This was a book that I struggled with. I heard good things about this author, and I wanted to try one of her novels. However, the plot tended to drag. Also, the characters were unlikeable, and I couldn’t root for them. I did love the historical details in the novel, and I like the author’s writing style. I think I will try another book by Ms. Chamberlain to see if she an author to look out for.

I've read several Diane Chamberlain novels over the years and she never fails to deliver a well paced multi-layered story that keeps you engaged and turning the pages until the very end. The Stolen Marriage is no exception.

In 1944, Tess has the world on a string. She is just finishing up nursing school and engaged to the love of her life who just so happens to be a handsome doctor. But all that changes on one ill fated trip to Washington, D.C. Tess becomes pregnant from a one-night stand and her world is turned upside down. Tess manages to track down Henry Kraft, the baby's father, to ask for money to start a new life, but surprisingly he asks her to marry him. It isn't long before Tess finds herself trapped in this loveless marriage, residing in small town Hickory, North Carolina where she is an outsider at home and everywhere else. Tess soon finds that everything isn't what it seems in Hickory and maybe she knows even less about her husband that she assumed.

The Stolen Marriage also touches on the polio epidemic at the time and the special hospital that was established to handle it in Hickory, North Carolina. I enjoyed this novel and the various twists and turns that the plot took. The book will definitely keep you reading and would appeal to mystery fans as well as historical fiction readers.

I received this book courtesy of St. Martin's Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book grabbed my attention from the beginning and I didn't want to put it down. I learned a great deal about the polio outbreak and what was done to help patients. There was also a lot of intrigue in figuring out the mysterious nature of Henry and if Tess was going to figure out his secrets. Highly recommend for fans of historical fiction.

ess DeMello is only 23 years old when she finds herself pregnant. The year is 1944 and she feels that she has no choice but to end her engagement, move away from home and reach out to the father of her child for assistance.

Henry Kraft of Hickory, North Carolina quickly proposes marriage and Tess finds herself living with her husband, mother-in-law and sister in-law. The town isn't to pleased with this outsider as they have all believed that Henry would one day marry, Violet. Henry doesn't make things any easier on, Tess. He isn't cruel by any means and provides her with the necessities but he is not affectionate, stays out all night and is secretive.

A polio epidemic strikes the quaint little city of, Hickory and the townspeople work together to build a small little makeshift hospital in which to treat and care for those who are struck with, polio (This really did happen! Check it out Here). Tess is finally able to shine, as she is a nurse and starts working on the hospital. She is thriving and then her past pops complication her life further. This complication along with Henry's secretive make Tess rethink her life and marriage in Hickory.

Truths are revealed and tragedies strike. Read, The Stolen Marriage to find out more.

The story is told in, Tess's voice and covers are variety of topics such as racism, religion, morals, beliefs and human strength. Overall, I enjoyed the story but I did see some things coming and felt the ending was a little to pretty and perfect for me but can see how someone else would enjoy it.

I really enjoyed this story, I think Chamberlain is such a talented writer. She takes us back to 1944 Baltimore and North Carolina and covered the very real struggles of the time. I held back a star because the romance element fell flat for me but don't let that deter you. I highly recommend this to everyone who enjoys historical fiction.

St. Martin's Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Stolen Marriage. I was under no obligation to review this book and the following is my honest opinion.

1944 is a year that Tess DeMello wishes she could forget, as it was the year she lost her true love and started a new life. Giving up her dream of being a nurse, in order to marry and live with Henry Kraft in Hickory, North Carolina, Tess soon discovers that her new husband has something to hide. When the polio epidemic comes barreling through the small town, will Tess be able to put her skills to use and help others? Will the truth of her marriage become public knowledge?

Having read other novels by Diane Chamberlain, I was underwhelmed by the characters and plot of The Stolen Marriage. As her books are usually rich environments with true-to-life characters, I was expecting more than what was ultimately on the pages of this one. I was definitely more interested in the historical tie-ins than I was with the fictional story. The book was well paced and was a quick read for me, but it just was not as good as I had anticipated. Readers who like historical fiction will enjoy this writer's perspective of the polio epidemic, especially as it pertains to small town America in the 1940's.

Another can not put down winner from Diane Chamberlain! Start reading when you'll have time to finish!

This is a wonderful entertaining historical novel that takes place in Hickory, NC during the polio epidemic . The novel starts with Tess living in Baltimore in love with her fiancé Vincent a doctor working out of town . She goes on a trip for the weekend to DC and a situation happens that forces her to change her entire life as she knows it. She moves to:a strange town , puts up with hostile in laws and certainly comes into her own in NC. This novel is based on historical facts about the polio hospital in Hickory ,NC . I knew nothing at all about this I must admit . This is engaging , fascinating novel that inspires you to learn more about this time period

Diane Chamberlain never disappoints! She has penned another great book that you won't want to miss. The Stolen Marriage takes place in the forties in Hickory North Carolina during the polio epidemic. It's a unique tale steeped in forbidden love, betrayal, loss, friendship and forgiveness. You will get totally absorbed in this book and not want it to end. I loved it and will definitely be recommending it to all my reader friends.

I absolutely love Diane Chamberlain’s work! I’ve been a fan for years and again she didn’t disappoint. The beginning of the book starts out fast with Tess being engaged to a doctor who’s away doing research. After a trip to the big city leads to a big mistake, one that changes Tess’s life forever.
A bit of historic contemporary women’s fiction for you and this is one amazing book! I can’t wait for Diane’s next book to come out, but check this one out!

A beautifully written historical fiction novel filled with suspense and mystery. You are drawn into this captivating novel from the beginning and won’t want to put it down! The characters are realistically portrayed and you develop a quick connection with them. It is well worth reading!

I love reading Ms Chambelain's books. I found this story to be interesting and well written. looking forward to her future books.

Another hit by Diane Chamberlain with The Stolen Marriage.

Tess DeMello is the main character and she is currently working towards her nursing degree. She has known her fiancé forever and has a great foundation for their future. One weekend changes all of that. She abruptly leaves town (after the date of her mother) and quickly marriage a man she barely knows, moving to his small hometown in North Carolina. Her husband keeps secrets from her and although he treats her nicely, they don't have a proper marriage, all while living with his mother and Sister.

Her husband is influential and Tess is not allowed to work. As the polio epidemic hits their little town, Tess uses her nursing skills at the clinic to tend to the children and young adults that have been effected. Finally feeling as though she is contributing and not just sitting home idly.

Here she runs into someone from her past. Will Tess be able to change the course of her actions and get the fairy tale she imagined since childhood or will the secrets of the past catch up to her and hold her in this small town?

I was very drawn into this book and its characters. And, admittedly I was angry at the beginning of this book, I fell in love with it.

5 stars

It’s the 1940’s. America are fighting two wars. One on foreign soil and one at home, in the form of the polio epidemic that surges every summer. Tess is a young woman in Baltimore, studying to be a nurse. She is also engaged to her childhood friend Vincent who has recently become a doctor. While Vincent is away in Chicago studying polio, Tess and her friend Gina take the train to Washington, D.C. for an overnight visit. But something unexpected happens to Tess while she is there and it turns her life upside down and destroys her dream of a life with Vincent. Tess suddenly finds herself all alone in the world and grasps desperately at a chance for redemption that takes her to Hickory, NC. Here she comes face to face with the issues of racism and gender bias.

I was captivated by this story from the beginning. Tess is a well-rounded young lady with a lot of spunk (as my grandmother would say). She has a great deal of empathy for others and she fit in perfectly with my image of working class young ladies during the period. The author very deftly guides her through the hard choices that she finds herself having to make and surrounds her with a whole host of wonderful characters. While reading this book, I really felt like a “fly on the wall” of Tess’s life. It’s also obvious that the author put in a lot of time researching life at the time in Hickory and the realities of treating polio patients. The story moved at a really good space and every scene helped to push the story forward. This is a book that you won’t want to miss.

I found this book to be captivating and engrossing and very much enjoyed reading it. There is compassion, deception and secrets and twists in the plot that will hold your attention. The fact that it has a historical aspect to the story - an actual historical event was intriguing and inspiring for me. Love the fact that people came together when there was a serious need - the best of human nature. The story line most certainly holds your attention and you find yourself unable to wait for what's coming next. Excellent job by Diane Chamberlain. Highly recommend.

Blurb

From perennial bestseller Diane Chamberlain, a compelling new novel

In 1944, twenty-three-year-old Tess DeMello abruptly ends her engagement to the love of her life when she marries a mysterious stranger and moves to Hickory, North Carolina, a small town struggling with racial tension and the hardships imposed by World War II. Tess’s new husband, Henry Kraft, is a secretive man who often stays out all night, hides money from his new wife, and shows no interest in making love. Tess quickly realizes she’s trapped in a strange and loveless marriage with no way out.

The people of Hickory love and respect Henry and see Tess as an outsider, treating her with suspicion and disdain, especially after one of the town’s prominent citizens dies in a terrible accident and Tess is blamed. Tess suspects people are talking about her, plotting behind her back, and following her as she walks around town. What does everyone know about Henry that she does not? Feeling alone and adrift, Tess turns to the one person who seems to understand her, a local medium who gives her hope but seems to know more than he’s letting on.

When a sudden polio epidemic strikes the town, the townspeople band together to build a polio hospital. Tess, who has a nursing degree, bucks Henry’s wishes and begins to work at the hospital, finding meaning in nursing the young victims. Yet at home, Henry’s actions grow more alarming by the day. As Tess works to save the lives of her patients, can she untangle her husband’s mysterious behavior and save her own life?

I really loved this book and I am starting to love this genre more and more. This is actually a historical fiction book that is based on true events. You can really tell that the author did lots and lots of research on this book. The people in Hickory actually did built and staffed a polio hospital in fifty-four hours, which is just amazing. The hospital evaluated six hundred and sixty-three patients over it's nine months in existence. The author does a great job writing about the town of Hickory and it's Polio Hospital. The patients and their situations described in this book are purely products of her imagination. I loved the story. I thought also that the characters were so well done and that the author makes them come to life. I loved Tess! Tess begins her story with a crisis and self doubt and grows stronger. The author also writes about life in the war in Hickory. She goes back to the year of 1944. I thought she did another great job writing about the year of 1944. I actually felt like I time traveled back in time to this year. I felt like I was there. You could really tell that the author educated herself on North Carolina laws regarding marriage in the forties. Interracial marriages were prohibited and punishable by up to ten years in prison and getting out of a marriage was close to impossible, as Tess discovers in this book. I am so happy that has changed today. That would be just awful. I summarized the author's note at the end of the book and also wrote my thoughts of this book.

I love the book cover of this book. Diane Chamberlain is a new author to me and I will be reading more of her books. I thought this was such a great story, and I was very impressed. I love to read a fiction book based on a true event. It's the enjoying the story while actually learning about the town, the polio hospital and what it was like in the year of 1944. I now want to experience all of her books. I highly recommend this book.

I want to thank Netgalley, the publisher, St. Martin's Press and Diane Chamberlain for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just not for me. I had a very hard time getting into the story line and did not enjoy any of the characters.

Loved loved loved Diane Chamberlain’s latest. She is a master storyteller and really knows how to hook the reader in from the first page! In the Stolen Marriage the prologue details a terrible and fatal accident but we don’t know who the characters are yet. Then we meet Tess and her handsome childhood sweetheart Vincent. Though she’s a good catholic girl she finds herself in a bad situation and makes a bad choice. After, she convinces herself she’s ruined herself for her fiancée and must disappear. Henry/Hank wants to marry her and thinking only of her unborn child, she agrees. Set in 1945 North Carolina there’s a parallel story of an infant polio epidemic that threatens the entire town along with an interracial relationship that has everyone on edge. Beautifully written with genuine emotions and a satisfying ending. Kudos to Ms. Chamberlain. Another WINNER!

Tess DeMello made the biggest mistake of her life when her fiance was out of town. The year is 1944 and Tess's fiance, Vincent has been in Chicago for so long that she needs a distraction from her loneliness. She agrees to go away for the weekend with her best friend, Gina. Two handsome men and several martinis later, Tess sleeps with one of the men. Her guilt is compounded when she realizes she is pregnant. She breaks it off with Vincent and heads to Hickory, North Carolina to confront the man who got her pregnant, Henry Kraft. Henry marries her and Tess quickly realizes that life in Hickory, North Caroline is worlds apart from her life in Baltimore. Henry's family is distant and critical, as is Henry himself. When Tess loses the baby she thinks it will be her way out of her marriage and Hickory, but Henry will not let her go. Tess is miserable until she gets to put her skills as a nurse to work at the town's newly created hospital for polio patients. She finally has a purpose and has something to live for in such a dismal situation. Then Vincent shows up to work at the hospital and Tess knows that she has to find a way to get out of her marriage - but at what cost?

The Stolen Marriage is a rich, historical novel that eloquently illustrates how far this country has come from since 1944. In 1944 the country was rationing gas and food while soldiers fought in Europe. The Civil War still held great influence over behaviors and laws in the south and Polio was very much a medical threat. In fact, the book is historically accurate in regards to Hickory, South Carolina and the hospital that was created nearly overnight. - Miracle in Hickory. I really liked Tess, but one really bad decision changed her life. Moving to the South was such a culture shock for her that she almost immediately regretted it. Henry's mother and sister we less than welcoming, his mother even went so far as to call Tess a slut, more than once, it just highlighted the fact that Tess was from a different world. I couldn't figure out Henry and his stand-offish behavior to Tess. He didn't HAVE to marry her, so why did he? -- CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS

Bottom Line - Diane Chamberlain has a real gift for crafting a story that takes the reader to a different time and place. Her characters in The Stolen Marriage are so rich and the story is so captivating it is easy to get swept away, in my opinion, that is the mark of a true craftsman.

Details:
The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain
On Facebook
Pages: 384
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 10/03/2017
Buy it Here!

Firstly, I want to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for giving me a copy for an honest review!

“The Stolen Marriage”, is now my second Diane Chamberlain book that I have read. It’s been several years since I’ve picked up another one of her books, but I can see why she is a popular author; “The Stolen Marriage”, was really good!

Throughout the entire book we are following one woman’s perspective: Tess. I really appreciated Tess as a character, she was very flawed, but by the end had such an amazing character arc; had she not been a bit of a mess in the beginning the ending would not have worked.

Tess at the beginning is trying to become a nurse. It’s 1944 and polio is running rapid. Her life is not going as planned at all and ends up marrying a man she barely knows and leaves nursing behind; until she stands up for herself!

Also, the time period was pretty much a character in itself and was very interesting to read about. It always amazes me where we have come from, from where we have been. History has changed so much in the last 70 years: vaccines, mixed races marrying, and homosexuals rights. Not saying that we certainly have it all figured out, but I will say we have come such a far way in how people are treated. I feel like that was Diane’s point to writing this story!