Chamberlain writes such appealing stories with well-described characters. I loved reading this novel and could not put it down once I was into the page by page happenings. ( )

Robin's father sure started out as a good father but he really lost it later. Travis going for the job suggestion made sense but then taking a drug deal did not fit. Why didn't he just tell Ray where the drugs were, tell the cops and leave town. Was enjoying how Erin worked through her fears and even gaining an understanding about her husband eventually. Also interesting on how each parent dealt with loss of a child. Robin finally grew up and I liked how she worked out a solution to all of Trevis's problems with the law. ( )

I got about 80 pages in, and most of it while skimming the pages. I have no idea how this book ended up in my house, but what a dreadful, dull written story. A father who is raising his daughter alone and had to make some hard decisions seemed interesting enough, but up till the point I decided to quit the book all we got was one major flashback and a story told through 3 different people. Something I hate. If you've got a story to tell, tell it! I had zero interest in any of the characters and what happened to them and the writing was just not my style at all. But I noticed the word 'harlequin' at the back of the book, that should have said it all.
Blegh. ( )

I absolutely loved this book! The characters were so relateable and it was so hard to put down. I really fell in love with all of them and felt like I knew them. Great job! ( )

4.5 stars. An absolutely breathtaking account that demonstrates a parents’ unconditional love, The Good Father is a novel that should be on everyone’s reading list. To read my review in its entirety, please visit http://www.bookreviewsandmorebykathy.com/2012/04/24/the-good-father/ ( )

Diane Chamberlain draws me again with her thoughtful story of family and life. ( )

Travis has been raising his (now) 4-year old girl with the help of his mother (at his mother’s home). But when their home burns down and his mother dies, Travis and Bella have nowhere to go. And Travis has lost his job. In looking for construction work, he gets caught up in other work he shouldn’t have, putting people’s lives (including Bella’s) at risk.

I listened to the audio, which was very well done, in addition to it being a very engaging story. The audio had three different narrators, for the three characters who told the story. Travis was one; Bella’s mother Robin was another; and a woman Travis and Bella met while looking for a job, Erin, was the third.

The story itself pulled me in immediately, then it went back in time a bit to hear how we got to that point, from Travis’s point of view. Robin’s POV went back and forth in time from when she met Travis and she later got pregnant… all while dealing with a heart problem; also her current life, 4 years later, as the fiancee of a well-known, well-connected man, running for mayor. Erin’s POV also included the current timeline, when she met Travis and Bella while Travis was looking for a job, and back in time to her married life, with a little girl she lost.

After the book drew me in at the start, I just wanted to keep listening to find out what would happen. Be warned that a Kleenex comes in handy at points. For a while, I thought I wasn’t going to like how it appeared to be heading toward the ending, but I was ok with it, after all. ( )

Travis is single parent to Bella, doi get a great job until life starts to unravel.

Erin is mourning the tragic death of her daughter.

Robin is embroiled in the mayoral family, and begining to wonder why.

Three apparently unconnected life stories. Until one bad decision.

An enthralling story ( )

Very heartwarming book! ( )

A very good book that I read in one sitting while cruising the Norwegian Sea! I thought the characters were well-developed and I liked the chapters switching from one character to another. The only thing I didn't like was the whole drug thing because the thug was very unbelievable. ( )

A very good book that I read in one sitting while cruising the Norwegian Sea! I thought the characters were well-developed and I liked the chapters switching from one character to another. The only thing I didn't like was the whole drug thing because the thug was very unbelievable. ( )

This is a story of a single father, totally dedicated to his daughter, but caught up in a crime that he undertakes reluctantly and which expands in its complexity and danger. A gripping story. ( )

I absolutely loved this book (NOOK) and did not want it to end (difficult, since I could not put it down)! Inspiring, this book was centered in seaside NC (native) with three main strong and loveable characters, each with struggles of their own with personal growth, healing, and lessons to be learned. The plot planning and writing style were excellent—with tensions building throughout the book. You felt connected to each of the main characters – how desperation drives actions, choices, and outcomes. It was like fate at the coffee house---each person was there for the other.

I fell in love with all the characters; however, the strongest personality was Erin with raw and emotional feelings. Travis was an excellent father to Bella, even though at times you had to second guess his choices (even though he was acting out of desperation), and Robin a victim men controlling her life- teaching her to avoid conflict, having missed the joy of love and motherhood (who came through in the end like a champ). The Good Father is definitely movie worthy, or possibly a sequel. I look forward to reading more from Diane Chamberlain—highly recommend! An excellent discussion guide and ideal for book clubs—belongs on the best seller list! ( )

Very readable, beautifully told, by three separarte characters, all coming together towards the close of the story. ( )

Well written book with good character development and dialogue. I think the title and the blurb didn't do it justice as it deals more deeply with being a parent and the loss of a child, not just with the story of the father and his daughter. The plot got a little convoluted at the end and things tied up a little too neatly but still was a satisfying read. ( )

Read this book in a day! Excellent read!!!! Did not want it to end because I was so into it. Passed it on to all my friends and they loved it too!! ( )

Yet another great book by a talented author ( )

Very good story...unusual to read a story from the point of view of a teenage single father ( )

Thought provoking.

This was a highly thought provoking read, centred around the question of what really constitutes a 'good father'. Yes, he'd have to be loving, caring, thoughtful etc, but how far should he go for his child - should he commit crime to keep her fed and watered?

I was gripped from the first page of this book, which was expertly narrated by the three main characters: Travis, Bella's father, Robin, her mother, and Erin, recently bereaved of her own young daughter, but who is drawn to the waif-like child.
The characters and their backgrounds are gradually revealed as we read and I'm hesitant to give too much away here for fear of spoiling your enjoyment. I think it was this gradual insight into the characters' backgrounds and the subsequent events that made the book such an excellent read.

Bella is just six and has been raised by her teenage father with the help of his mother. She has never met her mother. Travis has managed to make ends meet and provide for Bella and his mother with his carpentry and building skills. Then the recession hits the building trade and work becomes harder to find. On top of this, tragedy strikes and Travis has to make some very difficult decisions in order to keep Bella from being taken by the authorities.
Erin, having lost her own daughter, is struggling to lead a normal life. The heavy blanket of grief that she carries with her is momentarliy lifted when Bella comes into the coffee house where she is checking her e mails, and goes into the bathroom with her father to wash and clean her teeth. Gradually their paths become more and more entwined and Erin's decisions become pivotal to the story.
Although Bella's mother, Robin, gave her daughter up at birth, she had good reason. As she makes a new life for herself, thoughts of the baby that she never knew begin to creep up on her. All she knows is that the child is baing raised by Travis.

This is only the second book by Diane Chamberlain that I've read but both books were five star reads. Definitely an author that I will choose in the future.
This would be an excellent book for a book group discussion. Highly recommended to all readers with a concience.

Also read:
The Lost Daughter - 5 stars ( )

It's been some time since I read Diane Chamberlain--Keeper of the Light and Brass Ring come to mind. I love a book that grabs me from page one and doesn't let go. This book didn't do that. In fact, I almost returned it, unread, to the library. But for some reason, I kept going and am happy that I did if only to find out what happened to this group of characters, each of whom had demons and secrets that needed resolution. Not the emotional impact my reading memory has of Keeper of the Light, but a good story well worth finishing. ( )

The Good Father is an emotional novel about what a young father will do in order to provide for his daughter.
First off, the cover and title of this book tugged at my heartstrings and I wanted to read this one straight away.
Travis Brown is a single father in his early twenties on the verge of being homeless with no one in the world to help him care for his four year old daughter Bella. He just moved to Raleigh in hopes of finding a great job as a contractor, but once he arrives, things turn out very differently and this job offer can actually land him in jail. A desperate Travis is near to being out on the street and having his baby taken away.

Robin is Bella's mom. She and Travis had the baby as teens and Robin never laid eyes on Bella. Her own father insisted she give the baby up. Robin has a deadly heart condition and nearly died during her pregnancy and childbirth. Since Bella's birth, Robin pushed the memories of Travis and the baby aside. She is now engaged to marry a politician. Memories however, have a way of coming back the the surface.

Erin and her husband have recently lost their own four year old daughter in a terrible accident. Erin is barely managing to live her life now and when she sets eyes on Bella for the first time, she is instantly drawn to the child.

Told in alternating points of view, this novel sucked me in from the first page. The book flashes to and from as the story is told from Travis', Erin's, and Robin's perspectives. Each chapter begins with the narrator's name, so I found it easy to follow along. The author weaves the three narrators experiences in perfectly, time and places change, but none of it was jarring.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. This is the type of book that begs to be discussed, there is so much going on in the story. It's not just a story about a father doing what he can to take care of his daughter but it is also a book about people that are damaged in some way or another. These characters and their issues seemed very realistic.

I liked Travis right off the bat. As a teenager, he's chosen to raise his daughter by himself and he is really struggling financially. The image of this young dad taking his baby to McDonald's to buy inexpensive food, or washing her face and brushing her teeth in the bathroom sink at the coffee shop every morning made me teary eyed. And Bella! She is so cute. Author Diane Chamberlain does a phenomenal job at giving her character a voice. The baby on the cover definitely suits Bella's description.

All in all, a wonderful read, I cried. Highly recommended if you enjoy stories that revolve around family issues or if you just want to get swept up in a tear jerker.

"I thought of the dream and my desperate need to reach my baby, and I knew in that instant you could love someone you didn't know and never would know. You could love her with all your heart."
p.87, The Good Father ( )

Having recently enjoyed my first title by Diane Chamberlain, Secrets She Left Behind (for which a review is well overdue) I couldn’t resist the premise of The Good Father. Travis Brown is raising his four year old daughter Bella alone. It’s a sacrifice, but one he has never had any doubts about until tragedy leaves the pair broke and homeless. Desperate to provide for his daughter, Travis makes a difficult decision that has unforeseen consequences that may prove devastating.

Chamberlain apologetically tugs hard at the heart strings in The Good Father. Travis, only twenty three, has not had an easy time of it. His teenage romance with Bella’s mother ended badly and it wasn’t until Bella was born and he was approached to sign adoption papers that he was aware he had a daughter. The custody fight was bitter yet Travis prevailed, his only thought to love and provide for his newborn child. I really like that Chamberlain chose a male protagonist for the story, so often in women’s fiction it is the men who run from responsibility, in this instance the roles are reversed with Bella’s biological mother unable to face parenting the child. Travis has been doing the best he can but he is young and lacks resources so when tragedy strikes he doesn’t have a lot to fall back on. Love and determination, sadly, is not always enough to keep body and soul together and though Travis tries hard his desperation leads him to make some unwise decisions. Chamberlain provides realistic motivations for Travis’s mistakes, his youth, his pride and his unwavering love for his daughter all contributing to his predicament.
While Travis makes many mistakes, placing his faith in Erin proves not to be one of them. Erin, who is struggling with her own tragedy, inadvertently becomes caught up in the drama that unfolds for Travis and Bella. She is a very sympathetic character not only because of her personal history but also because of the situation she finds herself in. I can understand her motives and her inner conflict in choosing what the right thing to do is.
Bella’s biological mother, Robin, plays a part in the story. We discover her reasons for giving her baby up and Chamberlain ensures she has our sympathy. In the four years since Bella’s birth circumstances have changed dramatically for Robin, she is on the verge of marrying into a socially prominent family but the birth of her teenage sister-in-law-to-be’s baby has her reexamining her choices. When Robin was introduced in to the story I immediately formed an idea of where Chamberlain planned to take the plot but I was pleasantly surprised to find out I was wrong and I enjoyed having my expectations subverted.
The three points of view in The Good Father provides a well rounded perspective of the plot. The novel has elements of suspense and romance but it is the emotion that Chamberlain evokes that carries it. You grow to feel strongly for these characters and want them to have what they need and want. The epilogue ensures closure which I always appreciate.

The Good Father is a story of three adults whose good intentions do not always coincide with good choices, or good outcomes. Heartwarming and emotional it’s a satisfying and engaging read that will left me eager to read more by Diane Chamberlain. ( )

What makes a good father? For that matter, what makes a good parent? Diane Chamberlain's latest novel, The Good Father, explores parenthood in all of its pain, suffering, heartache, doubt, happiness, and unconditional love. Told through the eyes of three different parents who are brought together under the most trying circumstances, it is a celebration of parenthood as much as it is a testament to the lengths parents are willing to go to protect their child.

The Good Father is less about fatherhood and more about parenthood. While Travis' travails are the main focus of the novel, much of the narrative also follows Erin's grief process and Robin's struggles to come to terms with her past. The interconnecting theme is the sacrifice each has accomplished for the sake of his or her child and the repercussions of such sacrifices. As their stories unfold, the reader is taken on a roller coaster of emotions as one is forced to come to grips with each of the narrator's actions and reconcile them within one's own value system and sense of right and wrong.

As with any true-to-life story, it is easy to sit in judgment on the actions of each of the narrators but the extreme emotions and strain they individually face is something that cannot be fully understood until one experiences it for oneself. Would you be willing to break the law to earn money to feed your child? What if you were forced to choose between your life or your child's life? How would you cope with the loss of a child? While readers might find the choices Robin, Erin, and Travis make repugnant, Ms. Chamberlain does an excellent job of reminding the reader how impossible it is to condemn someone without having been tested in a similar fashion.

There are a few flaws in this poignant story of parental love is the rather confusing timeline in the beginning. It is not until about a third into the novel where the reader understands the jumps in time. In fact, the reader will find himself going back to the first chapter to reconfirm what happened there. Some readers may find this jump in time to be disconcerting, while others may find it a brilliant ploy at forcing the reader to reassess one's opinions of the characters as new information comes to light.

The Good Father is one of those stories that makes one sit back and appreciate all the good in one's life, as it is a stark reminder of everything that can go wrong. While at times slightly schmaltzy, Ms. Chamberlain avoids being overly preachy, allowing readers to learn their own lessons. It is the ultimate feel-good novel.

Acknowledgments: Thank you to NetGalley and to Harlequin for my e-galley!

THE GOOD FATHER by Diane Chamberlain
Published by Mira Books
Publication Date: April 24, 2012
ISBN-10: 0778313468
ISBN-13: 978-0778313465
At the generosity of the, publisher Mira Books, an ARC Digital Version was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.

Synopsis (borrowed from Amazon): A beloved daughter. A devastating choice. And now there's no going back.
Four years ago, nineteen-year-old Travis Brown made a choice: to raise his newborn daughter on his own. While most of his friends were out partying and meeting girls, Travis was at home, changing diapers and worrying about keeping food on the table. But he's never regretted his decision. Bella is the light of his life. The reason behind every move he makes.And so far, she is fed. Cared for. Safe.
But when Travis loses his construction job and his home, the security he's worked so hard to create for Bella begins to crumble....
Then a miracle. A job in Raleigh has the power to turn their fortunes around. It has to. But when Travis arrives in Raleigh, there is no job, only an offer to participate in a onetime criminal act that promises quick money and no repercussions.
With nowhere else to turn, Travis must make another choice for his daughter's sake.

My Thoughts and Opinion: I feel I need to start this review off with a caveat and a huge THANK YOU to author, Ms. Diane Chamberlain. A few weeks ago, we became "friends" on GoodReads. And it started me thinking. Last year when my husband and I went on vacation, one of the books that came along with us was The Midwife's Confession, which I reviewed for Meryl L. Moss Media and gave it a 5/5. I had become a fan of her's when I read The Lies We Told, which I also rated a 5/5. Since we are going away again, same time, same place, I have already started a mental priority packing list, which is, what books will be packed this year. So I garnered up the courage, emailed her, and asked if she had a new book coming out and would it be on an ARC tour? She responded saying she would check with her publisher, but in the meantime, much to my surprise, honor, and delight, her publisher sent me a copy. Unfortunately, knowing it was in my possession, I could not wait until our vacation to read it.

The prologue steals your heart with the introduction of a 4 year old little girl, Bella, in which the other main characters are brought into the story line and come to life. There is so much to this book, and I apologize for being vague at times, but I do not want to include spoilers. There was suspense, relationship dynamics, betrayals, grief, guilt, desperation, good, evil, secrets, lies, friendships, innocence, terror, blame, and above all a parent's unconditional love. The author writes in such a way that is so brilliant, detailed and descriptive, what I call a "transport" read, where I was so engrossed that I actually felt that I was part of the story and could create such realistic imagery of the entire book. Each chapter alternates and is told through the perspective of 3 main characters, which made this reader want to read ahead to find out the outcome of the previous chapter's situation the author leaves you with. It was a page turning read. I could not put this book down and read it in 2 days. This is a book that will stay with you long after reading the last word. A powerful, compelling, heartfelt, and passionate read. Highly recommend, matter of fact, preorder it!!

My Rating: 5 ( )

The Good Father is about a young single father who is desperate to provide for his small daughter. He takes on a questionable job, and finds himself mixed up in situations he would never have knowingly entered. He unwittingly endangers his child's life and his own. The story is told from his perspective, but also from a woman he befriends and from the child's mother.

I've learned to expect a really interesting plot from Diane Chamberlain, and The Good Father exceeded that expectation. This is a suspenseful page turner! It's well grounded with very relatable characters, so it appeals both as a "women's fiction" novel and as a suspense/thriller.

Disclosure: I received this book free from NetGalley. ( )