her live-in housekeepers for companionship after her husband betrays her and her son dies. The emotional journey of rising to assist neighbors after an earthquake was beautifully written. I love that Ms. Steel's books are character driven.

Neighbors by Danielle Steel had all the perfect elements to keep the reader absolutely enthralled —- family drama, long held secrets revealed, financial intrigue, weather events, mental health issues, and relatable characters. Seriously, this is a book that you will start and finish all in the same day. Carve out some time so you are ready!

A unspeakable tragedy causes a well known actress, Meredith, to retreat into her San Francisco mansion for fifteen years. The only contact Meredith has with the outside world is through her trusted caretakers. Then a 8.2 magnitude earthquake strikes the city and massive destruction is wrought. Meredith opens her home and heart to eight of her neighbors. You soon find out that her neighbors have various issues that could be resolved if Meredith chooses to help come out of her shell. But, underneath that seemingly simple plot, so much more comes to light.

As per usual, Steel provides an excellent storytelling with a few twists and a satisfying conclusion to much of the family turmoil. She tells this story with grace and true empathy. There is a richness and a joy that leaps off of the pages despite the heavy topic of domestic abuse, loss of trust from those closest to you, and forgiveness from past hurts. Meredith created a world where people felt loved and her beautiful house was a warm embrace and refuge to those in need.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books in exchange for my honest review on Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

Danielle Steel books are always great for a relaxing read. This was such an entertaining read, I loved the idea of Meredith opening her house to her neighbors after the earthquake and their houses need structural work. I'm not one to give away any spoilers, so I'll just say that all the neighbors have drama in their lives and Meredith is the rock that supports them to find their way.

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Meredith White lives in San Francisco, she was at one time a huge movie star. However after the divorce from her husband you chose a younger woman along with the death of her 14 year old son in a boating accident, she has become a recluse. Rarely leaving the house, Meredith relies on her two housekeepers Debbie and Jack.

Debbie and Jack are not the best housekeepers. Known for skimming money off the top of purchases they make for Meredith, along with moving pricey items in her house to their living quarters, they take advantage of her without her knowledge. It isn't until an earthquake and taking in the neighbors does Debbie and Jack realize they might lose everything as Meredith begins to live life again.

This book started off a bit slow for me. I understand background information was being set up, but it seemed repetitive and slow moving. However the book gets better after the earthquake.

Danielle Steel does it again! I love a good character driven novel and that’s how this one read. I was absolutely drawn in and the book really held my attention.

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

I have to admit that I haven't read a Danielle Steel book in a long time. I received an ARC of this book and I felt like the sentences were very choppy - hopefully that was all edited before the final version hits the shelves, but overall I liked this book.

This is the story of a bunch of people with their own problems who just happen to be neighbors. Meredith is a 60 something year old former actress who quit at the top of her game when her own life imploded. Her husband left her for another woman he was having an affair with and her 14 year old son died tragically while in her ex-husband's care. This depression pushed her into being a recluse and it just evolved into staying that way for the next 14 years.

One night a strong earthquake hit San Francisco and Meredith's house was the only one that remained inhabitable. She went out into the streets to see if anyone needed help and that's the first time she met her neighbors - an orthopedic surgeon along with his wife and two pre-teen children; a world famous concert pianist and his male assistant; a billionaire tech startup and his "girl toy" and the 40ish year old couple that has been taking care of Meredith's house.

It was interesting to see friendships develop among all these people and even to learn what secret each of them was hiding. By the end, I was rooting for most of them to find their happily ever after.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.

Jack and Debbie work as property managers and live-in housekeepers for the reclusive movie star, Meredith Price. They like their job in that they can easily skim money away from Meredith and enjoy her nice food and wines.

Meredith and her ex-husband, Scott, an actor and producer, divorced not long after their son, Justin, drowned. Meredith was so devastated that she stopped acting and lives alone with her housekeepers in a very large mansion in San Francisco. Scott had left her for another woman, Silvana, and it was while Justin was with them in Miami that he drowned. Meredith and Scott also have an older daughter named Kendall who lives in New York and has little to do with her mother. She feels Meredith was hard on Scott even though he had allowed Justin to go out on a sailboat by himself and into a squall resulting in his death.

One day, an 8.2 earthquake hits San Francisco where Meredith lives and the destruction is just devastating. Meredith is lucky in that her home has little damage. So, she goes outside and seeing some of her neighbors whom she did not know, invites them to stay in her home. They are a group of people who are fairly well-to-do and are thankful for Meredith’s help. Debbie and Jack, are furious at having to take on more work.

As we get to know the individuals staying with Meredith, they all for the most part are good people, some of whom have problems in their lives. Meredith and some of the neighbors decide to volunteer their skills to help people who have been left without a home. Meredith meets a retired colonel who is working to oversee the devastation. The two of them have a lot in common and begin a friendship that quickly grows to more.

There are a lot of things that are touched on in this book. The loss of a child’s love; abuse; and finding new things in life.

I loved this book and found that Danielle Steel has once again taken the reader on a wonderful jaunt through life’s good, bad, sad, and happy events. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

When you’re in the mood for a quick, light read, a Danielle Steel book always fits the bill. Her latest is Neighbors. Steel brings us the story of Meredith White, a highly acclaimed actress who has been living in seclusion in a large, gated house in San Francisco after a family tragedy. Estranged from her daughter, her only companions are her live-in help, a married couple who has been unscrupulously stealing from her for fifteen years. When a major earthquake takes place, her stone fortress remains in tact and Meredith decides to come to the aid of her neighbors whose homes are uninhabitable.

Meredith, now in her sixties and still beautiful and vital becomes energized by her new friends - a doctor, his wife and two children; a renowned pianist and his helper; a wealthy owner of high-tech companies and his young, beautiful girlfriend. An attractive, retired Air Force Colonel comes to the aid of the group, especially Meredith, with whom he is immediately attracted to.

Lots of drama takes place within the group while Meredith shows strength and resiliency. She becomes a pillar of strength for her neighbors and starts to come to terms with her past. Some serious topics are addressed. Plus, there’s a little romance.

A perfect weekend read when you need a break from heavier books and the news channels. A good way to start the new year.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, and Danielle Steel for the opportunity to read Neighbors in advance of its January 5, 2021 release.

Danielle Steel has created yet another amazing story with Neighbors. It is full of betrayal and love.
Meredith White was a famous actress who suddenly quits after she found out her husband was having an affair and her young son’s death. She had become a recluse and barely left her house and her only real contact was the two people caring for her house and finances.
An earthquake finally draws Meredith out of her house and she decides to allow her neighbors to stay in her house as they have theirs repaired much to the dismay of her workers . While finding love with one of her houseguests and becoming friends with the rest of them she realizes what she has been missing for the last few years . She also discovers her two workers whom she considered her friends had been stealing from her the whole time.
Although her daughter blames her for being hard on her dad after her brother’s death, Meredith finds a way to connect with her granddaughter and forms a beautiful relationship with her . This story is full of ups and downs and keeps your attention until the very end.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an Arc for my honest opinion.

If anyone asked me whose books I've read the most of, I'd have to say Danielle Steel. It had been many years since I'd picked one of hers up, however. Unfortunately, this one disappointed me a little. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. I was reminded of something that has bothered me about Ms. Steel's books in the past: they are very repetitive. The story was good overall, as was the character development. But I felt like one of the storylines was pretty unrealistic. I guess I had a hard time suspending disbelief. A good effort. Just not my cup of tea. Looking forward to reading The Affair. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:
When an 8.2 earthquake rocks San Francisco, the residents of one particular street come together. Lives are forever changed- in both good and bad ways. Mostly, people who once were strangers come to form a little family.

I LOVED this book!! Danielle Steel has tended to be a little hit and miss for me over the last several years. This one I read in a matter of 2 days. I loved all the characters she meant for the reader to love, and the same with the characters she wanted you to dislike. Instead of going light on the whatever subject she wrote about at the time, I felt like Danielle really did justice to the characters and the plot she wove with them.

Meredith is the former movie star who turned her back on the outside world after enduring several heartbreaks in a close period of time. No longer drawn to movies, she spent the next 15 years within the walls of her property- which is no small piece of real estate. Her only confidantes are the married couple she employs, Jack and Debbie Speck, to help protect her from the world and manage her estate. What she doesn't know is that they never had genuine intentions when it came to her. Although, they genuinely loved the perks of their jobs and the money. Not to mention the valuables they were quietly sneak into their apartment.

Andrew Johnson is a prominent Orthopedic surgeon. His wife was once an OR nurse, but left her career to raise the 2 children they have. He's all about appearance and letting her know how lucky she is.

Peter Stern is a writer with dreams of publishing his novel. During the day he works in advertising, but writes at night. He had a stroke of luck when Arthur Harriman, a famous concert pianist who is blind, asks Peter to live with him and be a sometime caretaker during the evening hours.

Joel Fine is a multimillionaire from several start ups he founded. He's local playboy who loves a good time with little, to no strings attached. His current It girl is Ava who was a tradeshow model. She's starting to see beyond the fun of the moment and wanting a future for herself, but she knows it won't include Joel.

Everyone comes together one night when the earthquake hits. Meredith opens rarely used gates and offers everyone to stay with her until their own homes are safe to move back into. Within the month everyone is under her roof, secrets become uncovered and lives begin to change. Not everyone who entered Meredith's house together leaves together.

**** TRIGGER WARNING!!! ****
There are domestic violence scenes in this book. If that is something you would rather not read , or will be an issue, you may not want to read this book. While they don't occur from start to finish, they do play throughout the majority of the book- especially he last 1/2 of the book.

Like I said, I enjoyed this book. I was gripped from the start. I loved watching the different storylines unfold. Some things weren't surprising, while others were. This was a great book to just curl up with and have a cozy time with. It wasn't fluffy, but nor was it overly heavy. I felt Danielle did a great job of growing her characters after a traumatic experience. You did feel removed from the complete earthquake experience simply because everyone stays at Meredith's mansion. However, as the story progresses, your experience to the event is widened.

In true Danielle Steel fashion she has crafted a community of people who start out in some sort of trauma (in this case a terrible earthquake) and through their shared journeys all wind up with much better lives. This isn’t a new storyline for her and yet it was a wonderfully fun and sweet redemptive read that will leave you smiling and cheering for them all. Meredith White, a world famous actress had all but given up on life and secluded herself in her home for many years with the caretakers of her estate as her only companions. An earthquake hits and life changes in a moment for her and everyone on her block as she welcomes them into her home and life. It was a lovely, fun easy read and leaves excitedly awaiting her next book.