Isabel is an archeologist raising a daughter, Finn, alone after her boyfriend, Max, disappeared eight years ago. A strange phone call appearing to be from Max has caused a bit of a panic for Isabel, as she wonders where he is and if might still be alive. What Isabel doesn't know is that once Max disappeared through the woods in South Carolina, that he was transported to his family's ancestral plantation in 1816 Barbados. Max is there just before the historic slave uprising and wants to try and see if he can help those around him.

This book is a little all over the place bouncing between multiple timelines and narrators. There were several plot holes that I'm still unsure of.

The Dream Keeper’s Daughter by Emily Colin

465 Pages
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books, Ballantine Books
Release Date: July 25, 2017

Fiction, Romance, Time Travel, South Carolina, Barbados

Isabel Griffin grew up with her father after her mother mysteriously disappeared when she was a child. Isabel moved in with boyfriend Max Adair. Max wants to marry her and she wants to tell him she is pregnant but when she goes to meet him, he doesn’t show up. She puts herself through graduate school with help from her friend Ryan. Now she is a respected archeologist following a dig in Barbados when she makes a remarkable discovery.

The book has a steady pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in first person point of view from multiple perspectives. The story goes back and forth from Isabel and Max. It is a story of love and loss. If you like time travel romance stories, you may enjoy this book.

You ever read something that absolutely FRUSTRATES the hell out of you? That's this book. Mysterious and engaging and heartfelt and then utterly unsatisfying in the end.

I loved this book! It was such an interesting mix of romance, familial love, time travel and mystery... every page was a delight to read. I highly recommend it for lovers of mystery and suspense.

Isabel Griffin has done her best to move on since her boyfriend, Max Adair, vanished without a trace eight years ago, leaving her heartbroken—and pregnant. Eerily enough, this isn’t the first time someone Isabel loves has gone missing. When she was sixteen, her mother disappeared, and her father became obsessed with finding his long-lost wife—at the expense of parenting Isabel. Determined not to repeat her father’s mistakes, Isabel works hard to become a respected archaeologist and a loving mother to her daughter, Finn, a little girl with very unusual abilities. But while Isabel is on a dig in Barbados, she receives a disturbing phone call. The hauntingly familiar voice on the other end speaks just four words—“Isabel. Keep her safe.”—before they’re disconnected.
This story was intriguing and drew me in until the last part of the book. I think in order to throw the reader, the twist the author threw in is something I hate in books and it made the main character’s entire journey worthless to me. What started as a 4-5 star book was turned into 1-2 stars. Do not recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

This book was a really good read. It felt like I was reading a book I read a while back but this time it was through dreams instead of a journal. I feel sorry for Max though but at least he had a touching ending with Finn.

The book was well written, but story line just did not capture my attention. This genre is not my favorite,but I thought it would be good to try something different. This one just did not entice me to keep reading. Or maybe I am truly a scaredy-cat!

My review can be seen at RT Book Reviews

Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to read and review this title before it was archived.

Although I was fascinated by the history of Barbados and the uprising, the plot of this book puzzled me. I felt like there were many unanswered questions at the end, and unresolved issues, and so many plot holes. I didn't hate the book completely, but I didn't really love it either.

The Dream Keepers Daughter by Emily Colin is one the favorite books that I have read this year. This is a mystery novel centered around time traveling. However I was more interested in the character development for Isabel, Max and Ryan. Each is a strong part of the story and the reader follows their developing relationships and emotional growth.

DNF @ 12%

I was ready and willing to be swept away in this book. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it. The more I learned about Isabel, the more I disliked her and her actions. Also, I'm not a huge fan of reading about slaves/slave owners -- it makes me uncomfortable and I understand this is a more personal feeling.

The book feels choppy to me because of the switch between Max and Isabel. One part of the book feels like a contemporary romance (Isobel) and the other feels like a historical fiction (Max) with the slight current of fantasy through Max traveling through time.
This also begs the questions of who the dream keeper and their daughter is, because these powers don't depend upon dreams.

I won't say I think no one will enjoy this book, but I think I would recommend it more to people who like both historical and women's fiction novels.

Isabel was crushed when her boyfriend Max abruptly disappeared after finding out she was pregnant. Six years prior to that, her mother had disappeared abruptly, too. Determined not to let it prevent her from being a good mother to her daughter Finn, she worked hard at graduate school to become an archaeologist. That peace is shattered when Max calls her while she's on a dig.

The points of view vary between Max and Isabel, and the story moves between present day South Carolina and 19th century Barbados prior to a slave rebellion. Some of the switches are clunky, and some of the very highly emotionally charged moments seem to come too easily.

I would have loved to see more of Finn and what she experienced; too many of her statements and visions really aren't explained or followed up on. It could be a function of Isabel's desire to avoid it, but even the therapist didn't really seem to dig too hard for it. I would have expected a bit more of Isabel's work life as the book went on, but we didn't see any of it.

These inconsistencies were relatively minor, because I really did like Isabel and Max's stories. It didn't end the way I expected it to, but it was a fitting resolution for everyone involved.

I give this book 4.5/5 dragonfly necklaces.

I finished this last night, or rather early in the morning, past 1 a.m. I just can't seem to put the book down. I had to finish it because I knew that I would not be able to sleep unless I find how the story turned out.

Looking at the title, it doesn't give out any clue as to what the story is about. Though, it may appear that it hints of something paranormal but that's the only thing you can guess out of the title. No other revelations as to what the story would be. Or it could also suggest something profound as the word dream keeper would want to make you believe. A dream keeper may be someone who makes one's dreams come true. Like someone who doesn't give up, no matter the odds. Well, the story actually contains a bit of the two.

From the first chapter until the last, there was no way I was going to let this book go. The first chapter alone had me intrigued and jumping on my seat. I never thought this book would excite me. It seemed so unassuming and subtle but it's not. The paranormal aspect of the story was taking its time to unravel. It made me guessing the whole time what was really going on. And when it was all revealed, I just nodded my head like it was the most natural thing to do. It was done intricately and with so much precision. Perfect timing and all. I was just so caught up in all its mystery and enchantment.

The only small crack I found in the whole incredible tale was Isabel's choice at the end. I think it was so unnatural. I felt like it was not in congruent to the whole flow of the story. I think it was a bit forced. It was possible and in some way, I sort of saw it coming, but still it was disappointing for me. It felt like the author was also undecided on who Isabel should end up with and how she ended up with the choice was not done so flawlessly like the rest of the book.

I give this book 4.5/5 dragonfly necklaces. Aside from the ending which I thought disrupted the whole flawless rendition of the whole tale, everything was perfect. It was a very stupefying experience that I would want to do again and again. A very delicious and magical story. Thank you, Emily Colin, for writing this. Now, I am curious as what her would other book, The Memory Thief, would be like. If this is book would be the basis, I'm sure I would be astonished out of my wits.


I think maybe it's like poison. If I let it out, then maybe--maybe it will finally leave me alone.

Sometimes when you love someone, you want so much to keep them safe that you wind up saving them from all the wrong things.
- Emily Colin, The Dream Keeper's Daughter -

Thank you again, Netgalley and Emily Colin for the copy.

The title and description of this book caught my eye. The majority of the book kept my attention and interest. However, the ending lacked big time.
I enjoyed the time travel aspects of the story, yet I thought the timeline was off. (Julia was gone for 12 years, yet only a little over one year in the past. Max was gone 8 years but only 2-3 weeks in the past.)
I'm not a huge history buff, but was interested in the historical elements of the book.
For a educated person, Isabel seemed very dumb when it came to understanding the people and relationships around her. Her relationship with Ryan was a good friendship until it was ruined by all of a sudden them having feelings for each other..(Um no, doesn't work for me, was actually kinds gross).
The author never fully addressed Finn's psychic ability and it seemed kind of silly and out of place. (Having her lose friends on a constant basis is cruel. The author could've given her at least 1 friend).
Overall, the story didn't seem to develop in the way I'd anticipated.

A mesmerizing read that captured this reader from page one. It shows how grief affects each individual in a family. The writing is enjoyable and intelligently written. The characters are enjoyable to read and all add to the story with depth and interest. A captivating read.

I'm not sure why this book didn't get better reviews but I really enjoyed it. I loved the time slip and the star crossed lovers aspect of the book but instead of being your usual romance this one had a bit of a twist that was more realistic and I like that. While I understand some people feeling let down with where the author took this book (I too felt that for a fleeting moment) I then realized why. It makes more sense! In a book that has things that suspend your disbelief I was happy to see she grounded it.

This is a book of tragedy, loss, coping and how people handle the shitty and sometimes strange hands they are dealt. Max didn't want to travel back in time but he did the best he could in the time and place he was in and made a difference. Isabel studies the past and has dealt with the loss of her mother and her boyfriend to strange circumstances. Finn is a shining beam of light through the story the thread that ties everyone together. I wanted more of her and wanted to explore her gift a little more but that wasn't the point of this story.

This was a good mystery, a good romance and an interesting glimpse into a little known piece of history.

Based on the description, Emily Colin's The Dream Keeper's Daughter had a lot of the elements that I enjoy in a book. There was a time slip that took me to Barbados in the early 1800s. There was a mystery involving the disappearance of 2 people close to the heroine. There was a woman doing her best to raise her daughter alone and just happened to be an archeologist. Not a bad combination of elements!

It was lost love storyline that the romantic in me couldn't get enough of. His name was Max and he was Isabel's one true love. They were going to spend the rest of their lives together until he walked into the woods and never came back. Life went on and Isabel didn't just cope with her loss, she made a life for herself and her daughter. Imagine Isabel's surprise and confusion when a piece of jewelry belonging to someone else she'd lost is discovered at a dig site she was on in Barbados.

And that is where the book kind of fell apart for me.

There were so many different elements that I couldn't really get invested in them. I would be caught up in the time slip, only to have it shift back to the present. I would be getting to know Max more in the past and then go back to the present where Isabel's BFF was secretly in love with her. I really enjoyed the historical part of the book. I learned a lot about Barbados and its history. I enjoyed the characters in that time. I felt more connected to them than any of the present day characters, even Isabel. At the end of the book, I felt like there were so many loose ends that needed to be addressed for me to be satisfied by the ending. I also felt that there were lots of things that didn't need to be in the story at all and actually, kind of took away from the ending. I had high hopes for this book, but in the end, I felt like the book didn't quite reach them.

Meh. I was really, really into the story at the beginning. About a quarter of the way through, though, I lost much of my interest. There just wasn't enough substance to hold my attention. I ended up just skim reading the final three-fourths.