Wednesday 4 July 2018

Review: Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain


When Caroline Sears receives the news that her unborn baby girl has a heart defect, she is devastated. It is 1970 and there seems to be little that can be done. But her brother-in-law, a physicist, tells her that perhaps there is. Hunter appeared in their lives just a few years before—and his appearance was as mysterious as his past. With no family, no friends, and a background shrouded in secrets, Hunter embraced the Sears family and never looked back.

Now, Hunter is telling her that something can be done about her baby's heart. Something that will shatter every preconceived notion that Caroline has. Something that will require a kind of strength and courage that Caroline never knew existed. Something that will mean a mind-bending leap of faith on Caroline's part.

And all for the love of her unborn child.

A rich, genre-spanning, breathtaking novel about one mother's quest to save her child, unite her family, and believe in the unbelievable. Diane Chamberlain pushes the boundaries of faith and science to deliver a novel that you will never forget.


Hardcover, 384 pages
Expected publication: October 2nd 2018 by St. Martin's Press

Terri's Thoughts

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

I have been a huge fan of Diane Chamberlains for many years and I was excited when the opportunity was presented to me to read her latest novel prior to publication.  For other fans, this story takes a slightly different direction than what we are accustomed to with her work and I say bravo for stepping out of your comfort zone.  While the synopsis for the story does not give away what this difference is, Diane Chamberlain has made no secret as to what it is on her social media pages so I don't think I am spoiling anything by saying it is time travel.  No worries for those who are not a fan of that genre, the heart of the story remains trademark Chamberlain with this small twist.

I an not going to go through the plot as this story is not released until October and I would like there to be surprises for the readers once it is published.  What I want to say is that this story is a perfect book club read as from beginning to end I was conflicted the moral dilemma's that were presented to Caroline.  I have never been so conflicted in my life within a story as to if I agreed with the actions of a characters.  At times I was in agreement with her choices and at times I completely disagreed with her to the point of thinking she was being selfish. I loved how this made me think and ponder over the storyline.  For a bookclub there is a plethora of material to be discussed and debated.  I am sure this is intentional as this story from beginning to end brings up numerous moral issues.

The time travel aspect does not swallow up the story.  It is more a means for which to present the story.  I admit, that with my OCD, I found myself plotting out how the timelines work out and how it all makes sense.  This didn't negatively impact the story but just something I had to work out personally.  Others may be able to go with the flow more than me and simply read the story for what it is.  For what its worth, all the timelines seemed to match up to me.

Again I want to say kudo's to Chamberlain for mixing things up a little bit with her latest novel and showing her devoted fans that she can keep things fresh, and perhaps earn a few more along the way.  She is one of my staple go to authors and I will continue to seek out her work in the future.






About the Author

Diane Chamberlain is the New York Times, USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author of 25 novels published in more than twenty languages. Some of her most popular books include Necessary Lies, The Silent Sister, The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes, and The Keeper of the Light Trilogy. Diane likes to write complex stories about relationships between men and women, parents and children, brothers and sisters, and friends. Although the thematic focus of her books often revolves around family, love, compassion and forgiveness, her stories usually feature a combination of drama, mystery, secrets and intrigue. Diane’s background in psychology has given her a keen interest in understanding the way people tick, as well as the background necessary to create her realistic characters.

Diane was born and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey and spent her summers at the Jersey Shore. She also lived for many years in San Diego and northern Virginia before making North Carolina her home.

Diane received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in clinical social work from San Diego State University. Prior to her writing career, Diane worked in hospitals in San Diego and Washington, D.C. before opening a private psychotherapy practice in Alexandria Virginia specializing in adolescents. All the while Diane was writing on the side. Her first book, Private Relations was published in 1989 and it earned the RITA award for Best Single Title Contemporary Novel.

Diane lives with her partner, photographer John Pagliuca, and her sheltie, Cole. She has three stepdaughters, two sons-in-law, and four grandchildren. She’s currently at work on her next novel.


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