Another wonderful book from master storyteller Diane Chamberlain !

I thought this book was great. So many twists and turns I did not expect at all.

I love historical fiction, especially anything to do with the depression or world war II. It was the great equalizer if you think about it. Whether you were wealthy or poor you worried about your loved ones fighting in the war. You mourned and grieved those who didn't make it home. You learned to go without sugar in your coffee when your rations ran out, and all the money in the world couldn't save you from getting polio before the vaccine finally became available. Polio didn't care if you were black or white or rich or impoverished.

So while there were many things about this book I loved, I have to say I disliked Henry Kraft immensely. Before I get ahead of myself lets start with Tess, the good girl from Baltimore madly in love with Vince and about to pursue their lifelong dream of getting married and working together in the medical field. He is a doctor and she is about to become an RN. This dream is ruined by one awful night, and although Henry is portrayed as a kind and caring and decent man.. well to me that awful night was entirely on him.

Tess ends up leaving the only life she has ever known, and moves to North Carolina with Henry, where she is treated as an unwelcome unwanted outsider by his family and the townspeople. When an outbreak of polio strikes and the town comes together to build a hospital, Henry's mother is disgusted by Tess wanting to work there as a nurse. Tess refuses to sit idly by when she has skills that are in such desperate need, especially considering she has been told by the only person who has shown her any kindness, that it's what she is meant to do. I loved Tess, and the remarkable strength she showed especially considering women in those days were expected to do as their husbands told them.

I received an advance copy for review.

I love most of the authors books, I've read most of them if not all, maybe missing one or two, so when I got the email inviting me to read the book for a review, I jumped on it. I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started it. I'm not used to seeing books based on a more recent time period, I usually find in historical fiction it was from forever ago.

The first chapter I was like..okay..im not sure if I'm going to like it, then I started reading the next chapter, next thing I know..I got sucked in. It read to me like a day in the life of a wife in 1944, around the polio history, war going on and polio outbreaks. A wife/nurse in a marriage during the period of race and war and on the very verge of feminism happening. There were some twists and woah..moments but not much, I wasn't really sure where the book was leading the entire time. It was interesting putting myself behind the eyes of a lady in a somewhat southern town where it's still illegal for a white male and a black female to be married together. A time where there were thins like book clubs and southern snobbiness. It was interesting when the MC went to a meeting where there was real concern about women becoming "manly women" because they like their jobs at the factory, and knowing what the world is like now.

anyways I really enjoyed this book, I recommend it to those that like the historical fiction of more recent times

I've been looking forward to reading this book for months and I must say, it's not a disappointment. I could not put it down! It may be written and told in a slightly different way and voice than the author's previous novels but I'd say this one could sit well side by side to Kristin Hannah's outstanding historical fictions.

The time frame of this book is fabricated during the World War II, when racial tensions, life threatening diseases and the hardships of the war are running high. What made the book interesting is the fact that it instead focusses on a small town called Hickory, it's people and the courage that runs through it as they fight against the Polio epidemic in the midst of the difficulties of the war. The book reminds me a lot of the famous BBC TV SERIES 'Call The Midwife' and 'To Kill a Mockingbird', the two of which are dear to my heart. But despite this, the book clearly stands on its own and it carries its own valuable message. You can see a lot of researches had gone into the making of the book and it reeks with mystery, intriguing characters and a strong female protagonist, whom solid personality I truly adored, except for her negative attitude towards mixing of races back then in the 1940s.

On the whole, this is yet, another one of Diane Chamberlain's best piece and I highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting to learn about polio, the 40’s and Hickory NC. I enjoyed reading about Tess. I was so glad she she was able to become an RN. I highly recommend this book.

The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain does not disappoint.  I always feel a bit nervous when I open a new book from a favorite author; what if this book does not compare to their earlier work? No fear here.  The Stolen Marriage was fantastic and held my attention the entire time.

The book starts with a fairy tale like romance of two characters who grow up together.  A mistake takes them away from one another and lands our leading lady in a strange town living under strained circumstances.  

The mystery of the town she is moves to and the family she lives with unfolds nicely throughout the story.  There is an added element for fans of historical fiction because the book is set during World War II when the ravages of Polio were being felt across the world.  Living in a time when the Polio vaccine is widely available, it is easy to forget how terrifying and horrible the disease was before it was treatable and the story weaves these issues into the narrative beautifully.

For fans of Diane Chamberlain's previous books or readers who enjoy historical fiction such as the Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd, this book should be a must read.

Chamberlain has done it again. Historical fiction is usually not my forte, however, I will read absolutely ANYTHING this woman writes. I would read her grocery list. Tess is such a well fleshed out character and I enjoyed every page I got to spend with her. Just when I thought I had every last detail figured out, my jaw quite literally dropped. Another 5-star from a favorite author of mine.

This book was amazing! I've recommended to so many. One of the best of 2017. Just a beautifully told story. Highly recommend.

I love Diane Chamberlain. Like I want to be her friend kind of love. She never ceases to make me cry and look deeply at the world around me.

I'll start by saying that I had really high hopes for this book. I really enjoyed Necessary Lies and was hoping this book would be just as good if not better. I struggled with this book. One thing I struggled with was that almost everyone is giving this book high ratings and I thought "Is it me?" but I realize that not every book is for everyone and what one person may feel that the book he/she is reading is a masterpiece, while another person may have a hard time finishing that particular book. As I mentioned I received this book in exchange for an honest review and honestly, I thought this book was okay at best.

It's 1944 and Tess is engaged to Vincent, a man that she is engaged to and madly in love with. She can't wait to be his wife and live happily ever after. Vincent is a doctor who is passionate about his work, when he goes to Chicago to help fight the polio epidemic. He keeps changing the date he will be coming home as he is passionate about his work. Tess naturally misses him while he is away but is also secretly upset that he keeps changing his return date.

When her best friend Gina offers to take her on a trip out of town, Tess jumps on the opportunity. This is a chance to take her mind off how much she misses Vincent and to have a little fun with her firend. When they arrive they learn they will be staying in a home with 2 other people - 2 men whom they do not know.

Too much alcohol, bad choices and poor judgement come into play. That one night changes Tess's life forever. She abruptly ends her engagement to Vincent and informs everyone that she is getting married to Henry and moving to North Carolina. She really knows nothing about Henry, his life or his family. She is not welcomed with open arms and keeps hearing that "Henry is not the man you think he is" That would definitely get my attention.

A tragic accident occurs which further alienates Tess from Henry's family and the town. She is unhappy, not in love and finding out that her husband has secrets. Tess who studied to be a nurse also feels as though she herself needs to help with the polio epidemic and eventually begins to help out at her local hospital where she is re-connected with someone from her past.

So I am in the minority with this book. What didn't I like. For starters, I feel that Henry took advantage of Tess. She was in no position to give consent and the scene felt more like a rape to me. Also, if Tess knew Vincent all of her life, why did she not go to him and explain to him what happened? Could not all of this misery have been avoided? I do realize that if this happened there would not be a book but I just found that I wanted to take and shake most of the characters.

The description of the book sounded so good to me but while I was reading I found that I had to force myself at times to keep going. As I mentioned I saw so many high ratings and thought "what am I missing?" This book just was not for me. It was well written and obviously appealed to a lot of people but not so much for me. I will definitely read more from this Author as I did really enjoy Necessary Lies.

A solid 5 stars! Necessary Lies was by far Chamberlain's finest novel and one my favorite stories but she has hit a home run once again with her newest due out in October, The Stolen Marriage. A fascinating historical fiction that takes place near my hometown in Hickory, N.C. The year is 1944 and Chamberlain uses the oncoming polio epidemic as the backdrop of the story. Her research and details of the first polio hospital pulled together basically overnight by the townspeople of Hickory is very interesting and informative. She also delves into the political and social times of the mid 40's when interracial relationships and unwed mothers were unacceptable especially in the south. This is the atmosphere that Tess suddenly finds herself when she moves from Boston to small town Hickory and weds Henry the local wealthy owner of a furniture factory. Leaving behind the man she loves, moving to a town that doesn't welcome her and finding herself stuck in an unwanted marriage Tess soon finds out more about herself and the people that surround her as she quickly becomes a part of an epidemic that changed a small N.C. town. Finally a 5 star book that I can recommend to anyone who loves a great story! Full of heart about true people, mistakes, forgiveness and love. This one ended way too soon! Diane Chamberlain, I thank you!

Wow. Diane Chamberlain has done it again. The Stolen Marriage is a must read. An unforgettable, can't put down book that you never want to end. She pulls you right into the pages as if you are in the world of the characters. Amazing!

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this in advance. Wow, this was such a great read. I thought I knew why Henry wasn't sharing the marital bed with his wife and why he would arrive late ,if at all. Boy, was I wrong in my assumptions regarding Henry as well as why Vincent rarely came back home to spend time with Tess. I'm not sure why Henry's sister had to die in the novel. I enjoyed reading this book and learning about the polio epidemic, I was happy that everything worked out at the end. Definitely a must read.

I've read many of Diane Chamberlain's books and as usual I wasn't disappointed.

Tess had her whole life planned out. She was finishing up her last year of nursing school, engaged to her childhood sweetheart, who was a doctor, they were going to have many kids and work together in a private pediatric medical practice. But in one night of bad choices, Tess's life changes completely.

The author's research of 1944 Hickory, NC and the polio epidemic was wonderful! And the changes happening during that time, socially and politically were so vivid I had no trouble "seeing" Tess and her struggles as well as accomplishments as believable. The twists and turns kept me reading until the end. A great story!!

In 1943 twenty-three year old Tess DeMello was set to marry Vincent, the love of her life, in their Little Italy neighborhood of Baltimore where they’d grown up together. He had become a doctor and she was studying to be a nurse so, when a severe outbreak of polio struck children in Chicago, Vincent volunteered his services for several months. His absence set the stage for Tess to visit Washington D.C. where she met Hank Kraft, a rich furniture maker from Hickory, a small North Carolina town. When she becomes pregnant she abandons Vincent, marries Hank, and moves to Hickory.

Hatred from her mother-in-law, as well as from Hank’s sister, former girlfriend, and all their friends greeted her, causing loneliness to cloud her every move. In addition, Tess soon realized Hank seemed to be hiding secrets, and had no feelings for her. Anxious to find a way to relieve the pressure of her marriage, Tess disobeyed Hank to volunteer her services as a nurse at the hospital the town built in 54 hours when polio struck their part of the state. There she learned to stand on her own again, finally able to become the person she was meant to be.

Many themes are at work in this book, ranging from infantile paralysis (what polio used to be called), religion, mediums, relationships, racial inequalities and more. Readers will definitely have much to ponder, making this a great choice for a book club.

As a child my mother suffered from polio in the mid 1940’s, which caused her to be in a leg brace. To this day, she still has problems with that leg. This is the first book I’ve ever read about infantile paralysis/polio, which helped me understand what she and thousands of other children had to endure. Thank you Diane Chamberlain for enlightening readers on the subject through your excellent research and, of course, a huge round of applause is reserved for Jonas Salk.

Highly recommended for Adults.

I received an e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. Been a fan of this author since her first book. Knew nothing about the polio hospital in Hickory North Carolina before now. Kudos to the authors for another great read.

I loved this book. I've been a fan of Ms. Chamberlain's books for a while, and this did not disappoint. The research she put in was obvious, her characters flawed and honest. I loved how she dealt with the issues...which were considered shocking in the 40's...factally. Her characters were real, and you felt for them immediately. She had me hooked from the Prologue. I will read anything this Author writes, and so far have never been disappointed.

A haunting tale from the 40s that ties together factual historical information with morals, race, and life in a small town. Tess has everything she could possibly want, she's on her way to becoming an RN, she's engaged to a doctor she's known all her life and is passionately in love with, and she has her whole life ahead of her to spend with her best friend. Then she makes a one night mistake with a girlfriend on a visit to Washington DC that sets off a chain of bad decisions and life choices that were available to her as a woman in the 40s. Uprooting her life to go to the South, she ends up married to a man who, while kind, has absolutely no interest in her, and she begins working as a nurse in a 54 hour miracle hospital during the height of the polio epidemic. It's there that she runs into the love of her life again and is forced to ask herself if she can stand to live the rest of her life this way. A story of redeeming love, and the choices we make to find that happiness, I can't recommend this book enough. Truly a must read.