Tuesday 17 July 2018

Review: The 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.


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

Kristine's Thoughts:

** I received an advanced readers copy from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review, Thank you!**

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge Diane Chamberlain fan. I have devoured all of her books without reading the synopsis or knowing in advance what the story was about. It was never necessary. Her books were like a warm, fuzzy blanket on a cold winters night. They were comforting, they always delivered and they were and are my happy place. When I had the opportunity to read The Dream Daughter in advance of the publication date I jumped on it. Are you kidding me? There was no way I wanted to wait until October to get lost in it. As with all of her past books, I ignored the synopsis and went into it blind.

Right from the beginning I could tell that this book was different from the typical Diane Chamberlain book that I know and love. Why you ask? It dealt with a subject that forced you to stretch your imagination and believe in something that couldn't happen in real life. Something that I typically have a hard time doing and an even harder time reading and enjoying. Avid followers will know what I am talking about but I won't give it away. However, mixed with her trademark family drama, attention to detail and a compelling story to go along with it, she managed to pull it off tremendously.

The story was told mostly from Carly's perspective but also from her brother in law Hunter's. It weaved back and forth between multiple different time frames. As is normally the case with Chamberlain's books, I found myself getting lost in the pages and anxious to know how the story would play out. I found that the aspect that made it different (that I normally struggle with) was not a factor at all in the enjoyment of this book. In fact, it just made the plot more complex and definitely more dramatic. I found myself having many debates in my head over the events that unfolded in the pages. There were numerous times where I questioned the actions of the characters and wasn't even sure if I liked them.

Ultimately this book was a story about the lengths one woman would go to for the love of her child. It was both beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. It flowed smoothly and I was able to finish it in one day. It may have been different from a typical Chamberlain book but it still had all of the things that I love about her writing. I can't wait for this book to be published so that my reader fans and friends can get their hands on it and we can discuss it. There will be no shortage of things to talk about.

I loved every minute of this book!




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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