Neighbors

Written by Danielle Steel

Narrated by James Babson

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 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 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781980032991

Danielle Steel

Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's most popular authors, with over 650 million copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include Property of a Noblewoman, Blue, Precious Gifts, Undercover, Country, Prodigal Son, Pegasus, A Perfect Life, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.

Reviews for Neighbors

[sheriawilkinson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Neighbors by Danielle SteelMeredith White, an aging movie star has lived the last fifteen years as a recluse in San Francisco. When an Earthquake occurs she takes in her neighbors, people she never knew. They all have secrets. Friendships are forms, lives are changed, nothing will be the same.The story moves at a steady pace with well developed characters. Some are likable, others not. Through soul searching and (new) friendships, life will take on new directions for all. An emotionally charged read. I was hooked from the first page.

[mchwest · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another Danielle Steel I had hidden away on my TBR shelf and now I consider her my go to winter pleasent read. There was nothing I didn't enjoy about this plot and characters. I have a couple more to go and will get to them before the new summer beach reads come out!

[jbarr5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Neighbors by Danielle Steel This story is about a woman an ex movie star who's divorced and her girl has moved to the east coast to live.Her ex hooked up with another actress and they do their own thing...Her son had died in a boating accident when he was young and story tells all about these facts.The earthquake has hit the bay area and with the help of the live in couple that has lived there for years they are able to prepare food for the other neighbors who turn up at her door.As a recluse she has no idea who her neighbors are. Debbie and Jack the couple that tend to her every need are leery of inviting the whole gang in as they have no power and houses are not fit to be lived in.They do get to know one another and we learn about them and the secrets. Some scenes are very emotional and scary for me. Abuse plays a role in this story.Love the time some of the spend on the scene at soup kitchen and helping others. So much goes wrong but a man that has come into her life helps her realize some are not who they say they are.Love the time she finds her granddaughter and reconnects with her and surprise ending. Never saw it ending like this.I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

[penny_l-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[brangwinn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As usual, Danielle Steele delivers another interesting story. In Neighbors, reclusive Hollywood star, Meredith White opens her San Francisco home to neighbors after a destructive earthquake. As they gather, the reader learns each of them has their own secretive story. And as the various stories unfold, Meredith reexamines her relationship with her estranged family and her acting career. It is a story of how a natural disaster can upend our lives and help us see how love and courage can change us.

[lorikboyd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was so in the mood for a DS read. Drama, family, friends, earthquake and betrayal, add a little romance too. Everything you think of when you hear this author’s name. Meredith is a famous actress who went into recluse mode after a horrific event. She lives in her upscale SanFrancisco home with only her live in caretakers as friends. Until a major earthquake shakes up her life in more ways than one. Not a usual romance book that you would expect from Steel, this book is more women’s fiction. Enjoyable read, great cast of characters, you will be drawn in from page 1. I found this a nice break from some of my darker reads. Trigger Warning: Abuse...handled realistically, honestly. Thanks to Ms. Steel, Random House Publishing/Random House and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone

[cats57_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Be aware of this trigger -physical wife abuse.This was a fast read and it was a fairly pleasant read. I have never read Danielle Steele and based on this book I may never read her again. I do not like repetition in my books and in this book too many dead horses were being beaten.Because this was a rather short book (288 pages) there was a lot crammed into it and most of it was depressing. However, there were a few happy endings and several new relationships.I WOULD recommend this to Ms. Steele book lovers and those who may want a fast pop-corn read.*ARC supplied by the publisher and author.