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The House
The restoration of a majestic old home provides the exhilarating backdrop for Danielle Steel’s 66th bestselling novel, the story of a young woman’s dream, an old man’s gift, and the surprises that await us behind every closed door…. Perched on a hill overlooking San Francisco, the house was magnificent, built in 1923 by a wealthy man for the woman he adored. For her and for this house, he would spare no expense and overlook no detail, from the endless marble floors to the glittering chandeliers. Almost a century later, with the once-grand house now in disrepair, a young woman walks through its empty rooms. Sarah Anderson, a perfectly sensible estate lawyer, is about to do something utterly out of character. An elderly client has died and left her two gifts. One is a generous inheritance. The other, a priceless to use his money for something wonderful, something daring. And in this old house, surrounded by crumbling grandeur, Sarah knows just what it is. A respected attorney and self-described workaholic, Sarah had always lived life by the book. With a steady, if sputtering, relationship and a tiny apartment that has suited her just fine, Sarah cannot explain the force that draws her to the mansion and its history–to the story of a woman who once lived in the house, then mysteriously left it, to a child who grew up there, and a drama that unfolded in war-torn France…and to a history she never knew she had. Taking the biggest risk of her life, Sarah enlists the help of architect Jeff Parker, who shares Sarah’s passion for bringing the exquisite old house back to life. As she and Jeff work to restore the home’s every detail, as one relationship shatters and another begins, Sarah makes a series of powerful about the true meaning of a dying man’s last gift…about the extraordinary legacies that are passed from generation to generation…and about a future she’s only just beginning to imagine. In a novel of daring and hope, of embracing life and taking chances, Danielle Steel brilliantly captures one woman’s courageous choice to pour herself into a dream–and receive its gifts in return.
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
1180 people are currently reading
3273 people want to read
About the author
Danielle Steel
917 books16.9k followersDanielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's bestselling authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include All That Glitters, Royal, Daddy's Girls, The Wedding Dress, The Numbers Game, Moral Compass, Spy, 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; Expect a Miracle, a book of her favorite quotations for inspiration and comfort; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.
Facebook.com/DanielleSteelOfficial
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Instagram: @officialdaniellesteel
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 460 reviews
November 28, 2008
OMG!!! This book was so.............how do I put it.......boring. I dont know how many times DS said or mentioned that Sarah and Phil were together for FOUR years. Or how Sarah wanted more time with Phil then just weekends. She said it so many times in the first....what..... 3 or 4 chapters. I almost put the book down and begin a new one, but I stuck it out. The book was so predictable though and toooooo repetative for my liking.
September 19, 2012
Sarah is a successful 38-year-old tax attorney in contemporary San Francisco. She has a good job, a good, supportive family, and a crappy weekends-only relationship with a self-centered jerk of a boyfriend. With a convenient inheritance she purchases a 30,000 square foot mansion previously owned by her great-grandparents, and the house becomes her new relationship. With the house comes an architect -- sexy, witty, sincere and, eventually, single -- and Sarah begins a new life with passion, for her new house, her new love, and her newfound ties to her ancestral home.
I obtained this book as a “strip” from my bookstore. It was free. No currency was exchanged. But I’m missing the best part of this book, which is the cover.
A lady named Danielle Steel told me this story -- I did not experience it; It was told to me. Apparently the show-don’t-tell philosophy does not apply to this genre. Not only was I told this story, it was told to me as if I were a 4-year-old with ADD, or an amnesia patient, someone who could not remember from one paragraph to the next just what a scuzz she was dating or how long it had been going on (4 years). I know that Sarah’s not the kind of girl to jump in the sack with someone when she’s dating someone else, but a little kissing is OK. I know what color dress she wore to her mother’s wedding, her grandmother’s wedding, and, oh yeah, her wedding, too. I learned a girl can say she never wants to marry, but that only means she hasn’t found the right man. I learned a girl can say she never wants children, but she’ll change her mind once she’s holding that burbling bundle of joy. I learned that exactly no part of this story exacted any amount of stress on my part -- the “problem” is clearly defined and analyzed and rehashed and re-defined, and no other problems will develop along the way, just get this one solved and we’re home free. There’s nothing but up and up for the last forever pages; Everything is going to be OK. There was one story strand that might have been stressful -- Great-grandma left her husband and two children for another man with no explanation. But we didn’t dwell too much on that, and after all, she followed her heart, and Grandma turned out to be kind and well-adjusted anyway.
I asked my romance-reading friend why she enjoyed reading the genre, and she said it was because it required nothing of her, she didn’t have to learn anything, it just kept her engaged enough while allowing her not to do something else, like housework. I recommended this book to her. She said she gave up on Steel somewhere around 2005 when she realized the only difference in her books were the names of the characters and locations. So what do I make of people that claim with pride they have read “every one of her books”? And if you don’t want to learn anything, does it matter if the basic story stays the same? And how does Steel account for her own work? She’s made a fortune because her books are predictable, stress-free, easy. She’s got intrapersonal skills in the bag, but her linguistic skills, even after all that writing -- this is her 66th book!-- are just laughable, ridiculous. Here’s my favorite passage, second to the Helen Keller simile on the previous page:
“She had fallen in love with the Ray Charles of relationships. The music was wonderful, and romantic at times, he just couldn’t see a thing. Not about her point of view, at least’ (p. 71).
No, I don’t forsee myself picking up another Steel, but I must admit I am fascinated by her own bio. She’s had and divorced five husbands, two of which were ex-cons (a heroin addict and a convicted rapist), one she actually met in prison while she was conducting an interview, presumably for a book. She’s had seven biological children and two step-kids. Her most recent marriage was to a Silicon Valley financier -- the more money she makes, the wealthier her husbands. I mean, before the divorce. In fact, after reading her Wikipedia entry I realized most of this book come from her own life -- mansion in San Fran, a mother who leaves her children (Steel’s mother divorced and left her), marriage, babies...From others’ comments, it appears Steel has written her autobiography 86 times, and every one a bestseller. Somehow she transforms the trainwreck of real life into bite-size, solvable problems that always get fixed.
A note on genre: The readers' advisory resource, Genreflecting, does not specifically recognize Steel as a romance author, and seems more inclined to list her as "women's fiction," a much slipperier category. But I would argue that Steel began her career when the romance genre was a very different animal -- monopolized by Harlequin and typified by the "bodice ripper," which Steel is clearly not. But the genre has since evolved, and Steel's formula follows the tropes of the contemporary "sweet"romance, where fans of Steel will find many comparable reads within this modern genre. Though her books concern themselves with female lives, careers, and concerns, the most central theme is a relationship, and that, to me, makes it romance.
I obtained this book as a “strip” from my bookstore. It was free. No currency was exchanged. But I’m missing the best part of this book, which is the cover.
A lady named Danielle Steel told me this story -- I did not experience it; It was told to me. Apparently the show-don’t-tell philosophy does not apply to this genre. Not only was I told this story, it was told to me as if I were a 4-year-old with ADD, or an amnesia patient, someone who could not remember from one paragraph to the next just what a scuzz she was dating or how long it had been going on (4 years). I know that Sarah’s not the kind of girl to jump in the sack with someone when she’s dating someone else, but a little kissing is OK. I know what color dress she wore to her mother’s wedding, her grandmother’s wedding, and, oh yeah, her wedding, too. I learned a girl can say she never wants to marry, but that only means she hasn’t found the right man. I learned a girl can say she never wants children, but she’ll change her mind once she’s holding that burbling bundle of joy. I learned that exactly no part of this story exacted any amount of stress on my part -- the “problem” is clearly defined and analyzed and rehashed and re-defined, and no other problems will develop along the way, just get this one solved and we’re home free. There’s nothing but up and up for the last forever pages; Everything is going to be OK. There was one story strand that might have been stressful -- Great-grandma left her husband and two children for another man with no explanation. But we didn’t dwell too much on that, and after all, she followed her heart, and Grandma turned out to be kind and well-adjusted anyway.
I asked my romance-reading friend why she enjoyed reading the genre, and she said it was because it required nothing of her, she didn’t have to learn anything, it just kept her engaged enough while allowing her not to do something else, like housework. I recommended this book to her. She said she gave up on Steel somewhere around 2005 when she realized the only difference in her books were the names of the characters and locations. So what do I make of people that claim with pride they have read “every one of her books”? And if you don’t want to learn anything, does it matter if the basic story stays the same? And how does Steel account for her own work? She’s made a fortune because her books are predictable, stress-free, easy. She’s got intrapersonal skills in the bag, but her linguistic skills, even after all that writing -- this is her 66th book!-- are just laughable, ridiculous. Here’s my favorite passage, second to the Helen Keller simile on the previous page:
“She had fallen in love with the Ray Charles of relationships. The music was wonderful, and romantic at times, he just couldn’t see a thing. Not about her point of view, at least’ (p. 71).
No, I don’t forsee myself picking up another Steel, but I must admit I am fascinated by her own bio. She’s had and divorced five husbands, two of which were ex-cons (a heroin addict and a convicted rapist), one she actually met in prison while she was conducting an interview, presumably for a book. She’s had seven biological children and two step-kids. Her most recent marriage was to a Silicon Valley financier -- the more money she makes, the wealthier her husbands. I mean, before the divorce. In fact, after reading her Wikipedia entry I realized most of this book come from her own life -- mansion in San Fran, a mother who leaves her children (Steel’s mother divorced and left her), marriage, babies...From others’ comments, it appears Steel has written her autobiography 86 times, and every one a bestseller. Somehow she transforms the trainwreck of real life into bite-size, solvable problems that always get fixed.
A note on genre: The readers' advisory resource, Genreflecting, does not specifically recognize Steel as a romance author, and seems more inclined to list her as "women's fiction," a much slipperier category. But I would argue that Steel began her career when the romance genre was a very different animal -- monopolized by Harlequin and typified by the "bodice ripper," which Steel is clearly not. But the genre has since evolved, and Steel's formula follows the tropes of the contemporary "sweet"romance, where fans of Steel will find many comparable reads within this modern genre. Though her books concern themselves with female lives, careers, and concerns, the most central theme is a relationship, and that, to me, makes it romance.
June 10, 2017
An enjoyable read! typical D.Steel kinda story,where you fall in love with the characters...(paperback!)
November 28, 2016
Successful lawyer Sara has an okay life in modern day San Francisco, in spite of being stuck in a dead end relationship with her loutish boyfriend Phil. Then an elderly client of hers dies unexpectedly and leaves her the money to buy (and remodel) the fabulously elegant mansion he's lived in for years. When Sara takes on the job, she finds that this particular house has some amazing secrets!
The dust jacket said this was "Danielle Steel's 66th best selling novel." It read like it, too. Not that it was a bad novel, not at all. But it was very thin, and a lot of the most interesting characters were off stage about eighty five percent of the time.
Does anyone know if the mysterious great grandmother Lilli had her own book earlier in the Danielle Steel canon? She really came to life a lot more than her descendants.
By the way, do any of my Goodreads friends know if the Portrero Hill neighborhood that Sara and her friends keep talking about in this book is the same neighborhood where O.J. Simpson grew up? I gather it must have been gentrified up the wazoo. But I kept waiting for the Sheikhs to rumble with the Roman Gents!
The dust jacket said this was "Danielle Steel's 66th best selling novel." It read like it, too. Not that it was a bad novel, not at all. But it was very thin, and a lot of the most interesting characters were off stage about eighty five percent of the time.
Does anyone know if the mysterious great grandmother Lilli had her own book earlier in the Danielle Steel canon? She really came to life a lot more than her descendants.
By the way, do any of my Goodreads friends know if the Portrero Hill neighborhood that Sara and her friends keep talking about in this book is the same neighborhood where O.J. Simpson grew up? I gather it must have been gentrified up the wazoo. But I kept waiting for the Sheikhs to rumble with the Roman Gents!
November 16, 2015
Once I wouldn't have ventured on any journey or holiday without a pristine Danielle Steel Paperback in my luggage to while away the hours. Her stories were always cozy, easy to read and predictable, but that was the attraction.
I was drawn to this one because the heroine inherited a fortune and bought a San Francisco mock chateau with it - every girl's dream - but I am afraid I gave up before the half way point.
A hundred pages in and the author is still labouring on the going-nowhere relationship between Sarah, the protagonist, a thirty-eight-year old lawyer who lives in scruffy chaos, and her egomaniac fitness freak boyfriend who should also know better. Their four year weekend-only relationship consists entirely of Friday night dinner, Saturday breakfast and maybe dinner, and sex - but little else.
Sarah is very aware of where she stands in their relationship - nowhere - but she analyses it to the exclusion of all else, repeatedly - [mind numbingly so] and mentions that they have been together for four years - forty-four times in this book! - I counted!
This created a complete empathy failure with the main character. And if you don't care what happens to the heroine - stop reading! So I did.
I envy Steel's talent as an excellent writer, and she could certainly afford to get off the gravy
train for long enough to work on a meaningful, heart-wrenching love story which would send her to the top of the serious author lists. This is one of the fluffy rubbish ones which don't do her skills justice. What a shame.
I was drawn to this one because the heroine inherited a fortune and bought a San Francisco mock chateau with it - every girl's dream - but I am afraid I gave up before the half way point.
A hundred pages in and the author is still labouring on the going-nowhere relationship between Sarah, the protagonist, a thirty-eight-year old lawyer who lives in scruffy chaos, and her egomaniac fitness freak boyfriend who should also know better. Their four year weekend-only relationship consists entirely of Friday night dinner, Saturday breakfast and maybe dinner, and sex - but little else.
Sarah is very aware of where she stands in their relationship - nowhere - but she analyses it to the exclusion of all else, repeatedly - [mind numbingly so] and mentions that they have been together for four years - forty-four times in this book! - I counted!
This created a complete empathy failure with the main character. And if you don't care what happens to the heroine - stop reading! So I did.
I envy Steel's talent as an excellent writer, and she could certainly afford to get off the gravy
train for long enough to work on a meaningful, heart-wrenching love story which would send her to the top of the serious author lists. This is one of the fluffy rubbish ones which don't do her skills justice. What a shame.
May 18, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. It made me want to find my own old house with a deep family history to fix up for myself! I liked reading about Sarah's discovery into herself and how it's never too late to start living. Now all I need is my own rich relative to leave me the money to make my dream come true!
Sarah and Jeff's love story was sweet and I loved how everything tied back around to Lily, Sarah's great-grandmother. It was anice, sweet story that made me mist up at certain times, laugh out loud at others and really wish I could go to this house in real life and see how magnificent it is.
Sarah and Jeff's love story was sweet and I loved how everything tied back around to Lily, Sarah's great-grandmother. It was anice, sweet story that made me mist up at certain times, laugh out loud at others and really wish I could go to this house in real life and see how magnificent it is.
July 17, 2018
How I managed to reach the end of this hot mess is a mystery to me. Unlike the previous Danielle Steel novel I read, Malice, this was the complete opposite of compelling. Now, I realize Ms. Steele is no Jane Austin, but for cryin’ out loud don’t shift POV right in the middle of a paragraph. The story could’ve had a great deal of potential, but it was bogged down by constant repetition of facts the reader already knew from the beginning. I guess they all can’t be zingers.
September 25, 2025
Este libro para mi es un indiscutido 5 estrellas y hasta 6 le daría. Me hizo reir, llorar, me aterrizo, cogio mis emociones y les dio nombre.
vi el pedazo de crecimiento personal de los personajes, su evolución mental y los vi madurar.
Una obra hermosa y necesito mas de Danielle Steel ahora mismo.
vi el pedazo de crecimiento personal de los personajes, su evolución mental y los vi madurar.
Una obra hermosa y necesito mas de Danielle Steel ahora mismo.
February 6, 2012
It has been about ten years since I have read a Danielle Steel book, I would have been the end of my high school years and would not have a lot of good books under my belt. So I am unsure whether Danielle Steel books are all written this badly or if by some chance that it was just this one. It's almost like she let someone else write their story under her name. The way this book was written was very, very repetitive. Every sentence was worded three different ways, sometimes within the same sentence. Every time a character was mentioned their personality traits were re described over and over again. This book could have been half the length due to this constant repetitiveness. The story line was pretty much girl has bad boyfriend, girl has strong ideas about not being married or having children, girl realises that jerk boyfriend is a jerk, girl unexpectedly meets a guys, falls in love, and within an hour wants the whole white picket fence, nuclear family after not wanting it for 40 years. If this is Danielle Steels style of writing, and she has become a popular author from this, then I must be a really picky reader. I was getting really annoyed with the sentence structure but the story line was just good enough to keep me reading to finish the book and not give up after the second chapter.
April 27, 2017
Sarah, after spending four years in a going nowhere relationship with a narcissist, she leaves him after finding him in bed with another woman. Restoring the home where her grandmother grew up helps her get through it. In the meantime, she becomes friends with the architect who is helping her restore the old mansion who was also in an abusive relationship.
Danielle Steel is great at writing romance stories with substance. She writes with understanding and compassion and I always look forward to reading her books. What’s especially great about the stories Steel writes is all of the storytellers are great in that they understand the personalities and emotions of the characters. Erik Singer did an excellent job in storytelling.
Danielle Steel is great at writing romance stories with substance. She writes with understanding and compassion and I always look forward to reading her books. What’s especially great about the stories Steel writes is all of the storytellers are great in that they understand the personalities and emotions of the characters. Erik Singer did an excellent job in storytelling.
December 28, 2008
Another typical Danielle Steele with predictable story lines and annoying characters. I will admit that it picked up a bit in the end and I like old houses so I enjoyed reading the descriptions of the house. The begining dragged. I felt like I was reading the same pages over and over- Yeah the boyfriend is a jerk and you have been together stupidly for 4 years great got it...move on. Ten chapters later Im still reading the same thing. Overall impression good mental fluff for a crappy rainy day.
January 2, 2008
I enjoyed this book more than the 'usual' Steel books. I like to read her when I'm on vacation and don't mind if I lose the book. Her writing is an easy read [fluff books] and sometimes enjoyable. This one was worth the day it took to read.
May 30, 2018
I'm only part way into this book and I can tell already that:
1) this isn't my type of book
2) it would be a lot shorter if the author quit repeating herself
3) these people waffle too much
Update: Now that I've finished, my earlier comment still applies. Sweet story line, but see above.
1) this isn't my type of book
2) it would be a lot shorter if the author quit repeating herself
3) these people waffle too much
Update: Now that I've finished, my earlier comment still applies. Sweet story line, but see above.
October 6, 2021
I recall a nice guy helping a girl do up the house.. 3 stars here.
January 29, 2021
A 2006 book by Danielle Steel. It was a little "dated" talking about cell phones, etc. but it was an OK read. The characters were pretty easy to figure out, as was the ending.
November 18, 2019
Okay. I listened to this on audio while I waited for another book I ACTUALLY wanted to come in... It's still not in. *Sigh*
This being my second Steel book I knew what to expect. Formulas, same predictable plot, Steel repeating not-quite-so-important information three times. I knew what I was getting into.
I listen to books on my commute but I actually drug this one inside from the car and listened to it over the weekend. I admit! I was into it!
I'm not kidding. Same plot as all the other women in Steel's books.
-Lady is either single or unhappy in a relationship.
-The sex is good. She stays.
-Lady is gorgeous.
-If she is single she's too busy for dating.
-A massive life changing problem comes along and tilts lady's world on it's axis. (Oh shit. I am trapped in a Steel novel!!!)
-All Hell breaks loose.
-Lady catches dude cheating.
-Introduce midway decent boyfriend.
-Too busy. Does not want children.
- "AM I PRAGNERT?!?!😱"
-"I AM!!!"
-"Abortion?"
-"No that's immoral."
-"I never believed in marriage because of my parents."
-"Jk. I'm pergnet and trapped. Star fish wanna be with you forever.👰"
-ROLL CREDITS! Issa happy ending!!!
For all my bitching, formulas work.🤷♀️ I straight up got into it. I was like "Oooh girl! Dump Phil's ass! Yo momma is right! He's a deadbeat!"
Realtor lady: "Don't worry, finding the right house is like falling in love. You don't have to push."
Me, happily in a sexless relationship with my dwelling: "Ya got that right, realtor lady.🏡💕"
Pretty novel lady, prolly Sarah or something: "*Blushes because Phil is a sack of jerks*"
Me: 😱😱😱😱😰😰🤪😱😱
Either way, it's a wild ride where you know exactly what is going to happen. Even while getting wine drunk with your cat.😹 (Not my weekend. Please note at which part of the Steel novel my life is in.)
This being my second Steel book I knew what to expect. Formulas, same predictable plot, Steel repeating not-quite-so-important information three times. I knew what I was getting into.
I listen to books on my commute but I actually drug this one inside from the car and listened to it over the weekend. I admit! I was into it!
I'm not kidding. Same plot as all the other women in Steel's books.
-Lady is either single or unhappy in a relationship.
-The sex is good. She stays.
-Lady is gorgeous.
-If she is single she's too busy for dating.
-A massive life changing problem comes along and tilts lady's world on it's axis. (Oh shit. I am trapped in a Steel novel!!!)
-All Hell breaks loose.
-Lady catches dude cheating.
-Introduce midway decent boyfriend.
-Too busy. Does not want children.
- "AM I PRAGNERT?!?!😱"
-"I AM!!!"
-"Abortion?"
-"No that's immoral."
-"I never believed in marriage because of my parents."
-"Jk. I'm pergnet and trapped. Star fish wanna be with you forever.👰"
-ROLL CREDITS! Issa happy ending!!!
For all my bitching, formulas work.🤷♀️ I straight up got into it. I was like "Oooh girl! Dump Phil's ass! Yo momma is right! He's a deadbeat!"
Realtor lady: "Don't worry, finding the right house is like falling in love. You don't have to push."
Me, happily in a sexless relationship with my dwelling: "Ya got that right, realtor lady.🏡💕"
Pretty novel lady, prolly Sarah or something: "*Blushes because Phil is a sack of jerks*"
Me: 😱😱😱😱😰😰🤪😱😱
Either way, it's a wild ride where you know exactly what is going to happen. Even while getting wine drunk with your cat.😹 (Not my weekend. Please note at which part of the Steel novel my life is in.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2010
OK, I got this book for a dime, used from the library--thank goodness! I liked the description(the best writing in the whole book, trust me), and the theme about the life-changing house. I'm definitely not the target demo for Steel. But if this book is an example of her work, I can't see why anyone is. Best Selling Author? really? I had no feelings whatsoever for the protagonist. She had no real adversity to rise from (couldn't you at least have used the Paris connection to have Sarah catch Marie-Louise cheating on Jeff, and give her SOME conflict?). She kept this OBVIOUS loser for a weekend booty call for FOUR years, and couldn't figure out he was cheating on her? Really? She's 38! Danielle? how is it in your world...do they get cable? Everything works out "perfect" all the time in this book. seriously...she uses the word in almost every chapter at least once!
The only thing that kept me reading was the incredulity of it all.
Even Romance fans need some tragedy or adversity for the protagonist to rise above to make a good teary, happy ending. Any adversity in this book is told to us, not experienced by us, and the bit with the loser boyfriend is so pathetically self-inflicted, I didn't even feel sorry for her.
If this book is any indication of how the "Danielle" by Danielle Steel perfume blatantly advertised in the back of the book smells, all I can say is, Do NOT get stuck in an elevator with anyone wearing it.
It STINKS!
The only thing that kept me reading was the incredulity of it all.
Even Romance fans need some tragedy or adversity for the protagonist to rise above to make a good teary, happy ending. Any adversity in this book is told to us, not experienced by us, and the bit with the loser boyfriend is so pathetically self-inflicted, I didn't even feel sorry for her.
If this book is any indication of how the "Danielle" by Danielle Steel perfume blatantly advertised in the back of the book smells, all I can say is, Do NOT get stuck in an elevator with anyone wearing it.
It STINKS!
September 3, 2009
I canNOT believe that this kind of writing comes from a supposed best selling author. I am sorry to fans of Danielle Steel, but her writing is just sad. Her book is, to me, going against everything I teach about "showing and not telling." She has weak descriptions and several metaphors are done with no taste. (Yes, there is actually a reference to Helen Keller.) I was so disappointed, but I can't not finish a book. I trudged on. The ending was ridiculous. There were probably ten two page chapters trying to highlight all the great things that were happening to the main character. It was like a little kid writing who just can't end their story because they want to tell you every single good thing that happens. The plot was decent enough, but I just couldn't handle the writing style, or lack thereof. I will not be reading any more of Steel's books, and I would never recommend one to anyone that appreciates even mediocre writing. (Sorry.)
September 27, 2014
Quite predictable. Easy to read. Your usual Danielle Steele romance story.
July 26, 2021
Danielle Steel has never been a favorite author, but every so often I get sucked in by one of the blurbs and I'm drawn in to the bad writing and thin plots.
I have to admit though, that though the writing could be a lot better, The House was definitely one of her more palatable novels.
Sarah was definitely a sweet likable character, though like all novels by Steel, she is very flat. I would have loved some more depth to her, to know what really made her tick and why she really stayed with a jerk like Phil so long.
Her family, particularly her grandmother, Mimi were great side characters that helped carry the story.
OH and lets not forget the love interest, Jeff.
Sigh.
I seldom crush on any romance hero, but Jeff was the epitome of sweetness. I wanted to shake her at times near the end for being stubborn in what she wanted.
The House itself and its owner play a huge part in the story, and I really wished this book were longer and focused on Lili and why she left and more about the house and family that she left.
There were a lot of loose ends and things that I wanted answers for, but didn't get, but the story did flow beautifully.
If you are going to read any of Steel's books, this one is definitely a nice light one to lose yourself in for a few hours.
I have to admit though, that though the writing could be a lot better, The House was definitely one of her more palatable novels.
Sarah was definitely a sweet likable character, though like all novels by Steel, she is very flat. I would have loved some more depth to her, to know what really made her tick and why she really stayed with a jerk like Phil so long.
Her family, particularly her grandmother, Mimi were great side characters that helped carry the story.
OH and lets not forget the love interest, Jeff.
Sigh.
I seldom crush on any romance hero, but Jeff was the epitome of sweetness. I wanted to shake her at times near the end for being stubborn in what she wanted.
The House itself and its owner play a huge part in the story, and I really wished this book were longer and focused on Lili and why she left and more about the house and family that she left.
There were a lot of loose ends and things that I wanted answers for, but didn't get, but the story did flow beautifully.
If you are going to read any of Steel's books, this one is definitely a nice light one to lose yourself in for a few hours.
January 18, 2022
It was a nice story.
June 28, 2022
Typical Danielle Steel.
June 20, 2024
Enjoyed this book, it was nice how the main character changed her life after coming into some money and how her family around her changed their lives
April 21, 2023
This was the wholesome feel good book I needed! I loved the entire arc of the novel. I may add more DS to my list.
April 2, 2017
Taattua, ennalta-arvattua Steel-kerrontaa, mutta lukukokemuksena kerran vuoteen ok. Pakko joka teos lukea, kun on koko tuotanto luettu tähänkin asti ja omaksikin hankittu ;)
November 14, 2025
An interesting story, yet another heroine whose personal charms cause men to help fix her old house for free, and interesting enough characters to finish the book and be happy for everybody's happy endings.
May 17, 2025
I listened to this book while cleaning my house and enjoyed it.
November 11, 2011
This book has been my best friend for the last few months, and even though those months were busy, in every moment of my free time I've managed to read this book. I typically don't read Danielle Steel, as she isn't in the genre of books I like to read. But a friend recommended I read this book, and I thought I'd give it a shot.
To be up front, I hate gushy romance novels and books that repeat themselves. This book did just that, a whole lot. The phrase I saw most often had to be, "and this...was no different." There has to be a way to say that differently rather than repeating yourself a hundred times. Up until the 12th chapter or so, she would constantly remind us of how bad the main character's boyfriend was; how awful of a person he was but how wonderful a partner he was, and how she hated change. I wouldn't mind her changing how she said that though, the whole first half of the book was repetitive and pretty boring. It was sort of a, "you read one chapter, you've read them all," sort of deal. It was a very cliche romance novel, especially during the first half of the book, where she hates being with the boyfriend she has, so she meets another guy who just so happens to be handsome and also in a bad relationship. I wonder how many times someone's used THAT plot line before.
The last half of the book was also very much cliche and I found it tedious to stay focused. She obviously breaks up with her loser boyfriend and goes for the handsome guy who, gee whiz, breaks up with his loser girlfriend. Of course, they end up together. Is there ever a story where that doesn't happen? Of course not.
Sarah Anderson is a lawyer who lives in the big and busy city of San Francisco. She's 38 years old and has a part-time boyfriend, Phil, who is also a lawyer and previously divorced. The arrangement seems to work for both of them, or so she thinks. Her line of work consisted of alerting her clients of new tax laws, including her favorite client, Stanley, who is 98 years old at the beginning of the book, 100 by the time he dies. During her time as his lawyer, they form a close bond. Stanley is bedridden, and has been for the last 20 years of his life. He lives in a gorgeous mansion that he bought during the Crash of 1930. He was a millionaire, to say the least. He had no family and no one to share his wealth with, but he made sure to put distant relatives in the will, so they will be happy when it was his time to pass. Sarah made sure to keep his will airtight, and soon they became close. Sarah never had a father growing up, he was much too drunk to care about her and he died when she was 16 or so. Her mother had been a wreck ever since. Stanley, in a way, became her father figure. When Stanley dies, he leaves about 20 million dollars to his heirs, and after taxes they take 10 million from it. None of them want to restore the house in which Stanley lived, so Sarah decides she has to sell it. The real estate agent and her bring in a pair of architects to examine the house and estimate the repairs and the values. It is later that Sarah finds that Stanley left her $750,000 in his will, as he loved her like a daughter. She had no idea what to do with the money, but as she reevaluates her life, she realizes she hates her drab apartment, her part-time arrangement with her boyfriend which only seemed to work on his schedule, and she decides to make a change. She buys the house that Stanley lived in, and decides that she needs the project of fixing it up to clear her mind and help her rehabilitate her life in a way. She hires the handsome architect to help her, and they fall in love during the process. Together as they work on the house, they realize that letting go of their past is the best thing to do, and they break up with their long-term part-time partners. As they work on the monstrosity of a house, they open their hearts and find that love still exists.
The whole book was basically like any other romantic plot. Obstacles in life, bad relationship, see an opportunity, fall in love with someone new. This book wasn't really my cup of tea, but if gushy romance and cliche endings is what you're after, then by all means I recommend this book. If you're looking for plot twists and something different, perhaps this book isn't for you.
To be up front, I hate gushy romance novels and books that repeat themselves. This book did just that, a whole lot. The phrase I saw most often had to be, "and this...was no different." There has to be a way to say that differently rather than repeating yourself a hundred times. Up until the 12th chapter or so, she would constantly remind us of how bad the main character's boyfriend was; how awful of a person he was but how wonderful a partner he was, and how she hated change. I wouldn't mind her changing how she said that though, the whole first half of the book was repetitive and pretty boring. It was sort of a, "you read one chapter, you've read them all," sort of deal. It was a very cliche romance novel, especially during the first half of the book, where she hates being with the boyfriend she has, so she meets another guy who just so happens to be handsome and also in a bad relationship. I wonder how many times someone's used THAT plot line before.
The last half of the book was also very much cliche and I found it tedious to stay focused. She obviously breaks up with her loser boyfriend and goes for the handsome guy who, gee whiz, breaks up with his loser girlfriend. Of course, they end up together. Is there ever a story where that doesn't happen? Of course not.
Sarah Anderson is a lawyer who lives in the big and busy city of San Francisco. She's 38 years old and has a part-time boyfriend, Phil, who is also a lawyer and previously divorced. The arrangement seems to work for both of them, or so she thinks. Her line of work consisted of alerting her clients of new tax laws, including her favorite client, Stanley, who is 98 years old at the beginning of the book, 100 by the time he dies. During her time as his lawyer, they form a close bond. Stanley is bedridden, and has been for the last 20 years of his life. He lives in a gorgeous mansion that he bought during the Crash of 1930. He was a millionaire, to say the least. He had no family and no one to share his wealth with, but he made sure to put distant relatives in the will, so they will be happy when it was his time to pass. Sarah made sure to keep his will airtight, and soon they became close. Sarah never had a father growing up, he was much too drunk to care about her and he died when she was 16 or so. Her mother had been a wreck ever since. Stanley, in a way, became her father figure. When Stanley dies, he leaves about 20 million dollars to his heirs, and after taxes they take 10 million from it. None of them want to restore the house in which Stanley lived, so Sarah decides she has to sell it. The real estate agent and her bring in a pair of architects to examine the house and estimate the repairs and the values. It is later that Sarah finds that Stanley left her $750,000 in his will, as he loved her like a daughter. She had no idea what to do with the money, but as she reevaluates her life, she realizes she hates her drab apartment, her part-time arrangement with her boyfriend which only seemed to work on his schedule, and she decides to make a change. She buys the house that Stanley lived in, and decides that she needs the project of fixing it up to clear her mind and help her rehabilitate her life in a way. She hires the handsome architect to help her, and they fall in love during the process. Together as they work on the house, they realize that letting go of their past is the best thing to do, and they break up with their long-term part-time partners. As they work on the monstrosity of a house, they open their hearts and find that love still exists.
The whole book was basically like any other romantic plot. Obstacles in life, bad relationship, see an opportunity, fall in love with someone new. This book wasn't really my cup of tea, but if gushy romance and cliche endings is what you're after, then by all means I recommend this book. If you're looking for plot twists and something different, perhaps this book isn't for you.
June 28, 2025
I recently bought this (Don’t worry, it was 99 cents.) The only reason this book received three stars is that I really liked the basic story idea. Had another author written the story, it could have been so good. This book was horribly written.
In the first hundred pages of the book, the author explores the stagnant relationship between Sarah, a thirty-eight-year-old lawyer, and her self-centered fitness enthusiast boyfriend. Their four-year weekend-only arrangement lacks meaningful connection and consists mainly of scheduled meals and sex. Sarah is painfully aware of her emotional disengagement in the relationship and obsessively analyzes it, frequently mentioning its duration—forty-four times in total.- I counted!
If you can make it past the initial hundred pages – I nearly gave up too, but it does improve significantly. Nestled on a hill with a view of San Francisco, the house is an impressive structure, built in 1923 by a wealthy man for the woman he cherished. For her and this splendid house, he spared no cost and overlooked no detail, from the endless stretches of marble floors to the shimmering chandeliers. Nearly a century later, with the once-stately residence now crumbling, a young woman roams its vacated rooms. Sarah Anderson, a practical estate attorney, is about to embark on an entirely unexpected journey. An elderly client has passed away, leaving her two gifts: a substantial inheritance and an invaluable message: to utilize his fortune for something extraordinary, something audacious. Within these walls of fading grandeur, Sarah realizes exactly what that is... It’s a Danielle Steel novel, so you can guess that she ultimately decides to purchase the house…
In a transformative decision that may alter her life significantly, Sarah seeks the expertise of architect Jeff Parker to breathe new life into a beautifully aged house that holds a special place in her heart. As they work together to meticulously restore the home’s unique features, Sarah finds herself winding up one chapter of her life while gently exploring the possibilities of a new relationship. Along the way, she discovers deep insights: the importance of a dying man's last gift, the incredible legacies passed down through generations, and a glimpse of a future that is still taking shape… As with any Danielle Steel novel, She ends up with Jeff.. duh
However, I read this book in 3 hours; it was badly executed, but the story was good, and in this crazy world we live in, Danielle Steel takes me away!
February 6, 2022
A beautiful, nostalgic, feel good story.
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