The Dream Keeper's Daughter - Paranormal Romance Review

The Dream Keeper's Daughter by Emily Colin (Amazon link)

Rating: Okay
Source: Publisher

Description:  Eight years after the unsolved disappearance of her boyfriend Max Adair, archaeologist Isabel Griffin has managed to move on and rebuild her life with her young daughter, Finn, her last tie to Max. But after a series of strange incidents, Isabel begins to wonder if Max might still be alive somewhere, trying to communicate with her. She has no idea that the where isn’t the problem—it’s the when. Max has slipped through time and place, landing on his ancestral family plantation in 1816 Barbados, on the eve of a historic slave uprising. As Isabel searches for answers, Max must figure out not only how to survive the violence to come, but how to get back to his own century, the woman he loves, and the daughter he has only ever met in his dreams.

Genre: Romance - Paranormal

Why I Picked This Book:  I love a missing persons case and this sounded really intriguing with the main character being and archaeologist and the history element.

My Impression: This very well may be a case of a book just not being for me.  If you enjoy time travel elements and love a romance don't let the fact that I didn't love this stop you from picking it up!
The Good:
The atmosphere of the book felt seriously spooky and forbidding through most of the book.

I loved Isabel's daughter Finn.  She was really smart and sweet and a little unnerving at times.  She seemed to know things there was no way to know including what people were thinking sometimes.

Isabel and Finn's relationship.  It felt really real and Isabel's frustration with Finn being ostracized by her peers for her strangeness really rang true.  She's a parent who desperately wants to protect her daughter.

Isabel's father.  He suffered a trauma very similar to Isabel when his wife disappeared.  He's determined to learn from his mistakes as a father to Isabel and be the best grandfather he can be.  As well he really tries to give advice to Isabel based on his own mistakes.

The history.  I love history and enjoyed the present day research whether it was looking into genealogy or Isabel's job as an archaeologist.

The Bad:
The book felt a bit overwrought.  Isabel's emotions were on high from beginning to end as were most of the other characters.  It got a bit exhausting.

I never quite bought how Max managed to slip through time in the first place.  I mean I know you have to suspend belief a little bit anyway and I'm fine with that but his motivations for the whole thing - especially at that exact moment just didn't ring true.

The ending.  I actually liked the way it worked out but it didn't fit the book at all.  I just didn't feel that the characters would have done that.  Obviously I can't say too much without giving it away but I just struggled with it.

Overall:  I loved the history elements and the setting but felt like there were some significant plot holes.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Potentially though the blurb would really have to appeal to me.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If the time travel element really appeals to you than you may enjoy this one.