This is such a great book! I love the writing style of the author - it flows so well and is so easy to read. The characters are all amazing - my favorites were Hunter and Myra. The ending was great as well, closing all of the storylines. The time travel aspect is so interesting. Definitely 5 Stars!

Diane Chamberlain has been a favorite author of mine for a while. This brilliant book is a reminder of why that is true. Many authors write the same basic stories changing characters or circumstances slightly. But Diane reinvents herself with each new book. While I've never been a fan of time travel books, this one is so unique and well written, I really enjoyed it. Add it to your TBR list, you won't be disappointed.

The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain. The author has always been a favorite of mine her books never disappoint me. The Dream Daughter is not like her other books I read but I still enjoyed it. It had a little of everything family, sadness, mystery, happiness and even time travel. I enjoyed the storyline, characters and dialogue. A sure top rated book for me and a recommend to other's.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. How far would you go to save your unborn baby's life? Would you do something so unbelievable that you thought the person telling you about it had lost their mind? This book is a sensationally thrilling story about time travel and love. Excellently written, fantastic characters, well thought out plot. You will enjoy this fabulous book from the first page until the last! Enjoy!

Carly Sears lives in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She married her childhood sweetheart and is 6 months pregnant with their baby girl when she receives the terrifying news that her unborn child may have a fatal heart defect. It is 1970 and the medicine of today does not exist. But Carly’s brother-in-law, Hunter, a physicist and one of the smartest people she has ever met, reveals his truth and everything she ever believed is turned upside down. Putting all her fears aside, Carly will do absolutely anything to save her daughter’s life. This novel by Diane Chamberlain is unputdownable. Filled with an incredible cast of characters, this touching story takes us on a unforgettable journey through time travel, testing the strength of sisters, motherhood and marriage. Tough decisions and difficult choices will have you dreaming of all the many possible outcomes for a rather surprising ending. Highly recommend The Dream Daughter and looking forward to more from this incredible author. Five Star Read!!!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Diane Chamberlain for the opportunity to read and review her latest novel - a good one!

This is one of those books that the less said the better and I don't want to ruin the reading experience for anyone else. The premise of the book is that it is 1970 and Carly is newly widowed when her husband is killed in Vietnam. She then finds out she is pregnant and that the baby has a fatal heart defect. Her brother-in-law, Hunter, comes up with a way to save the baby but one that requires Carly to take a leap of faith, both literally and figuratively.

It comes down to what we would do to better the lives of those we love and what motherhood really means. This book also requires that leap of faith when reading but it is certainly worth it. A great read!

Tl;dr: Teeth-rottingly sweet, overly sentimental fluff. That I couldn't stop thinking about, and is a comforting read for those who need one.

The Dream Daughter. Ok.

The good: It's easy enough to read. It's not very long.

The bad: There are plot holes and inconsistencies you could drive eighteen trucks through. The main character was so perfect I wanted to staple her head to a wall. Or at least not be sooooo perfect and adaptable and beloved no matter what. I'm all for likeable heroines, but give me at least one flaw, otherwise there's just-- well, what The Dream Daughter is.

It's predictable but worse, it's safe. Nothing and no one is ever at risk, no stake has even the slightest risk of remote failure. Every problem isn't one, you know?

Having said all that, once I finished the book, I kept thinking about it!

Despite my qualms, the message of love here is strong and comforting and sometimes you need a book like that. I didn't know I did, but there you have it!

The Dream Daughter is dream like, but upon reflection, I think that's what makes it work. It's a hug in a book, and that's reassuring.

Three and a half stars rounded up to four because of two very adorable dogs, and I can handle canine perfection. And the idea of love, especially maternal, being so strong.

I had enjoyed the one prior novel I had read of Diane Chamberlain. So I jumped at the chance for an ARC of her soon to be published book without reading too much about it.

Well, let’s say I’m not a big fan of time travel books. It’s a genre I tend to struggle with accepting. The premise is that it’s 1970 and Carly is pregnant. Her husband died in the Vietnam War not even knowing she was pregnant. And now the baby has a heart defect. Her brother in law offers a solution. Cue the Twilight Zone music.

Chamberlain does a good job with fleshing out Carly’s reluctance to believe Hunter. For those of us who grew up during the 60s and 70s, Hunter’s comparison of the past vs. today is spot on. As is the flip side, as Carly tries to navigate all the changes she has to take in on the fly.

Chamberlain doesn’t really try to explain the whole portal travel thing in too much detail, which is a good thing.

The book does best when it concentrates on relationships. She shines when she deals with the various aspects of motherhood.

But overall, I found the whole premise hokey and could never get into it. This just wasn’t my cup of tea. I would definitely seek out more of Chamberlain’s books.

My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

I loved this unusual story about a young woman and her unborn daughter.

In 1970, Carly Sears is 26 years old and expecting her first child. The baby is extra precious to her because her husband was killed in Vietnam just a few months ago. However, Carly's world comes crashing down when she is told her baby has a fatal defect in her heart and will mostly die soon after birth. She would do anything to save her baby so when her close friend and brother in law tells her he knows of a way that might save her baby she places her trust in him and takes a leap of faith.

Expect the unexpected in this bitter sweet novel. It kept me reading into the night wondering where it was going to go next and I wasn't disappointed by the author's imagination. Be warned, it is a bit of a tear jerker!

I admit it. When I first realized this was a time travel novel from my trusted, beloved author Diane Chamberlain, I was... skeptical at best. I just wasn't sure I was going to be able to buy in. But then I started reading, and noticed comparisons to The Time Traveler's Wife, which I admittedly loved, and decided I was all in. And I'm so glad I was.
This story tore me up and broke my heart. Carly receives devastating news about her unborn child and believes she's about to lose her baby, which is all that she has left after her husband's death in Vietnam. But her brother-in-law Hunter has a solution for her- he can help her travel to the future, when medical advances will allow her baby to have a chance at life. What follows is heart-wrenching as Carly fights emotions and science for a chance at the best life possible for her child. There were surprises and challenges ahead, and the ending very possibly had me tearing up.
Don't ask me whether or not the science in this book is solid- I really have no idea. It's explained well enough for this layperson who has no real interest in science fiction, but I can't say definitively that this will hold up if you're not able to suspend any disbelief.

This book was amazing. One of my favorites this year. I don't want to give away too much - read it for yourself. It broke my heart a million times over, but was a beautiful story about a mother's life for her child. MUST READ.

Well now. This book and its topics are so far out of my usual reading zone that I'm a bit taken aback by how much I enjoyed it. Perhaps I was secretly in need of a "feel good" story instead of crime and thrills! I don't want to say too much because I think readers would enjoy the drama more if they open and dive right in without any preconceived notions.

Most of what I can say about the plot without spoilers is this -- a young woman receives the news that her husband, Joe, has been killed in Pleiku during the Vietnam War. The year is 1970. Caroline (Carly) Sears lives with her sister, brother-in-law and nephew in Nag's Head on The Outer Banks and soon discovers that she is pregnant. Unfortunately, the fetus has a heart defect that will result in death once the baby is born. The grief is unbearable for Carly, until her brother-in-law, Hunter, tells her a fantastical tale that may provide a way for this baby to survive. Does Carly have the courage to make a leap of faith in order to save her unborn child? You'll just have to read it to find out.

Note -- this will require a lot of suspension of disbelief and reads more like a fairy tale than contemporary fiction. Despite that, I enjoyed the trip down memory lane with all the details of time and setting. The writing made the characters come to life on the page and sure wrung out every emotion from tears (yes, I felt some prickling) to laughter. I would categorize it all as "uplifting".
I hope you enjoy this break as much as I did!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-book ARC to read and review. I've read most all of the books by this author, and will definitely be looking out for her next one.

I really enjoyed this novel by Diane Chamberlain but I will be honest and say at first I was a little hesitant due to the time travel aspect. I tent to stay away from books like that but I am a big fan of Chamberlain so I gave it a chance and I'm so glad that I did. Well written, this story took on the questions of how far a parent will go for their child. I loved the way she created believable characters with an extreme premise. As a mother I felt like she captured the emotion of the situation spot on and I found myself swept into the novel. This was a quick read and one that I found to be worth my time. I will continue to look for more books by this author.I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you netgalley for this opportunity.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What would you do to save the life of your unborn child? That's what this whole book is about--Carly's journey through time to do whatever it takes to get the fetal surgery she needs to save her baby. Through it all, we see Carly's strength and perseverance as she learns the way of the 2001 world from her 1970 life. It was enjoyable to see her learn about the Internet, cell phones and that her favorite soap opera was still on television.

This was an enjoyable read, though I was a little leery of the time travel included in the book. Luckily, Diane Chamberlain writes it so that you believe it! I highly recommend this book!

The bond between mother and child is build even before the child is born. Caroline feels this as she has to find a way to save her Childs life before it has fully begun. Hunter seems to have ideas of how this is possible. As Hunter comes into her life with big ideas of how they can save the child there they need the strength they never knew existed.

fullsizeoutput_35cdLINDAS BOOK OBSESSION REVIEW “THE DREAM DAUGHTER” BY DIANE CHAMBERLAIN. St. Martin’s Press Oct. 2, 2018
Kudos to Diane Chamberlain, Author of “The Dream Daughter ” for writing such a unique, captivating, intense, intriguing, riveting, unusual, time-changing, page turner. There are many layers in this novel. The Genres for “The Dream Daughter” are Fiction, Science-Fiction, Mystery and Suspense. The time-line for the events and characters is different and changing. Diane Chamberlain vividly describes the time-changing events and history and her colorful cast of characters. I loved everything about this book.
This story reminds me of “Back to the Future” and the “Time Machine.
I could visualize this being a screen play , movie or a series.
The author describes her characters as complex and complicated , possibly dictated by the events and circumstances in this story. We meet Caroline, a young physical therapist who is treating her first patient, Hunter, who appears quirky, full of secrets and surprises. Caroline is surprised to hear Hunter singing a new Beatles song that has never been heard before. Caroline introduces Hunter to her sister and they marry. A short while later Caroline marries, and is devastated when she is told her husband was killed in Vietnam. Caroline is pregnant, and Hunter and her sister accompany her to physicians to check on her baby, when other doctors feel something is wrong. These doctors confirm in the year 1970 that Caroline’s unborn baby has a severe heart defect and won’t make it.
Hunter takes Caroline aside and offers a strange and unbelievable way to possibly save the baby. It involves Caroline having strength and faith to make a decision that could be dangerous. What will a mother’s love allow Caroline to do?
There are twists and turns and ups and downs in this novel. This is a marriage of faith and science. Diane Chamberlain eloquently describes a mother’s love, emotional support, hope and faith. I would highly recommend this novel to readers who appreciate a story that makes you think and ponder after you read it. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

I have been obsessed with Diane Chamberlain book since 2014. So far I’ve read 20 of her books including this one. I follow Diane on Facebook and I knew that her next book was going to be a time travel novel. I was extremely nervous. She had never written anything with a this kind of element before and I had no idea how it was going to work. I’m not a huge sci-fi fan and time travel can often can be confusing. Going into this book I thought this book was going to be a big flop for me. Boy was I wrong.

This book is addicting! I couldn’t stop reading! I’m a third grade teacher and most school nights I’m lucky if I read anything. I read this whole book in one sitting on a school night. If that doesn’t say everything already, keep reading this review. The pages just melt away like butter. They are so easy to take in and Diane includes so many elements that make you want to keep reading to find out what is going to happen next. So many times, I kept saying “One more chapter” because I had chores around the house to do. Well one more chapter turned into reading the whole book. I couldn’t put it down.

The characters and settings were really unique. It was interesting to see how characters translated or changed based off of the time frame they were set in or transitioned to. It was obvious when we had a 1970s character in a present like time frame or a present time frame character in the 1970s. It just showed how good of a writer Diane Chamberlain is. When we were in 2001, I felt transported back to when I was 11 and what the world was like then. I found myself really caring for and empathizing with the characters and freaking out whenever events would occur for them.

The sci-fi elements made me the most nervous going into this book. I was scared they would either be too confusing, unrealistic, and not done in a way that I could understand. Diane Chamberlain wrote it this time travel in a very simple way that will let contemporary fans and sci-fi fans alike to access this type of story, which I really appreciated.

Overall Diane Chamberlain will stay one of my favorite authors. If you haven’t given her a chance yet, this is the one to try! I will continue to gloat and rave about her. My viewers of my youtube channel always ask me which one I recommend, and I will be recommending this one for a while! Can’t wait for her to come up with something else!

The Dream Daughter is a moving novel illustrating that a mother's love knows no boundaries....

Carly has been dealt two blows within a short time-frame. The year is 1970, and she has just been informed that her husband has been killed in Vietnam. The child she is carrying has been diagnosed with a heart defect and will either die before or shortly after its birth. This child is her only remaining connection to the man she dearly loved and she will go to any lengths to save its life - including traveling into the future where the medical care is available. 

Remember the cult classic Somewhere in Time? It was a fabulous novel made into a movie starring Christopher Reeve. I was one of its devoted followers and watched the movie over a dozen times. I love time travel when it is done well; after all, I doubt it will be much further into our own future that it is possible. Things that I once thought of as "space age," now are my reality so time travel isn't a leap of faith for me. The Dream Daughter is one of those rare books that does do time travel well. 
Diane Chamberlain creates a story of familial love, a mother's desire to protect her child both in the present and in the future and she does it in a manner that is completely realistic, well developed and, most importantly, thoroughly engaging. As readers we can feel the compassion, fear and hope that Carly feels. We come to understand her actions - both in the present and future. I laughed with her, cried with her and was angry with her. It is a heartbreaking tale at times and, in fact, my heart did break throughout the story. But there is more to this domestic tale than sadness; it is one of hope and wonder. That an author can pull this off so well is a testament to her incredible writing skills. 

Because a majority of the story is told in 1970, there is a lot of what is now our history, but Carly's present. I was amazed at the way that Chamberlain handled the events of that era. It was a time of the Vietnam War, Watergate, the rise of the Beatles, the Kent State massacre and so much more. All of these events play a large role in the storyline, as does the 911 World Trade Center tragedy. It was interesting to read about these events from the viewpoint of historical context.

While I thoroughly enjoyed The Dream Daughter, there were a few minor detractions. Of course it is not written from a scientific standpoint so if one is looking for the science of time travel you won't find it here. There also were times that I felt there was too much minutia and, rather than pulling me into the storyline, it made those sections of the book drag. Despite those minor irritants, however, the book is wonderfully written with characters that will not be soon forgotten. I wholeheartedly recommend it. 

Thank you to #StMartin'sPress and #Netgalley for my copy of The Dream Daughter, on sale October 2, 2018.

Who is Hunter and can he really help Carly's unborn child? And how? This lovely book was unexpected in many ways, chiefly because I wasn't expecting Chamberlain to do time travel. BUT, she does it very well. Carly is new and pregnant widow who is told her child has a horrible heart problem and will die. Her brother in law, Hunter, who has a mysterious past, convinces her there is a chance to save the child but she must trust him. Would you have trust someone who was talking to you about gateways in time and that to take advantage you must step off something 16 feet in the air? Brave woman Carly. You'll find yourself turning pages far past when you planned to stop reading. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is well written and quite engaging.

A wonderful well written book. So many tragedies in this woman’s life. What a mother does to protect her child even if it means she has to travel into the future. Didn’t think this was my kind of book but I would read it again.