I'm in the minority here, but the pace of LITTLE DISASTERS felt off to me. It's described as a heart pounding thriller but I found myself bored or impatient at times, mainly because some characters could've been left out and some other POVs trimmed. I'm not a fan of books where we "re-read" certain scenes to see them through another character's eyes. I did think the writing was top notch and the characters seemed incredibly realistic and sympathetic, which is a huge accomplishment.

Sarah Vaughan's Little Disasters explores the challenges of motherhood through many lenses in this thrilling book. The many twists made it hard to put down, and the characters were easy to sympathize with.

The story centers on Liz Trenchard, an experienced pediatrician who has to make a tough decision when her close friend brings her infant daughter to the hospital with an injury highly unlikely to be accidental. The book covers serious themes of motherhood throughout one's life, the cycle of abuse/neglect, postpartum depression and anxiety, substance abuse, and a host of other topics. This wealth of thought-provoking material and believable plot twists will keep readers guessing through the end. My only small complaint was that it took me a long time to figure out which character was which, as there are quite a lot of adults (many of which have one syllable names) and children to keep track of. This is minor though, and I 100% would read more by this author.

Note: I received a free advanced copy ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

I had high hopes for this novel, having enjoyed 'Anatomy of a Scandal' very much, but I didn't really like this one. Jess takes her baby Betsey to A&E, where her friend Liz is on duty. Liz discovers a skull fracture, and is obliged to notify the police. The bulk of the narrative is set in this 'present day' from the perspectives of different characters, but there are also chapters set in the past, including when Liz and Jess and various other women meet at an antenatal class, and even some as far back as Liz's childhood.

While there was a bit of a twist at the very end (which seemed far-fetched and unpleasant), the bulk of what was revealed seemed to me to be obvious. The story was depressing, the characterization (apart from perhaps Jess) was a bit thin, and the sections dealing with Janet, Liz and Mattie more of a distraction than anything else.

Disappointing.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books for an advanced copy of Little Disasters in exchange for my honest review.

I am so all over the place with this one. I liked it - quite a bit. I can't really put my finger on what I didn't love about it. It might be because this book was advertised as more a mystery/thriller when in reality, this felt more thought provoking and thoughtful than a typical mystery would. This felt more women's fiction than it did mystery. Because I was expecting this to be something that I don't think it was, I have different feelings coming out of this than I would had I known what I was getting into.

With that said, Little Disasters is an incredibly eye opening and relatable story about what it means to become a mother. What it means to give your life over to someone else. What it means to give your body and your free time and your hopes and dreams to a little human. I am not a mother but I will say, this book opens you up to the parts of motherhood that are not only not glamorous, but are heartbreaking and hard and horrible and scary. This was such a real take on what motherhood is actually like - there's no fluffy Instagram posts or those making it look like motherhood is easy or a breeze. Little Disasters brings real life to motherhood and I so appreciated getting a REAL take on what it means to devote your life (and your heart) to motherhood. I also appreciated seeing motherhood from different views - stay at home moms, working moms, dads that are in the picture and those that aren't. This was a family drama that touched on all of the beautiful and horrible parts of being a mom and I loved all of the different takes. There were times I wanted to hug these moms, shake these moms, yell at these moms; but ultimately, I admired all of them. They were brave and strong and Sarah Vaughn did them justice.

Because this wasn't really a mystery (in my opinion) I wasn't shocked at the ending, but I did appreciate that everything was tied in a nice bow. Overall, I really liked this book, even though I am still digesting.

Thrilling, Nail-Biting, Intense!

I was so excited to be approved for this title because after reading this author's previous book, Anatomy of a Scandal, I knew I'd be a fan for life! I was not disappointed whatsoever by this one. This was an incredibly unique, suspenseful, and engaging psychological thriller.

One thing I truly appreciate in a good novel is drama! There is loads of it in this story. You won't know who is telling the truth and who is telling a lie.

What do you do when everything you ever thought about a dear friend may be untrue? How do you confront them? Especially when it has to do with their parenting.

Trek through the mud and dirt while attempting to climb out of this mess! Put on your detective cap and try to decipher the truth from the lies!

Well I have to say I've read better. I'm giving this book 3 stars. Oh I truly wish I could give it 4, obviously I am in the minority here, but, although it was a good read, it was a little predictable towards the end with maybe one twist but the twist was not a shocker.

As a mother, I found the main character Jess's thoughts a little disturbing about like when she was chopping meat or vegetables and all of a sudden, she thinks of sticking the knife in her daughter's chest. Terrible. And many more scenarios, like this which were hard to read. But, I respect the author Sarah Vaughan for addressing postpartum depression, which is a very real thing. I've also just watched The Gabriel Fernandez Trial on Netflix, so I am especially on the verge of tears and sensitive. Also Jess has OCD and I recall one night of having the urge to drop my daughter out a 2nd floor window 25 yrs ago after a difficult night so I can relate in a much more downplayed way. Oh don't judge me, it was only once and my daughter maybe got one little spanking her whole life. Also I thought the way Jess was portrayed having OCD was accurate since alas I suffered from that for a very long time.

Then there's her husband Ed and a group of friends who are now wondering why this seemingly perfect mother of 2, has gone off the rails with her 3rd child. But, everything is not as it seems so you guys just have to pick the book up and see for yourselves. I read it in the space of 24 hrs so I did like it. Maybe 70 pages too long.

But I'm extremely thankful to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Brestler for this ARC copy and I would like to read more from Sarah Vaughan. I think she nailed postpartum depression and OCD on the head. Now I have to re-read this 3x bc my OCD is kicking in. Great and here I thought I beat it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

Told from different perspectives, this story begins from the point of view of Dr. Liz Trenchard, a pediatric doctor with a traumatic past. When her perfectionist friend, Jess, brings her infant child in for a seemingly mild problem, she notices questionable clues that causes her to second guess what really happened.

This book was super interesting and had an unanticipated twist that kept me wanting more until the very end! I loved that this story jumped from the present to the past with multiple character’s perspective! I strongly recommend you pick this book up!

Review Copy

I finished LITTLE DISASTERS yesterday and couldn't even figure out how I was going to tag this novel for my Goodreads page. Is it truly fiction? Child abuse? It's almost psychological horror if you're a parent. For all too many new parents - mothers and fathers alike - it's reality. The reality of being unable to care for the new child you've wanted so very much.

This is the story that will keep you going to the very end with the twists and turns of all the characters. This is the story of four couples who meet in natural childbirth class and become friends. This is a book a parent can relate to. Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the advance copy.

I was given the opportunity by #netgalley to receive an #ebook copy of this book #beforepubdate for my #honestreview. I loved this book it clearly opens up to honest truths we as parents have thought. Even the best mothers have had these beginning thoughts before. Nobody is perfect we all lose our temper. I honestly will say this book was triggering in so many ways and my mouth fell open at many points. I mean i honestly dont know what i would do if my friend whom i thought i knew was being so shifty when me being their nurse finds a big goose egg on the back of her ten month olds head and neither parent can give any explanation and plays it off as 'normal'. I am going to stop there because there is sooo much more. Just read the book, this has definitely made my top 10 for 2020 already. Keep an eye out for this book due to release August 2020.

Though a little hard for me to get into at the beginning, Little Disasters got me hooked. What I thought was going to be a run-of-the- mill story, had a twist at the end I didn’t see coming!
This is a relatable storyline and I would highly recommend it!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.
This is primarily the story of two mothers. One, Liz, is a working nurse and mother. The other, Jess, is a stay-at-home mom, the only woman in her peer group to be a stay-at-home mom.
These two characters, as well as other mothers who play roles in this book, are very realistically portrayed. The challenges of motherhood are very well-represented.
The baby daughter of Jess gets injured in some sort of household incident. It is not clear until the end of the book what exactly happened. Liz finds herself in the awkward position of needing to call in the police and social services to investigate her friend Jess.
An excellent, well-written book.

I unfortunately didn't find myself loving this book it definitely was a read read just not suspenceful enough for me. It was written well and kept my attention.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Little Disasters
Sarah Vaughan
Publications date- 8/18/20

When I read the synopsis I knew I needed to read this book. I was lucky enough to receive an Advanced Readers’ Copy of Little Disasters provided by Atria Books and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fast paced psychological thriller that will pull at your heart strings. Jess appears to have it all the perfect family of five, happily married and strong relationships . She’s looked up to by her circle of friends, she is patient and attentive to her three children. She’s the mom who will play with the kids on the floor and slips so natural to motherhood. She’s put together perfectly. Looks can be very deceiving!
Jess brings her 10 month old baby to the hospital. Liz, one of her closest friends is the pediatric Dr. working that shift. At first it looks like an accident but after further tests it’s pointing in a direction that is going to change Jess’s life. What really happened to baby Betsey? This book has it all, suspense, twists and secrets will be revealed. Relationships will be tested and will everyone start doubting Jess? Raw at times this book will take you an an emotional journey page by page with an ending that you most likely never saw coming. This is a must read, a beautifully written story that needs to be heard. Little Disasters can be a perfect choice for a bookclub pick!!

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Little Disasters is a dark and chilling thriller with a lot of character! Strong plot and perfectly paced.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan and couldn't wait to read Little Disasters. I enjoyed this book...not as much as Anatomy of a Scandal, but it still kept me reading. Without giving anything away, a mother brings her baby daughter to the emergency room because she is sick in her crib. One of her best friends in the doctor on duty and notices some things that don't add up.

I love Vaughan's writing style. I also liked the story, but thought the book could have been about half the length. It seemed to me that not much happened. There was a twist at end that I didn't see coming, but I'm not sure I really liked it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for an honest review.

How far you may go to make your children safe and give the care, comfort they need? A mother’s job is looking after them, feeding them, keeping them healthy, happy, fulfilling all their mental and psychical needs but what happens to all those caring and sacrificing mothers when they get exhausted, all alone to achieve their best and when the time comes, they find out their best is not a great option for their kids!

This book is not a thriller or mystery, this is though-provoking, questioning and quite perfect analyze of how compelling, serious, life-changing job, title: the motherhood is. It’s an amazing women’s fiction/family drama. It questions women’s maternal instincts, endurance under humanly impossible conditions like sleep deprivation, 24/7 being there for their child, gathering wits together not to suffer from poor judgment and fail from critical choices they make about their children’s lives.

I’m not a mother. I wish I could be but you know the old Yiddish proverb: “We plan, God laughs” But I think this book truly affected me more than I expected with different mothers’ stories, their unique kind of approaches about raising children and sometimes losing your control, patience may result with so many unexpected and life changing consequences. I felt like somebody dropped down cold ice bucket on me! I’m still shivering, numb, shocked, flabbergasted and shaken. This is POWER OF GREAT STORYTELLING.

Let’s give a quick summary about the plot:

Liz, brilliant pediatrician having another crazy train ride of day during her shift and she meets one of her friend Jess brought her baby to the emergency room.

They just estranged a little bit because of Liz’s over demanding profession, kids, husband and other activities fills her life and Jess also didn’t make any effort to connect with her either. And now she looks skeptical. Till Liz asks her about the bump at her baby’s head that she didn’t mention it before, she gets in panic and gives indecisive answers. And after checking the baby with their procedural tests, X-rays, they find out Liz’s story doesn’t add up. There are big holes about the explanation how her little girl hit her head.

Could she hurt her little girl? Or anyone at their house could do that? Could she suffer from some postpartum depression? Do she and her husband have ill-fated relationship affected the way they treated to their own children?
Liz deals with too many questions and also worries about her mother’s mentally unbalanced state who suffers from terminal disease and for making things for worse she drinks herself to death. Is there anything crucial she doesn’t share with her?

Conclusion of the story is foreseeable but it’s still satisfying and well-done. The characters are well-built, slow-burn story-telling and multi POVED narration worked well with the progression but I still feel there are some parts could be emitted because you already understand what’s gonna come next and you don’t want to read more pages till the obvious things start to come out.

Overall: Even though the story’s pace would be better with some edited parts, I enjoyed the writing, character building and realistic, genuine, argumentative approach of the author. So I stick with my shiny, thrilling four stars for the love of motherhood!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books for sharing this fantastic ARC in exchange my honest review. This is my first Sarah Vaughan book and I’m looking forward to read more works of her as soon as I start trimming my frightening Mount TBR!

I loved Anatomy of a Scandal, so I was thrilled to receive an earc of Little Disasters. Vaughan's writing style is crisp and refreshing, and the cover is beautiful.

Liz is an overworked doctor trying to juggle the many aspects of being a working mother. When her friend's baby is admitted presenting with injuries consistent with abuse, Liz finds herself in the middle of a troubling situation. Jess has been her friend for years. A loving, attentive, if not overprotective mother, by all accounts, yet every sign of the injury points to purposeful intent. Told in alternating character perspectives, we're taken on a journey spanning years and forced to ask the uncomfortable question: could a mother harm her child?

This was such a quick read that tackles some serious issues with tact and grace. As a mother of two young children, I understand completely the need to put on a happy face, to pretend that motherhood is a constant joy. Social media is weird like that. We all know that what we see on Facebook or Insta isn't the reality of the situation, but we still feel jealous looking at these images, of the celebrity moms who seem to have their shit together immediately after birthing a watermelon. Of the beautiful mothers who get their bodies back effortlessly, who never tire of being with their children, who seem to swell with pride at being stay-at-homes. At the same time, we also want to talk about the realities of mom life, but doing so on social media means sharing innocent things, like baby food disasters or diaper blowouts.

Rarely do we ever discuss the mental health issues with such candor and raw honesty.

Jess, the mother of the injured baby, is suffering from severe postpartum depression and maternal anxiety. She can't relax in any place where "danger" might arise. She imagines hurting her baby, the many accidents that could happen during an ordinary action as walking down the stairs. I wouldn't call her an unreliable narrator, but her internal dialogue reflecting on her insecurities, doubts, and fears was supposed to cast our doubt about what happened the night Bets was hurt.

Motherhood in all its darkness is at the forefront of this novel, and Vaughan accomplishes her objective of raising the important things we might be too scared or dismissive to talk about. How it's important to check up on our friends and family who have just given birth. To offer the kindness of a genuine question if your gut tells you someone looks overwhelmed. There is pressure to enjoy every minute, and a real disconnect between the innocuous advice and the quiet moments when you're alone with a screaming baby running on one hour of broken sleep. Every maternal character in the book experiences this in some form but there's no communication, hiding their questions and longing for connection like a dark secret.

I appreciated Vaughan's tackling of the complexities of motherhood, how each birth experience is different and doesn't fit into a pre-fab mold of expectations. I will say that I didn't care much for the subplots between Liz and her mother and brother, and some of the flashback chapters read long and took me out of the fast-paced nature propelling the plot. I also felt the plot was on the predictable side. Even the final twists weren't surprising, yet I don't know if this is necessarily one of those books where not seeing the twists is the important thing. The plot feels more like a device to shed light on these issues rather than a fast-and-true suspense where the mystery needs to be solved.

Overall, a quick read with serious issues, I'd recommend this to anyone looking for an emotional look at motherhood. Vaughan's writing is beautiful, and the material practically reads itself. Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for review consideration.

You will want to clear your calendar when you start this book- I picked it up and put it down to sleep and drive. That is it. Such an interesting premise- Liz is a dr and her close friend Jess brings her baby in to the hospital. Jess is acting different- like she's hiding something and CT scans show the baby has a fractured skull. Jess's retelling of the events doesn't seem quite right.. Jess in general doesn't seem quite right and Liz is forced to involve the authorities to determine if abuse/negligence played a part.

The book is written as many books are right now with varying chapters representing different people and time frames. Jess is the perfect unreliable narrator and I kept waiting for the big event that classifies this book as a thriller.. It sorta came around the 90 percent mark but not really. There was no big twist. Just a really good look into mental illness and family relationships.

I loved the book. Like I stated above, I couldn't stop reading it. Sarah Vaughan has a way with words and I would never have guessed this book was over 400 pages- it went so fast. I would classify this book more of a domestic fiction rather than mystery thriller- there were some mysterious elements but overall a great deep dive into parenthood, mental illness and friendships.

4 stars.

Thank you to #netgalley and #atria books for the complimentary copy for an honest review.

Thank you, Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to review Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan in exchange for my honest opinion. The author has written a story about motherhood and how devastating and dangerous postpartum depression and mental health issues can be if not recognized and treated. This was an emotional story with lots of twists and turns.

While this isn’t my usual type of suspense / thriller book it was a good read. Hate to admit it but I prefer a bit more bad-ness🤷🏼‍♀️. Murder I guess, lol. But it was a good read, especially focusing on the topic of post partum depression, which isn’t acknowledged enough. And you’re rewarded with an especially twisty surprise towards the end.