Books and Jams Readalong discussion

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The Dream Daughter
DREAM DAUGHTER - May 2020
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Middle (ch 15-44)
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I flew through this book over the weekend and finished it. I remember still loving it at this point. I was also wary about Hunter's mom. It was mindblowing and heartbreaking to consider the difficult situations Carly was in.
I have a few more things to mention, but will do it in the next section because I can't remember when it happened in the book. :)
I have a few more things to mention, but will do it in the next section because I can't remember when it happened in the book. :)


Just finished work, getting ready to settle in and read some more until bedtime. 😊


I was so nervous that she would not be able to go back to 1970 and when she went to 2013, I was shocked and horrified for her.
When the year was first set as 2001, I thought it was the year of 9/11 but then I forgot about it completely until Hunter mentioned in his last section so far. Poor Hunter and I like him so so much as a character. Patti will never forgive him.
There is certainly something not quite right about Myra but she seems kind at heart. I wonder which year she went when she "dissappeared".
One thing I can say about Carly is that she is a survivor and she does it with her daughter's love. She is now in an impossible situation. Her daughter is clearly very happy with her adoptive parents and it would be very cruel to take her back.

I am happy with the pacing of the book. The shorter chapters are keeping me engaged. Though the story would keep me going even if the chapters were longer. I find the writing flowing smoothly and I have had no pauses or confusion. Just flying along!
Carly's story is breaking my heart. I had 9/11 in the back of my mind the entire time and I had a feeling that the tragedy would end up playing a role in the story, which was confirmed at the end of Part 1. By the time Hunter realized what he'd done with Carly's return to 2001, it was too late to stop her. She was already on her way. Stab in the heart, right there.
I'm not sure how I feel about Myra. She's definitely career driven, but we've seen glimmers of her softer side.
I can only imagine how Cary is feeling about finding her daughter. Seeing her as a grown 12 year old young woman. How hard it must be for her to see her and not react outwardly toward Joanna.
I haven't decided yet how I want this story to end. What would make it a satisfying ending that would cause me to give it 5 stars. As of right now it's a solid 4/4.5. The ending will determine my final rating. I'm just not sure what I want that ending to be. Does Carly stay in 2013 to be near her daughter, even though she can't BE with her? Does Carly return brokenhearted to 1970 without her daughter? Does Carly find a way to take her daughter from 2013 and return to 1970? There's no easy solution. We'd all love a happy ending .... but I'm not sure that's what will or should happen with this story. It's been a heartbreaking story thus far, and I am eager to return to it and see how it ends.


I suspect that Myra disappeared either to fix Carly's mistakes or go to 1970 to be with Hunter's family.

Kim wrote: "My opinion hasn’t changed much for this book. I’d give it probably a 3.5 at this point. I still wish the character were more fleshed out. Carly just makes all the wrong decisions and then cries abo..."
I can totally see where you're coming from, but I just kept remembering that this all happened within a few weeks/months for Carly. She left a baby in 2001 thinking Hunter could send her right back. 48 hours later she's thrust into 2013 and her baby is now 12 years old! What an emotional roller coaster. Of course a mom wants to do what's best for her daughter, but I can't imagine the depth of these emotions Carly is dealing with. Crazy.
I can totally see where you're coming from, but I just kept remembering that this all happened within a few weeks/months for Carly. She left a baby in 2001 thinking Hunter could send her right back. 48 hours later she's thrust into 2013 and her baby is now 12 years old! What an emotional roller coaster. Of course a mom wants to do what's best for her daughter, but I can't imagine the depth of these emotions Carly is dealing with. Crazy.

See you for Gone With the Wind.
Sarah wrote: "I won't be finishing this book this month. I can't let the little details go and I'm not really feeling for the characters. Plus my head space isn't great for anything too emotional right now!
See ..."
No worries! Not every book is for every person and this one wasn't for you...at least not right now. Hope GWTW goes a bit better!
See ..."
No worries! Not every book is for every person and this one wasn't for you...at least not right now. Hope GWTW goes a bit better!

Has your opinion of the book changed from the beginning to now?
How do you find the pacing?
Has anything surprised you?
How is the character development so far?
Are you feeling connected to the characters and their story or no?