Little Lovely Things by Maureen Joyce Connolly is a well crafted debut novel that was so incredibly hard to put down. Claire Rawlings, mother of two and medical resident faces her worst nightmare and the author takes us all along for the ride.

Claire Rawlings is feeling feverish and things she might pass out on the way to her residencey with her two young daughters are in the car with her. She pulls over and runs to the bathroom at a gas station, where she passes out . When she awakens, her car and her children have gone missing.

In one split moment, everything can change. This book grabbed me by my heartstrings and didn't let go. This heart wrenching story was beautifully written with well developed characters that kept me guessing until the very end.

I just finished this book and I must say that I really liked it. It held my interest to the very end. I enjoy mysteries and this is one that kept me going to the very end.

This book was really good! I enjoyed reading it even though in certain parts it felt like it would break my heart (it did). Still, it was psychologically fascinating with great characters and excellently written. Can't wait to see what comes next from this author because I am a fan!

OH MY! A parent's worst nightmare!
Claire is a busy mother with two beautiful little girls. She is finishing her residency program and is finally almost able to see herself as "Dr. Rawlings". Life is so good.
Then... The unthinkable happens.
Her two daughters are kidnapped!
Claire cannot believe that they are gone! How will she go on? Can her marriage survive? How does she begin to put her life back together?
This is a story of survival, hope, guilt, blame, renewal and friendship.
Each chapter is told by different characters in this journey. Each person has an important role in this book as it spans over 4 years.
I was quick to finish this story to find out how it would all end while holding my breath so many times as I was reading. Definitely kept me turning the pages!

Many thanks to Maureen Joyce Connolly and Landmark for the opportunity to read and review this book. This book,Little Lovely Things delves into places that no parent is comfortable going. The story focuses on two little girls that are kidnapped. The aftermath and their lives. Well worth the read, a tear jerked be warned.

I wanted to like this book, I really did because the premise is great and fresh from other thrillers’ missing-kid storylines. Unfortunately the story took a turn I didn’t expect—one where you’re aware of everything going on—and I felt nothing for Claire; she hid her emotions so well that they didn’t reach out to me, and some characters were connected together with such surreal force that I’m left wondering what the book was really about.
Thank you for the opportunity to read the advance copy.

I enjoyed the storyline, but this book didn't hook me until about half way through. I struggled with how I knew what was happening- the reader knows what's going on and I wish there was a bit more mystery to the story. Or maybe going in I thought it was more of a mystery when it's not supposed to be. It hurt my heart in places, so for me, that's a positive because it means I connected with the characters. Little Lovely Things was super well written, I'll definitely be on the lookout for more from Maureen Joyce Connolly.

I finished this book quickly. The beginning is every parents worst nightmare with 2 children abducted. There is tragedy but Connolly wove a deep moving story that has me rooting for Colly. She is unique character that left me wanting more pages to read. Thanks to Net Valley for the ARC copy.

Lindas Book Obsession Reviews “Little Lovely Things” by Maureen Joyce Connolly, Sourcebooks Landmark, April 2, 2019

OMG! WOW! Maureen Joyce Connolly, Author of “Little Lovely Things” has amazingly written an intense, thought-provoking, intriguing, emotional, riveting, page-turning, captivating, and suspenseful nightmare for any parent. The Genres for this novel are Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller. The timeline for this story starts in the past and goes several years into the present when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The author describes her characters as flawed, complex and complicated possibly due to the events and circumstances in the story.

Claire Rawlings has two young children and is a medical resident. Claire has about 5 months to finish her residency, and hopefully we be on the track to making her family financially secure. Being a medical resident requires that the staff is given certain vaccinations to prevent them from catching communicable diseases. After Claire receives the vaccination, she starts to get a rash, and then starts to exhibit terrible symptoms. Claire has her two young children with her as she is driving them to daycare, so she can go to the hospital to work. Leaving her car running, she runs to the nearest public bathroom by a public-garage, feeling really sick. Claire blacks out. When she becomes concious, the car and both are daughters are missing.

The Paramedics and Police are surrounding her. Claire has had a rare allergic reaction to the vaccination and is hospitalized. Meanwhile a phone line is set up and alerts are as well. The police are looking for her two young daughters.

There are twists and turns and ups and downs. Some of the characters that are involved are good and some are evil. The investigation takes place over a few years.

I love that the author brings animals into the story with interesting personalities. I also appreciate that the author discusses how a tragedy can bring the best and worst out in people. Also discussed as having hope, faith and love.

I was literally sitting at the edge of my seat, as I was reading this. I couldn’t stop reading. Kleenex warning: Be sure to have tissues available. Maureen Joyce Connolly has written a masterpiece of suspense, that will leave you speechless. I would recommend this novel for those readers who enjoy mysteries and suspenseful thrillers.

I really enjoyed the way the kidnapping was approached and liked that it came full circle in the end. I really felt for Claire and Moira in different ways. They both wanted things that they really couldn't have, but in different ways. I loved the writing style, yet the character of Jay fell flat for me overall. Thanks for the ARC, Net Galley.

Lovely Little Things, by surrendering Joyce Connolly, is a gripping thriller, family tragedy.. When young daughters of Claire and Glen are kidnapped, the clock starts ticking. What happened when Claire, suffering a debilitating reaction to a. vaccine, pulled over at a gas station restroom, leaving her little girl’s in the car? Who is Jay White, the loner, Native man who discover the grisly remains of the younger girl? When the case runs cold, only Claire and Jay strike an unlikely friendship and continue to have faith and believe in miracles.

The beginning was very good, it grabs your attention from the start. I like the back and forth between the different characters, allowing insight to their different thoughts and feelings. I would recommend this book.

This was a well written book. Tough storyline, but hard to put down as you wanted to know what was going to happen next. As a mother your heart broke for the momma in th I s book. Would recommend!

Claire Rawlings is feeling feverish and worried she might pass out while driving to her medical residency. She is forced to pull over at a gas station while her two young daughters sleep in the car. In her weakened state, she runs to the bathroom while leaving her girls in the car. After passing out, she awakens to find her car and children are missing.

Claire along with her husband, Glenn, struggle with the hope of seeing their daughters again. Their future together dissolves into coping with the heavy guilt which strains their marriage. They live with the difficulty of not knowing what happened to their children and do their best to move forward.

This debut novel by Maureen Joyce Connolly was hard to put down as it moves through the emotions of a mother’s worst nightmare. ”Lovely Little Things” is a well-crafted novel which draws on many points of view to build the story. I look forward to more books by this author.

A mother's worst nightmare comes true for Claire. Her girls are kidnapped when she has to pull her car over because she's suffering from an allergic reaction.
As a mother it's hard to see what Claire goes through in the aftermath!
The writing and story flowed easily. I was easily put into a couple of the characters shoes and I felt with them and for them.

Wow this story, although devastating in it's subject matter was beautifully written.

Rawlings, Connolly's main character gets sick in a gas station bathroom, passes out and comes to, to find both her daughters and her car missing. Any parents nightmare for sure, but Rawlings is holding out hope that her daughters are out there.

“Little Lovely Things” is heartbreakingly told, beautifully worded and keeps the reader turning pages well into the night.

I'm thankful to Connolly, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC of Little Lovely Things. I'd happily recommend both this writer and this title to my friends and family.

What an awesome book! I am so glad I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy! Great interesting characters and so unputdownable. I will be recommending this book to all my book club friends! #netgalley #littlelovelythings

Little Lovely Things by Maureen Joyce Connolly was one emotional read. When Claire has an allergic reaction while driving with her two girls, she's forced to stop at a gas station bathroom. She leaves her two young girls unattended. The reaction is so severe she passes out in the bathroom. Upon waking up, the girls are gone, and she has no idea what has happened. The book then focuses on figuring out where her girls have gone and/or if they're even alive. This is explored through a variety of characters, including Claire, her girls, and those with other connections to the disappearance. This book explores an incredible tragedy for a family, and it does it so well which means this is a mostly sad book. The unique part of this story is the character connections, and that is what kept me reading. The emotions were so raw as they should be, but there was also the push throughout of hope in getting answers around Lily and Andrea's disappearance. This was another NetGalley sneak peek for a release, and I anticipate when this one comes out in April 2019 that this is one that will get people up in their feels and needing to talk.

This book was amazing! Very interesting story line that keeps you hooked! I hope this author writes more books. Thanks for the advanced readers copy!

4.25 stars rounded down to 4?*

Admittedly drawn in by the title and cover art, I chose Lovely Little Things expecting a decent mystery with predictable plotlines and characters.

I was pleasantly surprised and completely impressed! Lovely Little Things isn't your garden variety missing-kid thriller. Firstly, it is beautifully written. Maureen Joyce Connolly has a gift with words and can turn a gorgeous phrase with the best of them. She writes with emotion but isn't overly emotional. She doesn't rely on any gimmicks nor try to trick her readers.

Lovely Little Things is an upsetting story- it opens with Claire Rawlings rushing to get her young daughters ready and dropped at daycare so she can get to the hospital where she is finishing her residency. Her husband left before she did and so although she feels terrible and is concerned that she is suffering from an extremely adverse reaction to the vaccination she received at work the day before, she has no choice but to soldier on and get the girls to daycare. On the road, the girls fall asleep and Claire struggles to ward off her fever and feels like she might black out or vomit. She makes a split-second decision to pull off into a gas station and run into the restroom, leaving the girls asleep in the car. She passes out in the bathroom and wakes to find her car, and her children gone.

The tale progresses across the next 3.5 years, as Claire & Glen seek answers to the questions of who took their daughters and what happened to them.

Kidnapping stories are never fun for mothers to read, but I enjoyed this tale and really appreciated Ms. Connolly's writing. Bravo for this debut novel! I will definitely look for more by this author!

*with thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.