Vaughan has captured a truly domestic theme with this domestic thriller, while circumventing some of the overused cliches of the genre.

This book will capture readers with it's relatable yet highly alarming story.

Thank you to Atria, Netgalley, and Isabel at Simon and Schuster for providing me with an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

Liz Trenchard, a pediatric doctor, is working a night shift in the ER when her friend, Jess, a normally perfectly put together, stay-at-home mom, shows up with her infant daughter, Betsey, who has sustained a head injury resulting in a skull fracture. Jess does not exhibit her normal attitudes of care and concern for her daughter- she waited a number of hours to bring Betsey to the hospital, and her story just doesn't seem to quite add up to Liz. Prompted by her supervisor, Liz makes a call to child services and tries to get to the bottom of what happened to Betsey.

This was a wonderfully fast-paced and breathless ride. Vaughan's pacing and building of suspense was fantastic. The story unfolds in a non-linear fashion, and viewpoints alternate between Liz and Jess. I will say that it's important to use the dates that head each chapter to anchor yourself in the timeline. If you don't pay attention to these, it might make for a confusing reading experience. I raced through this book in two sittings, so eager was I to get to the truth of what happened to Betsey. Though the subject matter of this books may not be quintessentially 'thriller'-y, Vaughan's writing makes it so. She provides suspense, twists, and anticipation in no short supply and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.

I also really enjoyed the characters in this novel. Though there is a larger cast of characters to keep track of (couples and their respective children), I found that everyone was differentiated enough and easily distinguished from one another. Though Liz is arguably the main character, as she is the narrator that speaks from a first person perspective, I found myself empathizing the most with Jess. Though I suspected her of doing something terrible, I still found my heart breaking for all of her struggles.

One of the biggest topics of this book is postpartum depression and the effect it can have on one's thoughts and behaviors. I studied psychology in school and worked in the field for a number of years. As a result, I feel I am sometimes overly critical of the treatment of mental illness in fiction. I'm happy to say that I am left feeling that Vaughan handled this topic extremely well- she did not stigmatize or demonize the condition, and I feel that she accurately portrayed the challenges experienced by those who are afflicted with PPD.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced and well-written domestic drama.

Projected Publish Date: 8/18/2020
Review Date: 8/13/2020
Instagram Post Date: 8/18/2020 [link provided below]

As a mom, I will forever be haunted by Sarah Vaughn's book, Little Disasters. When Jess's young toddler is found with an unexplained head injury, the police, hospital and child services begin to investigate what happened. On the outside, Jess is a stay at home, overly protective mom who loves and cares for her three children. Everyone is shocked when her family is investigated for harming their daughter. As the story moves forward, Vaughn takes her readers into the headspace of a mom who is clearly suffering from some type of postpartum anxiety/depression. While Jess's dark and troubling thoughts are revealed (they are very intense and disturbing), secrets begin to make an unexpected appearance. How did Jess's baby get injured. Who is responsible, and why?

Vaughn's story not only kept me guessing until the very end, but tugged at quite a few of my own motherly heart strings. Friendships were tested, relationships were strained and quite a few skeletons made their way out of the closet. Vaughn did an excellent job weaving together a suspenseful mystery with the complexity of motherhood in this distressing tale.

I truly enjoyed reading Little Disasters. As a mother who has been in the trenches raising three babies though, I do need to mention that this book has a few potential triggers. If you are sensitive to reading about postpartum anxiety/depression and child abuse, or are a new mom to be, gently put this book aside. There is a time, place and particular reader for every book, but this is simply not your moment for this story. If you are a trigger free reader, have at it and enjoy! You will never guess the ending 🤗🤗🤗!

Thank you Atria books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Little Disasters is a propulsive read that pulled me in from the very beginning and didn’t let me go until the very last page. In my opinion, this book is so much more than your average domestic/psychological thriller. It had all of the elements that make for a wonderful edge-of-your-seat reading experience, but it had an emotional, raw, heartbreaking story that I felt right in the pit of my stomach.

Liz, Jess, Mel, and Charlotte met ten years ago at their first prenatal class. As first-time mothers to be they became friends and confidants. While each of them had different personalities, their pregnancies were the commonality that tethered them together. Ten years later, they’re still friends, but careers, family life, and other factors have distanced them a bit. Jess is the only one out of their group that had a third baby. She is the mother that they all wish they could be. As a stay-at-home mum, she excels at making sure that her house is always spotless, prepares delicious meals, is a vigilant and protective mother, and can entertain guests as if it is effortless. But Jess isn’t only a wonderful homemaker, she’s also adept at keeping her dark feelings to herself, letting them fester and eat away at her.

When Jess’s baby is brought to the hospital where Liz is a pediatric physician, concerns and questions are raised as to how Betsey sustained a fracture to her skull. Liz doesn’t want to believe that Jess could be responsible, but her primary concern is for the care and safeguarding of her ten-month-old patient and involving the police and child protective services is imperative to such injuries.

The subject matter was very well written; however, it was difficult to digest. I could feel the characters’ anguish and grief as I was reading this book. As a mother, my heart broke. We all want the blessed joys of motherhood, but for some mothers it is overshadowed by a dark, painful reality that breeds feelings of insecurities, inadequacy, and the fear of failure in regard to the care of their children.

Little Disasters is told in alternating chapters from the perspectives of several characters. I loved getting the different points of view and the inside scoop from the characters. The different perspectives kept the book flowing at such a quick pace and kept me guessing. I wanted to know what happened to Betsey. I was formulating different scenarios as I was reading, but to be honest, I didn’t have it all figured out.

Little Disasters is a thought-provoking, dark, gritty tale of motherhood and friendship. Sarah Vaughan had my heart pounding and breaking in equal measure. I’m curious to find out where she will take her readers next.

*4 Stars

"Is parenthood meant to be this bleak?"

Little Disasters is a fast-paced domestic drama about a group of women (Jess, Liz, Mel and Charlotte) who meet in a pre-natal class and become friends as they ago through the trials of birth and motherhood together. A decade later, Jess's young daughter, Betsey, ends up in the hospital with a suspicious skull fracture and Liz is the on-call pediatrician who treats her at the ER. When troubling details about the injury emerge, Liz starts to question everything she knows not only about her friend but also herself, and the truth of what really happened could either save or ruin them both.

"This is what being a mother is all about... Letting your children take little steps until they abandon you completely and you are left quite alone."

The mystery of what happened to baby Betsy kept me guessing and there are a few twists along the way I didn't see coming but what I liked most about this book was the way Vaughan depicts motherhood. All of the characters struggle in some way with what being a mother means, whether it's balancing work and home, being a stay-at-home mom who's expected to get everything right or dealing with infertility, postpartum depression, marriage issues or special needs kids. Their challenges and frustrations are depicted honestly and I felt for these women as they tried to navigate being true to themselves while doing the best by their kids because let's be honest - it's a conflict most moms (myself included!)

"I want to remind us all to cherish this. These highs of motherhood that sustain us; that buoy us up when we're exhausted, or anxious, or it all feels like a bit of a struggle; these perfect, necessary moments."

If you're looking for a page-turner with well-developed characters and a different kind of mystery, Little Disasters is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and the author for an advanced ecopy of this book to review.

When I started reading Little Disasters, I was ready to devour another mystery/suspense book, however I quickly realized that I got much more than just that. This book is a family drama/mystery read with a very important message. I found myself deeply fascinated by the main characters, Jess, and her fight with postpartum depression. Jess’ struggle to cope with her illness and her need to be a good and loving parent turned out to be a driving force in this story, and I couldn’t turn pages fast enough to find out how everything will evolve in the end. The author did a superb job at immersing me in Jess’ mind and I quickly became invested in what Jess will do next and what the consequences of her actions are going to be.

Little Disasters was an emotional and heart wrenching story at times with a mixture of a good old mystery, and I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys this kind of stories.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, and the author for providing me with an ARC copy of this story in exchange for my honest opinion

3.5 stars What a twist and turn of events! You think you know but then you don’t. A very heart breaking and misunderstanding story. Very sad in the beginning but a lot of drama happens with each character and it keeps it very exciting that I couldn’t put it down. This was more of a domestic drama than a suspense book I thought. Overall I thought it was a great story.

Just one moment can change your life in a heartbeat. This book brings emphasis to how one event can change you, how people perceive your, and affect you so dramatically you may not recover from it. Jess is a mother of three. She is a great mother who take care of her children, has lots of energy and patience with them. Then something happened that changed everything. Jess's friend Liz begins to question whether there is a problem. Something is definitely not right.

This is a heartbreaking story that is both a mystery and a family drama. It is written with sensitivity and compassion. I felt so bad for Jess, who was trying so hard to be a good mother to a baby that cried all the time and taking care of two other small children. My heart went out to her. I aslo felt so worried for her daughter Betsey, and just wanted her to be safe.

I picked up this book because I enjoyed Vaughan's 'Anatomy of a Scandal' and wanted to read more by the author. I look forward to more of her work.

Thanks to Atria Books through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an advanced readers copy of Little Disasters. As a mother to a 5 year old son, I could feel compassion for the protagonist of this story. I’m always terrified that an accident could lead to my child getting hurt and I would do anything I could to figure out who or what caused that accident to occur. It was often unsettling to read the events that led to baby Betsy’s injuries. This story had a decent amount of suspense that kept the reader engaged and wanting to know the outcome. This wasn’t the best thriller that I’ve ever read, but I was still pleasantly surprised with how the story unfolded.

High hopes for this book. It didn't meet those expectations. I didn't connect with the characters and that made me DNF this book.

Unfortunately, I really just could not get into this one! I guess that I was expecting more of a thrilling plot line or maybe I'm just not in the mood to read this right now. Other people have found it to be good though so I hope to come back to this at some point. Will come back and edit my thoughts if I do end up picking this back up in the future! Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

2 stars
Ehh, I had such high hoped for this books. It is just predictable and boring. Not something I would read again or recommend.

My Review:⭐️⭐⭐.5/ 5 stars

Thank you to @atriabooks and @netgalley for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. This book is out on August 18th!

I really did not know what to expect upon reading this… but it is probably one the most human, heartbreaking stories I’ve read this year lately. A group of women who met at a prenatal class are at odds with one another after a tragic event happens to one of their children. It is a multi POV and jumps back and forth in time leading up to the accident. Liz, a pediatrician, is conflicted when her friend Jess shows up with her baby who suffered a brain fracture. The story seems shady and Liz is forced to inform the authorities despite knowing her friend is the “perfect mother.” More investigations into the evening of the accident reveal more about what is going on with Jess and her stress of being a mother and even loyalty amongst this group of friends. After reading this, I can’t even begin to stress how important it is to be supportive of mothers and not to belittle the need for mental health care especially if they exhibit post natal anxiety, depression, and sleep deprivation. Even “perfect mothers” make mistakes… the ending really shocked me. I thought I had it all figured out, but the last chapter took me by surprise. I felt some parts did go on for too long and felt the book could have gone without a few of the chapters… and ended maybe 100 pages sooner.

Little Disasters is a well written domestic suspense novel set in London, about two women whose friendship is severely strained when a baby is seriously injured. I read and adored Anatomy of a Scandal earlier this year, so ignored my reservations about reading a story focussed on the difficulties of motherhood - perhaps this is why I didn’t like it as much although it is good - rather like an English Liane Moriarty, although with less humour.

Liz, a senior registrar in paediatrics, has overcome a difficult childhood to achieve a solid career and hectic but happy family life with her husband Neil and two children. When Jess, a close friend since their first pregnancies, ten years earlier, bringing her ten month old daughter in to the emergency department on a Friday night, Liz is troubled to find she has a serious head injury, and the story Jess gives doesn’t fit. Liz has always envied Jess for her beauty, effortless domestic abilities and seeming to be an all round wonder-mum, but now wonders if she could’ve done the unthinkable.

This is told mostly by Liz in first-person present style - I keep forgetting that this is now the norm for domestic and psychological suspense, and am going to try and avoid requesting any more ARCs in this genre. There are also chapters in Jess’s close third person present, and later a few other characters’ POVs too. The story bounces back and forth in time as more is gradually revealed about exactly what happened, which worked well for the most part. The major revelation was fairly predictable, but Vaughan still managed to surprise me.
I could relate to Liz as a character - apart from the parenting bits of course - both from a medical sense, and in the complex relationship with her own mother. This is very definitely a women’s book, and the male characters are rather thin.

It’s perhaps unfortunate that we learn early that Jess is an anti-vaxxer so I was predisposed to despise her from the start, I can’t help it. The author does a good job of presenting her troubled mental state, and I did eventually feel some sympathy as more is revealed. I generally avoid fiction about struggling mothers because I get impatient with characters who have too many children then complain about how hard it is. I’d like to include a quote here that sums this up, but my review copy explicitly requested not to quote from it pre-publication. The reality is that they DO tell you - I’ve never met a parent who doesn’t complain repeatedly about their children - one of the major reasons I chose cats instead.

A minor but jarring annoyance was the repeated use of ER instead of Emergency or Casualty, a ridiculous Americanisation for a book set in England, and the American spelling of paediatrics without the a. The other medical aspects were well done, including Liz’s bullying condescending consultant, and how Betsy is managed.
It’s a fast easy read that would make a good book club pick - although who knows what worm cans could be opened if discussing it after a few wines...
My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC which allowed me to give an honest review. Little Disasters is published on August 18th.

3.5 rounded up to a 4

A really well written family drama/mystery novel with a few unexpected twists. Really kept me interested right until the very end. Would definitely recommend!

Thank you #Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

An honest, raw and tragic portrayal of motherhood and post-partum depression.

On the surface, Jess is one of those perfectly-organized mom's that can do it all....and make the rest of us feel inadequat. Her house is spotless, her children are always clean and fed. Her family life is structure...serving dinner on time to her working husband, who is seldom home to offer assistance.

But underneath, Jess is an overwhelmed and sleep-deprived mother, trying to do everything perfectly and hold it together. Bets is her 6-month old daughter who is more needy, or grizzly as she calls it, than her two older boys were.

This wasn't the thriller I expected, with an exciting plot to keep me engaged. Although realistic, well written and implemented, this book wasn't for me. I’m sure it's timing and my mindset at this time, and no fault of the author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Vaughan and Atria, for this free digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Another incredible group read with <i><b>No Rules - Just Thrills!</b></i>

<b>My Rating: </b> 3.5 ⭐️’s (rounding up)
<b>Published:</b> August 18th 2020 by Atria/Emily Bestler Books
<b>Pages:</b> 432
<b>Recommend:</b> Yes, if you're in the mood for an honest and tragic read.

@SVaughanAuthor @AtriaBooks @NetGalley
#NoRulesJustThrills #Realistic #PostPartumDepression
#LittleDisasters

After publication, my reviews can be found:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFWS5Q63ZHOHGTHHCWSA7TFIZLRA?preview=true
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/takemeaway21
BN.com, BookBub

More on the author:

http://www.sarahvaughanauthor.com/

This book is primarily about the struggles of raising children and friendship. Jess, a third time mom takes her 10 month old daughter Betsey to the ER where her friend Liz is a doctor. Liz sees evidence of brain trauma and must call the authorities. She hates to betray her friend and can't believe Jess would have hurt her baby. What really happened to Betsey than day?? Could Jess have really hurt her?? Is there something else at play here?? Read it and find out.

Thanks to netgalley and Atria Books for the arc

This book was just ok for me, not a mystery really, it moved very slowly, felt repetitive and with plotlines that seemed forced. I felt like i was being educated but not in a way that affected me emotionally. Maybe the topic was just not for me

LIttle Disasters by Sarah Vaughn is a drama/thriller that delves into questions parents face: what if your child gets hurt? What if an accident causes your child to get hurt? What if you don't know who caused the accident? What if you were to be the one to get the blame? What if your children are being threatened to be taken away by social services?

This story asks all of these questions as baby Betsey gets a head injury. There are no cute, cuddly images of babies in this novel. It is a mystery who caused the injury and Betsey's life is in danger.

Since harm to a young child is depicted in this book it might provoke the sensitivities of some readers. But while the subject of the plot is very heavy, the pacing of the plot is both quick and suspenseful. I read it in one sitting.

The way the story progresses causes questions of how much children can be protected, what is deemed good and bad parenting and if and when parents should be blamed. The empathy that is shown for the characters in this sensitive situation makes this story compelling.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced readers copy.

Book Review : Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughn
Pub Date: Aug 18th
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a great read!!!! My first by Sarah Vaugn & I love her writing style & the knowledge this story gives you about postpartum depression. I really sympathize with the mothers in this book being a mother myself. Even though(thank God) I didn't experience PD I could feel this mother's anxiety about her children and empathize w/ her.