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.

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!!!

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.

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!

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**

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.

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.

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.

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

I am usually a biography and historical fiction fan so The Dream Daughter is not a typical read for me, yet I thoroughly enjoyed this fictional time travel journey.

I'm also pretty stingy with my five star reviews, so with that being said I'll tell you what I enjoyed most about the book:

1. The characters Carly and Hunter were the stars in the book They did all the narrating and I was rooting for them the entire way. The author did an excellent job of giving us the necessary details that allowed her to deliver strong characters throughout the story (Myra, Joanna, and all the rest). Hunter, the brains, insists he can make time travel possible, but can he?? His sister in law Carly, who needs a heart procedure done on her unborn child is willing to take that chance. Hunter knows the surgery is done successfully in the future and convinces Carly that it will work out.

2. I really enjoyed the world comparisons in date timelines... 1969, 1970, 2001, 2011,, 2013, all the changes, subtle and significant we tend to take for granted or forget. Technologies. Medical advancements, politics, war, it was a nice reminder.

3. I enjoyed that there were several twists in the story I never saw coming.

4. The fact that the story is not at all nice and tidy. S..t happens in the book just as it does in real life, it's the choices we make and how we deal with the choices that make life so interesting.

5. I must applaud the ending where we get a final glimpse of what happened to each player in the story, for better or worse, I liked the closure.

There was only one thing I would have liked to see the author elaborate on a little more and that was the relationship between Myra and Carly. The author made it clear that Myra was not particularly happy with Carly in all their dealings. The point was made many times that Myra was irritated and short with her. I thought for sure the author would touch on why this was so and kept waiting for the big reveal, it seemed relevant to explain Myra's abrupt almost rude behavior, but it never came.

Great read. Highly recommed.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book! I just finished it yesterday and I have been gushing about it ever since! When I reached the part of the book that I realized it was about time travel, I groaned a little, as I am not a fan of sci-fi, but I am so happy that I was so captivated anyway and that I continued reading. I am so impressed with the storyline, the details, the creativity, and, of course, the writing itself. This is such a unique story with wonderful characters that I fell in love with right from the beginning. It was definitely one of those books you read that that stays with you in your thoughts for a long, long time. This is absolutely one of my favorite books yet; It was an emotional and gripping read, and was so beautifully written. I highly recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ecopy for my Kindle.
I've read all of Diane Chamberlain's books, and this one is one of my favorite.
It's a little different that what she usually writes, but I enjoyed the book and read it in 1 day. What is truly a mother's love is depicted in the story along with a futuristic twist about time travel.

Loved this book! I started reading it with a little hesitation, but could not put it down. The time travel element seemed a little too sci fi at first, but it totally worked! I’ve already recommended this to my book club.

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. All I can say is Wow! If I could give this book 10 stars, I would. This book is so different from what I normally read and so different from what this author writes. I never imagined I would enjoy a book about time travel. I could not put it down. I enjoyed every single chapter! Highly recommend!

I absolutely loved this book! I loved the time travel aspect of this novel. And I loved the characters! I don't read to many Diane Chamberlain books, but this one is a must read!
The only part that was a bit much for me was when Carly travels to 2001, it seemed as tho the year was as advanced as 2018 at times. Maybe it's my memory but texting wasn't as advanced as it was made out to be. While texting was possible it definitely wasn't as easy to do in 2001 as it was in 2018. Some things clashed with my memories of the electronic with what the writer wrote about as the year 2001, but none the less it was still extremely well written. Definitely will be recommending this novel to my Facebook reading group!

Chamberlain’s latest novel will touch your very soul. Her heart-warming book straddles the line of improbability. You will instantly connect with the main character, Caroline Sears, who will do anything to save her unborn child. She takes a daring “leap of faith” and discovers a deep determination she never knew she had. A story of faith, family, and hope that will keep you engaged to the very last page!

Diane Chamberlain just gets better with each book! I thought Neccessary Lies was my favorite book by her but after reading The Dream Daughter, I was just blown away, especially since she added a time travel, fantasy type aspect to the novel that made it one compulsively addictive read!

Chamberlain's newest novel is one of the most amazing books I've read all year. This was a heartwrenching, emotional story, but joyful too. I can't recommend The Dream Daughter highly enough! It definitely deserves 5 stars! I'm certain you'll love it as much as I did.

**Thank you Netgalley and St.Martin's Press for my review copy in exchange for my fair and honest review. **

(Review will post to my blog in Oct, prior to publication)

I just finished the last page of The Dream Daughter. Beautiful story!
I’m a huge fan of Diane Chamberlain but I am not a sci-fi fan so when I read the time travel blurb I was a little skeptical. Within the first few pages I was hooked and could not put this one down! Chamberlain writes a novel of time travel so real and human that it could be anyone’s story. Her characters always pull you in so that you get to know them and care.
Carolyn Sears lives in the 70’s. She is newly widowed from the Vietnam War and pregnant with her first child. An unborn child that has medical problems and most likely won’t survive. Hunter, her brother in law tells her he knows how to save her baby but she must trust him. He then tells her something beyond her belief, something so crazy that he must be insane!
How far will she go to save her unborn child, how much trust can you place in somebody and the hardest is how much can the mind understand?
Compassionate, beautifully written novel that jumps between the decades to include moments in our history big and small that have changed the world and how the choices that we make can change those we know forever.
A must read!

The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain

I have had this on my shelf to read for quite some time. I am so grateful that I went into this story completely blind. I do have to congratulate Diane Chamberlain for writing a novel so filled with a mother's love for her child that at times my stomach felt twisted in knots. Anybody that has ever given birth to their first child can relate how powerful and phenomenal the love and attachment is and we would go to the end of the earth to protect our baby. Somewhere in the text of this novel it said show me a mother and I'll show you a hero.

That fierce love and innate yearnings we feel towards our children are so remarkably present in the descriptions written about Carly our main character. If ever a book that I have read about the bonds between mother and child so strongly depicted it is this book. Carly is pregnant and while getting an ultrasound finds out the grim news that the baby she is carrying has a fatal heart defect. The next blow comes when the doctor tells her there is nothing that can be done and that the baby will most certainly die as soon as Carly gives birth. This is even more excruciating because this baby is the only tangible piece of her husband who has died in Vietnam before he knew she was pregnant.

I was particularly moved at the heartbreaking descriptions and the strong emotions I felt later in the book. I am afraid to mention these vivid scenes as I don't want to spoil it for anybody who hasn't yet read this amazing book. I never read science fiction or fantasy and I was completely blown away at how finely executed the scenes of time travel worked so enjoyably for me. I would have passed on this one as it is the first I have ever read if I knew before being so thoroughly captivated that time travel could be used as cleverly as the author uses it.

My strongest suggestions to those who would pass on this novel is to please give it a chance. I promise you that this book delivers on such an extremely multilayered level of transporting you to experience parental love and you will remember that magical time when you first locked eyes with your own children. You will feel deeply how far you would go to protect your child from harm. It will reawaken memories of how profound and what a miracle it was to give birth and how instantaneous you loved your baby and how you would do anything to ensure that your baby will thrive.

Thank you to Net Galley, Diane Chamberlain and St. Martins Press for providing me with my digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

After reading a well-known time traveler story, I was hesitant to read The Dream Daughter, but I am so glad that I did. I couldn't put this book down. I read it in 2 days - record time for me. There are two main characters, Caroline and Hunter. Hunter is the time traveler who helps Caroline get care for her daughter who is very ill with a heart condition that can't be cured in 1970 but can be in the 21st century. This is the story of loss and discovery on a decade's long span that is more believable than you can even imagine. Filled with unexpected turns, you are not going to want to miss this novel by Diane Chamberlain! Highly recommended!