So emotional This book was gut wrenching and heartbreaking.
Claire is on her way to work one morning with her 2 little girls in the car Lily (15 months) and Andrea (4).
She is overcome by nausea and dizziness and pulls her car over at a gas station to use the bathroom leaving her girls still inside the car as both are asleep and she leaves the engine on so the air conditioner will continue to run.

She is vomiting severely and passes out.

Moira and Eamon a homeless couple come across the car and see the girls in it and can hear Claire being sick in the bathroom. They assume she's not a good mother, that she's probably drunk or on drugs.

Eamon drives the car to a nearby garage where he transfers them to his car trunk after injecting them with drugs. The girls are renamed Bridget and Colleen. He tells Moira to drive to an old cabin and he will follow later after he takes care of the girl's car
.
Lily die while in the car trunk which Moira realizes when she goes to get them out of the trunk and into the cabin. She buries Lily near a bridge on the old road under burlap rope and leaves.

The police find the abandoned garage and a toy bunny that was in the car with the girls..


A young man, Jay White seeking a new & sober life drives onto the old logging road and finds the toy carrot from the bunny. He also stumbles across Lily's body and he calls the police.

Eamon gets to the cabin and learns that Lily has died he goes to where she is buried intending to hide her body better but doesn't return to the cabin His car is later found down an embankment and he is found dead in the car.

The police determine that Lily died of drugs, a heat stroke and suffocation..

Claire hopes Jay will be able to help find Andrea-as it was his premonition that enabled him to find Lily.
He gets a feeling that Andrea is alive and that a woman kidnapped the girls.

The police find the cabin where Andrea was held and outside the cabin they find signs of burned clothing (what appears to have been her dress and a tooth and some bone fragments and ae the assumption that Andrea is dead.

Four year later Andrea (now known as colleen ) Colly as she likes to call herself is told that Moira rescued her from druggie parents and that they died in a crash..

While Colly is putting dirty laundry in the trunk of the car to take to the laundromat she finds a small piece of blue fabric which appears to be a piece of hem from an old dress. The car trunk makes her fearful.

When the laundry is done and Colly is sorting it she finds the blue fabric and it seems to have something in it, she discovers its a pendant with a medallion on it She hides this from Moira..

Jay meanwhile has bought a trailer in a trailer park and has his own business in Michigan. He and Claire keep in touch and he sends him money and clothing from time to time. He makes a dram catcher for Lily whhc he gives to Claire and makes one for Andrea.

Moira and Colly rent the trailer across from Jay and he soon befriends Colly. She leaves him unsettled for some reason.
Colly gets jealous of the deam catcher Jay has made for Andrea, he doesn't tell her it was made for Andrea just for a little girl who's been gone a long time..

Colly frequently dreams of a car trunk and a dark haired woman (her aunt). She paints a picture of Lily not knowing who the little girl is and why she drew it. She hides this from Moira,,

When Jay sees Moira he realizes that he has seen her before (on the night his car broke down and she told him to move it).

One day Colly is being punished by Moira who makes the bathroom in their trailer a dark cave. While Colly is in the bathroom Moira turns on the gas stove burners to light a cigarette when it won't light she realizes the pilot light has gone out and he leaves the trailer and drives away with the intention of driving to a nearby A&W and getting matches and a hamburger and maybe bringing one for Colly.. She wonders if she left the stove on and decides she didn't. Instead of going to the A&W she keeps on driving
Jay gets worried when he doesn't see Colly around and when he goes and bangs on her trailer he can hear her muffled voce and she tells him she's struck and can't get out he tries to help her and he smells the gas. He realizes that Colly is Andrea and he tells her that's her name and that she had a little sister named Lily and she has two parents. Colly starts to remember. Right after he gets Colly freed the .trailer explodes.

While they are at the hospital he tells the doctors to cll the police and he tells them that Colly is Andrea, the little f=girl who was kidnapped 4 years ago. Her parents are contacted and when they go to the hospital her other tells Andrea that her grandmother would make dresses for her and sew religious items in the hem. That a Madonna pendant was in the hem of the dress she was wearing the day she was kidnapped. Andrea opens her hand to show her other the Madonna.

This was a really great rad but so emotional

While they are at the hospital .

What happened to Claire Rawlings could happen to any parent. And I think that terrified me the most. The 'what if', the there but for the grace of God'. The how do we go on from here.

This story is so beautifully written, that, as a writer, I wish I had written these words. But I won't lie to you, parts of if are difficult to read. But you must. You owe it to yourself. You owe it to your children.

Ms. Connolly is a brave author to put our worst nightmare in front of us. To show us her worst nightmare.

If I had to choose one & only one word to describe this book, it would be "intense." This story revolves around every (or at least most) parent's nightmare. Once the tension hits, it never lets up through the entire read. My heart twisted, along with my stomach, and I chanted a lot of, "No, no, no." It's a testament to this author that I felt what each of the character's did. It was like I was in the story watching the events unfold.
I wanted so badly for Claire and Glen to reach out and hold each other up, & I cheered for Dr. Howard Fisher & Jay.
But above all, I loved Colleen's character because she had so much spunk and attitude.
There were one or two things at the end that I wish had been addressed (can't say what they are as that would be a spoiler) or at least delved into a little more, partly because I wasn't quite ready yet to let go of the characters on the page.
Finally, this is the kind of book that never ends because, even after you read the last word on that last page, you cannot stop thinking about it. .
An absolute must-read!

This story was crushing, devastating, relentless and just beautiful. This is my favorite book I have read this year. I felt the tragedy of this story so heavily. The characters were rich and vivid, especially Andrea. The pace was perfect, details to form concrete pictures without tearing away from the main track of this tale. Very well done!

This book was simply amazing. It gets a solid 5 stars from me! I loved how the characters were written. I had so much anxiety for Claire dealing with the abduction of her daughters and I believe that that is a testament to the amazing character development by this author. I loved all of the characters - they had such personality and unique qualities. There is really no easy way to write about such a difficult subject but this author has mastered it seamlessly. This book needs to be added to your TBR list now!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book for my honest review.

This was a tough read. The story of a mom getting sick and stopping at a gas station restroom turns into her two little girls being kidnapped. Seeing the story from several perspectives certainly made me feel for every character in this book, but the overall story really haunted me. I couldn't put the book down for needing to know what was going to happen next. This was a hard read but also a great one.


I received an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.

What a well written novel about every parent's worst nightmare. It will keep you turning to page to find out what happens to Claire and her family. As a mother, you can feel her emotion and understand her guilt. How do you handle such devastating loss as the loss of a child? I look forward to reading more from Ms. Connolly.

What an emotional book! This book will grip you from the very beginning. You'll follow Claire and Glen through the emotions of a parent's worst nightmare. You won't want to put this book down because you need to know what happens next. Will they find their children? Will they give up hope? I gave this book 4 stars because the ending came to an abrupt end and I would have liked an epilogue dated about 5 years in the future to see how they all were doing.

An interesting plot that should have been packed with emotion, but emotion did not quite fill the suitcase.

Claire Rawlings doesn't have time for the nausea overtaking her. But she pulls into a gas station, runs to the bathroom and passes out. When she wakes up, her car―and her daughters―are gone.

There were moments that got me. But as a mother, I was expecting to be gut punched with emotion over this story. However, I found myself skimming a good portion of the book because it just seemed to drag on and on with nothing of substance happening.

I found the ending to be abrupt, though it did bring tears to my eyes. There just needed to be more. There wasn’t much “meat” to the rest of the story and in my opinion, there might have been more “meat” if the story had continued just a bit further. I don’t feel like the author brought full closure to the Rawlings’ story. If you’ve followed my reviews for a while, you know I’m the reader who needs it all spelled out, who wants that complete full picture. An epilogue would have gone a long way, if done correctly, to making me a happier reader.

For a debut, this wasn’t awful, but I hope Connolly’s next story will show some improvement.

Claire Rawlings is having an allergic reaction. It's getting worse by the minute and she knows, as a medical student, that if she doesn't pull the car over, she could potentially cause an accident and put her two little girls in danger. She takes the nearest exit, and barrels the car into a seedy gas station, pulls around back, and dives into the restroom. She attempts to prop the door, so she can keep an eye on her sleeping daughters in the car, but immediately passes out. Just minutes later, she hazily wakes into what is her worst nightmare - her car, along with her 2 little girls, is gone.

Nope. Nope. Nope. This is one of those stories you wish you could forget. But you'll remember for a long, long time. I CANNOT even fathom what it would be like to have something like this happen. I'm not a mother, but if one tiny, little hair of one of my nieces or nephews head was out of place by the hand of a stranger, I would whoop some rear end like no-ones business! And the heartbreak of what follows as a search begins - is staggering. It literally kicks your feet out from under you and smacks you in the face all at the same time.

When Claire and her husband Glenn painstakingly try to aid the authorities in finding their children, the toll that overtakes their marriage is substantial. They wrestle with guilt and heartbreak, and struggle to come to terms with what's happened individually, while an immense wedge of tension is driven in between them.

The story is unique, in that it's told from the point of view of several key players in the abduction, as well as one of the little girls. Yes, the emotions run high in this one folks. For a debut of such a riveting story of unthinkable tragedy, the writing is exquisite and memorable. I won't forget the anguish that is felt by Glenn, the excessive guilt in Claire's mind, the tension between them and the distress of a scared little girl .

But it's also filled with lovely little glimmers of hope. And the way the characters lives intersect is so cleverly crafted - it flows so seamlessly. You'll hang onto every word and savor every feeling. A extraordinary debut!

A compelling and addictive story that will keep you glued to those pages all night long!

Maureen Joyce Connelly has crafted a compulsive story. Perfectly paced, vividly told, and emotionally charged, this is one remarkable debut! A book that will make you think about every Little thing you do, and how it could possibly alter the course of your life.

Claire is the mother of two and a medical intern. One day Claire is suffering from what she believes is an allergic reaction, on her way to work with the kids in the car she feels as though she’s going to pass out so she pulls over to a gas station. Frantic to get to The bathroom she leaves the girls in the car where she believe they are safe. However, when she comes back she finds the car and the girls missing. One little innocent decision and Claire is living every parents worst nightmare. How will Claire’s already rocky marriage survive? Who took the girls? And why? And will Claire ever see them again?

A gut wrenching story taut with tension. A book about how Claire and husband Glenn dealt with the aftermath of this tragedy. How they tried to puzzle the pieces of their lives back together again. The story is told from multiple perspectives giving you a vivid and insightful look at the events as they unfold. All the characters were extremely well drawn. You could really feel Claire and Glenn’s pain seeping through the pages, and you could not help but completely sympathize with them. There are several other very colorful quirky characters in this story that I think added that little extra something something to this book. There are many missing children stories out there, but this one was a little unique and very cleverly crafted. Absolutely recommend!

*** A big thank you to Source Books for my copy of this book ***

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Claire has two young children who she is driving with. Suddenly she feels sick and needs to pull over. She winds up passing out in a gas stations bathroom and when she comes to, her children are missing.

As a mother, this premise played on my fears and I instantly felt for Claire. My heartbroke for how responsible she felt. what I liked about this book is that not only do we have the parents perspective but also those of the kidnappers themselves.

I'm finding it hard to believe that this is Maureen Joyce Connolly's first book . I can't wait to read more from her

How would it feel to have your life torn out from underneath you in a flash? Your beautiful daughters gone, your identity as a mother stripped away, your relationship with your husband placed on rocky ground. This is Claire's life. People tell her it is time to move on, but can she do that? I was completely riveted to this story to see how it all plays out and can't imagine what it would be like to be Claire.

One minute Claire Rawlings and her two children are driving, the next Claire suddenly becomes sick and has to pull over at a gas station bathroom. Everything goes black and she wake to find herself on the gas station bathroom floor. She rushes to get to her children in the car but they are gone. Where did two young children vanish to. Who could do the unthinkable and take her children. Claire needs answers. The police have no leads. Nothing is adding up. Claire’s guilt at having left her only children in the car weighs heavily on her and her marriage. The thought of never finding her children is unthinkable.
This story highlights how little decisions can have potentially devastating outcomes. As a parent I cannot imagine the guilt and terror that Claire feels and the devastating loss she feels at not having her children safely with her. This is a well written and emotionally gripping debut novel. I look forward to reading more by Maureen Joyce Connelly.

I was stunned to realize after enjoying Little Lovely Things, that this is the author's first novel. It was so very well done that I just assumed she'd been at this for quite some time.

I greatly enjoyed the characters that the author created. Claire, Glen and Jay were all so very real that if I met them on the street, I wouldn't be surprised. I had so many feelings for what they were each going through and wanted things to turn out well for them.

The way the story unfolded was done well. The pace was steady and I found myself wanting to find out what was going to happen, yet at the same time, I didn't want this book to end. When it did end I still wished we could turn back the clock and find a different ending for sweet Lily.

If you like interesting stories with great characters and just enough suspense, this is your book. While Ms. Connolly is a new author, she obviously has what it takes to enter the thriller world at the top. I am already anxiously awaiting her next book and hope she writes quickly!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publishers for approving me for an ARC at my request. My thoughts in this review are my own.

As the parent of two young children, the general plot of this story is one of my worst nightmares, and I definitely feel like Claire was a relatable character in that sense. I enjoyed how her character developed and changed over time.

I also really liked the dreams (nightmares) /connections/feelings/psychic-ish moments and how they helped move the story and characters along. I think it was a more unique element of this book and was handled in a way that wasn't over the top like it could have been.

While the ending of the book became more and more obvious as the book went on, I wasn't exactly expecting the Lifetime Movie-esque way of getting there. Maybe a little overkill? I usually don't like being able to guess the ending, but I appreciated it more with this specific storyline, and I was really relieved when I was right.

Claire Is a medical resident with 2 young children. She takes Ill at a gas station and passes out in the bathroom. When she awakes her 2 children are missing from her car
This book is the first by this author and her writing style was wonderful with heart felt characters
Missing children is any families nightmare and she captures that aspect as well as a family torn apart .

This book wasn’t as good as I was hoping it would be. It had a great concept and plot with a good character development but it wasn’t that engaging to me. I just couldn’t get into this book which is why I am giving it only 2 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book for my honest review.

3.5 Stars* (rounded down)

Heartbreak & Tragedy.

Claire Rawlings has her two young daughters, Andrea and Lily in the car with her when she is overcome by illness. An allergic reaction. She stops at a gas station, delirious. She runs to the bathroom and unawares, she passes out. When she comes to, her car and her children are gone. Claire and Glen never recover.

There is guilt for having left her children alone and for not doing enough and then there is guilt for having deserted each other at their time of need. For not being able to grieve. It is never enough.

Jay White is a Native American who has the gift of sight. He feels and sees things that happened to the Rawlings girls that day - though the police do not believe him. Claire, however, always has. He is a big-hearted, kind, lovable guy who always has everyone’s best interests at heart.

“Lovely Little Things” is a well written, fast-paced domestic drama that kept me entranced by its mystery. It is a story involving Native Indian Folklore (which I loved) and Irish Travelling Gypsies - who had a (secret) language all their own, which I had a hard time understanding and which, unfortunately took away from my enjoyment of the story. While I really liked this novel, I also felt that the ending was a little abrupt and would have liked a little more, even though the ending was expected. That being said, I highly recommend this for those who like domestic dramas and mystery / suspense novels.

Thank you to NetGalley, Source Landmark and Maureen Joyce Connelly for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 3.3.19.
*Will be published on Twitter on

Two young girls are stolen while their mother is in the bathroom. Will they come back home? Can their mother forgive herself? I thought this was a very interesting book. The kidnappers are travelers and I did not like the chapters about them as much. I enjoyed the chapters about the family. Overall it has a very intriguing ending. You can see the ending coming about 3/4 through the book but it is still a good ending.