This book was sooo good! I always enjoy Diane Chamberlain’s books, but this one was even better than I expected. It’s best if you don’t read reviews or big summaries about it, so with that being said, I’ll just say that I love when I have no clue what’s going to happen in a book and I can’t put it down and this one had all of that going for it.
**Slight spoiler**
Time travel is one of my favorite sub genres and this is one of the best I’ve read!

*4.5 stars rounded up. I am always a sucker for time-travel stories and at first, I thought this one was going to be a rather light-weight version, with the travel being accomplished by stepping off from great heights into portals taking you either forward or backward in time. But soon, I was sucked into Carly's desperate story.

We first meet Caroline as a young woman working as a PT in North Carolina in 1965. She is assigned to work with Hunter Poole, a rather strange patient with a broken ankle from falling off a roof. She introduces him to her sister Patti; they marry and have a son.

Five years later Carly's own husband Joe is killed in Vietnam just after she realizes she is pregnant with their first child. When she learns the fetus has a heart abnormality that will mean certain death for her infant, she is devastated.

Then Hunter comes to her with a stunning confession: he is a time traveller and can send her into the future where doctors could fix the heart problem in utero. It takes a lot to convince her that he isn't just crazy, but eventually she gives in, the plans are made, and Carly travels to 2001 to save the life of her baby.

Carly is a stupendously brave and likable character. It's fascinating to watch her navigate her way through the unknown with so much courage. I couldn't put this book down! I enjoyed all the twists and turns and tricky choices Carly has to make. She's a character I won't soon forget.

I received an arc of this new novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Many thanks!

Caroline "Carly" Sears has already suffered one massive blow in 1970 when she's informed that her husband was killed in Vietnam. Now, she's told that the baby she's carrying has a life-threatening heart condition and will not live more than a few days after being born. Fetal ultrasound is still in its infancy in 1970 and fetal surgery isn't something that's even being considered. There's nothing that medicine at that time can do to heal her unborn child. Fortunately, her brother-in-law has a possible solution to the problem. It's an off-the-wall bizarre, out-of-this-world, Twilight Zone-esque solution, but a solution nonetheless. The only question now is just how much Carly is willing to trust Hunter and how far she's willing to go to help her unborn child.

I found The Dream Daughter to be a fast-paced and enthralling read. I always enjoy reading stories by Diane Chamberlain and this one was quite unexpected in that it threw in a nice little twist, okay several unexpected twists. No, I won't tell you what those twists were, it is sufficient to say that this is not your typical Diane Chamberlain story but it really works, unexpected twists and all. For much of the story, Carly is like a fish out of water and trying to adapt to the best of her abilities and she has a steep learning curve (trust me, it'll all make sense when you read the book). Without giving away too many details, there are three separate timelines in this story and they all intersect with Carly as the common factor (again, it'll make sense when you read the book). I wish I could give you more details but if I did, I'd be giving away too much of the story and I really don't want to do that. I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, settings, and action in this story. I can also say that if you're a fan of stories involving time-travel or if you've read anything by Ms. Chamberlain in the past, you'll want to read The Dream Daughter. This story captured the essence of motherhood and just how far mothers are willing to go and what they're willing to do to protect their children. The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain is going on my list of recommended reads from 2018 (this has been an amazing reading year!).

5 Brilliant Stars!!!

This is my second book of the author and I loved it better than the first book!!
The story starts in 1965 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with Caroline Sears, a Physio Therapist getting allotted to Hunter Poole for Physio Therapy..
Five years later in 1970, Caroline Sears - a widow who lost her husband Joseph Sears in the Vietnam war is expecting her first child.. However, halfway through her pregnancy, its revealed that her baby carries a heart disease and wouldnt survive..
After her husband's loss, Caroline is devastated after the knowledge of her unborn baby's heart disease.. When she gives up all hope and wishing for a miracle, her brother in law Hunter Poole puts forth the idea of time travel.. Hunter gives her the option to time travel to 2001 so that she can undergo a fetal surgery and save her baby!! As much as the whole time travel is unbelievable, Caroline takes the plunge in order to save her baby!!
The courage and unconditional love of Caroline to time travel and face difficulties, stress and technology advancements of 2001 is amazing!!
I dont wanna give away anything more about the story.. It is a very complex, emotional roller coaster ride.. A very heart breaking story about trust, love, loss, family and unconditional love a mother holds for her child...
Am so glad that i got this ARC from netgalley in exchange for review!!

This is the first book I've read by Diane Chamberlain, and certainly won't be my last. I loved how this story was told from different points of view. This story is about Caroline (Carly) Grant, who is a physical therapist in North Carolina. At the facility, where she works, there is a man, Hunter Poole, that has kept to himself and uncooperative, until he see Carly. Reluctantly, she agrees to help him.

She ends up introducing Hunter to her sister, Patti, and they get married. Carly's husband, Joe, goes off to war and Carly is given news of Joe's death. The bad news keeps on coming, until Hunter feels a need to help Carly, but first he's got to share a secret that he hadn't even told his wife. Then, he'll have to convince Carly to put her trust in him. After that, he'll have to open up to Patti about his secret, which might destroy his marriage.

Amazing story, where I felt I was right there alongside Carly and could feel her emotions. As the story unfolds, Carly becomes strong and will have to make the biggest decision between two choices where a piece of her heart will be left behind no matter which choice she picks. Will it be the right choice?

I would like to thank NetGalley via St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I admit that I have difficulties enjoying books that feature time travel. I usually find it just too convoluted and predictable or too unrealistic to believe. Maybe this is why I didn't enjoy this book. However, even when I tried to suspend my disbelief and fall into the story, I found it too predictable and emotionally uninteresting. I never really caught on to the characters and actually didn't care what happened to them.

There were moments of brilliance and the manner in which historical events were woven into the story added some interest, but (again) I found it just too predictable. It's clear Chamberlain did her research about 1970 and those scenes rang true for the era, but otherwise....a rather forgettable novel.

This is my first read by Diane Chamberlain and I think I found a new favorite writer. I normally hate time trave stories but this one was different. I fell in love with all of the characters, Each one had such a lovely trait to them. The story line was so addicting it was so hard for me to put down. It was heart breaking, and at the same time heart warming. I loved and adored this book as it showed what lengths a mother will go for the best of her child.

It is 1970, Caroline Sears' husband died in Vietnam and she has just found out the baby she is carrying has a heart defect that will kill her soon after she is born. In steps her brother-in-law Hunter, who claims that there is a procedure that can be done to fix her daughter's heart...... in the year 2001. Caroline has to decide whether she can believe the impossible and take a leap of faith, and possibly save her daughter's life.
This book was a complete turn-around from this author's normal books, so I was worried I wouldn't like it. Well, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this book may be my favorite one of hers yet. This book made me run the full gamut of emotions, and I could not put it down. I highly recommend this book!

The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain is a heartfelt and sweet story. A young pregnant Caroline, recently widowed, learns her unborn daughter has an life ending medical issue, nothing can be done in 1970. Hunter, Caroline's brother in law, shares that he knows a way her baby girl can be saved. She must tell no one, as no one would believe her and no one can know the way. Caroline trusts Hunter and the faith and a mothers love for her unborn baby girl to move forward with his plan. I very much enjoyed this story and the time travel connection. Thank you to #netgalley and #st.martinspress for the ARC.

YOU GUYS, do your selves a favor and make your way over to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or wherever you purchase your books from and pre-order this book!! Go, now! The Dream Daughter is a beautiful and original story. I knew the basic plot of the book since I have read a few posts from the authors Facebook page that related to the book. I didn't read the full synopsis because I like a little surprise in all of the books I read. To be honest, the little bit I did know about the book had me a little concerned. I wasn't sure how any author could come up with a storyline like this and have it be believable and so well executed. Despite my minor concern, I know that from her previous books that I've read that Diane Chamberlain's stories are always amazing and each one I read seems even better than the last. She creates stories that pull you in immediately; the types of books that you just can't put down. The Dream Daughter is no exception. The characters were well written and fully formed so I made a connection with them early on in the story. I felt like I knew each character, especially Carly & Hunter. Throughout the book, the author takes some twists and turns that I did not expect at all. As soon as I figured I knew what would happen and how the book would end I was proved wrong. This book was far from predictable! Diane Chamberlain has become one of my favorite authors and The Dream Daughter is now a all-time favorite book.

I just finished reading an ARC of The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain. I consider the books genre to be women’s fiction and magical realism. Upon first hearing that this was a story involving time travel, I wasn’t sure exactly what I would think of it or if I’d even be able to comprehend the storyline. Was I ever wrong! I found it to be an easy read and not once did I find it hard to keep up with or difficult to understand. It was actually quite the opposite. I had no problem picturing it all very clearly in my head as I read. It’s a story that depicts the lengths a mother will go through, the sacrifices she’s willing to make all out of the love she has for her child. I really enjoyed reading this and should have known I would as the author is one of my all time favorites. I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy and author Diane Chamberlain for writing such a wonderful story and showing me that sometimes when you travel outside of the ordinary, it can be a pleasant and enjoyable experience. I would definitely recommend this book to others and plan on purchasing a copy to keep for myself. I have given it a 5 star rating and all opinions are my own.

The description for Diane Chamberlain’s “genre-spanning” novel The Dream Daughter promises it will be “irresistible.” In that, it was 100% correct. If I had known this was book involved “realistic time travel” — one of my absolute favorite sub-genres — I would have rushed to pick it up even sooner. After a few chapters in, when I figured out what was going on, I was hooked. I couldn’t put it down, and I stayed up until 1am one night to finish it (for me, that’s a huge deal; I typically go to bed around 10). I cannot say enough good things about this novel. It was unexpected and clever. It definitely played with my emotions a little bit, but I didn’t even care. I was all in, and I loved every minute of it!

I haven't read Diane Chamberlain's novels before but I'd definitely be interested in checking them out now. I also think this book would be great for book clubs; lots to discuss.

4.5⭐️I thoroughly enjoyed this trip through time that Diane Chamberlain created. Although the premise of time travel is tricky to wrap your mind around, I immediately was captivated with this journey. I was charmed, delighted and surprised by the turn of events in this story. The book focuses on the strength of a mother’s love...at least that,s what the book blurbs lead you to believe. But I think iit was about more than that. To me it was about love and relationships and the quirky turn of events that life offers us. Life itself is full of surprises we can’t always explain or understand. I was entertained in ways I hadn’t expected and I highly recommend this book. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

Faced with an extremely difficult decision, Carly puts her faith and her trust into believing the impossible simply for a chance at saving her unborn child. Diane Chamberlain has written an incredible novel of fiction that portrays the lengths a mother will go to for her child. And even though time travel is a significant plot element, this book does not read like science fiction. Perhaps this is because Carly's future is in line with our present day that makes it more familiar to readers? Whatever the reason, I truly enjoyed this book that proves that Chamberlain is a master storyteller that continues to surprise her readers no matter what direction her stories take.
Even though thinking too much about the intricacies of time travel, if it were possible, makes my head hurt, I found that I simply could not put this book down. Fortunately, the author created her own set of rules regarding time travel that minimized how often my thoughts started looping with possibilities. Not that I didn't keep trying to find alternate possible options for the wonderful characters involved in the story.

OH. MY. GOD. I am in complete awe with this novel. First and foremost this novel is hands down my favorite of the year (standing ovation) for miss Chamberlain. I went completely blind and finished it with my heart full of feelings. She managed to rip my heart into pieces and gently placed one by one back together. This story was so unique, so intriguing, and mind blowing! I’ve never read anything like this to be honest. It took me by surprise how much I loved the plot, the characters and the writing. Such a well composed story. Imagine living in times where your unborn child might not have the chance to live with a heart condition but someone offers you a crazy (very crazy) chance to save her, would you take it? Even if that means losing something you care most? As a mother, I couldn’t put myself in Carly’s shoes honestly. This book was amazing. All the stars!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I don't read many time travel books, but I did enjoy this one. A very good story that kept me interested. I will say Carly was a hit and miss for me. There were moments I liked her, and then other times she got on my nerves. Overall
enjoyable.

For me, this book didn't start off terribly strong, but I got more into it as I continued. I thought it was a compelling read overall.

Unfortunately I inadvertently saw a spoilery review for this book before I even started reading it. (I suppose, in retrospect, it's not THAT much of a spoiler--a fantastical element is introduced to the story in the first 10% of the book.) For me personally, I found that fantastical element added quite a lot to the story. In fact, I almost wished the author had leaned into that element MORE. As it stands now, that element functions as a fairly straightforward plot device that only affects our lead character. I would have like to see more repercussions of that element/other people who are affected by it.

This book rests HEAVILY on the main character, Caroline/Carly. (We spend time some time inside the head of Hunter her brother-in-law, but his perspective is quickly dropped about a quarter of the way through the book.) If you enjoy Carly's perspective, you'll be delighted. Personally I would have liked to continue with other perspectives. Thankfully however Carly does meet an interesting cast of characters and has a wide range of experiences throughout the book. There isn't a ton of action per se (you spend a lot of time in Carly's head in this book) but that makes sense in the context of the story.

This book examines some themes that will likely deeply resonate with parents. What lengths would you go to save your child? What would you sacrifice to ensure they have a good life? I'm not sure I would have been as into this story if I WASN'T a parent.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

How Far Would You Go to Save Your Unborn Child?

Carly Sears is in training to be a physical therapist. Hunter Poole is a patient with a broken ankle that no one else can reach. He has no family, no friends and no background, but Carly becomes his friend. They both love rock and roll. It’s a bond that leads Carly to introduce him to her sister, Patti. It’s love at first sight.

At first things go well. Patti marries Hunter and Carly marries Joe, a second lieutenant who is scheduled to go to Vietnam. Patti and Hunter have a baby, but Joe is killed leaving a distraught Carly pregnant. The news gets worse for Carly. The baby has a heart defect and will die after it’s born. Carly can hardly stand the idea of losing her link to Joe, but Hunter has an idea.

Although it seems hardly believable, Hunter proposes sending Carly forward in time to 2001 where surgery could be preformed on her unborn baby. It sounds dangerous, but Carly wants the baby. What will she be able to do to save her unborn daughter?

This book requires some suspension of disbelief. The characters, particularly Carly, are realistic, but time travel is a bit of a stretch. This is not a scientifically accurate discussion of time travel. Rather it presents a difficult path that a mother must take to save her child. I thought the author did a good job of showing how hard it was for Carly and how brave she was to take it on.

I recommend this book. It’s a beautiful story of love, family and sacrifice.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

I started reading this without knowing what to expect, and, I have to admit it, it started kind of slow, but then suddenly... WHOA! And then I couldn't put the book down. The story is so creative, the narrative so interesting. But I think that the best is if you start reading without knowing what to expect. Trust me, it is really surprising what happens and the way the story unfolds. I was definitely not expecting that. And, of course, the characters are all so relatable, especially Carly, and Hunter. You will root for her. You will be dying to know what happens with her "Dream Daughter" from the title. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will be surprised by what happens in this book. But don't try to get more from the plot than the general description. It is way more fun not knowing what to expect.

Beautiful, heartfelt book! What an emotional read! I couldn’t put it down.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own