I'd never read any of this author's books and, since I've been trying to broaden my reading tastes in an effort to connect more with what my students like, i gave this one a shot. Not my cup of tea. It borders on romance, which i hate, and i am not a fan of time travel.
That doesn't mean it wasn't a good book for its genre or the right reader. Just wasn't for me.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I can’t actually say that I believe time travel is possible, but I’m usually able to accept it in a work of fiction because anything can be made possible by an imaginative writer. Diane Chamberlain has made anything possible in this story and I was swept across the decades. What kind of unimaginable things would you do to save your unborn child ? What Carly does, reflects the depth of love of a mother for her daughter when she travels from 1970 North Carolina to 2001 New York so her unborn baby can have the in utero surgery needed to repair her heart defect. Armed only with this love of her baby and the trust in her brother-in-law Hunter who reveals his time travel secret to her in efforts to save the baby, Carly takes the jump through a portal to 2001. It’s a mind blowing experience for her as she makes her way in a world of technological advancements she never imagined in 1970, not just the medical aspects but cell phones and laptops, microwave ovens, etc. Events in our history are also seen from the different time frames such as The Vietnam War which is one of the central themes and 9/11.

The plan, of course, is to return to 1970 North Carolina with her healthy baby. Not everything goes smoothly, though, and the glitches that occur in Carly’s journey across the decades provide a page turning experience that kept me engaged with the story and connected emotionally to Carly. There are poignant moments that will make any parent’s heart ache and some that will fill them with joy. Although I almost always want to know more about characters that I come to care about, after the story is over, I thought the book would have been more affecting for me without the epilogue; thus 4 instead of 5 stars. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys time travel stories and most definitely to fans of Diane Chamberlain.

I received an advanced copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley.

As I so boldly proclaimed, The Dream Daughter was one of my two most anticipated reads of 2018. I hadn’t heard much about this in way of synopsis but basically anything Diane Chamberlain writes is most anticipated for me. I eagerly opened the first pages and soon realized this book was centered around time travel - not being much in the way of “fantasy,” I immediately panicked that it might not be for me, but it’s freaking DIANE CHAMBERLAIN so, I figured I’d go with the flow. BOY AM I GLAD I DID!!!!!! While time travel is definitely a major part of this book, it’s such “classic” Diane Chamberlain at its heart that it’s absolutely perfect. I wanted to savor the story for a long time knowing there will be nothing more of hers to read for some time, but alas, I couldn’t put it down, I devoured every word and absolutely loved this story of family, love and the lengths we will go for our children, even those that are not born yet. Add this one to your TBR for sure!