Wow! Little Lovely Things is an amazing debut novel by Maureen Joyce Connolly. This book was absolutely heartbreaking, especially reading it as a parent. It was hard to read at times and it wouldn't normally be a topic that I would choose. As upsetting as some of it was, Connolly's story telling was amazingly powerful and I am so glad I stuck with it. Her ability to build such detailed characters allows you to actually take on not only the perspectives of these grieving parents but also the kidnappers.

Amongst this families heart break, you are able to see the struggle of what becomes of a family that is torn apart, persistence and resilience in the face of the unknown and just how much of a difference a stranger's help can make. There is so much emotion in this artfully told story and I look forward to reading much more of Connolly's writing in the future.

Little Lovely Things is an unputdownable debut novel by Maureen Joyce Connolly that will have you sitting at the edge of your seat. The characters come to life through her words and you feel as if you really know them. This gripping tale will grab your heart and emotions as you walk along side this family who is suffering a parent’s worst nightmare. I didn’t want the story to end.

Connolly uses meticulous detail in crafting this emotional novel of child abduction and its aftermath. When a doting mother (who is also nearing the end of her medical school training) suffers the abduction of her two children, she falls into a spiral of guilt, depression, and marital discord. Connelly palpably presents the emotion and sense of disconnectedness a parent must feel in such a situation, while also presenting riveting points of view that allow the reader to see through the eyes of the abductor and the children. Filled with intricately drawn characters and literary surprises, "Little Lovely Things" is a heart-thumping novel from an exciting new author.

Such an emotional read. When the unthinkable happens and Claire's girl's are kidnapped. You feel all the things as Glen and Claire go through this horrible ordeal their life is forever changed. After meeting Jay and befriending him after a tragedy can they find the strength to move on?

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Heartbreaking novel about the loss of a child. The book is well-written, but the senseless death was hard to handle.

* 4.5 STARS*

“But nothing makes a room feel emptier than wanting someone in it.”
― Calla Quinn, All the Time

If ever a book was meant to touch the very depths of your soul, then this is it right here!

Claire Rawlings is taken ill whilst driving - so ill, that she fears she’ll pass out, and has no choice but to pull into the nearest gas station. Her daughters, 15 month old Lily, and 4 year old Andrea are asleep in the back of the car, but Claire has to leave them where they are, such is her desperation to reach the bathroom. Medical resident Claire is unaware that she’s picked up a really nasty bug, and, (just as she feared) she passes out. When she comes to, the car has gone and her children too!

Eventually a Native American drifter by the name of Jay White provides the police with some crucial evidence - this is a man gifted with extra sensory perception, but I won’t give anything away other than that. To disclose more of the plot would be a great disservice to the taut storyline.

Needless to say, this places an impossible strain on Claire’s marriage to Glen. Claire knows he must blame her for leaving their daughters in the car, he doesn’t come right out and say it - but it’s there all the same, festering away.

This may be Maureen Connelly’s debut novel, but it slots her nicely into the psychological thriller must reads. Like a seamstress she weaves a picture of an ordinary family stressing over the mundane things that affect families the world over, until in one heart stopping moment, that family becomes just 2 broken people - and the sparse clarity of it, just breaks your heart. It’s a gripping read, which I could have probably finished sooner, however, pause was needed to draw breath and process the sudden reveals, some of which hit like a sledgehammer.

I thought the inclusion of Jay’s Native American folklore, added interest and mystery and took it to another level. I believe many established authors would have been proud to have written this one!

This debut novel by Maureen Connolly will keep you on the edge of your seat as you keep turning pages fast to find out how the story ends. It's every parent's worst nightmare about the abduction of their children and the way a family shatters after such a terrible event.

Claire and her husband have two little girls - 4 year old Andrea and 15 month old Lily. Claire was in medical school with the end in sight where the family would have enough money and time to be able to enjoy their lives together. As Claire takes her children to day care, she gets violently ill. She stops at a gas station and leaves the car running because the girls are asleep but when she goes into the ladies room, she passes out. When she stumbles outside, her car with her daughters in it is gone. The police have no leads and Claire feels guilty and blames herself. As hours and then days pass with no sign of the girls and no witnesses, all she has to hold onto is her strained marriage and her belief that her daughter are alive somewhere out there.

This was a difficult book to read because any book about children is difficult but it is definitely worth reading. The characters are so well written that the reader feels Claire's pain and guilt along with her. How will she learn to live her life again and cope with the differences in the way that she and her husband are grieving without feeling anger towards him?

This is a family drama definitely worth reading. It's a debut novel for this author and I am looking forward to her future books.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Wow. This story of mothers guilt over stopping at a gas station as she feels she can no longer contain her nausea to then pass out in the restroom and awake to find her two girls who were in her car gone. There is almost no leads, one unreliable witness and no real way to even begin finding the girls. The guilt Claire feels is breaking her world apart as her marriage is straining. She has a determination to find her girls. Thrilling and edge of your seat.

I love this author's style of writing. It made the book so enjoyable to read. This is the kind of book I love, the kind of book that you can't put down and yet I kept stopping because I didn't want to see what I thought was going to happen next, but picking it back up to see what would happen next! There is a sense of anticipation throughout the whole book! Every mother's nightmare, a family tragedy, but while I read, I cheered for this mother. I hoped for her, I cried for her, and felt her every emotion! Such a great read! I would love to see a sequel, there is so much more to be written about Claire and Glen.

Little Lovely Things is the story of every parents worst fear come to life. Claire Rawlings had a hectic schedule balancing medical school and life with her husband Glen, and two young daughters Lily and Andrea until one fateful day both girls are kidnapped altering all of their lives forever. This unforgettable story is told not only through words but symbols, memories, instincts, traditions, unlikely friendships and faith. The characters will stay etched in your memory long after you've read this tragic but beautiful story that highlights the strength of the human spirit and the bonds that cannot be broken.

Amazingly written book I loved the characters and story line it kept you enthralled until the very end!

Racing to get to work, with her two young daughters in the backseat, Claire finds herself sick and in need of a rest stop. With her daughters sound asleep, and Claire desperate to seek relief for her upset stomach, she races into the restroom for a quick second.

When she returns to her car, all she finds is an empty space. Her car is gone. With her two daughters inside.

Will Claire be able to survive the real life nightmare of losing her children? Will her daughters be returned to her? Will her marriage withstand the heartache of a tragedy?

I could not put this book down. I have always loved a good, suspenseful read, but then couple that with the fact that losing your children is every parent's worse nightmare- this novel had my head reeling and my hand turning the pages at lightning speed. The intensity and vulnerability of motherhood is portrayed in such an emotional way, that I felt as if Claire's children and tragedy were my own.

As Claire and her husband Glen attempt to move forward after the loss of their children, Connolly portions in perspective from the kidnapper, a child, and an outsider. This leads the reader down a road of twists and turns. Though there were plenty of points I found myself shedding actual tears, I also continued to have an underlying feeling of hope.

This well-crafted novel is chalked full of emotion and I cannot wait to read more by this author.

Holy emotional wringer. Connolly is an incredible writer. Dr. Claire Rawlings has an allergic reaction to shot she received at work and pulls into a gas station. While she's in the bathroom being sick, and momentarily loses consciousness, a man and woman take advantage of the still running vehicle and take off with her two children still in tow. The police have very little leads, other than an unusual connection with a Lakota Sioux who makes a tragic discovery and stays in Claire's life through the search.

I loved every bit of this book. Connolly creates raw emotional connections with her characters and I raced through the paragraphs, desperate to discover what happened to the little girls, what impact this is going to have on Claire's marriage and without spoiling any of the fantastic-ness that is this novel, how the events shaped the outcome of the different lives of these true to life people. This is a true page turner of a book. The only complaint I have is that it ended so abruptly. I can't explain how, because it would spoil the book, but I was left wanting SO much more, which is just a hallmark of a great book. I could endlessly read about these characters and be happy.

What happens if you are a parent and your child is lost? Glen and Claire lose their children one day and unsurprisingly it takes a toll on them. Their optimistic hopes keep getting shattered and their relationship finds a hard time too. Will they ever find their children, will their meddles settle, will there be a happy end?

The book is very well written and covers every parent's nightmare in the best way possible.

This book is a parent's worst nightmare come true. Claire is driving to work when she feels very sick. Leaving her daughters in the car, she stops at a restroom. She blacks out and when she comes to, her children are gone. Claire and her husband Glenn have to learn to live their lives with the new normal. Their children are missing and the guilt that overwhelms them. This book tugs at your heartstrings and makes you feel everything Claire and Glenn are feeling. I highly recommend this book especially if you need a good cry!!! I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark. All opinions are my own.

This is a wonderful book. The mystery was very intriguing. I didn't want to stop reading it because I wanted to know what would happen next.

I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

Little Lovely Things by Maureen Joyce Connolly

Rating: 4.5/5 🌟

Thank you Source Books and Netgalley for my review copy!

LITTLE LOVELY THINGS explores the tragic turn of events that lead to every parents worst nightmare.

Chicago, 1991: Medical resident Claire Rawlings wakes up feeling out of sorts. She shrugs it off, it's probably just a reaction to that Hep-C vaccine she recieved. As Claire is driving her two little girls to daycare, her vision starts to blur and nausea overcomes her senses. Claire pulls over right outside a seedy gas station bathroom while her girls sleep peacefully in the backseat. Claire will only be a minute and she'll leave the bathroom door open, the girls will be fine in the car. Moments later, Claire regains conciousness and realizes that she is on the bathroom floor and the door has been closed. In a frenzy, she runs outside to find that her car and her beloved girls are gone.

The police have a difficult time finding leads or possible motives behind the kidnapping. Claire and her husband are desperately surviving on the hope that their daughters are still alive. Claire feels responsible for the kidnapping and the overwhelming guilt and grief eat away at her in the aftermath. Claire and her husband become distant and their marriage begins to unravel. Some time later, Claire meets Jay White, a spiritual Native American drifter who gave some information to the police to help aid the investigation. Claire and Jay bond over the fact that both of their lives were mired by tragedy and form an unlikely friendship. Claire believes that Jay possesses psychic abilities and Jay feels that everything happens for a reason. As it turns out, fate may have brought the two together.

This heart-wrenching psychological thriller had me on the edge of my seat reeling from the shock and dramatic twists. The flawed characters, alternating narrators and fast-paced sequence of events kept me hooked. As a mother, it was easy to feel Claire's insurmountable pain and despair. This book is dark, raw and emotional but also fills you with hope. This is a beautiful story that explores human perseverance, survival and the boundless bonds of love.

“Little Lovely Things” is a deep dive into every parent’s worst nightmare. Glen and Claire’s two little girls disappear, and they are left to figure out what happened and live with the aftermath.
The beginning of this book was absolutely gripping. I devoured the first 30 percent the first night I downloaded it. As the story wore on, however, I found myself wanting more from Claire’s perspective and less of some other characters. This was still a good read and I’d recommend it as a great beach read this summer — it hits shelves in April.

Claire is a mother of two girls - Lily and Andrea - and one day she has an allergic reaction. However, she decides to ignore this and starts to drive the girls so she can go off to work. She feels so ill that she eventually has to pull over and stop at a rest stop. She gets out of the car, leaves it running and thinks the girls are perfectly safe. However, once she comes back they are gone. Vanished. Is this a bad dream??

Claire and her husband start to investigate with local authorities until one day a man name Jay discovers something horrific. Unfortunately this doesn't help with any potential leads they have. Claire cannot sleep, eat, etc. and her marriage is definitely put to the test. I think this raises the question of Could you stick together with your partner/spouse if the unthinkable has happened?. It's raw, real and emotional.

This was my first book by Maureen Joyce Connolly and I believe this is her debut! I loved the emotions that this book brought out in me. I am always a little worried with family dramas that the emotions may be a bit sugar coated but I feel the author did a great job of being super honest and real when it came to what the parents, children and other characters in this story were going through respectively.

This book comes out on April 2, 2019 and if you enjoy some family drama and also suspense I would suggest this one! Thank you to SuzyApprovedBookTours, Sourcebooks and Maureen Joyce Connolly for my copy of this book

For a debut novel, this is an emotional and nerve-wracking read, that portrays in heart-breaking detail, a mother's worst nightmare. I couldn't put it down. The plot is narrated well by the mother, her daughter, the kidnapper and the witness. Excellent descriptive writing and character development.