A Million Little Things is a story about family and friends, loving and living, and all the challenges women face in today's society. With three women in focus who throughout the story confront the variety of the demands of life from career choices to dating to child rearing to marriage to losing your spouse and everything else imaginable in between the story has something, most will relate to.
The characters challenged me while reading the story because it is so life-like and their actions at times thus flawed, to understand their reasoning and opinions took patience and broadmindedness that I lacked with some issues. It took me awhile to get into the tale, but once it opened up to me it was an emotional experience.
Zoe Saldivar had more courage than she gave herself a credit for. At the crossroads with her career and future, she seeks for the possibilities, takes chances, and isn't afraid to ask for help. She has the patience and broadmindedness that I seemed to lack with her friends. Her relationship with her dad is honest and open like all her relationships were, I enjoyed the banter between the father and daughter, often making me smile.
Zoe and Steven's chemistry and connection were easy, there were no quibbles even though there were obstacles on their way. They were genuine and sincere with each other in the big and small things, the straightforward honesty and dignity they handled things with were delightful, there was a sense of effortless bonding between them that told about the contentment they had with each other.
Jen and Pam, the mother-daughter duo, took turns to rattle my patience. Jen grew on me, her change, development in the story is the most remarkable one with the found medical conditions, that no one had paid attention to before, helping her to calm down. The troubles and anxiety she has to go through until she finds her footing again were raw and rough. I grew to like and understand her better as the story unfolded, I admired her willingness to stand up for her mother and speak up when needed.
Pam was the opposite, the more I found out about her, the more her opinions and views were revealed, the more I resented or disliked her, and she never really won me over again. Her sincerity was lacking in my eyes.
Life is hard, there are many bumps in the road and obstacles in our way as we try to find our place in the society and peace in our minds. To have friends and family to stand by you and help you face both the difficult and the joyful times lightens the load and makes it easier to move forward. A Million Little Things is what life is all about, those tiny ripples in life that make the waves that move life forward
~ Four Spoons

I usually like Susan Mallery’s writing, I struggled with this one on a lot of levels.

The book follows three different women in three different stages of their lives.

Zoe has just had sex with her ex-boyfriend who couldn’t commit. She bought a bigger house and quit her teaching job because apparently for some reason (even thought he didn’t give her much) she thought she was going to need to be a step-mother to his daughters and that he was going to propose…

Jen is Zoe’s best friend and is a stay at home mom that constantly worries. Her 18-month-old child has hit every single milestone in his development with the exception of talking. Jen firmly believes that there is something wrong with her son, even thought everyone else is telling her to give it time. Her husband is a detective and she doesn’t like his partner Lucas because he likes his women too much.

Pam is Jen’s mother and has always been a good friend to Zoe. She is a widow and isn’t looking for love, but she was quick to try and hook up her son Steven with Zoe because she thought they would be good for each other. She also meets Zoe’s father Miguel, who wants to date her.

So there is a lot of things going on in this book, there is some romance and dealing with issues and parenting. I just struggled with this because ever character was tough to like and the plot twist the author threw in the middle of the book felt displaced and I found myself angry.

I hated Jen, she was not only horrible to her husband’s partner, but everyone else around her. She thinks there is something wrong with her son and she does everything she can to limit his exposure to freaking everything. Her mother’s dog cannot come into her house unless he had a bath the day off. Anytime her friend or mother shows up at her house, she is confused and asks them if she knew they were coming. She is into organic eating, no chemicals in her house, and everything has to be made of cotton and nothing that might be dangerous. Everyone she takes her son to tell her to give him time, that all the tests they did do not reveal anything wrong with her son, and she still explodes on them. She hates Lucas because he won’t settle down and dates 20 year olds and thinks he is going to lead her husband astray, based on what logic? I am not sure.

Okay, let me point out that mothers with autistic children do not act like freaking idiots okay? My sister has a daughter, who she believed something was wrong with her after two years of not talking. When she took them to the doctor, they did tests and did find that she was in fact behind. No one told her to give her time, when they saw something, they did something, so when Jen constantly stood defiantly against the doctors claiming no, something is wrong, it was grating.

And of course, it spectacularly bites her in the ass half way through the book. I cannot mention what happens, but it took me everything to finish this damn book.

I felt like there was a ton of mixed signals in this book and it felt like the author was preaching some kind of an agenda. I didn’t like how mothers with autistic children were addressed and painted in this book, it was unrealistic and it made me so angry.

I didn’t like how unplanned pregnancy was addressed in this book either, especially given the situation. It felt like there was the only right answer to what happened here and anything is might as well rain fire.

Pam turned into a very ugly person by the end of this book and the way she was treating Zoe was unfounded and vicious.

I had a really, really hard time with the tone and the messages in this book. I even had the worse time agreeing with anything that happened.

I was actually happy when things bit Jen in the ass both times, but everything still felt just too wrong for me.

After writing this review.. I’ve decided a 2 star rating was appropriate after all. I know a lot of people loved it, and it’s great, but some things just did not do well for me at all.

A Million Little Things - #3 in Susan Mallery's Mischief Bay series, is a book I looked forward to from the time I knew it was in the pipeline. I had enjoyed the first two and was so ready to dive into the next one. And... it delighted me as much as the first two.

We have three women - Zoe, Jen and Pam. Zoe and Jen are friends, Zoe works from home and I loved the opening scene where she deals with a misbehaving ladder to the attic. Jen has a little guy who is perfect in every way, but... he isn't talking and she is worried. Surely by now that milestone should have been celebrated. Added to that she is hyper alert over every little germ and obsessive over organic food. In other words a bit of an uptight mess. So much so it is impacting on her marriage and her friendship with Zoe.

We met Pam in the first book, a lively woman who had the sudden loss of her husband to deal with. She is Jen's mother and up until now has been worried about Jen and her anxiety over little Jack. However there is some likeness between mother and daughter, as Pam too has been a little on the anxious side. It becomes full blown when her son who she set up to get to know Zoe, meets a hiccup in his life that she just can't get her head around: she is in danger of losing her son if she can't give up her need to keep him safe. Pam has until now had a good friendship with Zoe and Zoe kind of sees her as a mother figure, someone to go to as her own mother has died.

There are some great men in the book as well. Kirk is Jen's husband and he has taken on new work with the LAPD and has a new partner - Lucas, and Jen doesn't really approve of him. She has judged him on certain appearances and found him lacking. That changes through the story and it was one of the interesting aspects of proceedings. Steven - Pam's son is a great guy and I really liked him, he was strong minded and made his own decisions for happiness.

All in all I found this a very satisfying and enjoyable read. I liked the characters, their issues and the explorations of them. It was a perfect, light read. Keep them coming Susan Mallery.

Loved it! A delve into friendship, love and the ups and downs of what happens when they intermix. The characters were mesmerizing and kept my attention. I enjoyed seeing how all of the drama played out!

Zoe Saldivar is lonely. She recently broke up with her boyfriend, she is working from home at a job that no longer excites her, and her best friend Jen is too obsessed with her new baby to have any time for her anymore. She needs a change!

When Zoe said she wanted some excitement in her life, she didn't exactly mean all of this! She's befriending Jen's mom, feels more attraction than she's felt in a long time for Jen's brother, and her own Dad is all of a sudden trying to woo Jen's mom! What's going on around here?

I really liked the family dynamics at play in the third Mischief Bay story. It was fun to get back into the lives of some of the familiar characters, but also meet some new ones. I thought the apple didn't fall far from the tree regarding Jen's new mother stress and how Pam had changed so much in attitude from her growth filled first storyline in the first book. Zoe Salvidar is one of the new characters, and her storyline, (and trope) while compelling, seemed to lean more toward shock value than story. All in all, I have been enjoying Mallery's foray into women's fiction and think this series continues to get a bit better as it goes along.

This is the story of three women. Pam, the widowed mother to Jen. She feels no one could ever replace her husband and refuses to even consider dating. Jen, a new Mom who is obsessed with the fact that her young son is not talking. Even though everyone, including her doctors, assure her Jack is just fine, she cannot let it go. Finally there is Zoe. She is Jen’s best friend who recently broke up with her long time boyfriend and is trying to figure out what direction to take her life.

I really struggled through the first half of this story. I think it was because I could not connect with any of the characters. Things really turned around in the second half. Each of the three women had to face a difficult turning point. Not only did they have to decide how to handle things, but they also had to decide whether they would support one another. For me, this was when the story became much more interesting. I’m glad I decided to stick with this book.

ARC from Harlequin via Netgalley.

I have not read the first two books in this series but luckily this book can be read as a stand alone novel. Although, if you want to know more about Pam and her story, you can read it in The Girls of Mischief Bay. Speaking of Pam; her and Miguel's relationship was filled with fun. They actually stole some of the spotlight away from Zoe and her story. That is ok as I loved every moment of Pam and Miguel.

Yet, I enjoyed Zoe making the most of her new beginning. She could have just stayed as a homebody but than she would never have met Steven. So glad that everything was not just roses and kisses for them. It felt more real this way with a little drama in the mix. Finally, there is Jen. I could not fault her for treating her son, Jack like a fragile doll. He was her first. There is a reader discussion question regarding if me the reader applauds Jen for trying to find help for her son. I am glad that Jen did try to seek help. As the story progressed I warmed up to her a lot and felt she grew the most in this story. That last moment between her and Jack left my heart filled with joy. A Million Little Things is a wonderful read.

Zoe Salvidar recently broke up with her boyfriend of five years. She works from home but feels that something is missing. After locking herself and her cat in her attic, she decides that it is time to stop being so alone and get out in the real world and be around people.

Jen, is Zoe's best friend. She is a stay at home Mother who worries about everything but mainly about her toddler son not talking. He has met all of milestones, but still does not speak. Everyone in Jen's life tells her that Jack (her son) will speak when he is ready but she is convinced that there is something wrong with her child. Jen also worries about her husband, who is a police officer in Los Angeles. She becomes defensive easily when her constant anxiety is pointed out to her.

Pam is Jen's Mother and also Zoe's friend. Zoe joins Pam for Pilates and Pam decides that Zoe may be the perfect match for her son Steven. Pam is a widower whose husband died. They had been married for over 30 years and Pam has given Jen and her husband her home and has moved into a condo by the Ocean with her brightly dressed dog.

Through her friendship with Zoe, Pam meets Miguel, who just happens to be Zoe's father. There is a spark and Pam feels some quilt and unease about being interested in another man. Her son, Steven is concerned about his Mother dating because dating has changed since she was a teenager.

Whew! There is a lot going on in this book. A lot of characters but none of it got confusing. This is a romance novel and love is in the air! But there are also other themes touched on in this book as well such as loss, second chances,coping with anxiety, responsibility, trust, love, accepting what you cannot control, friendship, and love. There is a twist in this book which causes some conflict for all of the characters to deal with. Their reactions are human and feel real. This proved to be a quick enjoyable read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

I’ve really enjoyed Susan Mallery’s previous books in the Mischief Bay series. They have enough “real” about them to be able to relate to, but also enough fun to be able to read and enjoy.

Zoe is easy to relate to- recently broken up with her long-term boyfriend, she thinks life is no fun anymore. When Pam kind of takes her under her wing and plays a role of fairy godmother in her life- Zoe finds that life is fun. She’s excited about possibilities. Life is not through throwing a curveball at Zoe.

Jen is a stress case. She loves her child. Loves her husband. But she’s stressed, always looking for things to go wrong, to never truly be able to relax.

Pam’s life changed dramatically in book 1 of the Mischief Bay series and it was nice to see her back- and contemplating that while she’ll always love her husband, life may still have delicious treats still.

What I liked:

Cover! It’s gorgeous 🙂

How we hear from previously mentioned characters in Mischief Bay series. I like to hear about them (even if it’s just a mention or 2!)

How REAL the book feels and yet, I feel that I can take this on a beach trip with a pina colada and just relax.



Bottom line: I really enjoyed my time in Mischief Bay and think you will, too.



*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*



**A Million Little Things is a February #FuturitsicFriday selection from Traveling With T.**



Happy Reading and Bookishly Yours,

T @ Traveling With T

Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Hm. This one ended on a really strong note, but getting there was rough man. With the exception of Zoe, these characters were on the annoying side. I get that they were going through some tough time, but my goodness. Jen really really really bothered me. I was at the point where I kind of just wanted to smack her upside the head. And just when she started to calm down, Pam started pissing me off.

That said, I love the way that Mallery keeps the town of Mischief Bay thriving and intertwined. She also writes really in depth characters that aren't so easy to write off. When Jen was annoying, I knew it was because she was struggling with something and to bear with her to the end of the book.

The situations Mallery writes truly show what a great storyteller she is and how good she does with more serious matters. I already know her romance writing is top notch. :)

As always an excellent book by Mallery. Her descriptions of life falling apart one way or another is apt and the fact that with friends one can put one's life back together again is a perfect point to make. the final book in a trilogy it wraps up the entire series with a bang..

Charming, lighthearted and thought-provoking!

This is an affecting novel that reminds us of the importance to always live life to the fullest, understand and accept that some things are beyond our control and that there truly is no age limit for falling in love.

The writing is smooth and even. The main female characters are strong, determined, sympathetic and real. And the plot is a heartfelt journey full of self discovery, friendship, familial relationships, love, loss, and motherhood.

This is the third novel in the Mischief Bay series and once again Mallery has written a novel that is touching, compelling and highly entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley, especially Harlequin - MIRA for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The third book in the Mischief Bay series is basically a stand-alone. You don’t have to read the fist two books to enjoy A Million Little Things. Each book in the series is about a group of women that all have different problems, come together in different ways, and work their way through their issues with friendship and understanding. I would put this firmly in women’s fiction category, and if you like real-world issue based novels this is the one for you. Mallery is an excellent writer and portrays contemporary problems with finesse. While my tastes lend more to fantastical fiction, I did enjoy the story of the three women in A Million Little Things, but I don’t know if I’ll read more in the series. Again, personal taste, not because the story isn’t well done.
The three friends Mallery depicts are Zoe, Pam, and Jen. Zoe is coming out of a long-term relationship and coming to grips with single life, dating again, and dealing with her career choices. Jen is married with a child, and she is a very over-protective mother, to the point where it is causing HUGE issues in her marriage, her mental health, and her friendships. Pam is Jen’s mother, a widower, and rather judgmental. She thinks she has her life all figured out, but between her children’s issues, and meeting a new man who is interested in her, her life is getting rocked around a lot.

There were a lot of issues in this novel and not a lot of romance, even though it’s listed as Contemporary Romance in a lot of the categories it’s put within. There is romance in the book, but it’s mostly about these women dealing with A LOT of problems. Zoe is pregnant from her ex, and is now in a new relationship, she’s dating Pam’s son, who used to like Zoe, but once she told everyone she was pregnant, she doesn’t like Zoe with her son. Jen’s issue is the worst, she’s got terrible anxiety and issues with her kid – which was almost hard to read at points. Most of the issues were just from miscommunication, assumptions, and bad judgment, so they were frustrating at times to read. But, they were very real. Overall, I found I wanted a little more “escapism” and not real life, but I enjoyed the story. It was definitely real life.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

This is the third in the series. I am not sure if there will be more. Mallery usually has an added trilogy beyond her Fool’s Gold series so I wonder if this will be the last one. These stories are more real than the Fool’s Gold books. These aren’t really about romance even though romance is involved. The trilogy stories are about life. This is the story of Pam, Zoe and Jen. Each dealing with their own life and loss.

I enjoy these extra series books. However, I am more of a fan of Fool’s Gold series. These books make you think and have some inner reflection. You can never go wrong with Susan Mallery. Nothing she writes will ever be a disappointment… how could it be when she is the queen of romance?

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Going to start by saying i have not read the first two books in this series. You don't need to read the first two to read this one. The books in this series are always about 3 different women that connect with each other on some level and what goes on in their lives. If you read the blurb you can get the gist of what each of the women have going on. While the book was interesting in places it's a little to real life for me. A little depressing and cringe worthy in places and i am looking to escape real life. Jen who was the most annoying of the three ladies in the beginning became my favorite at the end. Pam seems to be the one who has it the most together becomes the most annoying and Zoe who was the most likable at the beginning was just kind of meh by the end. For me the men were the most entertaining and was what made me continue reading the book. I am thinking Chick lit might not be my cup of tea. I like what i read in the blurb but once is started reading the interest i had in the story started to wane and finally i just wanted to get to the end.

Read more about this series and Susan Mallery here www.mischiefbay.susanmallery.com

Count on Susan Mallery to put her sense of humor on display while penning an insightful yet entertaining story of love, change and the crazy cycle of life. A Million Little Things has complication written all over it, yet is laid out in such a way, that it becomes a relatable quest of self - discovery while teaching the value of family, friendship and moving forward. Zoe deals with a breakup, an ever changing friendship and an attraction to the most unlikely candidate. While paving her way through the chaos of her life, she learns that to truly find happiness, a person has to take risks and accept the things one can't change. Valuable wisdom delivered with candor and heart.

A Million Little Things is the first novel I have read in Susan Mallery's Miscief Bay series. Although it is number three, Mallery does a great job introducing the characters so readers don't feel lost. I enjoyed this one for the character development as well as the plot development. I found it believable and intriguing at the same time. Readers will get hooked on Zoe, Jen & Pam's stories.

I am closer to Pam's age (Jen's mom) than Jen & Zoe's (best friends), but I could identify with each of their stories. Zoe is at a point in her life of big decisions--both personally & career-wise. Just when she's feeling confident and as though she is getting on track, she is thrown for a loop by a big surprise. To complicate matters, she has just begun to date Jen's bother, and therefore Pam's son, and the relationship looks promising--if he is willing to take on Zoe and the new challenges she's facing.

Meanwhile, Jen is so absorbed in her in her new baby she barely notices anyone else around her. She is basically so obsessed with him that her other relationships are suffering which begins to send her into panic attacks. Jen must do a lot of soul-searching and work on herself to save her sanity.

Then there is Pam. She is still struggling with widowhood while worrying about both of her children and their relationships. She knows Jen is overreacting to her baby's development and that her marriage is beginning to suffer, but her attempts to help her have failed. Pam is also worried about her son being involved with Zoe while she's trying get her get her life on track. Her attempts to express her concerns are not welcomed and she worries that both Jen & Steve will disown her. Not to mention Pam is deciding whether or not she is ready to navigate the dating world...Is she betraying her beloved husband by dating Zoe's handsome dad? Are they even dating?

I am happy to say that all three women eventually find their way. Life is never perfect, nor easy, but somehow people adapt. Readers will enjoy the journey of these three women. There's something in this story for everybody.

A Million Little Things by Susan Mallery

I don’t usually like books A with more than one story-line going on at a time, usually I only like this if the characters are secondary and it doesn’t impact the main story at all. However, Ms Mallery is a deft hand at using this writing device and with this book it was used to a very good advantage. The three women we meet will all take center stage, so we can look at it as if this book is three separate stories -it isn’t though, since all three women are either related or best of friends.

Three separate women -Zoe, Pam, and Jen - an older woman (Pam) and her issues with widowhood, her son, and her daughter; a younger mother (Jen) who must come to terms with her toddler son who won’t speak. Not can’t but won’t. And Zoe who I think of as the main character because we meet her first and who really will have some big problems to iron out, as we will see later in this book.

I loved this book - it is all about very strong women and how they cope with what seems like insurmountable problems, they cope with romance in their lives, sexual issues, altering ones’ outlook on life, relationship issues, child rearing and birth issues as well as many smaller problems along the way.

The self-growth of each of these women and the paths they had to take to realize their true worth, was well worth the time I took to read this novel. This is way more than a romance novel-it is a romance inside of a women’s lit novel and is well worth the ride. Except for one interesting scene late in this book, there is no sex, not even with Zoe and Steven who are having the ‘romance’. This was surprising to me, but in a happy way.

This book was a joy to read - I am not always happy with Ms Mallery’s writing, but this one was wonderful. If there was one issue I had it was a problem I had with Zoe’s character later in the book and the fact that the author seemed to use ‘beating a dead horse’ as a plot device and it did nothing to move the story along.

*ARC supplied by publisher.

This is my second Mischief bay book I have read, first been the friends we keep. As with the previous book the novel follows up on three women's life, their views on how all three of their lives intersect. Jen is a new mom who is obsessed with keeping everything clean and environmentally healthy for her twenty month year old son, she is also worried he is not talking. Pam who is Jen's mom is a recent widower and is navigating day to day life being alone until she meets Miguel the other heroine(Zoe) father. Zoe has come to a crossroad in her life after breaking up with Chad the man she thought would become her husband she feels more alone than ever having to also deal with her best friend Jen not having time for her as much now she is a mother leaves her somewhat sad. Although I have never originally being a reader who likes more than one heroine in her story, I am starting to enjoy books like this and others with more than one female character. I have read many of Susan's book but this series is definitely not her typical romance novels, it has depth and reads more like women fiction. I love how an author can switch up and have a little different writing skills and still be true to what we come to love about them. Loved that as in real life the story ends with each woman looking into the future with more understanding of each of their situation but things are not all tied up in a knot.
Reviews on goodreads and amazon.com

Susan Mallery weaves friends and family together to create a wonderful story in A Million Little Things. Each character is at a different stage in their lives and it's great to see how they interact and overcome adversity. Lots of romance, love, and second chances. A must read!