Publication
New York : Delacorte Press, [2017]
Collection
Call number
Fiction S
Physical description
282 p.; 25 cm
Status
Available
Call number
Description
What's so perfect about the past for Sybil and Blake Gregory, a successful Manhattan couple with three children who land in San Francisco when Blake impulsively accepts the job of a lifetime as CEO of a start-up? The family moves into a grand, surprisingly affordable Pacific Heights mansion and soon meets the affable Butterfield family, who lived there a century ago. Of course the Butterfields are ghosts, and only the Gregorys can see them, but that doesn't keep the two families from leading a charmed life together.
User reviews
LibraryThing member marciablnc
This book is well written which is typical of Danielle Steel. However, I did not care for this subject. I personally like something more realistic.
LibraryThing member Kuglar
Such a great idea but written in a very simplistic style like a children's book. And holy cow, the traditional gender roles were really weird. And I'm talking about the modern folks here. Son likes sports and is adventurous enough to go to college in Europe, daughter likes pink and wants to be
The "ghosts" were charming and I love that even in Bettina's lifetime, her brothers, etc. were already dead and living in the house. Added an interesting twist. I thought the author was going to do an actual twist with the Gregorys turning out to be the ghosts or some such but that didn't happen. There actually wasn't much of a plot. So I didn't hate it but I felt the idea was so good that it hurt to see it wasted.
Tiny gripe: When the daughter goes to college, the author has her take along her music machine or system (can't remember the exact word here). What awkward phrasing. Is this an MP3 player? A record player? A whole sound system? An 80's style boom box? Inquiring minds want to know.
Slightly larger gripe: Tell your ghost friends about 1929! What kind of crap friends let their friends lose their fortune when it's easily preventable? Bert *dies* from it and his wife (I've already forgotten her name - Gwendolyn?) also has an early death. Tell them and let them decide what to do with the information.
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close to home, Mom is always the one cooking, Dad's career is more high powered, etc, etc. I was actually shocked that Sybil worked and her job was prestigious. But she never had to worry about her jobs earning money because Blake's job took care of them financially. Excuse me while I gag on that.The "ghosts" were charming and I love that even in Bettina's lifetime, her brothers, etc. were already dead and living in the house. Added an interesting twist. I thought the author was going to do an actual twist with the Gregorys turning out to be the ghosts or some such but that didn't happen. There actually wasn't much of a plot. So I didn't hate it but I felt the idea was so good that it hurt to see it wasted.
Tiny gripe: When the daughter goes to college, the author has her take along her music machine or system (can't remember the exact word here). What awkward phrasing. Is this an MP3 player? A record player? A whole sound system? An 80's style boom box? Inquiring minds want to know.
Slightly larger gripe: Tell your ghost friends about 1929! What kind of crap friends let their friends lose their fortune when it's easily preventable? Bert *dies* from it and his wife (I've already forgotten her name - Gwendolyn?) also has an early death. Tell them and let them decide what to do with the information.
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LibraryThing member jbarr5
Past perfect by Steel_ Danielle
Cybil and Blake married almost 20 years and they have 3 kids-2 in high school and one in first grade, born and raised in NYC and love it there.
Blake gets an offer in San Fran and goes out to check it out-there is nothing that will keep him from going there and making
Not only did he take the job but bought a huge house, very old for them to move into.
20,000 square feet 1902 house with storage that included all art and furniture. Cybil loves the place and the move will give her time to finish writing her book and still do design work if the offers come.
They all arrive with their high tech devices and it's quite the contrast to what the house is all about...
Eathquake occurs and things are moved to new locations prior to that.... Youngest keeps thinking there are hidden passages and ghosts...
Cybil had seen the prior residents as ghosts and tries to explain what she saw when she sees the pictures on the walls.
She reads the family historical book and finds out who they all are and calls in someone who specializes in ghosts and he tells her they feel comfortable there and she wants them gone!
Like how the families meld but i still think it's very weird. What Cybil finds in the book and acts on it is really weird! Servants think the whole family is crazy talking to themselves as they can't see the old family.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Cybil and Blake married almost 20 years and they have 3 kids-2 in high school and one in first grade, born and raised in NYC and love it there.
Blake gets an offer in San Fran and goes out to check it out-there is nothing that will keep him from going there and making
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tons of money-he has to persuade his wife and kids to go also...Not only did he take the job but bought a huge house, very old for them to move into.
20,000 square feet 1902 house with storage that included all art and furniture. Cybil loves the place and the move will give her time to finish writing her book and still do design work if the offers come.
They all arrive with their high tech devices and it's quite the contrast to what the house is all about...
Eathquake occurs and things are moved to new locations prior to that.... Youngest keeps thinking there are hidden passages and ghosts...
Cybil had seen the prior residents as ghosts and tries to explain what she saw when she sees the pictures on the walls.
She reads the family historical book and finds out who they all are and calls in someone who specializes in ghosts and he tells her they feel comfortable there and she wants them gone!
Like how the families meld but i still think it's very weird. What Cybil finds in the book and acts on it is really weird! Servants think the whole family is crazy talking to themselves as they can't see the old family.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
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LibraryThing member mchwest
This book was another TBR on my shelf forever and again Danielle Steel has really put out an interesting and different great book! She comments at the beginning of it that she never wanted to do write the past and present ghost thing, but went ahead and did it anyway. Its's absolutely out there for
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a plot but no matter it makes you happy to read it and reality has nothing to do with what I read. We get enough reality in our daily lives so read this and enjoy! Show Less
Language
ISBN
9781101883976