There are big issues in Sarah Vaughan's latest book Little Disasters. What would you do if your friend brought her
baby into the ER where you work as a doctor? Liz knows there is more to the story than she is told. Was the baby hurt by her mother? The mystery of what really happened to baby Betsey is intense.

The character development is excellent. I felt as if I knew the women and their families. There are surprises as the story progresses that I never saw coming. The final reveal was totally unexpected. Good suspense and an enjoyable read.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from Atria Books through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
#Little Disasters #NetGalley



overwhelm a new mom and the need for healthy relationships to share unacceptable feelings was explored. At times it was difficult to put the book down. I wanted to know more about what was to happen next.

Thank. you for the advanced e-ARC win exchange for my honest review. I will post my review on Goodreads and Amazon.

This book started out great! It was so interesting getting to know the characters. Then, I'm not sure what happened, but the book became uncomfortable to read. If that was the author's intent, good job, it worked. I did keep reading and I'm glad I did, The end was unexpected, and it really tied things up. I am not a fan of chapters with titles, so I tend to ignore them. In this book, every chapter was not only a different person's POV but also a different date and time, so it felt like a lot to keep track of.

An absolute rollercoaster of a ride. Even though the characters in this story have known each other for years there are still secrets they keep from their friends and from their children and there are secrets children keep as well. A complicated (to the characters) web of lies is woven, however I, as the reader, could see different perspectives and wasn't as ensnared as the characters in the web.. A really good book. I'll be looking out for more by this author.

Liz is a pediatric emergency Doctor. She is on shift when her best friend shows up at the emergency room with her infant daughter. After an exam Liz realizes that the baby Betsys skull has a fracture. When she asks Jess about it she realizes that The story Jess gives doesn’t add up.

Jess is hiding something. Did she hurt Betsy or was it an accident? Before Jess and Liz can really talk social services and the police are involved. Will the secret Jess is keeping come to light or will she be able to keep it hidden?

I read this book over a weekend. It was very well written and I really enjoyed the characters. Definitely give it a read!

This was a realistic story with characters I could connect with. Liz is a pediatrician and one night her friend Jess comes in with her baby who has a head injury. Liz is in a difficult situation because Jess is a very good friend and Liz is somewhat suspicious of the story as to how the baby sustained the injury.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Motherhood can be difficult and if you experience postpartum depression it can be unbearable. Very powerful book about how difficult it can be to juggle family, careers, households and friends, all while trying to have the perfect life.
Great twist I did not expect.

Good opportunity for discussions on needing help, asking for it and accepting it!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

This book is TREMENDOUS. What a weekend read, and with such a great twist at the end. Sarah Vaughn deserves all her success, and I suspect this will also make a wonderful movie. The research, the humanity of the characters and the thrill of the read, all top notch.

A new emotionally charged, psychological suspense thrill ride from Sarah Vaughn.

Dr. Liz Trenchard is a pediatrician working in the pediatric ward. When she is asked to take a look at a baby in the emergency room who has a suspicious injury and the mother is being evasive. 

When she arrives she finds a good friend of hers through baby group and her baby girl. Liz is shocked at both Jess's condition and the baby's. This isn't the same woman she knows. Jess is the one who makes motherhood look effortless, but this woman is nervous, on edge, and very cagey about what happened and when.

While the police investigate, Liz is dealing with issues of her own as she learns of secrets in her own childhood that will leave her stunned and wondering about another baby.

Full of mystery and suspense! A very real look at post-partum illness and how much more we need to learn about it.

Outstanding and very well written.

NetGalley/ August 18th, 2020 by Atria/Emily Bestler Books

this is a grim, honest book—and i liked it more than i expected to. it was a four-star read for me until it began to fall apart in the second half, but still, i think it holds its own.

little disasters follows dr. liz trenchard, an ER physician, as she tries to figure out what happened to betsey, her friend jess's baby, whose severe injuries point to a reality liz doesn't want to face.

a chilling examination of motherhood and postpartum depression, little disasters leaves you with a persistent unease in your belly. it's told from multiple points of view, and in a way i think this fell short, especially given that liz's chapters were the weakest of them all; to that end, i didn't find liz especially interesting as a character, and the switching into first-person was jarring. the side characters—minus, i think, ed—are pretty feebly-written.

was this novel a successful endeavor? yes, i absolutely think so—there was never a time when i no longer cared about what happened to betsey, and jess's unraveling really was heartrending. but i found the ending insubstantial; it was predictable arguably in part, again, due to the somewhat weak character-building. overall, solid 3 star read.

*arc received from netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for this ARC.

This was a really tough read for me. Before I had a baby, I could not stomach anything about animal abuse, because my dog was my baby. After having my son, I can’t stomach an abused child. This book, while well written, made me squirm. The deep, dark flashes of postpartum and violent thoughts scared me. It was something I worried about as a new mother. We all have doubts, we all fear we aren’t doing the right thing. I truly hope the author did not struggle with postpartum, because these descriptions seemed very real.

Despite the difficult read, this was not a bad book. I would recommend it, yes, but maybe with a trigger warning.

I have to say, I really didn't like this one. I thought I would be reading a real gripping thriller but instead I found some of the themes to be quite sad and heavy. Not one I would be in a rush to recommend and a little disappointed.

This book was a little dark for me. It was well written but, never having experience with post partum depression I struggled with how awful it must be. I think it took courage and strength to write this and with that kudos to Sarah.

Sarah Vaughn is a new author to me, and she did not disappoint! I love thrillers, and this one had twists I did not see-I love that! I hope Vaughn continues to write thrillers. Thank you to Ms. Vaughn and Atria Books for giving me the opportunity to read this great novel early!

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not a thriller or a mystery but a sort of dark look at motherhood and it's pitfalls and dramas. It was very focused on postpartum depression and anxiety and honestly was a little anxiety-producing to read. There was a lot of speculation about what actually happened to the child to cause her injury and there was a bit of a reveal at the end. I felt like it dragged a little in the middle but overall it was a good, if not terribly relaxing read.

Pediatrician Liz Trenchard doesn't know what to think when her friend shows up in the ER with her injured baby girl. Jess has always been the perfect mom, and yet her story of how Betsey suffered a skull fracture doesn't add up. Vaughan's new book was a difficult one for me to read. My heart broke for a mom who so obviously was having mental health problems unnoticed by her friends and family. With a slower pace, Little Disasters is a drama with a hint of mystery instead of an edge-of-your-seat read. Although probably only a three-star read for me, I think it would make a great book club choice to spark a conversation on postpartum depression.

Such a good story! Captivated me from the start. I just had to find out what really happened. The obvious choice was just too obvious. Loved the red herrings and the suspense of it all.

As someone who has experience postpartum anxiety, this story really hit home. The fact that this is not a topic that many writers venture into was amazing. I felt the anguish of Jess, as well as her family and friends especially after they realized what was going on with her. The scary thoughts and the searches, then it turns out she didn't harm her baby at all...wow!

Thank you to #Netgalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for an advanced copy of Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan.

I was quite looking forward to a good mystery/thriller but this is neither a mystery nor a thriller. It is a sad story that covers very serious and emotional topics. It is well written but I found the story slow and I just cannot say I enjoyed it. Not for me.

This book delves into the world of mental illness and post partum depression. Two uncomfortable topics, but important topics that need to be addressed and discussed. At the heart of the story is a pediatric doctor who attends to her friend's infant daughter brought into the ER with symptoms associated with vomiting, etc. It is a difficult decision, but ultimately the doctor knows she must report her friend for suspicion of child endangerment. What transpires is the story of actions and decisions and dealing with friendships and consequences.

Thank you to Net Galley and AtriaBooks for an advanced copy of the novel.