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.

This is a deeply touching, fascinating story that weaves together two aspects of American history still prevalent today: bigotry and second class citizenship for women. There is a skillful weaving of these aspects with the background of a major polio outbreak in the 1940’s South Carolina. Ms. Chamberlain uses this historical along with Hickory polio hospital as the backdrop for a heart rendering story of a young woman whose life is extremely altered by an incident that changes everything for her. Tess DeMello is a nursing student in Baltimore awaiting her wedding and her graduation from nursing school. Her intended, Vincent, is a doctor involved in polio research in Chicago. On a fateful trip to Washington, D.C., with her friend, a life altering event happens to Tess and nothing is the same from that point forward.
She ends up in rural Hickory, South Carolina, living in a loveless home and suffocating under the hatred she feels and under the burdens of life in the South.
When the polio epidemic reaches a terrifying level, the people of Hickory band together to build a polio hospital in fifty-four hours. It is Tess’ saving grace as she defies her family and volunteers as a nurse at the facility. So much of the story truly unfolds from there and it is amazing, captivating and intense.
This is a thoroughly engaging story about love, hardships, and redemption.

Diane Chamberlain is a consistently good author and once again, she did not disappoint!

The story line was interesting (although at the beginning I was infuriated by some of the characters!) and learning about the polio hospital set up quickly in Hickory, NC was fascinating. There were twists and turns toward the end that surprised me- Diane Chamberlain is good at that!

This was a satisfying read that, once I was pulled in, had me reading in the wee hours of the night to finish.

Diane Chamberlain has a 10 star book!
From the first page, I was instantly transported to 1944 in the South at a time of war, prejudice, and an epidemic of polio that has mercy on no family.
The main character, Tess makes a one night mistake that causes her to relocate to Hickory, NC and leave her family in Maryland. What follows, is not what Tess ever thought would become her new life.
I am a true believer that "we are not the ones in control of our destiny." Tess is a heroine as time goes on in NC, but not without many obstacles and people to overcome.
A great in depth and well written novel, clearly one of my favorite book by this author!

I have read all of Diane Chamberlain's books.
I was so excited to read this ARC. I started reading this to see what it is about - I could NOT STOP reading.
I quickly fell in love with the characters. It is set in 1943-1944. It is the beginning of Infantile Paralysis - which we now call Polio. It is set in hospitals that were trying to treat this new disease.

I highly recommend this book!

This is a unique opportunity to delve into life in the 1940's. Love is not always clear cut and often times can be quiet messy. An unwanted pregnancy, interracial marriages and strict religious beliefs all factor in to this compelling novel about one young woman's journey. A great summer read for the beach, pool, backyard or curled up on the couch on a warm summer day. I think you will enjoy The Stolen Marriage...I know I did!

The Stolen Marriage is a fantastic read!!!

Diane Chamberlain has brilliantly written this historical Women's Fiction that was brimming with mystery. Throughout this novel we get a full view of Tess DeMello's life, as the novel takes you from the little Italian neighborhood in Maryland where she was born and raised to the unwelcoming and awkward town of Hickory, North Carolina where she finds herself relocating to after marriage. As the storyline unfolds and her life gets more complicated, I began to understand the real spiderweb of a mess her life had become and kept my fingers crossed she would be able to untangle herself. I found myself completely riveted by the domino effect of Tess's actions (both good and bad) had. I truly didn't see the well-timed twists and turns coming, but what most took by surprise was how inspiring this novel is--loved that!! Diane Chamberlain's novels have always been the perfect escape for me and The Stolen Marriage is now at the top of that list!!! This 5+++ star read will captivate you no matter what genre your in the mood to read!!! The Stolen Marriage is a 2017 favorite for me and I highly recommend EVERYONE check it out!!

The Stolen Marriage is the third book I've read by Diane Chamberlain. While historical fiction really isn't my favorite thing to read, I always find myself pulled into Ms. Chamberlain's storytelling. It is very obvious that she does a lot of research to make the time period as accurate as she can.

No matter how many times I read historical books, I still find myself cringing at terms like "colored town" and how interracial marriage is a crime. The Ladies of the Homefront made me roll my eyes more than once. They focused on how to keep women from becoming too manly. Working and smoking cigarettes while the men were at war was just too much for these proper ladies. I can't imagine growing up during that time.

The stories about the polio hospital were some of my favorites in the book. I found that the hospital and the outbreak were accurate. Reading the stories about the children really got to me. I was lucky enough to grow up after there were vaccines and it's hard to picture such horrible outbreaks of disease. It really made me appreciate even more that I was born much later than that.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley for review.

My full review is up on my blog.

Tess's life is thrown on end by a night that didn't go as planned during a trip to Washington D.C. Her plans for her future take a dramatic turn in a different direction and she struggles with embracing her new life. This is a historical novel, and while Tess is finding her place in life, polio begins to strike her community. I found it interesting to read about what happened as Tess began to put her nursing skills into practice.