44 Charles Street

This one was good but it was not as good as some of her others. A lot of hers are very much alike and very repetitive but then she will write one that is not like that and those are the ones I love.

44 Charles Street had potential with a deceptively interesting plot summary, but the writing and pacing took the fun out of it. The book had so much unnecessary and/or repetitive segments (and the opening chapters should have been cut - we could have learned about Francesca's financial situation and break-up in a paragraph), and I failed to see why Francesca seemed to think her life was so hard or why she was so attached to the house (especially when she basically sells it without a thought to move into another place with her new boyfriend at the end - hello, history repeating!). I don't like the message Danielle Steel was trying to send with Eileen's "online dating" storyline (I've never done it, but I know a lot of people who have show more used online dating and they've all managed to avoid the "characters" Eileen kept bringing through the house by utilizing their common sense). By the time I was about a third of the way through, I realized I was just wishing it was the end. The middle of the book was good, the characters were okay, but it just wasn't well-written. Basically, 44 Charles Street is quite a poorly-executed story. show less

While everything was good Francesca and Todd purchased the house at 44 Charles Street, a definite fixer-upper. Before the house was completed the relationship became as run down as the house. Unfortunately Francesca had fallen in love with the house, but without Todd’s financial contribution could not afford to maintain it. Solution – take in roommates. This is the story of what happens as the roommates come and go.

I generally do not read Danielle Steel and this book was a prime example of why. Although I am sure it will appeal to fans of her books, it was a little too pat and for me.

Review: 44 Charles Street
By Danielle Steel
361 pages
Characters:
Main: Francesca, Chris, Eillen, Marya
Secondary: Ian, Charles, Todd, Avery, Henry, Thailia

Dialogue: substandard; dialogue is used frequently, but none of it is written well—it’s all bland statements or bland explanations, and the dialogue is no different than the narrative; no emotion is channeled through

Vocabulary: perfect; the mark of a seasoned writer—there’s a good blend of college-level words to keep things interesting

First Page Narrative Hook: not present

Strengths: characters are lively; connections are made to each character as the story came to a close

Weaknesses; predictable plotline; dialogue is poor; problems/antagonists facing the protagonist are dull or are show more resolved much too quickly—this, however, is a personal taste; the primary weakness is the REPITITION: nearly a third (and I am not exaggerating) of the book could be edited out and the story would read just fine! Lastly, characters are unrealistic because each one is a perfect fit for the other.

Low rereading value

Bottom line: I don’t want to hate on Danielle Steel. She’s a women’s fiction writer. She’s successful and has gathered a huge fan base. But this book just didn’t appeal to me. At all. I had to drag myself from page to page in order to finish it. All in all, this book just isn’t for me. show less

Its an excellent book. Its a story of a failed relationship and how what happens after leads to everlasting love. Francesca is the owner of the house on 44 Charles Street. She lived in this house with Todd. Neither believed in marriage and though they could live together without marriage ever becoming an issue. Unfortunately, at forty-one years of age Todd's biological clock started to tick. He wanted marriage and the children to fill his life along with Francesca. As for Franscesca, her mind was made up. She feared she would turn into her mother, Thalia who married five times and lived a comfortable life because of these previous marriages. At sixty-two she was looking for her sixth marriage and was not having any luck. This made show more Francesca afraid of making a commitment like marriage.

After Todd leaves the house, in an effort to make the mortgage payments, Francesca decides to take in roommates. She takes in three roommates. Her first is Eileen, a recent college graduate and a Special Ed teacher. Her second a thirty-eight divorced man named Chris who is the father to Ian. Last, Marya a famous French chef whose husband passed away about six months earlier. They are all single and need each other for family comfort. Over time during the difficult times life brings us, they become a family.

Great read. show less

Woman splits with her boyfriend and struggles to keep her home and business. She deciding to take in borders to help pay her mortgage. The story revolves around the lives of her roommates -- a famous chef, a divorced man with a 7 yr old child, and a special education teacher with a interest in meeting dangerous men.

I found this book to be a little repetitious and slow. It seemed like it was constantly reminding the reader of the characters actions.

So I haven't read a DS since... the ranch? Long, long, time, and I really enjoyed this as a get away in Maine book. Very good beach read, but nothing that brought me out of the sun to finish it. The cover is what got me, I love red doors. If you want a quick getaway book , read it, maybe from the library or wait for paperback.