This is a heart wrenching story about grief, loss, and what a mother would do to protect their child. We follow three different families dealing with discrimination in different way. We have Kelly who is an outsider trying to keep a family secret while dealing with the heavy pressure of public opinion, Aleema who is a practicing Muslim dealing with racism, and Noami who is trying to stay connected with her son who is being bullied at school. When one of their children go missing the village heavily relies on rumors being spread.

The beginning is a little slow as we are introduced to all of the different families but once things get going I did not want to put it down! The ending I did not see coming and everything connected in a way that made sense and was satisfying!

Amazing book that hooks you from the first few lines. I read this one in a day. I loved all the little twists that make you think as you read the story. Great ending!

Ok! THIS book. It took me a bit to get into it. I put it to the side a few times and finally just said I was going to finish it.. It really picks up in the middle! After a certain point I could not put it down. I love how there were three womens perspectives. I don't think I have read many thrillers set up like this so it made it fun trying to figure out the twists with three point of views and oh boy are there some twists! The book also deals with some themes like bullying, abuse and racism. The characters felt so real and really fleshed out.. Sometimes, like in the beginning some of the characters really annoyed me but I like that Byrony took the time in the first falf of the book to explain their backstory and to see their motives throughout the book and why. This book also had some emotional punches thrown in! Overall this was a fun read that I wil be sure to grab a physical copy of! Thank you for the arc!

This was a nice change of genre for me. Gossipy tiny towns/villages are the same everywhere, but the change of scenery to British village drama was entertaining. It was interesting though ultimately a bit predictable.

The only thing that Aleema, Naomi and Kelly have in common is that their three children, Mia, Leon and Joe, are best friends. Aleema and her husband Noah have moved to Exton Cross to help his mother after a stroke. Aleema and Mia are the only Muslims in the village. Kelly is a single mother with a dark past that she protects by avoiding even the smallest attempts at friendship. Naomi has lived in Exton Cross her whole life and knows too well the rumour driven gossip that fuels small town life.

When Mia doesn’t come home from the park one day and the townspeople frantically search for the missing eleven year old girl, all secrets will be revealed. And some people have been lying for so long that no one will believe the truth.

In an author’s note, Bryony Pearce explains her characters. All the women are dealing with loss. Other themes in Little Rumours are bullying and abuse. Pearce deals with all of these in a small town setting. This psychological thriller is well written and fast paced with realistic characters and a plot that keeps you turning the pages until the surprising epilogue. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and Bryony Pearce for this ARC.

I liked the small town feel and I love books set outside of the US. As a mom, I love books that give me perspective of how other moms live because being a mom can be quite lonely. Thank you net galley for this book!

Little Rumours is a solid mystery and while it wasn't hard for me to figure out the culprit I enjoyed the twists and turns along the way. I'm interested in reading more of the books by the author based off this one!

Three women live in a small town. Kelly, Aleema, Namoi. A town that has trouble accepting outsiders, where two of these women are grockles (as outsiders are called by the locals).

But they are all facing losses that inform their characters, and the actions they take as they search for a missing girl. Nature vs. nature, relationships between husbands and wives, neighbor vs. neighbor - all the good and bad of a small town comes together over a couple of dark nights.

Then there are the children: Joe, Leon, Seth, Mia. The boys are having a crisis of identity, while Mia is firm in knowing who she is and who her friends are. But when she goes missing, presumed dead, there are secrets revealed that lead to rumors of the worst kind - rumors that will put people in grave danger and distract from the search. Rain, darkness of night, and high emotions all contribute to this taut thriller, and if you're like me, you will shed tears at the grief, bravery and hope of these three women.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360/Avon for an advanced reader's copy.

I loved this one! Three families, three secrets, one missing child. That is my worst nightmare, for my child to go missing.

It is told through Aleema, Kelly and Naomi’s point of views, so you got a great idea about what they are thinking and feeling as the plot thickened.

Naomi has lived in Exton Cross her whole life and knows everyone. Aleema moved there three years ago and hates it. She is a muslim woman that the women shut out. Kelly and her son are new to the town. There is also a character named Abi that is friends with Naomi and has an older son. At the end of the day, one of their children is missing.

I felt many emotions reading this. Pain at the thought of a missing child. Frustration at how Aleema and Kelly are treated throughout the book. The anger one of the boys feels about a situation I don’t want to spoil.

I figured out the twist of where the missing child was before it came to be on the novel, but not the why.

If you want a quick read, pick this one up!

Kellys and Joe have moved into witness protection. When a girl Joe knows from school ( also one of his best friends) goes missing, he is automatically a suspect. A page turner from the first page.

Little Rumours by Bryony Pearce was quite twisty. It is sad how people treat and gossip about each other, and this really showed those dimensions with the characters and the storyline.

The story shows how lives are turned upside down and the resilience that some can find to move forward. The story was told from three different perspectives, which sometimes can jar you out of the story. And it took a while for the story to really get going. Overall, a good story with a good mystery.

A 3.5 out of 5 stars for me.

#LittleRumours #NetGalley @Harper360

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review - - Three mothers watch their children wave goodbye - one will not return
Did she run away, was she taken?? Rumors fly -
Kelly and her son are in witness protection as her husband was convicted of murder.
When Aleema's daughter goes missing , of course the rumors start for Kelly and her son. Are the rumors true? Can they survive the towns anger? Will they find the missing girl?

In a small own, there are three mothers that bring their children to school one day, wave goodbye, and go about their day. After school, their children go to the park. One does not make it home. Naomi has lived in this town her whole life, Kelly is what they call an “Incomer” – someone new to the small town, and Aleema, also an “incomer” hates living there, but does it to be near to her mother in law to help care for her. The whole town searches for the missing child, but the child cannot be found. Secrets and lies start to emerge as they continue to figure out who took the child, and why.

This book was just okay for me. It is told in three different POVs – Naomi, Kelly, and Aleema. It wasn’t until about 25% -30% of the book does the child even go missing. There’s too much leading up to it, and none of it is actually needed. It was honestly very boring to read. The author likes to describe every little movement. For instance, the book has one of the characters go for a run. The run is down the street, she looks left, she looks right, she turns left, she notices something, she thinks something etc… It’s all just so unnecessary. I saw others describe this book as a slow burn, but it wasn’t even that for me. It was boring up until it got a little interesting. Even the part where we start to figure out what happened, it didn’t grip me, it wasn’t suspenseful, and was just okay.

I was able to give this book three stars because I did not figure out the who or the why, so I have to give the author credits for that. There were some red herrings in there, but it was obvious that it wasn’t those, I just couldn’t figure out who it was. I also think that the reason that it happened was lackluster and kind of insane.

Book: Little Rumours
Author: Bryony Pearce
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pub Date: June 21, 2022

This book started out slow for me and I almost quit reading it. But I am so glad I didn’t! The different use of words was hard for me in the beginning and I think that was what was off-putting. I can’t even put my finger on what changed but at some point I became invested in this story and couldn’t put it down. It turned into a fast-paced, intense, gripping thriller that will make your pulse quicken as you get closer to the end. The storyline was very believable and all of the characters were relatable. I honestly wouldn’t have titled the book “Little Rumours” because the rumours completely change the course of direction for these people’s lives. I figured out who had done it before it was revealed and maybe you will also but it doesn’t change the intensity of the book at all. This would make a great movie!


Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for allowing me this sneak peek! Publication date is June 21, 2022.

The title and the cover is what first drew me to this book. Then when you read three women, three secrets and a missing child you know it’s going to be good.

It starts out a little slow but it really builds the story. You get the introduction to the three women and how they all tie Into the story. Naomi is a lifer, she has always lived is essex , Kelly is the outsider and Aleema who has only lived there for a few years would rather be somewhere else. The story goes back and forth between the three women so you get each of their points of view.

This story had me all twisted up and I couldn’t read it fast enough. It will have your emotions over the top and will keep you guessing.

A special thanks to netgalley for providing An advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Three best friends from three different families meet in the park after school, but only two make it home. The small town of Exton Cross is turned upside down looking for Mia in a search that reveals the wife and son of a serial killer have been living in the town under witness protection.

Told from the alternating viewpoints of the three mothers, this book reveals each family’s secrets. While the first half left me a bit bored, the second half had me flipping through the pages to find out where Mia was and if she was alive

This book was such a fun ride, I truly felt like everyone was a suspect and that made it awesome! The twists are ones that I didn’t see coming even though certain behaviors of some characters did make them suspicious. It wasn’t the most shocking thriller reveal I’ve ever read, but it was still a really good and it’s on up there. I definitely get the Big Little Lies feel from this book, I actually think I like Rumours better. I was able to connect with the characters more and I felt sympathy for everyone involved. Really great, thrilling read!

Ughhhh this book reads like a YA book, no offense. The language is so cringy. Couldn't get past 5% of the book. Maybe the plot is good. I honestly don't care. The writing style is too immature for me.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Harper360 and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A fast paced thriller for fans of the mystery genre. You won’t want to put it down.

This novel is told from the point of view of three mothers in a English town called Exton Cross. Naomi is the Queen Bee who has lived her entire life there. Naomi has an eleven year old son named Leon. Aleema has lived there for a few years after her family moved there to take care of her husband's mother after a stroke. As a practicing Muslim, she feels like an outsider and feels excluded and is wistful for friends. Aleema's daughter Mia is the only child of color in the town. Lastly, Kelly is a single mother who has just moved to town with her son Joe and is closely guarding her secrets. The women have nothing in common but are connected by their 3 children, who are best friends. One day after playing together, Leon and Joe leave the playground and Mia goes missing. Fingers are pointed and secrets are revealed.

I raced through the book trying to find out who took Mia and why. Both answers were not obvious to me. While I was expecting a fun thrill ride of a psychological thriller, this book was so much more! There is a lot going on with these characters, particularly Aleema and Kelly. This book covers a lot, including abuse, trauma, prejudice and mob rule.