I tried a few times to read this book. I didn’t realize it was about shaken babies and I could not read it as it was triggering for me. I am so sorry for not completing this review,

Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan is a thought provoking novel about the complexities of female identity, motherhood and how far a person will go to protect their family.

Liz is a doctor working the late shift at the hospital when her friend Jess brings her infant daughter Betsey' after a fall at home. But Betsey's injuries are not consistent with what Jess describes and Liz is obligated to report her concerns to her superior. This sets over an emotional journey that explores ethics, post-partum depression, jealousy and a deep dive into the complexities of motherhood.

While I am not a mother, I was immediately drawn into this book. Vaughan's writing style felt realistic, especially the ways she developed her characters emotional journeys. While I would not classify this as a mystery or thriller, it has layers of suspense and tension to its plotting.

I enjoyed reading this and recommend it. Trigger warnings for harm to children, post-partum depression, abuse.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A novel about motherhood and it’s dark secrets. A baby is hurt and a tale unfolds.. A group of moms who met at their prenatal class, is affected by a traumatic event. This novel addresses the dark deep thoughts of mothers who struggle with postpartum depression and the struggles of daily life, I found this an interesting read even though I was able to discern early on what truly happened in this story.

Little Disasters is a beautifully written story about motherhood and friendship. Liz, a mother of two and a paediatrician, is working one night when she is called down to the ER. There she finds her friend Jess and her little daughter Betsey who is feeling unwell. When questioning Beth leads to some inconsistencies in her story, and a large bump is found on the back of Betsey's head, Liz is forced to follow procedures that are in place when child abuse is a possibility. In another storyline, Liz's mother is becoming ill and she must attempt to confront tragic events that happened in her childhood.

This novel touches on the responsibility of medical professionals, the balance between duty and loyalty to a friend, and severe postpartum depression. Though there is a bit of mystery surrounding what exactly happened the day when Betsey was brought to the hospital, this is really more of an emotional family drama than a thriller or suspense novel. Be prepared to go into depth on darker, sensitive topics! Personally, I struggled at times to connect with the characters and to understand the final twist. However, I loved that the story focuses on women, their feelings, and coming to terms with difficult situations in the past and present.

Sarah Vaughan is clearly a talented writer, and I will definitely be looking out for more of her work!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a difficult book to read. It is compelling and emotional and hit all the sensitive nerves in me. The book hit home with me and I could relate to so much here.
Motherhood is hard. It is unquestionably one of the hardest things you can ever do but it is also rewarding (ignore the teenage years please. It is supposed to get better lol).
Jess, Liz, Charlotte, and Mel became friends after connecting through prenatal class. Liz is surprised when Jess shows up in the emergency room with her baby who has a severe head injury. The explanation Jess gives doesn't make sense so Liz reluctantly agrees with her supervisor to call in the police and social service to open an investigation to find out what really did happen.
As I said, this really hit home. My first baby was "easy" considering I had never been the sole caregiver of a baby before. I was impressed by Sarah Vaughan's description of all the fears of new motherhood. I never developed a fear of harming my baby but did imagine all the possible things that could potentially hurt her but not to the point depicted in the book. It was more baby gates and covering outlets aside from making my landlord make a higher barrier at the top side of the stairs. She was a newborn and I was already picturing her upstairs and tumbling over the side. My son was another matter. He was colicky and I remember how helpless I felt. I always felt so terrible for him and blamed myself for being unable to calm him down and help him. I think it made a difference realizing that he was just trying to communicate and I was unable to understand (the solution was letting him watch candy crush). It is definitely overwhelming when you have more than one young child to look after.
The difference in the book is it deals with being too overwhelmed, being afraid to ask for help, and putting pressure on yourself to be the perfect mother. An added problem is PPD and PPP.
The book is very emotional and realistic. There are so many twists and turns and side plots to keep you interested to the very end. It is obvious that the author did a lot of research for this book. There could be personal experience as well but the degree of detail on physical injuries and psychological issues not to mention hospital protocol to appreciate the effort Sarah Vaughn put in.

This was a slow paced domestic suspense book. This is a story about postpartum depression, friendship, and trauma. When Jess begins having thoughts about harming her baby she makes the poor decision to leave her children home alone for a few minutes while she takes a quick break. Her baby daughter then shows signs of trauma later in the evening. At the hospital it is determined that Betsey has a skull fracture. How did this happen and who is to blame? Jess is showing all the signs of postpartum depression but everyone initially misses seeing this. As the story evolves more issues come to light. This is a compelling and heartbreaking story. Ultimately many of the characters need to find forgiveness in order to move forward. I thought this was a well written book.

A story of how postpartum depression and OCD can take over. A thriller that makes you think you have it figured out but has you guessing until the very end. Quick, easy read. Trigger warnings for anyone who has experienced postpartum mental health issues.

The isolation found with a newborn baby, especially one who is crying continuously, makes Jess' life a hell, but trying to be the perfect mother sends cracks into both her own relationship with her husband and with friends. Interesting look at how your early childhood can affect your journey into motherhood, despite many supports being in place. Sensitively written.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. Thank you to the author, the publisher and to Netgalley. This is the firat book that I have read by Sarah Vaughan and I really enjoyed it. I was drawn into the story right away, and felt a connection to the main characters. This book kept me interested from beginning to end, a good psychological thriller.bi gave this book 4 stars

This engaging suspense novel had a strong beginning—a baby is brought into the ER, suffering with unexplained head trauma. Liz, the ER doctor on duty becomes even more concerned when she realizes the mother, Jess, is a friend of hers. One who she's always believed is the perfect mother. When child protection services are inevitably called in, the situation turns into a police inquiry and the search for what really happened begins. The author handles the twists and turns of the mystery very deftly and, in the process, deals with the difficult subject of postpartum depression. The story becomes a little too complicated with the introduction of problems from Liz's own past and dealings with her cold, distant and often cruel mother. The intention was probably to draw a parallel with Jess's situation, but it somehow doesn't ring true since it's hard to see how the level-headed, successful Liz could actually spring from such a disturbed mother. Also the twist at the ending feels a little contrived. Despite these weaknesses, this is still a solid, compelling story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I tried getting into this story at all and I ended up quitting this one about 40% in.
I know some would enjoy this book but it just wasn't for me at all.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy

This is a thought provoking book about motherhood and post partum depression. We all think we know that mother who is perfect and makes us feel lacking but do we really know what goes on behind closed doors.

This is a well developed plot with good characters that although I empathized with both of the main characters I didn't particularly like either of them. This is probably due to the author's writing skill in that I can cheer lead for the two women even whilst finding them lacking. Another solid thriller by Vaughan

Thanks for providing me with a copy of this book. I really enjoyed it. The development of the story and the relation to past and present events were woven together seamlessly. The plots only merge when the author decides to join them for us. I liked the characters and cared about their outcomes. It is a book that will pull you back and forth in who you are supporting as the story develops.

Sometimes what you see on the outside isn't the true picture of what's happening on the inside ...

An extremely thought provoking and authentically raw look at motherhood. Well written, great character development and a plot that will have you feeling ALL the emotions.

Liz and Jess have been friends for years, and she thinks she knows her friend well but a trip to emergency after a blow to Jess's daughters head has Liz questioning if she really knows Jess at all.

Huge thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada/Atria for my review copy!

When Jess and Ed’s infant daughter Betsey is hurt quite severely, hospital staff wonder if she has been hurt intentionally. Liz is the ER doctor working the day Betsey is brought in. To complicate matters Liz and Jess are close friends. So when Liz calls in child protective services, and with that the police, it sets off a string of hurt feelings, consequences for the mother and upset children.

Past comments made by Jess over the years that could be viewed negatively are brought to the forefront in the memories of her friends. Jess had always seemed like the perfect mother, the one many of them looked up to.

In a parallel story, Liz’s mother who was often abusive to her and her brother Mattie, is found to be drunk in a store and aggressive when they refuse to sell her more liquor. Liz’s mother was an abusive mother who didn’t make her children’s welfare a priority.

It take Liz by surprise when she sees some of the similarities between the two different cases and how she might have empathy for one but can she forgive the other?

This book reads like a domestic suspense. It has solid pacing, is hopeful while still serious and upsetting. The characters are all read like a bunch of beauty queens except for perhaps Liz who has a bit more substance. I really enjoyed reading it and appreciate that it helped to normalize mental heath struggles. Trigger warnings for harm to a child.

Little Disasters is published by Atria / Emily Bestler books and available August 18, 2020. Thanks to the publishers and @netgalley for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Little Disasters is my second book by this author. I would classify this as a combination between mystery and domestic drama. The story takes place in the UK and it is very British (lots of British terms are used).

The main narrator is Liz (1st person POV). There are also a bunch of 3rd person POVs. The main one of these is Jess. The story also jumps around a bit in terms of the timeline. Much of the story takes place starting in January 2018. But there are also a few chapters from the past. And as the story progresses the author sometimes goes back to something that happened on January 19th 2018.

Liz is a pediatric doctor in London. A child whose family she knows is brought in to the emergency room. And what happens from there is quite interesting.

Liz and Jess (the narrators) met when they were each having their first babies. They became part of a friend group with Mel and Charlotte (who were also having babies).

The book focuses a lot on what it is like to try to balance a demanding professional career with kids. But it also really looks at the difficulties that stay at home moms can experience. There are some really important topics that are examined in this book. And there are many things that readers will not be able to stop thinking about.

I was very intrigued by everything that was happening in this book. It was a good mystery/drama.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

This was a great read.
I found myself holding my breathe a few times throughout, wondering what had happened and what was coming in this family drama. I loved that each chapter was a different perspective and went back and forth in time, revealing what actually happened with baby Betsey, as well character development. I also enjoyed that the story evolved through various character perspectives. I found myself liking and disliking characters at different points of the story, but also understanding them better whether I was with them or not.
As a parent myself, I also found that even though maybe I hadn't experienced postpartum depression, it is something I fear, and having a look into it was what kept this story real and helped me live out a fear as I gained further understanding into something that is is so real and common. I appreciated the opportunity to get to "experience" it through the characters.
The only flaw I found was that there were points of the story that were repetitive without adding more to the evolving story of the character. This left me frustrated. Also, the twist at the end, although really interesting and impactful, was unnecessary. I thought it actually took away a little from the story.
Highly recommend.

I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. The book centres around Liz, a paediatrician, and her friend Jess whom she met at a prenatal mommy group a few years back when they were both pregnant on their first babies. Throughout the book we are trying to find out what really happened to Jess’s daughter Betsy, who was brought to the ER with a head injury. Liz happened to be the paediatrician working the night she was brought in. The book was suspenseful and had a few twists. It was more of a drama than a thriller. I was honestly a bit uncomfortable reading a lot of the book because of the ongoing discussion about child harm/abuse and post-partum depression/anxiety. Overall, I rated the book 3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my copy of this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy of this novel.

Little Disasters centers around a group of 4 women who met in pre-natal classes a decade ago and who have remained friends, providing a support network for each other. The story begins when Jess brings her infant daughter to the hospital, seemingly unaware that the baby has suffered a skull fracture. Her friend Liz, a doctor, is the first to attend to the baby. What happened to cause the injury? Why does her mother appear to be lying? The police and social services are called and the novel covers the ensuing events, jumping around in time to cover different events in the women's lives.

The author does an amazing job writing about the complexity of motherhood, marriage, and family. The characters (and there are many - husbands, children, police officers) are well-drawn, detailed and believable. There was enough mystery to drive the plot, but the novel is really more an examination of women's roles in the home, posing some difficult questions about love, parenthood, and societal expectations. As a mother myself, I connected with many of the feelings expressed. And not at all with some of them!

Overall, a fast-paced, enjoyable read. Highly recommend.

This family drama suspense is by a British author whose last book was 'Anatomy of a Scandal'. Liz is a pediatrician and is called in to consult on an 11 month girl who has been brought in with a skull fracture. She finds out that it is the daughter of her friend Jess and her answers to questions about what happened are evasive. Red flags are raised and Liz is forced to contact child services. The book explores issues around motherhood and postpartum issues, as we as the reader slowly learn what really happened. This book is not really a domestic thriller as there is no ongoing threat, but still a good recommendation for customers looking for a family drama fiction. I enjoyed it.