Member Reviews

I can’t remember how I discovered Diane Chamberlain, but I’ve been a huge fan of hers since that first book. The Dream Daughter is by far my favorite. It is amazing. I hadn’t read anything about it and I’m so glad I didn’t. I think I experienced every emotion a human being is capable of experiencing while reading this book. I loved Carly and her story. I already can’t wait for Diane Chamberlain’s next book, but it will be hard to top this one. Solid 4.5 stars.

Big thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Diane Chamberlain for the opportunity to read this phenomenal book.

Was this review helpful?

Diane Chamberlain is one of my go to authors, whatever she writes you can guarantee an excellent book. This book is not an exception. Superb and emotional read that engages you from the first chapter. Well done again Diane.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this fantastic, clever, book! It is not your typical Chamberlain book and I was leery at first. I love her books and her ability to tackle tough subjects. This was different but brilliant!

Carly is pregnant in 1970, recently widowed, and sent to 2001 to hopefully receive surgery on her baby's heart. Imagine her surprise at how different the world was from 1970 to 2001!

And that's only the beginning. The author takes us to 2013, throws many obstacles and painful, heartwrenching decisions at Carly, and gives the reader a real page-turner to see how Carly's going to make it through. Clever writing, clever story!

Was this review helpful?

Diane Chamberlain yet again produced a book that is amazing. I was a bit hesitant to read it, since the topic is so out of the norm for her. I was not disappointed at all. I was amazed at her ability to keep the timelines flowing and her ability to transition from one time period to the other was seamless. Fabulous book, I will be recommending it to all the readers I know.

Was this review helpful?

Diane Chamberlain is an amazing storyteller and this one does not disappoint. This engrossing page turner asks the question what would you do to save your child ? Turns out the impossible . Caroline the main character meets a patient at the hospital she works at and her life is changed forever . Science fiction family saga with lots of turns is the best way I can describe this book. Emotional spellbinding story

Was this review helpful?

A unique time-travel bit of "women's" fiction. On the plus side, I didn't see the ending coming, and it was a satisfying, heartwarming story. On the down side, I thought that the first half of the book dragged, and included perhaps a bit too much detail about the characters' emotional angst. Conversely, the end of the book seemed to wrap up too quickly. Overall, a memorable story, even considering the uneven pacing.

Was this review helpful?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I am embarrassed to admit that, though I own 3 other Diane Chamberlain novels, this NetGalley book is the first of hers I have actually read.

It certainly moves the others up the list. I really appreciate her writing style.

While it is difficult to write much of a review without giving away spoilers, the best way to read The Dream Daughter is to go in blind. It is an unexpected family drama that is touching and relatable. While I might have questioned some of the veracity of the plot line, there was no way to doubt Ms. Chamberlain understands familial bonds.
Read this is you like domestic drama, but would like a unique twist on the genre.

Thanks to #dianechamberlain #stmartinspress and #netgalley for my advanced ecopy of this lovely novel!

Was this review helpful?

I loved this story. It drew me in from the very beginning and kept me furiously reading to the end. Another fantastic read by Diane Chamberlain!

Was this review helpful?

The year is 1970. Soon after she learns that her husband was killed in Vietnam, twenty-seven year old Carly learns that she is pregnant. Then she learns that her baby has a heart defect that will kill her shortly after she is born. That is when Carly's brother in law, Hunter, tells her that he is a time traveler and can arrange for her to travel to the year 2001, when there is surgery available that may be able to save her baby's life.

Despite the fear of leaving her only remaining family member, her sister Patty, Carly literally jumps at the chance to save the life of her baby. Life in the future is full of unknowns and questions but Carly will do anything to save her baby. This is a book of a mother's love of both her baby and her recently deceased husband. She has to gather every bit of courage to take this journey and once in the future, she suffers many set backs and struggles but she does not give up.

One of the things I liked about this book is that even though we were aware of the thoughts of both Carly and Hunter, both characters were still likable. Hunter wants to share what he can to help Carly save her baby. Carly was willing to give up everything for her baby and in ways that she would not have expected, farther along in the book. This was a very enjoyable read and I thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Oh. My. Gahd. All the feels!

Carly is a young, pregnant widow in 1970 who learns that the baby she is carrying has a birth defect that pretty much guarantees she won't survive more than a day outside the womb. As this child is the only piece of her beloved husband that she has left, she is despondent at hearing this news.

Enter her quirky, but very lovable brother-in-law, who tells her there is a way to save her baby. However, what is required is so far 'out there', that it seems an impossible, or at the very least, highly improbable answer to her dilemma. Travel to the future where (when?) a medical procedure exists that will save her unborn child.

I love me a good time travel book, and this one did not disappoint. I even found the method of achieving time travel to be interesting, and my heart was pumping in shared anxiety with the main character as she took the first plunge (literally).

As the mother of a little girl myself, I truly connected with Carly, and reading about her time leading up to delivery, as well as the time spent in the hospital with her newborn, brought my own memories of that time to the forefront.

However, I have to say I struggled with certain plot twists. Without going into 'spoiler-alert' style details, I will say I had to put the book down at one point and take a break because I Just. Could. Not. Continue. Could not imagine being there and making the kind of decisions she was faced with. Could not answer those questions for myself with 100% certainty, which was why I had to step away for a few days before returning to see how the author resolved the issues.

Even more plot twists awaited, but in the end, I felt that satisfying sense of a story well-told. Closure was achieved, and I could once again rest easy.

Highly recommended - but with a trigger warning for mothers.

Was this review helpful?

Being a big fan of Diane Chamberlain; I was anxious to read The Dream Daughter. When I realized it involved time travel I was a bit hesitant as I'm not remotely interested in this genre. However, since Ms. Chamberlain wrote it, I knew I had to read it, and wow am I pleased I did. It had drama, family, love and twists and turns in abundance. Highly recommended

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy of The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain. I will not give any spoilers. It held my interest and I did enjoy it. It was a quick read for me. I will say there is time travel in this book. The characters were believable I made the story very interesting. This was my first book by the author and looking forward to reading books by her in the future.

Was this review helpful?

The Dream Daughter is another awesome book by Diane Chamberlain! Time travel has never seemed so alluring. To travel to the future to save your child, any parent would do. Fantastic book! Thanks Netgalley and St Martin's Press for advanced copy!!!

Was this review helpful?

Diane Chamberlain steps out of her typical writing style in The Dream Daughter and brings us a time travel novel that keeps us on the edge of our seats. This book is outstanding!
Carly is a young mother to be in the 1970's who learns that her unborn child has a heart defect, and will likely die soon after being born. Her brother-in-law is a physicist, and is confident that if he sends Carly into the future,the heart defect can be corrected in utero. Carly takes this leap, and goes into the future and is accepted into an experimental program and the surgery is performed. The book takes us back and forth between periods of time and is exquisitely executed,fast paced, and has the reader holding their breath during many parts of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would highly recommend picking up a copy.
Many thanks to Netgalley and St Martins Press for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Was this review helpful?

Another great book by Diane Chamberlain! The characters in this story are so relatable I couldn't walk away! I wasn't sure I would like the time traveling component of this book but the story and characters made it impossible not to love. I am so glad I received an ARC of this book and can't wait to read more by this author. A must read!!! The twists and turns in the plot make for a great story and you will be lost in time as you read this 5 star book!

Was this review helpful?

This is another book that took my breath away while reading it. I went into reading The Dream Daughter with little expectations. From what I read in the blurb, I thought it was going to be your typical time travel book. While it was that, it was also so much more. That is what made me love this book. I would also warn, please read with tissues. You are going to need them.

The Dream Daughter starts off in Nag's Head Island, North Carolina in 1970. Caroline is widowed and pregnant. She found out that her unborn daughter has a fatal heart defect (for that era). This is a devastating blow since her husband was killed in Vietnam 7 months earlier. Then her brother-in-law drops a bombshell. He tells her that he can save her baby. But to do it, he needs to send her forward in time. To the year 2001, where there is a new surgery that could save her baby. Desperate, Carly agrees. But things go sideways when the baby is born and needs to be in NICU longer than expected. A series of events forces Carly to jump back to 1970. Desperate to get her baby, she jumps back to the future. Except it is the year 2013, her daughter is a preteen and has been adopted by a well to do family. While there, Carly discovers something that shakes her to the core. Something that makes her chose between staying with her daughter or going back to 1970.

I liked Carly. First, she was determined to save her child. As any mother would be. I can't imagine being told that my child had an incurable heart defect. Her disbelief when Hunter told her about the surgery and what she would have to do to get there came off the pages. I would have said the same thing if my brother-in-law told me that he was a time traveler from the future. I liked how she chose to believe Hunter. All because she wanted her baby to have a chance at life. 

The scenes in the NICU broke my heart. My youngest daughter was sent to NICU shortly after she was born and spent a week there. A short visit compared to some of the babies but still, a stressful time in my life. Every emotion that I had been mirrored by Carly. My heart broke for her. The baby was the last tie to her husband, who was killed in Vietnam. 

I liked how the author explained how time traveling was discovered and used. I thought it was interesting that the travelers had to step off of things to get to where they were going. Carly had to step off a pier, a stone bridge in Central Park and a tree house to reach the portals. I also loved the 5 times rule. The traveler could only travel 5 times. If they travel a 5th time, they disappear. No one knows where the traveler goes or if they are alive. 

I should mention Hunter, since he was a major part of getting Carly to the future. I thought he was great. What he did was out of love for Carly and her unborn baby. He didn't take into consideration that so many things would go wrong with Joanna. His worry about when Carly would come back was palpable. He couldn't go fetch Carly because that would be his 5th trip. So he was stuck and the worrying was taking a toll on him. I loved teenage him. I was giggling to myself as I read those scenes because I could picture it in my head. I have 2 sisters that would be his age and I remember how they were.

The last half of the book broke my heart. When Carly jumped to 2013 to find Joanna, I didn't know what to expect. I was ready to find out that Joanna was in an awful home with parents who didn't care about her. It would have made taking Joanna back to 1970 a lot easier. But, instead, she had parents that loved her. They gave her the world and then some. Of course, they were a little suspicious of Carly when she came into the scene but they soon warmed up to her. I did think, for a while, that Carly was going to stay in 2013. But that didn't happen.

The end of the book was surprising. There was a twist to the plot line that I didn't see coming. While it didn't come out of left field, it still left me shocked. I also understood why Carly made the decision she did. The epilogue was the most surprising. Not going to say what but I will say that I love it when things come in full circle!!!

What I liked about The Dream Daughter:

A) Carly. She had an inner strength that I loved

B) Hunter. He did what he thought was best for Carly.

C) Joanna. OMG, I loved her. She was hilarious and reminded me of my daughter.

What I disliked about The Dream Daughter:

A) The NICU scenes. They brought back some unpleasant memories for me

B) Carly's decision at the end of the book

C) Hunter's mother. She was cold.

I would give The Dream Daughter an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is some mild violence. There is some mild language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

There are no triggers for The Dream Daughter.

I would reread The Dream Daughter. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Dream Daughter.

All opinions stated in this review of The Dream Daughter are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Was this review helpful?

Oh, this book... this book really tugged at my heartstrings and filled me full of a lot of different emotions. I thought the time travel aspect was good. It was not the main focus of the story, which I think is important to know. Just like in The Time Traveler's Wife (which it's hard not to compare to because it is one of my all time favorite books), what's happening between and to the characters is the primary focus with the time travel being secondary. There were so many times where I was freaking out because of something that happened and I cried at the end. I read a few reviews where people said the book almost ended too neatly, and I would have to wholeheartedly disagree. How is that ending anything close to neat? It was heartbreaking! I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Loved it.

Was this review helpful?

I had a lot of work to get done yesterday. I did not get any of it done. Why? Because I got completely drawn in by the story and I could not put it down until I got to the end. This book marks the journey of Carly Sears, a 27 year old physical therapist, working in Richmond, VA in 1970. She meets a man on the job one day, who will work with no one, until he lays eyes on her and tells her he will work with her. She reminds him of someone he once knew. She believes he is a perfect man for her sister... and so he is. Carly, her sister Patti, Hunter (the man from the rehab) and Joe (her husband) all get along famously. However, Joe heads for Vietnam, where he is supposed to be doing work that will keep him off the front lines. Regardless, she learns that he died there and she is completely shattered. The only thing that keeps her going is her pregnancy... that Joe never learned about, because he died before her letter could even get to him to let him know of their good news. That is enough bad news, right? Well, apparently not, because her baby has something wrong, and it cannot be fixed. The baby will die after it is born. Unless a miracle happens.

Diane Chamberlain weaves a tale full of heart, that will blow the mind, and keep you guessing until the end. The story is creative, and gripping, and will keep you up well past bedtime. Well worth every minute of sleep lost and work undone, as it was fully and completely enjoyable.

Was this review helpful?

2.5 Stars
Hunter Poole shows up in 1965 after he sustains what looks like a roof jumping injury. All the hospital physical therapists think he is crazy. No one want to work with him except a young newbie named Caroline who goes by Carly.
Fast forward five years and Hunter has become Carly’s brother-in-law. He and her sister Patty have a young son. Carly’s own husband Joe has died in the Vietnam War while Carly is pregnant with their child, a girl whom she discovers through an NIH pilot fetal ultrasound study has a severe and fatal heart defect. Nothing can be done to save this child, the only thing remaining of Carly’s husband but Hunter knows of a way to possibly save Carly’s baby through a time travel program that he and his mother have been working to perfect. The process involves a jumping off “portal” at least sixteen feet off the ground at a precise time that has been predetermined through rigorous mathematical calculations.
Hunter chooses to confide his unbelievable story to Carly and discloses that he himself has arrived from 2018 and chosen to stay in 1970 after falling in love with Patty. He offers Carly the opportunity to travel ahead to 2001 for fetal surgery that may saver her baby’s life and give her the best shot for survival.
The time travel program works but it is by no means perfect. When Carly arrives in April of 2001, she is given four portal dates in which to return home. As the months tick by in her New York City location, an unforeseen tragic event moves closer as Carly’s personal situation grows more precarious. With no way of contacting Hunter or her sister to let them know what is happening, Carly is alone and terrified. She makes a fateful decision, one that costs her what she holds most dear.
This story takes a wild ride through time and back as a mother fights for her child’s life and will stop at nothing to return to her place in time with the daughter she has fought to save.
I am not typically a fan of time-travel stories though I did appreciate the sheer creativity of this one. It wasn’t hard to keep track of the years and dates as well as how the aging process worked within the story. Carly herself came off as overly emotional. She lacked a cool head when making decisions. She was completely out of her depth however she made up for much of her ignorance with sheer determination and bravery. I did not care for her character but was curious to see how her story ended.
Motherhood stands as a strong theme, in particular how different mothers appear in personality and how in spite of them, they all fiercely love their children. In this way the story served to remind us that in motherhood, women are united even if it often feels otherwise. In spite of this, I would recommend skipping it unless overly sentimental time-travel stories are your thing.
BRB Rating: Skip It.

Was this review helpful?

I really liked this book even though I’m not much for books on time travel.
I found this book to be well written as all her books with a believable set of characters.
I loved the setting.
Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book

Was this review helpful?