kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Title: Pretending to Dance
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: October 5, 2015
T H R E E • W O R D S
Multi-layered • Reflective • Compelling
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Molly Arnette is very good at keeping secrets.
She lives in San Diego with a husband she adores, and they are trying to adopt a baby because they can't have a child on their own. But the process of adoption brings to light many questions about Molly's past and her family—the family she left behind in North Carolina twenty years before. The mother she says is dead but who is very much alive. The father she adored and whose death sent her running from the small community of Morrison's Ridge. Her own birth mother whose mysterious presence in her family raised so many issues that came to a head. The summer of twenty years ago changed everything for Molly and as the past weaves together with the present story, Molly discovers that she learned to lie in the very family that taught her about pretending.
If she learns the truth about her beloved father's death, can she find peace in the present to claim the life she really wants?
💭 T H O U G H T S
Pretending to Dance was November's selection for our monthly Diane Chamberlain buddy read. I avoided reading the synopsis before picking it up to keep my mind fresh when I started. Because I have had success tandem reading (physical and audio) some of her other books, I decided to do the same with this one.
This dual timeline (1990 & 2014) story is multi-layered and well-crafted. It's part coming-of-age story and part contemporary fiction. The mystery behind Molly's estrangement from her family held my interest, while the present day timeline offered so much space for reflection. The story's pacing was steady - with details being revealed gradually until everything finally comes together in the end. The complex family dynamics felt realistic, and did the flawed characters.
The focus on the process of open adoption is something I've never really thought a whole lot about. Yet this novel had me pausing to reflect on it time and time again. DC always seems to make me see both sides of the coin, which I absolutely love. And while I was so invested in the story, the ending felt a little rushed. I could have used a little more of Aiden's reaction and involvement towards the end, but instead it felt like DC was simply trying to tie everything up with a nice little bow.
I did figure out where the story was going fairly early on, but despite that it didn't detract from my enjoyment. These monthly buddy reads have solidified the fact the Diane Chamberlain is a sure thing for me. I've currently read 12 of her books and look forward to continuing to explore her backlist, while secretly hoping she announces something new soon too.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Diane Chamberlain completists
• Jodi Picoult fans
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"It’s hard to move on if you don’t forgive,” he said. “It’s like trying to dance with a lead weight on your shoulders. The anger can weigh you down forever."
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: October 5, 2015
T H R E E • W O R D S
Multi-layered • Reflective • Compelling
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Molly Arnette is very good at keeping secrets.
She lives in San Diego with a husband she adores, and they are trying to adopt a baby because they can't have a child on their own. But the process of adoption brings to light many questions about Molly's past and her family—the family she left behind in North Carolina twenty years before. The mother she says is dead but who is very much alive. The father she adored and whose death sent her running from the small community of Morrison's Ridge. Her own birth mother whose mysterious presence in her family raised so many issues that came to a head. The summer of twenty years ago changed everything for Molly and as the past weaves together with the present story, Molly discovers that she learned to lie in the very family that taught her about pretending.
If she learns the truth about her beloved father's death, can she find peace in the present to claim the life she really wants?
💭 T H O U G H T S
Pretending to Dance was November's selection for our monthly Diane Chamberlain buddy read. I avoided reading the synopsis before picking it up to keep my mind fresh when I started. Because I have had success tandem reading (physical and audio) some of her other books, I decided to do the same with this one.
This dual timeline (1990 & 2014) story is multi-layered and well-crafted. It's part coming-of-age story and part contemporary fiction. The mystery behind Molly's estrangement from her family held my interest, while the present day timeline offered so much space for reflection. The story's pacing was steady - with details being revealed gradually until everything finally comes together in the end. The complex family dynamics felt realistic, and did the flawed characters.
The focus on the process of open adoption is something I've never really thought a whole lot about. Yet this novel had me pausing to reflect on it time and time again. DC always seems to make me see both sides of the coin, which I absolutely love. And while I was so invested in the story, the ending felt a little rushed. I could have used a little more of Aiden's reaction and involvement towards the end, but instead it felt like DC was simply trying to tie everything up with a nice little bow.
I did figure out where the story was going fairly early on, but despite that it didn't detract from my enjoyment. These monthly buddy reads have solidified the fact the Diane Chamberlain is a sure thing for me. I've currently read 12 of her books and look forward to continuing to explore her backlist, while secretly hoping she announces something new soon too.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Diane Chamberlain completists
• Jodi Picoult fans
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"It’s hard to move on if you don’t forgive,” he said. “It’s like trying to dance with a lead weight on your shoulders. The anger can weigh you down forever."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Medical trauma, Medical content, Chronic illness, and Sexual content
Minor: Toxic relationship, Drug use, and Violence
adoption, euthanasiasultana_mama1's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
fantasyfave57's review against another edition
5.0
Another great book from Diane, haven't found 1 i haven't liked yet
dr_manuela_reads's review against another edition
2.0
Silly! Not much to say when you find yourself thinking this about main character "how does a child who is raised with so much love turn out to be such a bitch."
kbranfield's review against another edition
5.0
Pretending to Dance by Diane Chamberlain is a bittersweet novel of healing and forgiveness. This compelling story within a story begins in the present as lead protagonist Molly Arnette and her husband Aidan James begin the process to adopt a baby. Completing the final paperwork of her family history thrusts Molly back in time to the summer she was fourteen and the tragic events that forever changed her life. In order to move forward, Molly must face the troubling memories that continue to haunt her but will she make peace with her past before it is too late?
Molly has been estranged from most of her family for the past twenty years and she has carefully fabricated a series of lies to hide the reason why. But as she and Aidan complete the adoption paperwork, she is terrified her carefully constructed history will be revealed. After hearing unsettling news from her cousin, Molly's disquieting memories from that pivotal summer rise to the forefront as she wrestles with her fears of agreeing to an open adoption.
The long ago summer begins on a happy note with Molly eagerly assisting her beloved father with completing his current book before embarking on a book tour. Her father, Graham, is paralyzed from the neck down due to multiple sclerosis and the two are extremely close. The once joyful summer is soon marred by family infighting but Molly's new friendship with newcomer Stacy Bateman offers an escape from the tense situation. Stacy shakes up Molly's rather sheltered world and introduces her to the wonders of older boys and other illicit teenage past times. As tensions increase at home, Molly's attention is focused on the boy she has a crush on and she misses some obvious signs that portend a tragic loss that will put her at odds with the rest of family for decades to come.
In the present, Molly and Aidan continue the adoption process while she tries to sort through her ambivalent feelings about open adoption. They are cautiously optimistic that a birth mother will select them to adopt her baby and these scenes are heartwarming while at the same time, anxious, since Aidan and Molly try to protect themselves from possible heartache. Molly is startlingly intuitive about the birth mother and she offers surprising advice and words of wisdom to the young mother. However, memories of that turbulent summer continue to surface and revisiting that time in her life gives her the opportunity to re-examine them with the maturity and wisdom from an adult point of view. Her perspective shifts but Molly still remains hard and unforgiving until an unexpected loss forces her to make a decision that changes the course of her life.
Pretending to Dance by Diane Chamberlain is a heartfelt and engaging novel that also has a bit of suspense element to the storyline. The characters are vibrantly life-like and appealing with relatable flaws and imperfections. Molly's past and present are seamlessly woven into a captivating story that is moving and poignant. Unexpected plot twists, shocking revelations and surprising reunions bring the novel to an emotional conclusion that will touch readers' hearts. A deeply affecting novel of reconciliation that I absolutely loved and strongly recommend to fans of contemporary women's fiction.
Molly has been estranged from most of her family for the past twenty years and she has carefully fabricated a series of lies to hide the reason why. But as she and Aidan complete the adoption paperwork, she is terrified her carefully constructed history will be revealed. After hearing unsettling news from her cousin, Molly's disquieting memories from that pivotal summer rise to the forefront as she wrestles with her fears of agreeing to an open adoption.
The long ago summer begins on a happy note with Molly eagerly assisting her beloved father with completing his current book before embarking on a book tour. Her father, Graham, is paralyzed from the neck down due to multiple sclerosis and the two are extremely close. The once joyful summer is soon marred by family infighting but Molly's new friendship with newcomer Stacy Bateman offers an escape from the tense situation. Stacy shakes up Molly's rather sheltered world and introduces her to the wonders of older boys and other illicit teenage past times. As tensions increase at home, Molly's attention is focused on the boy she has a crush on and she misses some obvious signs that portend a tragic loss that will put her at odds with the rest of family for decades to come.
In the present, Molly and Aidan continue the adoption process while she tries to sort through her ambivalent feelings about open adoption. They are cautiously optimistic that a birth mother will select them to adopt her baby and these scenes are heartwarming while at the same time, anxious, since Aidan and Molly try to protect themselves from possible heartache. Molly is startlingly intuitive about the birth mother and she offers surprising advice and words of wisdom to the young mother. However, memories of that turbulent summer continue to surface and revisiting that time in her life gives her the opportunity to re-examine them with the maturity and wisdom from an adult point of view. Her perspective shifts but Molly still remains hard and unforgiving until an unexpected loss forces her to make a decision that changes the course of her life.
Pretending to Dance by Diane Chamberlain is a heartfelt and engaging novel that also has a bit of suspense element to the storyline. The characters are vibrantly life-like and appealing with relatable flaws and imperfections. Molly's past and present are seamlessly woven into a captivating story that is moving and poignant. Unexpected plot twists, shocking revelations and surprising reunions bring the novel to an emotional conclusion that will touch readers' hearts. A deeply affecting novel of reconciliation that I absolutely loved and strongly recommend to fans of contemporary women's fiction.
andrearbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Pretending To Dance by Diane Chamberlain was just what I needed it to be. Diane (we're on a first name basis at this point) is my that author who provides my comfort reads. When I need that book that provides just the right mix of drama, character development, and a twist, Diane is who I turn to. This book was about Molly who is trying to adopt a baby with her husband in San Diego. As they go through the process, it is revealed that Molly hasn't shared the full truth of where she came from. In chapters alternating between the present process and the past, the truth of Molly's past is revealed. This includes a very complicated relationship with her birth mother, as well as unresolved emotions around her father's death. I appreciated that it was clear there was some kind of secret, but I couldn't quite figure out what that secret was. The storytelling kept me reading and wondering as a great Diane Chamberlain always does. Also, this one gets bonus points for the mentions of New Kids on the Block and Judy Blume.
jennlgreer8's review against another edition
5.0
ARC from Booksparks.com! Love Diane Chamberlain! Riveting story of keeping secrets. The latest Diane Chamberlain book out today. Go read it! This is a wonderful story about parental love and marital secrets. The story unfolds as Molly and Aidan are preparing for private adoption. Molly has kept her childhood a secret from her husband and the truth is eating away at her. #frc2015