In her latest offering, Never Say Never, #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel delivers a poignant narrative about resilience and rediscovery. With her signature blend of emotional depth and life-altering circumstances, Steel crafts a compelling story about a woman whose carefully constructed life crumbles, only for her to find unexpected happiness in its ruins.
The novel follows Oona Kelly Webster, a successful literary editor whose life is upended when her husband of twenty-five years reveals he’s leaving her for a younger man. Just as she’s reeling from this betrayal, her prestigious publishing imprint is shuttered in a corporate merger. Stranded in the French countryside where she had planned to celebrate her anniversary, Oona finds herself rebuilding her life from scratch—and discovering love in the most unexpected places.
Character Development: Finding Strength Through Adversity
Steel excels at creating multidimensional characters, and Oona Kelly Webster stands as one of her most relatable protagonists. At nearly forty-seven, Oona embodies the modern woman who has balanced career and family with apparent success, only to discover the fragility of what she’s built. What makes Oona particularly compelling is her evolution from someone defined by her roles as wife, mother, and editor to a woman who must redefine herself without these anchors.
The journey isn’t easy. Steel doesn’t shy away from Oona’s grief, confusion, and moments of paralyzing fear. When she loses her job of twenty-five years, Oona reflects: “She felt as though she had lost him from the moment he’d told her about it, when in fact she had lost him months before.” This raw vulnerability gives readers permission to acknowledge their own fears about starting over.
Meanwhile, the supporting characters enrich the narrative:
- Charles Webster: Oona’s husband, whose late-in-life realization about his sexuality triggers the novel’s events. Steel portrays him not as a villain but as someone equally lost, highlighting the complex nature of self-discovery.
- Ashley Rowe: The charismatic actor who becomes Oona’s neighbor in France. His character challenges Oona’s preconceptions about age, race, and celebrity.
- Simon and Alana: Ashley’s children, grieving their recently deceased mother, who form a touching bond with Oona.
Setting: The Healing Power of Place
La Belle Florence, the 230-year-old French house named after a king’s mistress, becomes almost a character itself. Steel writes: “It had been a real home for her, and a haven of sorts for eight months, while she healed from her losses.” The house represents both shelter from life’s storms and a space where history reminds us that love endures, even through tragedy.
The contrast between New York’s fast-paced, status-conscious environment and the peaceful French countryside creates a perfect backdrop for Oona’s transformation. Steel deftly uses these settings to underscore the novel’s themes:
- New York symbolizes Oona’s old life—structured, prestigious, but ultimately hollow
- La Belle Florence represents the possibility of a more authentic life built on personal choice rather than external expectations
- The pandemic backdrop serves as both plot device and metaphor for the invisible threats to our carefully constructed lives
Themes: Reinvention and Authentic Connection
Steel weaves several powerful themes throughout the narrative:
Breaking Free from Societal Expectations
Oona struggles with internalized ageism and concerns about interracial relationships, wondering “what would people think?” Her journey involves recognizing these fears as products of societal conditioning rather than authentic concerns. When she finally embraces her relationship with Ashley, it represents a victory over these limiting beliefs.
The Pandemic as Catalyst
Set during COVID-19, the novel uses the pandemic not merely as backdrop but as a fundamental force that strips away pretense. As Oona observes, “The pandemic has been the great equalizer. No one is exempt, and who lives and who dies is unpredictable.” This context gives added weight to the characters’ decisions about how to live authentically.
The Courage to Love Again
Perhaps the most resonant theme is finding the bravery to love after heartbreak. Steel writes beautifully about the vulnerability required: “Love was a high-stakes game she was afraid to play again.” Oona’s hesitation feels justified after Charles’s betrayal, making her eventual leap of faith all the more satisfying.
Prose Style: Emotional Honesty
Steel’s writing remains accessible while addressing complex emotions. Her straightforward prose creates an intimate connection with readers, particularly when describing Oona’s internal struggles:
“She wanted to wake up in the morning next to him and have a normal life with him. But he didn’t have a normal life. He was a star.”
Critics might note that Steel sometimes relies on repetition to emphasize emotional points, but this technique effectively mirrors the circling thoughts that characterize anxiety and grief. The dialogue, especially between Oona and Ashley, feels natural and builds their relationship convincingly.
Pacing and Structure: Balanced Storytelling
The novel’s pacing effectively balances introspection with forward movement. Steel structures the narrative around several pivotal moments:
- Charles’s revelation about Roberto
- Oona’s job loss
- The rescue of Florence (the dog)
- Meeting Ashley Rowe
- Claire’s death from COVID
- Will’s illness and recovery
These events create a satisfying rhythm of crisis and resolution. If there’s a criticism to be made, it’s that some plot developments—particularly toward the end—feel compressed compared to the more expansive treatment of earlier scenes.
Social Commentary: Aging, Race, and Identity
While primarily a romance, Never Say Never by Danielle Steel offers thoughtful commentary on several contemporary issues:
Aging and Gender Double Standards
Oona’s anxiety about being eight years older than Ashley highlights societal double standards about age gaps in relationships. Her fears that he “needs someone his own age” reveal internalized ageism that many women face.
Race and Privilege
Steel approaches the interracial aspect of Oona and Ashley’s relationship with sensitivity. Rather than making it the relationship’s defining feature, she presents it as one of several factors they navigate. Ashley’s perspective as a successful Black man from the Caribbean adds nuance to these discussions.
Career and Identity
Oona’s professional loss raises questions about identity beyond our roles. When she loses her prestigious editorial position, she wonders, “When people asked what she did, all she could say was that she used to be an editor, and now she was nothing.” This exploration of purpose beyond profession resonates in our achievement-oriented culture.
Critical Assessment: Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- Emotional authenticity: Steel captures the complex emotions of midlife crisis and reinvention with honesty and empathy.
- Relevant themes: The exploration of starting over in middle age feels timely and important.
- Pandemic context: Unlike many novels that awkwardly incorporate or ignore COVID-19, Steel integrates it meaningfully into the narrative.
Weaknesses
- Some predictable elements: Certain plot developments follow familiar patterns from Steel’s extensive bibliography.
- Secondary character development: While Oona and Ashley are fully realized, some supporting characters like Gail could benefit from deeper exploration.
- Resolution timing: The final chapters move quickly compared to earlier sections, causing some emotional payoffs to feel rushed.
Comparison to Steel’s Other Works
Fans of Steel’s extensive bibliography will recognize her hallmark combination of glamorous settings and emotional upheaval. Never Say Never shares thematic elements with Danielle Steel’s earlier works like Changes and Second Chance, which also explore midlife reinvention. However, the pandemic setting and the interracial relationship aspects bring fresh dimensions to her storytelling.
The novel features less of the extravagant wealth that characterizes some of Steel’s other works, focusing instead on emotional richness—a welcome evolution in her writing style.
Final Verdict: A Timely Tale of Renewal
Never Say Never stands as one of Danielle Steel’s more resonant recent offerings. At its heart, this is a story about having the courage to reimagine your life when everything you’ve built falls apart—a message particularly relevant in our post-pandemic world.
While the novel follows some familiar Steel patterns, it distinguishes itself through its thoughtful exploration of contemporary issues and its hopeful message about finding love at any age. Readers who appreciate emotional depth alongside romantic development will find much to enjoy in Oona’s journey from heartbreak to happiness.
For both longtime Danielle Steel fans and newcomers to her work, Never Say Never offers a satisfying blend of romance, personal growth, and the reassurance that it’s never too late to begin again—a sentiment perfectly captured in the novel’s fitting title.
