What an amazing story!!! A buddy read group recommended going in completely blind (not reading the synopsis, which I NEVER do) and OH MY GOD!! It was one of the best I’ve read this year! It was beautiful and heartbreaking in the best possible way. I don’t want to give too much away, but I highly highly recommend this one!!!

Thanks to Diane Chamberlain, the publisher, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

"The Dream Daughter" was a thought-provoking and heart-wrenching story. Carly (Caroline) has found out she was pregnant in 1970 right after her husband, Joe, was killed in Vietnam. She goes to live with her sister and brother-in-law, Patti and Hunter, and their infant, John Paul. At a routine visit, the doctor notices something odd with her baby's heart, and Hunter works to get her into an experimental study which does ultrasounds. At that appointment, she learns that her daughter has a fatal heart condition and will not survive post-birth.

Desperate to save the only piece of her husband she has left, Carly agrees to listen to the crazy things Hunter is saying- he is from the future and can send her to a time when fetal surgery is possible so that her baby can be saved. He sends her forward to 2001, where she meets teenaged Hunter and is able to get the treatments her baby, Joanna, needs. The journey is not easy, but luckily, Hunter's mother, who figured out time travel, is there to help- to a point anyway.

As plans go awry and things change, Carly must face some heart-wrenching facts and roll with the punches. This was actually a very hard book to read, because you can feel Carly's pain and desperation with each new piece of information. Although there is time travel, this book did not feel like science fiction, and traveling through time instead felt like a casual event, such as going across the country. This is definitely women's fiction and didn't feel like it deviated much from the genre.

Overall, this was an emotional and well-plotted read which had me feeling all the feelings. I highly recommend for people who enjoy women's fiction and are up for an emotionally engaging read. Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I am so grateful to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the eARC of this book! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect based on the synopsis, but what I got was a book about how far we will go for those they love. Carly is a brave, strong, independent woman who decides to do whatever she needs to in order to save her daughter- after being widowed by the Vietnam War, she can’t lose her baby too. Her decisions take her on an epic journey to do what’s best for her family.
I loved this book - It was totally unexpected, but a really wonderfully crafted story about love, loss and family.

Riveting, profound,exciting! It is difficult to find the right words to describe this book. I was torn between reading faster to find out what happens or slower to savor every word. Read this book!!!!

Loved loved loved this story! This is my first time reading a Diane Chamberlain book, and she is now on my list of must read authors! Time travel stories are very hit or miss for me, and this was definitely a hit. She has a great way of weaving the various stories, timelines, and perspectives together in such a way that it feels believable. Definitely recommend!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

With a science fiction/fantasy element, this novel did not feel like science fiction. The characters were vibrant and Carly certainly had a bit of a wild ride. Enjoyed it immensely.

How far would you, as a first time mother-to-be, travel to save the life of your unborn child? Would you risk it all and trust that time travel was real? Well, that's exactly the choice Caroline/Carly must make after learning that her daughter, Joanna, needs heart surgery that can only be performed in utero, in the future.

"The love of a mother could make a hero out of an everyday woman."

If you'd told me I'd love a time travel book as much I loved this one, I wouldn't have believed you! This story made me happy and kept me guessing all the way until the very end. Don't miss this heartbreaking, heartwarming page turner. I seriously couldn't put it down. I teared up a couple of times but did not cry so I'm giving this one a solid, 4-star rating.

I won an advance copy of this book in a BookishFirst giveaway. All opinions are my own.

Locations: North Carolina (Chapel Hill, Nags Head/Outer Banks), Maryland (Bethesda), New Jersey (Princeton and Summit), New York City, Virginia (Alexandria)

Wow! What a wild ride. I loved everything about this book. I read it in one day which is unheard of for me! Laundry be damned... we'll go naked until I finish it! HA

It really made you think... how far would you go for the ones that you love? Really how far? This book had me thinking during it and still thinking about it.

Carly was so enjoyable; she is a great character. All of the time travel was a bit crazy but Diane Chamberlain did a great job in describing it. I totally understood it. It reminded me of Time Traveler's Wife (but not as confusing) or 11/22/63 (so good!)

The Dream Daughter is part time travel, part medical drama, part what a mother would do to save her child and all classic Diane Chamberlain!

Carly loses her husband in the Vietnam War shortly before she finds out she’s pregnant only to discover there is a fatal problem with her baby’s heart. What will Carly do to save her daughter, what she believes is the only piece left of her beloved husband?

I highly recommend this book, and I’m not typically a fan of time travel. Chamberlain tells it in such a way that is easily understood and believable.

I thought that The Stolen Marriage was my favorite Chamberlain book, but The Dream Daughter, has easily become my new favorite! Keep writing, Ms. Chamberlain; I’m a forever fan!

I love Diane Chamberlain's books and jumped at the chance to read her latest work. I went into it totally blind. Wow! The Dream Daughter was amazing! It was a completely different story than what I've come to expect from Ms. Chamberlain's books and I loved it!

This was an engrossing and highly captivating read, and I was hooked very early! It’s also a hard book to describe without completely ruining the plot, and I am very grateful that I went into this without knowing too much!

We follow Caroline, a 27 year old in North Carolina, and in 1970 she is faced with her unborn baby having an untreatable heart condition. Her brother in law pitches a rather extraordinary solution, that then changes the course of her and her family’s life. I will say that initially I eye-rolled at the concept that was proposed, but was pleasantly surprised and think it was executed by Chamberlain in a really believable manner.

I enjoyed the social commentary as well as the depth that Chamberlain gave to her characters, with chapters from alternating perspectives really assisting here. I also adored the ending, and did not see it coming at all (I had been approaching it with some trepidation given the direction the plot took!). This was certainly a unique story clearly tying in historical elements, really well paced, and kept me intrigued the entire way through!

I’d highly recommend this to readers who enjoy contemporary fiction with a historical fiction/science fiction element.

This story surprised me in many ways. It was much more emotional than I was expecting and the unique blend of genres kept me satisfied with so many tense moments woven in (yes, edge of your seat moments)!

I enjoyed the author's writing style and how she kept me invested in the story line. I related to the mother, Caroline (Carly) and could feel the love she had for her unborn child. She is devastated when she learns her child has a heart defect and at the time (1970), no fetal procedures existed. But wait! Hunter, her brother in law, has a proposal that will challenge everything she believes in! Go Carly Go!! I was cheering her on until the end.

Hunter is a physicist and has a hidden past that rocks Carly's world in more ways than one! He tells her that he knows a way to save her unborn child, but it will require her to put everything she believes on hold and just trust him. My heart was with Carly as she made decisions and took chances that had me literally holding my breath. By the way, never leave home without your chronometer. At least if you are on a trip of a lifetime. I wasn't expecting all the surprises this story had and it was hard to put down. Although I was able to predict the ending, the ride was well worth the trip!

Thanks to St.Martin's Press for my ARC. Review will post to my blog on 10/02/2018.

I’ll start by saying that I am not a fan of sci fi and time travel has never interested me. But omg this book is amazing. I could not put it down and it broke my heart over and over. Simply loved this one.

I wasn't familiar with Diane Chamberlain's work when I was offered an advance review copy of The Dream Daughter. Since I suffer from a heart condition that's difficult to treat the subject matter intrigued me. I became a fan of Chamberlain's ability to draw such compelling characters too. Science fiction can sometimes be so cold and analytical but not in this case. Carly's emotions and her drive are so very real, and often quite raw. Her grief, hope, desperation, and love made it so much easier to believe that a woman would make such risky choices.

This. Book. Was. INCREDIBLE.

When I first started reading, I wasn't sure I was really reading Diane Chamberlain. The writing was similar of course, but the subject? I had to re-read the blurb to make sure I was reading the right book. Then I realized how slyly the blurb was written. Okay, I thought. I'll keep reading. And I am SO GLAD I did..

I'm honestly not sure how to explain this book without spoiling anything, so I won't try. All I can say is READ THIS BOOK. You'll have zero regrets.

I liked this book a lot. It is very compelling reading, and obviously this book was a labor of love by the author. The characters are very well written and I didn't think anyone was a stereotype. The motivations of the characters are very clear throughout the novel.

There are several leaps of faith that you have to take in order to enjoy this novel, and I was definitely ok with that, Chamberlain is a great storyteller so I was happy to go along.

The only criticism I have of this book is that I found the first half much better written than the second. Not a huge deal, I was already super invested in the story, but it is just worth noting.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!

I love science and I love fiction bu I don’t usually like them together. Diane Chamberlain did a stellar job of blending the two so seamlessly that I couldn’t help but love this book. It was full of history, romance, heartache (but not the kind of heartache you would expect). She showed us how deep a mother’s love is and what length a mother would go to for her child. I’m not sure I would have the courage to do what Carly did in this book. I’m glad those aren’t decisions I need to make. And I’m really glad I read this book. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too.

This compelling novel is a genre-bender and I could not put it down! The story is told by Carly and Hunter. They become family in 1965, but were really born decades apart. With his knowledge from the future, Hunter helps Carly to time-travel for medical intervention not available in 1970. This first trip makes others necessary and Carly's experiences tear at your heartstrings and keep you on the edge of your seat. Would make a wonderful book group selection with its compelling plot and many issues to discuss.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of this outstanding new October release.

I got the SIlent Sister from the Library and really enjoyed it, so when I saw that the author had a new book out I was really excited to read it. And it made sense..... for a few pages. I read a lot. And this has got to be the strangest book I have ever read. I'm not quite sure what to say! I had to stop reading it after she had given birth, because it was just so odd. I don't hate the idea of time travel in a book, but this was just weird. Not being able to say anything to the people in the year she's there and not being able to do anything different. I just couldn't wrap my mind around it.

How much can one woman take? Carly lost her husband five months ago to the Vietnam War. She is now being told she'll lose her unborn baby as well. It is 1970 and little can be done to fix the heart defect. But her brother-in-law offers hope: he can send her to the year 2001 where medical and scientific advancements are available.

I am not a mother but damn if I wasn't emotionally invested into this book. The Dream Daughter had me on the edge of my reading chair hoping all worked out for the best. Fingers crossed that time travel and an experimental medical procedure really worked to the benefit of a baby's health. The author chose simple dialogue and a glimpse into the mind and uncertainty of a first-time mother thanks to first person narrative. Chamberlain pushed the envelopes of faith and science.

When I know I have a couple free days—as in no work, no plans—I try to pick a book that I can get lost in. A book with a deep enough plot to keep me turning the pages. A book that is worth spending hours reading nonstop. Diane Chamberlain is notorious for writing long stories that touch the heart. But this? This was different from her previous 25 books. She took her time and suspended belief for this one. The Dream Daughter was clearly a well-researched idea and very enjoyable to read. My holiday was by no means wasted!

The Dream Daughter will stick with me long after I've turned the last page. A beautiful reminder that a woman will do anything to save her child, even believing in the unbelievable. Throw misconceived notions out the window and read this new novel.

Happy Early Pub Day, Diane Chamberlain. The Dream Daughter will be available Tuesday, October 2.

LiteraryMarie