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Southern Lights  By  cover art

Southern Lights

By: Danielle Steel
Narrated by: Nick Podehl
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Publisher's summary

Eleven years have passed since Alexa Hamilton left the South behind, fleeing the pain of her ex-husband's betrayal and the cruelty of his prominent Charleston family. Now an assistant D.A. in Manhattan, Alexa has made a name for herself as a top prosecutor while juggling her role as devoted single mom to a teenage daughter.

But everything changes when Alexa is handed her latest case: the trial of accused serial killer Luke Quentin. Alexa prepares for a high-stakes trial...until threatening letters are addressed to her beautiful 17-year-old daughter, Savannah. Alexa is certain that Quentin is behind the letters - and that they are too dangerous to ignore. Suddenly she must make the toughest choice of all - and send her daughter back to the very place she swore she would never return to: the place where her marriage ended in heartbreak...her ex-husband's world of Southern tradition, memories of betrayal, and the antebellum charm of Charleston.

Now, while Alexa's trial builds to a climax in New York, her daughter is settling into southern life, discovering a part of her family history and a father she barely knows. As secrets are exposed and old wounds are healed, Alexa and Savannah, after a season in different worlds, will come together again - strengthened by the challenges they have faced, and with Savannah now at home in the Southern world her mother fled.

A novel that will catch you off guard at every turn, Southern Lights is Danielle Steel at her electrifying best.
©2009 Danielle Steel (P)2009 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about Southern Lights

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

It's my own fault...

I should have known. It was a Danielle Steel book. I shouldn't have said, "Well, maybe this one will be different." This is absolutely the silliest, lightest, most one-sided book I have listened to. I feel so sorry for Nick Podehl who had to narrate this, especially the southern voices.

The main character is perfect. Her teenage daughter is perfect. They never fight. They are best friends. The daughter must go to Charleston to live with her dad and EVIL STEPMOTHER - who is completely evil. I wonder, has Danielle Steele ever been to South Carolina? We don't live on plantations with black servants. We don't hate yankees. We are not "steeped" in the confederacy. We don't sit around counting how many generals we had from our family in the Civil War and we will certainly apply to a Northern college if that's where we want to go. We also don't exclude people because they are not from the south. And the character's names!! SAVANNAH BEAUMONT??? Fiance named SCARLETT?? I don't think she could have written more stereotyped characters and beliefs.

The only other thing to say is that if you didn't get the gist of the plot after the first couple of hours - NOT TO WORRY! Danielle Steele will explain it over and over and over ad nauseum. I have never read anything where the same thing is said again and again, constantly.

I guess if you are a fan and you like her style of writing, you will probably like this. But if you're hoping for something different, I don't think this is it. Bye Y'all!

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Worst Book Ever

I have never listened to something so boring. There was absolutely nothing to this book. I love Danielle Steel, but this was awful.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Ok ish

There were times where I thought the writing was just going on because it had to and it felt a bit drawn out.

A good story and even though I just had to finish it, it definitely could have been shorter.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Thought this might be different

Was so bored with this book I almost didn't listen to the whole thing, but I kept thinking that surely there had to be a plot, or at least a lesson in the book, besides stereotyping Southerners. Danielle Steele needs to visit the South before writing about it. Bless her heart! :) I used to love reading her books, but stopped after they got SO depressing and boring. Guess nothing has changed.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Empty

Would you ever listen to anything by Danielle Steel again?

no

Any additional comments?

The book is empty and primitive to the extreme. On top of that it is full of snobbery.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

I wish I could give it LESS than 1 star....

I like books that have something to do with the south, but this was the most insulting I've ever "read". I think DS needs to visit SC before she *tries* to write about it - "bless her heart" (and that's meant with the DS meaning, not the true southern meaning!). I'm insulted and disgusted at the same time!

This was a pitiful attempt at writing imho. If you didn't hear it the first time, you would have heard it after it was repeat for the 10th time, or the 15th....

Please take my suggestion and do not waste your money on this book. It's BORING, totally inaccurate and very poorly written. I don't see how this book ever made it through the editors to the publisher. I've read many "free" books from indie authors that topped this by far! Danielle Steel needs to do a lot more research before trying to write about the south - a place where she apparently knows nothing - "bless her heart".

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Sleepy narration

I loved the story but was very disappointed in the narrator. He was so dry. He tried to put emotion to it, but I felt it was very sing-songy. I also feel like a woman would have been far more effective as the novel was from Alex's point of view.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love This Book

Danielle Steel is my all time favorite author. This is one of my all time favorite. The story is great. Nick Podehl is a wonderful narrator. Definitely recommend this book.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Just Wonderful Book is all I can say

If you could sum up Southern Lights in three words, what would they be?

Excellent True Life

What did you like best about this story?

Every part of it was just amazing, never lost interest in it, but loved the ending

Have you listened to any of Nick Podehl’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but he did a good job on this one

Who was the most memorable character of Southern Lights and why?

Alexa, because of her hard work and family dedication, and never ending Love for her Daughter

Any additional comments?

I would recommend this book, it is a must to listen to

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Not what I expect from DS

DS is one of my favorite writers, but this one was not worth the $$ I spent. Some of the characters were not necessary for the story, it seemed like they didn't belong to the story. This may have been realeased in audio format in 2009, when was it written? Very dissappointed in this one.

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1 person found this helpful