“A shattering adventure.” — Jacquelyn Mitchard, bestselling author of The Deep End of the OceanA mother’s chance decision leads to a twist of fate that is every parent’s worst nightmareIt is the wrong time to get sick. Speeding down the highway on the way to work, her two little girls sleeping in the back seat, medical resident Claire Rawlings doesn’t have time for the nausea overtaking her. But … Rawlings doesn’t have time for the nausea overtaking her. But as the world tilts sideways, she pulls into a gas station, runs to the bathroom, and passes out. When she wakes up minutes later, her car—and her daughters—are gone.
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.
As hopeful and uplifting as it is devastating, Little Lovely Things is the story of a family shattered by unthinkable tragedy, and the unexpected intersection of heartbreak and hope.
Perfect for readers of Watch Me Disappear and After Anna!
Additional Praise for Little Lovely Things:
”Little Lovely Things is an insightful and moving read that is well worth the journey.” — Vivian Schilling, bestselling author of Quietus
“Combining the suspense and razor-sharp outlook of a Gillian Flynn novel, Maureen Connolly’s debut sizzles. I finished Little Lovely Things in one heartbreaking, tear-batting gulp. Connolly takes risks that make the reader’s heart start anew. Finding shards of hope amidst the chaos of tragedy is a testament to both the writer, and the characters she creates.” — Jenny Milchman, USA Today bestselling author of Wicked River
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Great read that keeps your interest
I need a sequel!
As much a look at the trauma of loss as a fast-paced thriller, Little Lovely Things by Maureen Joyce Connolly explores the depths of a parent’s nightmare come true, the kidnapping of two little girls. When Claire, a medical student juggling her marriage, parenthood, and the stress of finishing her residency, succumbs to a gut-wrenching illness and has to leave her daughters in the car for less than five minutes, her entire world plunges into free-fall. Without ruining the wonderful, well-told plot woven by Connolly like a master, Claire struggles to find happiness in what remains of her life. Buoyed by the hope of Jay White, a wandering ex-con with a touch of shamanistic intuition, Claire fights through her days with the dream that her daughters might still be alive. Keep a box of tissues handy, Connolly’s gorgeous prose reaches deep into the heart of every parent, tempering the trauma of loss with the magic of a mother’s love.
Excellent book. I enjoyed every suspenseful page!!
A parents worst nightmare. Having your children taken from you in broad daylight. Claire finds herself feeling sick while driving to work with her two young daughters in tow. Having to pull over at a gas station where she ends up passing out, and only to wake up to what can be her worst nightmare as she realizes her daughters are gone. This story will wrap you with so many emotions.
Loved, loved, loved this book. Beautifully written but, at the same time, a book that kept the pages turning. Don’t miss it!
Little Lovely Things is about every parents worst nightmare coming true. Claire Rawlings is in a medical residency program. While driving down the road to drop her two young daughters to daycare, Claire starts feeling sick. Claire pulls into a gas station bathroom and passes out. When she awakes both the van and her daughters are gone. There are no leads and one unreliable witness.
As a mom of two kids, this book just tore at my heart. I could relate to all the feelings, emotions, and hope Claire was going through. Everyone grieves differently and the strain on her marriage and the non communication was realistic. Little Lovely Things has well written characters that are relatable. This book is about grief, hope, family and love. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to Maureen Joyce Connolly, Netgalley, and the publisher for an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book.
The story follows the perspective of four characters in the wake of a kidnapping: the mother of the two abducted girls, one of the girls themselves, the woman who took them, and the man who becomes vital to the family’s discovery of what happened to their missing children. This is not an easy novel to read, as it is filled with grief and heartbreak and a parent’s worst nightmare, but its lyrical prose and compelling, textured characters make this a story worth investing in. Maureen Joye Connolly has a gift for detail: the ones that perfectly place you in a moment or scene, the ones that break your heart, and the ones that mend it too. Because for all the darkness and sorrow in this book, there’s a lot of light, as well, especially in the beautiful and surprising connections its characters make with one another. This is a book about survival and hope, about the mysterious, perhaps otherworldly, power of love. It’s a reminder that we all have the strength to push forward, that we all have the right to find comfort and healing, no matter what our pasts have wrought. And it’s a book that made me race to the finish, all the while dreading the end when I would have to say goodbye.
This is a very emotional read. Tears fell from my eyes. This is a heartbreaking story of the ultimate loss, that of a child. Claire is driving with her two daughters when she becomes unbelievably ill. She pulls into a gas station and with her two children in the car, rushes to the bathroom. When she comes back her car is gone and so are her daughters. What follows is a roller coaster ride of emotions. Grief, guilt, and loss. The characters are richly developed and I could feel every single emotion. Most of all the fear. Marriages destroyed. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat. Vividly descriptive, you are there. I could not put this book down. This book is so well written and the suspense created is profound. This is a must read!
Incredible debut. Connolly does a fantastic job of pulling the reader through this story of abduction, grief, and self-discovery, leading up to a heart-pounding climax.
Maureen Connolly weaves together a story that’s at once frightening, heartbreaking, and hopeful with unforgettable characters and a fast-paced plot. I could not put this book down. I can’t wait to see what Connolly has in store next!
Kept you riveted!
Little Lovely Things sounded so interesting, but I was a little nervous because it is a thriller and they tend to be hit or miss for me. I read this book in one day. It was difficult to read at times, but any story that deals with a missing child makes me turn the pages until the very end. I wanted to see the resolution.
This is essentially a nightmare scenario. The story unfolds from multiple viewpoints so that the reader is privy to information that the main character is not. Claire’s grief was heartbreaking to watch, but I felt that the author portrayed it realistically and made the characters so relatable you could feel their pain. As I mentioned above, any story involving children and violence against children is heartwrenching and can be difficult to read, but it also kept me turning the pages because I wanted to see justice done.
There are so many interesting aspects included in this book, how grief shapes us and how it affects a marriage and a family. I really enjoyed this book and I am excited to read more by this author.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Almost finished and book moves along very fast. Enjoyable.
A shattering adventure.
Little Lovely Things is an insightful and moving read that is well worth the journey.
The storyline in Little Lovely Things is one of terrible tragedy and a parent’s worst nightmare, but Maureen Joyce Connolly handles the story with care and makes it an enjoyable read – if that’s even the right word for a story like this. While the events of the novel are difficult to handle, the story is immediately engaging and holds the reader’s attention. I liked Connolly’s treatment of the characters and found them to be genuine and realistic. I found it easy to both like (and dislike) Claire and Glenn for exactly this reason. They are just like any two people you might know in real life complete with their own set of complicated emotions, life situations, and problems. The story does not end with a completely neat resolution, but what in life does? I actually prefer an open-ended finish to a story. The one thing I didn’t love about the novel was Jay’s involvement. I loved his character but often felt that he didn’t quite fit into the narrative, that he was more of a forced plot device. Overall, this was a fast and easy read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC ebook.
The twist, the turns, the heartbreak and longing, this is Lovely Little Things. The story slammed me from the beginning. It is fraught with emotions and I felt everyone one of them. It is quite a thriller.
This a well crafted story. The characters are well written, leading you to love, hate or feel sorry for each one. I became so invested i found myself wanting to with shake, hug, or yell at them. There is no middle of the road.
The story is heartbreaking and nerve wracking. l went through an emotional rollercoaster from beginning to the end.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written thriller.
Thank you to #Netgalley and #ThomasNelson for approving my request. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.
This story reveals how a simple decision can turn into a tragedy.
So hard to believe this is Maureen Connolly’s debut novel. It reads like a seasoned author had written it. Totally riveting! Suspenseful! So hard to put down! A heart-breaking story of child abduction and its aftermath, the fast-paced story pulled me in and refused to let go until the final breath-taking scene.
Claire Rawlings is the mother of two lovely little girls and a medical resident, thus lives the typically chaotic life of all women in her situation. One morning as she is rushing to get the girls ready to take to daycare she ignores the rash on her stomach that is a reaction to a vaccine. But as she drives to work she is gripped by severe nausea and dizziness and is forced to pull into a gas station. A short time later she awakens on the floor of the gas station’s restroom and finds both her vehicle and daughters gone. Thus starts the frantic search for her precious little girls.
Claire beats herself up for leaving them even for a moment, and her guilt seriously strains her marriage. Claire and her husband must now find a way to keep their hope alive while trudging through each day.
The story is relatable with well-developed, memorable characters. We have all made quick decisions that could have gone wrong. We can all understand the extreme guilt a mother would feel if her decision resulted in harm to her children. Every day marriages fall apart from the tragic loss of the children.
The story delves a bit into the Native American and Irish Travelers cultures. At first I didn’t buy into throwing in these two cultures, but it worked really well. I look forward to more fantastic books from this author.
I received this egalley from Suzy’s Approved Book Tours and the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions written here are my own.