“An electrifying family drama that shows the dark side of adoption, You Were Always Mine is the kind of book you will want to finish in one sitting.” –Bustle The acclaimed author of Little Broken Things returns with another “race-to-the-finish family drama” (People) about a single mother who becomes embroiled in a mystery that threatens to tear apart what’s left of her family. Jessica … apart what’s left of her family.
Jessica Chamberlain, newly separated and living with her two sons in a small Iowa town, can’t believe that a tragedy in another state could have anything to do with her. But when her phone rings one quiet morning, her world is shattered. As she tries to pick up the pieces and make sense of what went wrong, Jess begins to realize that a tragic death is just the beginning. Soon she is caught in a web of lies and half-truths–and she’s horrified to learn that everything leads back to her seven-year-old adopted son, Gabriel.
Years ago, Gabe’s birth mother requested a closed adoption and Jessica was more than happy to comply. But when her house is broken into and she discovers a clue that suggests her estranged husband was in close contact with Gabe’s biological mother, she vows to uncover the truth at any cost. A harrowing story of tenacious love and heartbreaking betrayal, You Were Always Mine is about the wars we wage to keep the ones we love close, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Jodi Picoult.
more
Tense, emotionally-charged, and at times frightening, You Were Always Mine opened my eyes to the dark side of adoption. With characters that are true to life and a tremendous depth of knowledge into a shocking subject matter, this is Baart’s best book yet. Completely engrossing!
Equal parts tear-jerker and page-turner, Nicole Baart’s You Were Always Mine entwines the heartbreak of a mother’s struggle with the urgency of a mystery that won’t let her (or you) go. Compelling, heartfelt, and satisfying to the breathless finish.
YOU WERE ALWAYS MINE by Nicole Baart is a compelling and suspenseful domestic drama that kept me flipping the pages from beginning to end. It is a story of motherhood and family, but also of the darker side of adoption. Jessica Chamberlain and her husband Evan have two sons, 13-year-old Max and 6-year-old Gabe, who was adopted at birth. Recently separated, they are trying to maintain a stable life for their boys. One day, Evan fails to pick up the boys at school as planned and later, Jessica gets a call from the police that her husband has been found dead under possibly suspicious circumstances. As the family tries to cope with this devastating and unexpected loss, Jessica learns that her husband was keeping secrets that may have led to his demise. With just the right amount of mystery and drama, the author weaves an emotional tale of a mother’s love for her children and how far she will go to protect them. The story was written with compassion and insight and the characters were well-portrayed and relatable. I enjoyed this thought-provoking and engaging novel and look forward to reading more from Nicole Baart.
I love Nicole Baart’s novels and this is her best one yet! It kept me reading long into the night with characters that I’m still thinking about days after the last page. I highly recommend that you add it to your reading list if you want to read a book that will keep you invested throughout.
Jessica and Evan have two sons – Max at 13 is a typical unreachable teenager and Gabe at 5 who is adopted and a bright and shiny child loved by all. Jessica and Evan have just split up and both are hoping that it isn’t permanent as they try to figure out how to share taking care of their children. Gabe was adopted under a closed adoption and there wasn’t supposed to be any communication between the birth mother and the adopted family but it appears early on that she was communicating with Evan without Jessica knowing about it. A horrific tragedy happens in the family and they struggle to adjust to their new normal. At the same time, outside influences are making life even more difficult for the family. Will they be able to survive as a family and will love win out?
This is a terrific page turner full of intrigue and suspense. It’s a fantastic story about the love a mother has for her children and what lengths she will go to keep them safe.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Rarely, a book comes along that feels like destiny: a certain story that could only be written by a certain author. Nicole Baart rips from the zeitgeist a novel that is heartfelt and honest, told by characters who are forthright and fragile. This twisting tale about the dark side of adoption has all the suspense of a domestic thriller. But Baart digs deeper, reflecting every parent’s innermost insecurities and one of modern society’s most crucial questions: what is family?
I received this book as an ARC.
This was such a well written book, that was eloquent, and lyrical and at the same time edgy. The meandering way the story begins to unfold, and pick up emotional steam until the final straw breaks was so completely captivating. It was hard to put it down and carry on with everyday life. Heartbreaking story, very suspenseful at times.
You Were Always Mine from Nicole Baart is one of those mysteries that keep you turning pages even when you are fairly certain you have most of the mystery solved. It is about the characters and the how of the mystery being solved more than simply solving the mystery.
Jessica, the protagonist in this novel, is a doting mother. Like all of us, she is less than perfect and makes some less than ideal decisions, but her heart is always in the right place. As things begin to unravel after her estranged husband’s death a puzzle is presented and the pieces slowly fall into place. Fairly early there are indications of who might be behind it but the storytelling is what makes this a compelling read.
In a book group setting I think there are many avenues for discussion. From adoptions and the justice system to finding the ever elusive balance within a domestic setting between family and work and, within the family, between children and spouse.
The characters are well-developed and I felt invested in their well-being. Like any mystery there are a couple of “would that really happen” moments but, without those moments most mysteries would never be written, it is what causes the character’s lives to jump tracks. All in all this is a believable and touching story.
Reviewed from a copy made available through Goodreads First Reads.
This was quite simply a wonderful intelligent thriller of a book! The writing is fantastic, the characters very well drawn. Not only is the mystery very difficult to solve but the book also touched upon some darker sides of adoption.
Jess and Evan Chamberlain are recently separated and still trying to figure out the best arrangement that will benefit their sons. Married for 15 years, they have a biological son, Max, age 13 and an adopted son, Gabe, just starting elementary school. Evan was considered a workaholic, a physician totally absorbed in his practice which left little time for Jess and the kids. They were basically living as simply cohabitors in the same house until Jess finally had had enough and suggested the separation.
They are about six months into the separation when Jess receives an unusual call from a police detective asking about the whereabouts of Evan. There has been a body discovered around Minneapolis, a long way from their small town in Iowa. When the detective describes the body Jess is certain that it isn’t Evan, even though they haven’t seen each other face to face in many weeks they have been texting every day. At first she is certain that Evan is safe but as strange things begin to happen, she thinks someone has been in her house, and she isn’t able to contact Evan she begins to worry.
The author uses a very unique writing device that kept me very interested. At the beginning of a chapter there is a descriptive paragraph, example “Elena M. 22, Latina, HS diploma. Long dreads, brown eyes, tall, broad shouldered. Non verbal, recovering addict. Family uninvolved. UPF, 43m, 21w” and the reader has no idea what this information is about or how it fits into the story, it’s a great element that kept me hastily turning pages.
This is a multi-layered story with many interesting characters and a great mystery that begs to be solved. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it and recommend it to everyone who enjoys a well written, character driven novel.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Jessica loses her husband to an unsolved murder at the worst of times. She and Evan were estranged; she had no idea if they ever would have reconnected, no matter how badly she wanted that to happen—she had never stopped loving him.
When the unthinkable happens and keeps happening, and she begins to doubt herself, she still tries to keep her family together. But is she losing her mind?
You Were Always Mine by Nicole Baart pulls out all the stops. All. The. Stops.
Really enjoyed this book. I loved her prose. I loved the plot and I loved the original story-line. The book was hard to put down. I wish I had the writing ability of other reviewers so I could make people want to read this book. I’ll just have to say, “You won’t regret it!”
Favorite Quotes:
The night was black, the sky cast iron. It was hard and cold and jealous, swallowing up the glow of their headlights so that they had to squint at the dark road. At some point, they had passed from prairie to forest, and the starless sky above them had filled with the shadows of twisted branches. They were bare and peculiar, gnarled fingertips that seemed to reach for them. But when Jess turned her attention to the gloom, they were nothing more than wood and wind, hollow with the echo of silence.
The Deputy led them inside the building, past the reception desk and down a long hallway into a waiting room that seemed poised for bad news.
Apparently grief and anger were secret lovers because Jess tipped into blind rage so quickly it left her teetering.
For a split second, Max’s tough boy facade cracked. It was a hairline fracture, but Jess could just glimpse the child beneath. Her Max was in there somewhere, the tow-headed little boy who used to sit on her lap with his head against her chest and tap out her heartbeats with his fingertips. “I can feel your heart, mama,” he used to say. “It’s singing to me.”
Jess had been dreaming. No, not a dream, a nightmare, and she remembered it in ribbons that seemed to float just outside her vision. When she thought she caught a glimpse, it was gone. But the feeling remained, the sense that something, someone was just behind her, reaching.
My Review:
This may well be the most superbly written book I have picked up all year. I was torn while reading. While I was fully invested in the heart squeezing mystery and eager and desirous of absorbing every clue and solving the murder; I was totally in awe of the depth, power, and beauty of the writing and noticed my pace had significantly slowed in order to savor all the lovely words and descriptive observations. Ms. Baart is a skilled and clever wordsmith; her brilliantly crafted story was thoughtfully written, highly evocative and profoundly poignant. I was enthralled and will be raving about this one for months. Pinky swear!
This was excellent and I totally recommend it – good characters and colorful writing; hard to put it down once I started reading it….and yes, it was a page turner. very interesting story line.
Celeste Robertson
This was a fascinating and fast-paced read that I could not put down! Author, Nicole Baart, weaves an intricate, mysterious tale of a woman who will do anything to protect her family in the face of a mystery her deceased husband was embroiled in. This is a great book that will keep the reader enthralled throughout!
Nicole Baart’s You Were Always Mine is all things, amazing writing that flows easily through the pages, a storyline that is gripping and compelling with mystery and betrayal but also love and grief and healing. This book… you could FEEL the words, the writing so descriptive you could visualize not just the scenery but the emotions of the characters in this book were palpable. Jessica Chamberlain is a character you can identity with – a mother, wife, teacher; raising her boys and trying to pull her family together when tragedy strikes. Digging her way out of the grief with so many questions surrounding the accident she must face the past and figure out how to face a future she never thought she’d have.
Mothers everywhere will recognize and celebrate the fierce, imperfect strength of Jessica Chamberlain as she tries to parent her sons — one birthed and one adopted — in the wake of her estranged husband’s death. A startlingly authentic mix of suspense, grief, and family drama, You Were Always Mine reconstructs the pieces of a shattered life to reveal the darkness that destroyed it. You will never look at adoption the same way again.
Jessica Chamberlain and her husband, Evan, have been separated for months, so she’s quite surprised when she gets a call from the police regarding him. Even more shocking is that the police believe Evan to be dead–his body found on a hunting ground in another state. As Jessica attempts to figure out what happened, she must also try to mother her two boys, thirteen-year-old Max and six-year-old Gabe, who is adopted. Jess can’t believe Evan is dead, however, and the more she digs, the more she starts to wonder if it was truly a hunting accident. She’s sure her house was broken into, for instance, and she feels like Evan was investigating something in the months before his death. Soon, she wonders if that had something to do with Gabe’s adoptive mother–someone with whom Jess vowed never to be involved. What really happened to Evan? And are the rest of the Chamberlains safe?
It’s always exciting to request an ARC on a whim and have it be enjoyable. I’ve never read anything by Nicole Baart before, but I will certainly be picking up some of her past books. This novel was a little outlandish and unbelievable at times, but it was just so compelling and readable. It was exactly what I needed at the moment.
Jess was a very relatable character: as a mother too, I felt quite connected to her. Baart put in a lot of little details that made her feel real, not a cardboard cutout parent that you so often see. She did a great job at capturing parenthood in all its ups and downs. I found myself very attached to Jessica’s two boys, as well. They went through a lot in the book, and you found yourself rooting for the entire family unit.
The plot itself–while a bit of a soap opera sometimes–was really quite fascinating. I couldn’t put this one down, even during a crazy time at work. The writing was crisp and the novel just flowed so easily. I was actually really surprised by the twists and turns (it’s always so fun when that happens) and certainly along for the ride with Jess and her clan.
Overall, this was just a really enjoyable book with an interesting, twisty plot and realistic, relatable characters. It was a pleasant surprise, and I’ll definitely be reading more from this author. 4 stars.
You Were Always Mine is so compelling the pages practically turn themselves! The author has woven together this story that combines heartfelt family drama with suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat! The story unfolds so skillfully, putting all the pieces together until it reaches its startling conclusion…an ending I never expected, that made me gasp out loud! There were so many layers to this story…motherhood, adoption, and so many secrets!
This is an amazing story of love, loss, triumph and family. Nicole Baart knows how to write characters that touch the reader. Her characters cause to feel everything they feel.
The story is both heartwarming and heart wrenching. Jessica Chamberlain and husband, Evan, adopted a baby boy after an emotional loss. The baby helped Jess to heal. This same baby, now a seven year old, is at the center of this story.
This is very well written book. The story hits the reader on many emotional levels. The characters are everyday real people that the reader can relate to. There are twists and turns in the story that the reader does not expect and leaves the reader questioning until the answers are revealed.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written, emotionally charged mystery and family drama.
Thank you to #Atria Books and #Nicole Baart for providing me with an advance readers copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
Compelling, thought provoking, and another thriller of a novel by Nicole Baart.
You Were Always Mine combines the heartache of a mother with a determination to figure out the mystery. It will keep you turning pages until the very end.
What I love best about Nicole’s books is that they always give you plenty to think about… add in some family drama and suspense and voila the recipe for the perfect thriller is born.
Thoroughly enjoyed this newest novel by Nicole Baart, the first of hers that I’ve read. Mystery, family drama, danger, social issues — all included in this engrossing read. The characters were all very relatable as each had areas of weakness and strength just like all of us. Adoption was part of the family dynamic and that was especially interesting to me since adoption is now part of our family story too. Am so glad I finally got a chance to read one of Baart’s books. Will look forward to reading more of hers in the future!