In this dark novel by Danielle Steele, an innocent party leads to life long consequences for a group of seniors at an exclusive Eastern Prep School. The story, reminiscent of events in today’s headlines, may seem familiar. However, through memorable characters and vivid descriptions, Steele’s aptly named Moral Compass illustrates how choices made, whether right or wrong, change lives.

St. Ambrose School has just admitted its first female students. The administration and faculty have braced for problems but all seems to be going well until Halloween. After a school sanctioned party, an unlikely group of six boys, from wealthy to scholarship students, meet in a remote area of the campus. Two have brought alcohol to the impromptu gathering. They are joined by a female Senior. In the next moments, hours, days, weeks and months, many decisions are made by the students and their parents. We see that the strength of inner character has nothing do do with age, wealth or power.

Moral Compass is an engrossing read. Far different from Danielle Steele’s previous books, this novel tackles current issues and presents behaviors from many points of view. A powerful must read. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Danielle Steele and Random House for this ARC.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

For me, this book was slightly different from DS’s usual books. She tackled a difficult subject of underage drinking and rape at an exclusive private school gingerly from introducing a large cast of characters, to the incident thru the investigation and sentencing. So many kids and parents to remember, in addition to school administration and teachers, detectives and lawyers. Interesting dynamics on how the parents handled the incident, and I thought one in particular could have been explored more, and one completely glossed over.

Of course in typical DS fashion, the ending is tied up nicely and not really in line with the main story, more of the secondary players. This is a fast-paced read that will hold your attention, but might frustrate you also. I felt the sympathies in the book leaned to one side. But, with that said, there is a lot to discuss and more to think about.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Press/Ballantine for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.


****** will post to Amazon and B&N on pub day.

This was a great book! I love Danielle’s books and this one was right there. This book was about justice being done to a rape victim. It happened on a campus but a high school. This makes me think about the things that happen on college campuses. Parents trying to get their children off of the crime. Kept me intrigued and I couldn’t put the book down. I would recommend this to everyone.

Where does your moral compass lie? This is a story of choices...right and wrong. Saving yourself or saving the wronged one and giving them their life back? This was an incredible read with a great life lesson. One of Ms Steel's best!

Thanks for the ARC! Loved Danielle Steel and this one did not disappoint. Very topical and relevant for the times we live in.

St. Ambrose Prep is a highly regarded all male school, which has finally admitted females. By October, what was expected and predicted has happened...on Halloween night, after drinking with a group of boys, a young girl is raped and left for dead with alcohol poisoning. The novel deals with the aftermath.

I used to love Danielle Steele novels. Her sweeping stories of love and hardship, the beautiful descriptions she formulated brought to life her characters and settings. Not anymore. This is a trite, formulaic novel. I had a hard time feeling for any of the characters. Her novels now jump right into the storyline, which is fine, but without the thoughtful introductions and connections between the characters that she once wrote so well. It's almost as if her recent novels are written by someone else, they don't sound like her at all. The characters are one dimensional, the topics she covers, while they can be important, like campus rape, are handled coldly and I struggle to get through.

Thank you to The author, Random House and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel, Moral Compass in exchange for my honest review.

I had not read a Danielle Steel book for years and when I saw this on NetGalley, I decided why not read it. This was a little bit of a departure from the books of hers that I had read in the past which were strict romance. This was about an elite private school where after a night of drinking, a girl is raped. It was an interesting book and I am glad I requested it. I was immersed in the story and was interested to see how it would play out with the rich and famous parents of the boys involved. It had a "ripped from the headlines" feel to it. I also like the characters, even many of the boys that were involved and it showed just how one bad choice can have a dramatic effect on the life of a good kid. I also like the cops that were investigating and their story line. At times the writing seemed a formal of something, but overall, I enjoyed the book.

Moral Compass by Danielle Steel is another one of her wonderful emotional standalone novels. The above description is perfect to lead into this storyline. ‘Saint Ambrose Prep is a place where the wealthy send their children for the best possible education, with teachers and administrators from the Ivy League, and graduates who become future lawyers, politicians, filmmakers, and CEOs. Traditionally a boys-only school, Saint Ambrose has just enrolled one hundred and forty female students for the first time.’

We get to meet many of the staff, as well as the students (boys) returning after summer vacation. We learn about the wealthy parents, and the students who stood out. We also meet Vivienne, an 18-year-old senior, who misses her friends, as she has moved from Los Angeles to New York and is enrolled in Saint Ambrose Prep. Vivienne is pretty, smart and slowly makes friends with a few of the girls, but finds herself becoming friends with two of the most popular senior boys, Chase and Jamie.

One evening after Halloween, Vivienne is walking and comes upon the boys drinking Tequila. Both Jamie and Chase invite her to join them. They all become drunk on the Tequila, including Vivienne, who becomes under the influence of alcohol poisoning. Chase and Jamie are best friends, and both like Vivienne, and soon a fight occurs; while the fight is going on, one of the other boys takes advantage of the inebriated girl and rapes her. The other boys are shocked, not to mention drunk, and though they pull the boy away, they make the mistake of covering it up and leaving the girl unconscious (from the Tequila poisoning).

What follows is a criminal investigation, as we watch two cops on the case, use forensic evidence to discover the boys involved in the drinking, and the rapist. We get to see the procedures, as well as the charges against the boys, and the families coming forth to protect their sons. Vivienne does recover, and also keeps quiet, as she feels only one person was guilty and did not want them to go to jail and ruin their lives. As things continue to unfold, I did like when two of the boys decide to go past their parent’s decision and tell the truth, which brings most of the others to do the same, with the exception of the rapist.

Moral Compass is a very compelling story that was very well written by Danielle Steel, and covers moral topics such as underage drinking, sexual assault, and things that change the course of the lives of so many innocents. There were a lot of interesting characters throughout, such as the parents of the boys (some good and some belligerent), Vivienne; the school teachers and management, and the two investigators, who were very good. Moral Compass was a very good story, which I suggest you read.

Danielle has wrote exactly whats going on in today's times. Being raised all the right ways know right from wrong and friendship are included in this book. Kids do not think about consequences in the moment. This book has drinking, rape, and moral codes that teenagers use everyday and of course every childs parent who think their child is the smartest and would not do anything like stealing, drinking, or rape. Danielle Steel opens up every parents eyes in this page turner of what our children could get into when with trusted friends.

I received an ARC of Moral Compass by Danielle Steel. I used to read everything Danielle Steel wrote, but she was writing so many books, that I felt it was keeping me from reading other books. This was a book similar to most books she has written, in that it was about super rich people, in this case, high school students. The story involves this group of students making a bad decision one night. The consequences of this decision is shown from several perspectives in the book. It's a good story that parents worry about a lot, kids, not so much. If you are like me and haven't read Danielle Steel for awhile, this one is definitely worth reading.

Steel continues to stay contemporary with her thought provoking stories and this one does not disappoint. With her consistent writing style, Steel gives the reader a glimpse into a world where choices need to be made and nothing is as it seems. I will always pick up a book by Steel! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This wasn’t my favorite by this author.

I get it exasperated by info dumps right off the bat and this had that in spades! This author can certainly write and creates excellent characters but the beginning of this book had me going back and forth trying to determine who’s who.

Eventually I got sorted and enjoyed this story. I don’t think that there are any real surprises here but that’s not the worst thing. It really was an emotional drama and showed the lengths that people will go to to get out of a jam.

Overall, it was both sad and interesting. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for a copy in exchange for a review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review. This book was definitely written in the right time. The story felt real and it definitely brings all the emotions out; just like Steel is known for. I could not say it any better than the description itself "In this compelling novel, Danielle Steel illuminates the dark side of one drunken night, with its tragic consequences, from every possible point of view. As the drama unfolds, the characters will reach a crossroads where they must choose between truth and lies, between what is easy and what is right, and find the moral compass they will need for the rest of their lives." One read of the description and you know you are in for a great story. Definitely recommend.

WOW a beautiful dark read by Miss Stelle had me loving this new side to her amazing writting! I LOVE every book she has written!!! All fans will fall in love with this dark and suspense filled read!! Thank you St Martins Press and Netgalley for MY ARC in exchange for my honest reiew, these are my opions and mine alone!! FANS go get this amazing read I promise it wont disappoint!!! LOVED this!!!!!!!

Danielle Steel's newest novel delves into some dark but timely subject matter: college drinking and rape. While this is certainly not a new issue, awareness of the topic has increased as the media has brought it to the forefront of the public conversation in recent years.

This is not a feel-good Hallmark movie kind of book. This is a serious book about a serious subject, written with Danielle Steel's light touch. There are certainly heartwarming scenes in the novel, as one would expect from a DS book, but overall the tone is dark and occasionally painful. Anyone who dismisses Steel as a fluff writer will probably want to reconsider their opinion of her after reading this novel. Romance takes a backseat to family relationships and school politics in an elite private institution, where many (all) of the students come from privileged backgrounds and do not have the same boundaries that the rest of us must live within.

MORAL COMPASS is a thoughtful book, very much worth reading. It takes you through the crime, the investigation, and the trial; and it explores the various relationships of the victim and her perpetrators and their families. I appreciate how Steel courageously explores different subject matters in each of her books, and this is no exception.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ms. Steel deals with hard subjects very relevant to today's society - underage drinking and rape in this powerful story. The characters were very believable and most were likeable. I liked that the school did hold their students to a high moral standard even while being pressured by entitled parents. It was interesting to learn the backgrounds of the students and what became of them in the end. I did feel the story dragged at times but was very enlightening. Recommended!

What would you do? This book really made me think about that question. It is a gripping story with a great character study. Many people are affected by a single terrible crime. The descriptions of their thoughts and feelings were well thought out and thought provoking.

Danielle Steel did it again with Moral Compass. This book was wonderfully written. She takes a subject that is unfortunately way too common and handles it with dignity and grace. She also didn't allow the victim to be shamed by other characters. A couple tried, but they were quickly shot down by the headmaster and others. I am a Danielle Steel fan for life and as long as she writes, I will read. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was just WAY too predictable for me to truly enjoy. Literally from the blurb to the last page, there were zero surprises or twists or anything to make this stand out. It was a solid story, and the subject matter was handled really well; I liked most of the characters, but there just wasn't anything to to make me go "wow!" My other issue was the addition of a couple of unnecessary storylines at the end of the book. They added nothing and felt more like filler for an already short book.

So not a bad book per se, but nothing that made me think "I am SO glad I read this!"

Another bestseller for Danielle Steele. In this story she addresses a very real and deep situation and does it so eloquently and so researched as is her signature style. D.S. has a certain style that in my opinion no author can compare to.

In her newest book she centers around an elite prep school in their first year of co-ed teaching and boarding. On a Halloween night a group of guys and one girl hanging out goes dreadfully wrong in a way that changes these children's lives forever. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for my honest review