Robyn and Willa meet as college roommates. Willa is still suffering trauma from her younger sister vanishing one day on the way to school. Impatient with Laika's dawdling, Willa begins the walk to school by herself that day since she does not want to be late. That's the day that Laika disappeared. Robyn and Willa begin a relationship which Willa knows will not be accepted by her very strict and abusive father. Since Laika always pushed the limits with their father, Willa begins to wonder if he had anything to do with her disappearance and the sudden need to pour a massive concrete foundation for a new conservatory for their posh home. More than twenty years go by and still no one has found Laika but Willa is never going to give up the search.
The book bounces back and forth between Willa and Robyn's families as well as back and forth in time. We learn how abusive Willa's rich father is and gentle and caring Robyn's poor family is. We learn about relationships, break ups, misunderstandings and forgiveness. At a dinner party given by Robyn and her wife, Cat, Willa appears to be fixated on one of the other guests. Could she be Laika? This woman is French though, so perhaps not? Having mistaken strangers before for her long-lost sister, Willa isn't sure..
A tale for those who believe that the arrogant will fall one day and the meek shall find the inner strength to take back their lives and even the score once and for all.

A bit of a far fetched turn, but barring that it was a well written book. I thought the exploration of the different psychological impacts of abuse and trauma was fairly well done.

Willa’s sister Laika disappeared 20 years ago and Willa has tried to find her place in the world without her. Even though there are so many unanswered questions surrounding the incident. Not knowing if she is alive or dead. When Willa goes to a friend’s dinner party things turn upside down. This is a really good story about family and love and letting go of the past.

This book is told by different POV. The main story focuses on Wlla and her family. Her sister goes missing at 13 and it causes her continuous pain for decades. The author explores themes of being “broken” literally and figuratively. Willa, her mother and sister experience so much heartbreak and trauma, it was sad to read. This book held my interest and came together nicely in the end.

Thanks to Netgalley for this eArc for my review!

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of this to read.

I wasn't expecting this to be a heart breaking tale loss and i may or may not admit to crying.
I thought it would be more of a mystery but its a light mystery.

This book is a traumatic, heart-wrenching mystery tale of a dysfunctional family, heartfelt grief, and an unfinished queer love story with a well-executed blend of different timelines and multiple perspectives, all presented in a balanced pace to reveal the vulnerable faces of characters hiding behind invincible facades.

Robyn and Cat, a queer couple with three children (one daughter and twin boys), invite people to a special family gathering, including Robyn’s brother Michael with his new girlfriend Liv, a psychiatrist specialized in false memories. Cat’s brother Nate brings his French girlfriend Claudette, who seems quite different from his regular choices in partners. Also attending is Willa, Robyn’s longtime friend and first lover, who left medical school after their breakup, and her fiancé Jamie, who gives off hostile vibes throughout the dinner gathering.

Throughout the dinner, we realize Willa is still trying to cope with the years-long trauma of her sister Laika’s loss. Laika disappeared when Willa was 13, and for decades, nobody has solved the mystery of her disappearance, despite efforts such as a website dedicated to gathering information. With her sister’s disappearance, Willa also lost pieces of herself and cannot have a fulfilling life until she finds out what happened to her. The dinner gathering may bring out unresolved feelings and help her find surprising closure, as someone at the table holds important information.

The author takes us on a journey between past and present, explaining how Robyn and Willa met at a young age, their family lives, their love story, Willa’s denial of her sexual orientation, and her complex family life before and after her sister’s disappearance, revealing the secrets they harbored behind closed doors and Willa’s desperate search to find out what happened to Laika.

I loved the mystery that gives you an eerie feeling from the beginning, keeping you worried about something tragic happening to Laika that will break your heart. Thankfully, there’s no open ending; the author wraps up the mystery, filling in all the holes, answering the questions, and providing a satisfying conclusion (at least, I'm truly satisfied with how things were revealed and concluded, giving my best happy Villanelle laugh).

Overall, this story starts a little slow, and it takes some time to connect with the characters and their perspectives, but it is a well-developed, honestly written family drama and mystery exploring sisterly bonds, marriage troubles, sexual exploration, and the psychological process of grief. I truly enjoyed it and recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for providing me with this well-written mystery's digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

At its core are two intriguing characters: Willa, whose life has been shadowed by the disappearance of her younger sister Laika and Robyn, a close friend and ex-romantic partner of Willa.
Willa, depicted as her father's "golden child," contrasts sharply with her sister, who suffered under their under their father’s harsh treatment.
The narrative unfolds years later at a dinner party hosted by Robyn and her wife Cat. The author uses this event to bring together old friends and new characters, and to charge the weight of every interaction and the weight of the past.
The unresolved question of Laika’s fate lingers till the end.

Despite the misleading blurb description, I quite enjoyed Things Don't Break on Their Own. (Seriously—who writes those things? And is it s.o.p. to write them after only skimming the first two chapters? Dear Blurb Writers: Do better.)

Told from three perspectives, the novel primarily explores how Willa simultaneously navigates the abrupt disappearance of her younger sister, Laika, and the ongoing trauma of domestic abuse. Through both the primary and secondary characters, the author examines themes of memory and resilience and invites the reader to consider the kaleidoscopic concept of brokenness—

That things don't just break. That broken things can be fixed. That they can be made stronger and more beautiful through careful reconstruction. But also that not everything is worth fixing.

My biggest criticism of the novel is that, despite the twenty-year time span, there doesn't seem to be a substantial amount of character growth for the two sisters, nor is the potential for an 'interrupted development' theme fully explored. Nevertheless, the explicit inclusion of Kintsugi (and its opposite) and the discussion of memory at the blurb-hyped dinner party makes this an excellent book for discussion, even for readers who might normally struggle to identify themes.

Overall, Things Don't Break on Their Own is a thoughtful, character-driven debut with much to offer. I look forward to more from this author.

“Things Don’t Break On Their Own” by Sarah Easter Collins is one twisty, well-written, character-driven thriller! There are many characters and various timeframes, so it seemed like actual work for me to keep everyone straight at first. But trust me, this one is worth the effort!

The three main characters are Willa, Cat, and Robyn. Years ago, Robyn and Willa were best friends (and more) but now Robyn is married to Cat. Cat and Robyn have a 5-year old daughter and twin boys, so their life is very full! But they have a dinner party where multiple new characters enter the story.

Willa has had a crazy life since Robyn last saw her…mostly because Willa’s sister Laika disappeared on the way to school, and hasn’t been seen since. For years, Willa has been searching, and on several occasions has seen a woman she is SURE is Laika, and has gone so far as to travel halfway around the world to find out if it is her. Willa brings her fiance Jamie to the party, and he isn’t quite what Robyn expected, and she notes that “In the cluttered space of our Victorian kitchen he looks too large, too tall, like some luxury cruise liner jammed into a narrow Venetian canal…”

Robyn and Cat both invite their brothers: Robyn’s brother Michael brings his girlfriend Liv, a psychologist whose speciality is the study of memories, and Cat’s brother Nate brings his French-speaking girlfriend Claudette. Willa, as always looking to find Laika, is wound up by thinking she is among the guests and also by the discussion of childhood memories, which hits way too close to home…

Multiple points of view can be challenging, but are essential as we learn about Willa from Robyn’s POV, and about Willa’s family dynamics from her own POV, and finally we get Laika’s POV which tells us about what really happened on her way to school over 25 years earlier.

The memories from childhood slowly give clues to some of the family dynamics in Willa and Laika’s home: “…as children, we honestly believed our mother was the clumsiest person on earth. She always told us she couldn’t walk through a doorway without accidentally banging into it. Bruises bloomed like flowers on her arms. Silly me, she’d say, when we pulled up the long sleeves she always wore…” That gave me chills, as it was the kind of passage that makes the reader go “Oh…”

It’s kind of bonkers, but in a good way. Very well written, with excellent character development. As noted above, it is WELL worth the effort to follow the shifts in time and POV. Can’t say more without spoiling it, but it kept me up and interested nearly all night (until I finished, at which point I felt I should go back and read it again with the information I had learned). I haven’t re-read it yet, but it is definitely going with me on vacation. With thanks to Crown Publishing and NetGalley, who provided a copy in exchange for my honest review. Five stars, and I look forward to reading more from Ms. Collins.

I couldn’t stop reading this book. It kept me interested and wondering from the beginning through the end. There were many plot twists, so it was not a typical story. Very well written!

Willa and her sister Laika grow up in a wealthy household along with their businessman father and beautiful stay at home mother. One day Laika leaves for school and is never seen again. Did she run away or was she abducted and possibly murdered?

Willa has never given up looking for her sister. As time goes on, the likelihood of finding her dwindles but Willa persists. Years later, at a dinner party with an old school friend, a new guest brings back memories.

Excellent cast of characters with just enough suspense. The bond between sisters, parents who are not always who you think they are and the need to live your own life are all well explored.

This is a complex thriller told over many decades. The focus on how all memories are fallible and our recollections of events can differ, which everyone being affected by their past, provides an interesting throughline, as a sister tries to come to terms with the mysterious disappearance of her thirteen-year-old sister and her best friend tries to protect her, neither of them really knowing the whole truth.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital arc and the opportunity to read and review this title.

Things Don't Break on Their Own is the mystery surrounding the disappearance of a young teen girl, Laika, and the effects of her disappearance on her sister, Willa. Twenty five years after the disappearance, most people think Laika is dead. Willa feels with all her being that Laika is alive. She has not given up on finding her sister and will not until she is found- living or otherwise.
The book was listed in the Suspense/Thriller/Mystery category. I would classify this a mystery. There isn't blood and gore that comes with a many suspense/thriller books. There is emotional trauma and the unknown.

A dinner party for a group of friends and siblings is a seemingly perfect way to enjoy the evening. Unfortunately that is not the case. As the story unfolds we learn that the group consists of ex-lovers, siblings and new loves. Is it possible to remain friends with an old lover when you have a great marriage and family of your own? This seems to be the biggest issue Robyn faces in her life... until the party begins and more secrets are revealed. It seems Robyn's old love, Willa, has a tragic past. One where she is tormented with the loss of her sister. Is this the reason Robyn can't give up Willa's friendship? She can't stand the thought of Willa suffering more emotional grief? Is it worth keeping a friend if you lose your current wife and children? The novel continues with flashbacks giving different perspectives on past events. We learn of the past through the memories of Robyn, Willa and Laika. As the dinner party continues, new topics are explored and with each we get a flashback of a past event. All of the flashbacks give us the complete story and bring us to the present dinner party. Some of the characters and events seem unnecessary to the main storyline and slow the action down, but I suppose they are to give more character details for the reader to fully understand the trauma that Willa has been through. Will there ever be any closure for the disappearance of Laika? Maybe. Okay yes there is, even if it does feel a little far fetched... but hope and perseverance anything is possible.

This has everything that I was looking for in a psychological thriller element. The characters were everything that I was hoping for and thought the overall feel worked. It was tense and had me on the edge of my seat. The characters were everything that I was looking for and glad I got to read this. Sarah Easter Collins has a great writing style and I look forward to more.

Things Don't Break on Their Own by Sarah Easter Collins is a gripping and emotionally charged novel. The book is about a heart wrenching mystery with themes of love, loss, and the unbreakable bond between sisters. The story is both haunting and deeply moving, with a plot that keeps you guessing until the very end. The writing is beautifully crafted, drawing you into the world of the characters and making you feel their pain and their hope.

The reader is introduced to most of the story charachters at the very beginning of the book via a dinner party. I initially did not understand how this dinner party could possibly foray intofocusibg on a missing child. I soon got my answer when differnt POV's and different timeline did some flip flopping.
For me, the first 40% of the book was not as enjoyable as the last 60%. The turning point came for me during a re-telling of the dinner party,when the author does a supurb job of painting a scene of tension; with many characters utilizing non -verbal communication to relay confusion and frustration.
Overall,this novel is about famil dysfunction, a missing child, relationships and how our life experiences not only shape our futures but impacts and influences other: hopefully for the better !
Thanks to Netgalley and Crown publishing for sharing this ARC .

Thanks to NetGallery for an advanced copy of this book.

4 stars. Definitely kept my interest and was a good read. I can't say that there was any great mystery, but an overall good story and a bit of irony at the conclusion.

Things Don't Break on Their Own is a literary fiction centered around a dinner party and a missing person. Although the synopsis and the key components of the stories make it seem like this is a suspense/thriller/mystery novel, I wouldn't necessarily classify it as such. Instead, this was a character-driven story that explores the relationships between various characters with a deeper dive into the past and present of the three main characters: Robyn, Willa, and Laika.

Here's the the spoiler-free review:
Willa, a 37-year-old woman, has been searching for her missing sister for the past two decades. The story is set at a dinner party where Willa's past resurfaces based on the discussions around the dinner table and through flashbacks from Robyn's (the dinner host), Willa's, and Laika's (the missing sister) POV.

Here's the slightly spoiler-y review:

The story starts with a dinner party hosted by Robyn and Cat, where we meet the following cast of characters:

Robyn - the host of the dinner party, Cat's wife, Willa's best friend, and Michael's sister.
Cat - Robyn's wife and Nate's sister. Cat and Robyn also have a 5-year-old called Sophie and two twin boys.
Willa - Robyn's best friend from high school and Jamie's fiancé. Willa's younger sister, Laika, went missing over 20 years ago and she's never stopped searching for her.
Jamie - Willa's fiancé.
Michael - Robyn's brother and Liv's boyfriend
Liv - Michael's girlfriend and a psychologist who specializes in the study of memories
Nate - Cat's brother and Claudette's boyfriend
Claudette - Nate's French girlfriend

Although this seems like a fairly large cast of characters (and admittedly, a bit hard to keep track of at first) the three main characters are Robyn, Willa, and Laika (although one could argue that Willa is still the central character of the story). The other characters are secondary but do play a role in getting to know the main characters better.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought because loved how well fleshed-out the characters were. We learn more about Willa through Robyn's lens, we get a better understanding of Willa and her familial relationships through her own POV, and everything comes together with Laika's POV as we learn about what really happened nearly 25 years ago.

Overall, I enjoyed the writing. I really connected with the characters and felt like I was right there with them every step of the way.

It took a long time for me to get into this book. The beginning was very slow and I had a hard time with how much animal abuse was spoken about. There were also characters that loved animals and treated them well, but there were a few things that were a bit too much for me.

It was about 58% (really, I asked Alexa to do the math) of the way in that I actually began to enjoy the story. Even then, it wasn't like I was really into it and couldn't stop reading, I more so just wanted to be done.

The ending was a bit too unrealistic for me; I guess overall my feeling is "meh".

This book seemed right up my alley but this was one I just couldn’t get into. I thought it was slow and found the multiple perspectives confusing and hard to follow as the voices were similar. I wanted to love it but unfortunately this was a miss for me.