#ATBR2019 Review: Lovely Little Things by Maureen Joyce Connolly @sbkslandmark @MConnollyAuthor @jessmapreviews
Lovely Little Things
by Maureen Joyce Connolly
Thanks so much to Sourcebooks Landmark for these copies!
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publish Date: April 2, 2019
Paperback
304 Pages
Standalone
Standalone
Genre: Domestic Thriller
A mother’s chance decision leads to a twist of fate that is every parent’s worst nightmare.
Claire Rawlings, mother of two and medical resident, will not let the troubling signs of an allergic reaction prevent her from making it in for rounds. But when Claire's symptoms overpower her while she's driving into work, her two children in tow, she must pull over. Moments later she wakes up on the floor of a gas station bathroom-her car, and her precious girls have vanished.
The police have no leads and the weight of guilt presses down on Claire as each hour passes with no trace of her girls. All she has to hold on to are her strained marriage, a potentially unreliable witness who emerges days later, and the desperate but unquenchable belief that her daughters are out there somewhere.
Little Lovely Things is the story of a family shattered by an unthinkable tragedy. Played out in multiple narrative voices, the novel explores how the lives of those affected fatefully intersect, and highlights the potential catastrophe of the small decisions we make every day.
Claire Rawlings, mother of two and medical resident, will not let the troubling signs of an allergic reaction prevent her from making it in for rounds. But when Claire's symptoms overpower her while she's driving into work, her two children in tow, she must pull over. Moments later she wakes up on the floor of a gas station bathroom-her car, and her precious girls have vanished.
The police have no leads and the weight of guilt presses down on Claire as each hour passes with no trace of her girls. All she has to hold on to are her strained marriage, a potentially unreliable witness who emerges days later, and the desperate but unquenchable belief that her daughters are out there somewhere.
Little Lovely Things is the story of a family shattered by an unthinkable tragedy. Played out in multiple narrative voices, the novel explores how the lives of those affected fatefully intersect, and highlights the potential catastrophe of the small decisions we make every day.
My Review:
Oh Claire.... One poor decision leads to so much heartbreak. Could you imagine your body starting to fail you and you're on the brink of a panic attack with your two little girls in the back seat? I'm not sure anyone would be in any shape to make any great judgments. Then waking up from this horrible reaction to find them gone? PARENTS WORST NIGHTMARE!
I have no doubt that tragic circumstances like these take the worst of tolls on marriages, relationships and pretty much everything around you. The roller coaster of emotions - especially when you want to hold on to the idea that they HAVE to be somewhere out there... uff you guys..
Connolly does a fantastic job giving you most of the feels with this one. We get several different points of views and I was engaged with each character throughout the entire read. This tragedy not only tests Claire and her husband as parents but as partners as well. I do wish we had a little bit more from Moira as I felt that wasn't as fleshed out as I would've liked it.
This book moves at a pretty moderate pace. I'm afraid to make certain mentions so as not to spoil the book. However, I can say that each character really has their own voice and the story is compelling and can tug at your heart in certain sections.
Debut novels may just be my new favorite thing!
★★★★
Jessica's Review:
I've been so impressed with debut authors lately! When picking up LITTLE LOVELY THINGS I wasnt entirely sure what to expect. Oh man, guys. This is an emotional one. A parent's worst nightmare coming to life, a marriage put to the test, and her desperate to find her two daughters.
Determined to make it in to her shift as a medical resident, Claire ignores the signs of an allergic reaction taking place. She quickly pulls over and wakes up to find herself passed out on the floor of a gas station bathroom. The worst part? Her car is gone, with her two daughters inside it. I don't want to give away much more.
This has a good pacing to it and we are brought through the gauntlet of emotions with Claire and her husband. I think the author did a great job fleshing out these characters and bringing their emotions to life. The guilt Claire experiences feels so real.
An author I will definitely be keeping an eye out for in the future!
4 stars
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