Member Reviews
Well as much as I love Danielle's books especially as a change of pace from my usual genre of psychological thrillers, this one was kind of slow and drawn out. It was a nice story and different from her typical strong Female protagonist stories when they triumph against adversity. It was just okay for me.
Tank you to Netgalley, Random House Delacorte Press and the Author,Danielle Steel for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I liked the different setting for the book in Montana. A group of friends get stranded on a mountain and they are lost for three days. I did like that the least likely character, from the city, kept the most level head and actually saved the group.
Some of the parental relationships implode. That was expected because after all it is a DS novel.
A lot happens in the last 25% of the book. Perhaps it was a bit rushed and seems fit together in a slap hazard way.
It was a different look for a DS novel, refreshing.
I have read numerous Danielle Steel books and many here lately. I always enjoy the storyline and the characters in her books. Even though I did really enjoy this read, I did notice that some of it was repetitive and she told you some of the same stuff over again that had just been said. This is the first time I have noticed this happening.
Tom, Beth and their daughter, Juliet live in New York City. Beth is pretty high maintenance and has tried to make her daughter be the same, but Little does Beth know, she is far from it. When Tom decides he is tired of living the NYC life, he up and leaves to Fishtail, Montana where things are a little more laid back and less stressful. Beth is appalled that Tom would just leave and she tells him that if he leaves she will divorce him. Tom is not worried because he thinks that their marriage has been dead for years.
When Juliet goes to visit Tom before school is to start, she finds that she rather likes it in Fishtail too. Is it only because she has meet one of the neighborhood boys that lives next to her dad or does she like the laid back lifestyle too, or perhaps both?
This story comes with break-ups, hook-ups, ups and downs and everything else you can imagine in a read. I enjoyed this book and I know others will too for a quick read to take you away from the hustle and bustle of everyday things. Fishtail sounds like a place I might like to live myself! I enjoyed all the characters too.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. Great read!
The Challenge by Danielle Steel was another good read! As I've said many times, can Ms. Steel really write anything bad...nope! This book takes place in Montana which always captures me from the beginning. I love the small town feel of Montana books. Always recommend any writing from Danielle Steel!
Tom, Beth and their daughter, Julie, live in NYC and Tom does not like living there anymore or his life. He wants them all to move to Fishtail, Montana. Beth is all for the fast life and thinks he needs to grow up. They decide to divorce and Tom moves to Montana. It's a simpler more laid back life and he loves it there.
When Juliet comes to visit him for a few weeks, she also loves it and makes fast friends.
Anne and Pitt Pollock, local royalty, high school sweethearts, and owners of the successful Pollock ranch.
Bill and Pattie Brown own the nearby ranch and the 4 of them are friends.
Their sons Peter Pollock and Matt Brown are also the best of friends. When they and two other local kids meet Juliet Marshall, new to town after her parents’ bitter divorce, the five of them are soon inseparable, spending their summer days swimming, horseback riding, hiking, and fishing.
But one August afternoon, their latest adventure takes a dangerous turn—and quickly escalates into a battle for survival—when they find themselves trapped on Granite Peak.
Wow! For young teenagers they are very smart and have to learn to survive. The whole community comes together to find the kids. I sat and read this as fast as I could since I wanted to know if they were all going to make it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the book to review.
Set in the small town of Fishtail, Montana. The families and characters in this heartwarming, contemporary story are the best. They feel like your neighbors and you are part of the town. Their children, who are friends and the parents, become closer and add new friends into their circle when the children get themselves in a dangerous situation. The saying that you never know what goes on behind closed doors is true and as you read this book there are all kinds of surprises waiting for you! Another good read by the wonderful author, Danielle Steel!
After years of being married and working endlessly in NYC. Tom decides he's had enough of the city life and moves to a rural Montana community. When his daughter, Juliet, comes to visit, she quickly makes friends with several local boys. The five are fast friends and enjoy spending time outdoors with each other. When the group, an older brother and a younger brother all head to swim and enjoy the waterfalls, they are trapped in the mountains.
Their parents are all worried, of course, and are desperate for their children to come home unharmed. The group must work together to keep themselves safe until they can be rescued.
The first half of the book leads up to the event in the mountains and the second half deals with the aftermath. Many relationships are tested and secrets are revealed.
I loved how these friends stuck together through thick and thin. This is what true friendship should look like. The ending seemed a little rushed to me. All the loose ends were tied up quite rapidly.
Thanks to netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine for the arc.
Great story from DS, she has knocked another one out of the park! What a great story this was…great characters that make you care about them like you’ve known them for years. Kept me turning the page without losing interest! Read it in one sitting!
This book follows the friends and their families after they are lost during their hike up the mountain. I felt like there was a lot of dialogue missing in this book and it was a lot of narration and that's what I missed a lot.
Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review all words are my own.
Fishtail, Montana is a small community where everyone is close knit. The Pollocks and the Browns have been friends since childhood and their sons Peter and Matt are also best friends. When the boys and two other friends meet Juliet the five of them are inseparable. They are always off on adventures but suddenly their latest adventure turns dangerous and they are fighting to survive. When they are rescued, life for them and their families is forever changed.in the aftermath. New relationships are formed, devasting secrets are revealed and the families have to reconsider what is most important in their lives.
Thanks to Danielle Steel and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the book
I don't think a Danielle Steel novel has ever made me cry before but this one had me in tears! I was rooting for the kids and the families. I loved the entire storyline and honestly wanted a part 2!
Set in Fishtail, Montana, 'The Challenge', is a book about seven kids who get stranded on a mountain and their inevitable rescue.
While I though the first half of the book was good, and I enjoyed how Ms. Steel described the mountain scenery, the kids' struggle to survive, and the parents urgent fight to bring them home, I felt the second half of the book was too predictable.
I felt as though the second half was rushed. It felt as though it was quickly wrapped-up.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book.
THE CHALLENGE
Danielle Steel
Women’s Fiction
Seven kids are stranded on a mountain top and the whole town goes looking for them. They come out the other side unharmed and with a bond that can never be broken.
I truly loved this book. The way a small community gathered around these kids really reminded me of the town I grew up in. There was just enough romance and drama to keep me reading it. I read this book in two days and it was definitely a 5 star read for me.
I can always count on the latest Danielle Steel novel to draw me in quickly and hold my attention until the last page! THE CHALLENGE is a captivating read that centers around a group of teenagers who have been best friends all of their lives and are welcoming a new friend into the mix over the summer. A group adventure leads to a risky situation that has the entire town on pins and needles. Throughout the turmoil, friendships are forged and beliefs are challenged. There are many different characters and lots of drama happening throughout the story and I wholeheartedly enjoyed every minute.
I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a women's fiction storyline with romantic elements woven in with several of the characters.
Gotta love a book that keeps you reading all night. Some of Danielle Steel's books do; some don't. This one did. I can always recognize her writing, although I'm not sure how to describe it, other than "matter of fact"... nothing fancy, just the facts, which seems to work well for her.
The residents of very small Fishtown, Montana are quite content with the quiet lives they lead there, and the friendliness and caring of their neighbors. When Tom chances to visit the area, he feels in his heart that it's where he belongs, not in busy, money-oriented New York City. However, it is fruitless trying to talk his wife into moving there, so he goes alone, and she, immediately, files for divorce.
Most of the story is about their 14-yr-old daughter, Juliet, who makes friends with four local boys her age when she has visitation with her dad. One of their adventures proves to be possibly deadly, which changes a lot of lives.
I have posted a review on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4918672250) and will add it to Amazon and Book Bub when it is released. Thank you, NetGalley for the privilege of reading it!
I haven’t read a Danielle Steel book in over thirty years. With three books of hers on my TBR pile I decided to read all three in a row to get a feel for her writing now. The Challenge is almost two separate stories. It first introduces you to five families. Four have boys that are 14 and best friends living in a very small town in Montana. The fifth family is in the process of divorce and has a daughter the same age. Her dad has relocated to Fishtail and she is there for some summer weeks. The five with two other siblings get lost on a mountain and need to survive till they can be rescued. The second half of the book follows what happens to the families in the months afterwards.
This is interesting general fiction. There is first love, new relationships, break-ups and dealing with loss. Some families got more attention but I felt I knew everyone and cared what happened to them. Sometime with authors that are older I catch things that aren’t current or up to date and that is not an issue with Steel. I think the only mistake that stood out to me is the families all go to Yellowstone at the end of summer. She has them renting out large tents. If she meant inside the park that isn’t something you can do. (There are lodges, cabins, hotels and then bring your own whatever campgrounds.) It is a minor thing but it made me smile and think she hasn’t probably been there. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine, for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this story very much. There are multiple families involved when 7 children go missing on the mountain. I found it very interesting to see how each one reacted before and after. The story was engaging and held my attention from start to finish. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!
Quick novel with all of Danielle Steel's strengths--great scenery, tension, love and coming of age. I really enjoyed the rustic Montana lifestyle and a nod to earlier times where kids were able to run around freely without so much supervision.
The Challenge is yet another great Danielle Steel book. It is is full of family, friends, and new beginnings.
Tom decides he no longer wants to live his hectic life in New York and wants to move to Fishtail Montana. In doing so he ends end getting a divorce and having to leave his daughter. His daughter Juliet comes to visit and makes friends with some local boys, which in turn Tom becomes friends with. Things become interesting when the teens get trapped on a mountain and the parents stuck wondering if they will be safe.
All of the families in the story go through major changes. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc for my honest opinion.
‘The Challenge, is another Danielle Steel hit. I don’t know how she does it, but I absolutely love reading her books. Based in Fishtail, Montana a story about small town friendships and romances - old and young.