LITTLE BROKEN THINGS by NICOLE BAART was an engaging, suspenseful, and a slower paced mystery novel which had an intriguing storyline revolving around family secrets and the sacrifices and bond between mothers and daughters.  Little Broken Things I thought was the perfect title for this novel which is filled with familial broken relationships and the sacrifices of a mother’s love for her family.  With a little honesty, hope, and understanding maybe all the little broken things can be repaired with truth and love.

NICOLE BAART delivers a beautifully written multi-layered story here which is told in multiple points of view which started off quite strong for me but lost me a little in the middle and then picked up again in the end.  The story starts off tense with a sense of impending danger from a cryptic text message that Quinn receives from her sister Nora, “I have something for you.”  Unfortunately, that sense of danger and tense feeling didn’t follow through the whole story for me but Lucy captured my heart and I was totally invested in the safety and fate of the little girl.  

Even though some of this story was a little slow moving for me in the end this book touched my heart.  Would recommend to readers who appreciate a safe, steady-paced, and suspenseful family drama mystery story with hidden secrets that are revealed with no shocking moments.

Publication date: November 21, 2017

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Atria Books and Nicole Baart for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is the kind of novel that makes you lose a whole weekend to reading. The characters were vivid and the relationships complex. Quinn is the kind of sister you can text and know she will do anything you ask, including hiding a frightened little girl. Nora is the kind of woman that loves the people in her life without regard for her own safety. And Liz is their mother, who is as confused and lost as her daughters. She just goes about things differently. Where Nora and Quinn lead messy lives, their mother is wound tight and far too aware of how things look. Baart’s prose is wonderful and the plot twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed losing myself in this family drama and losing a whole weekend.

The premise is intriguing: Quinn's estranged sister, Nora, drops off a little girl named Lucy, who bears an uncanny family resemblance, and tells Quinn to keep the little girl's presence a secret. Nora then disappears without explanation.

Secrets tend to be revealed sooner or later, and this one is no exception. Just how does one hide a little girl? There's are mysteries to be solved: who are her parents? Why is she being hidden and why must it be kept a secret? Where has Nora been all these years? The story is gradually revealed through each character's point of view in alternating chapters. More secrets are revealed, secrets that have caused damage in the family.

It's a great set-up that failed to completely deliver. The pacing was uneven and often failed to keep my attention. I found some character arcs predictable and I simply didn't buy into some of the actions of the characters. Donovan was a caricature of a "bad guy", and Nora's actions and dedication to Tiffany all the years she was gone simply made no sense to me. Not only did they make no sense, they obviously traumatized Lucy, which made Nora a very unsympathetic character.

The so-called twist at the end was anti-climactic. It was so obvious from the very beginning that my only emotion was puzzlement at why it was such a surprise to the characters.

However, although this ended up being a just OK read for me, all wasn't lost. My favorite character ended up being Liz. I think the author did an excellent job with her character development. I liked how not every story thread was tied up in a neat bow at the end, and the novel ended on a hopeful note, even if some of the scenes leading up to it were implausible.

Thanks to Atria and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of the book for review.

I have a new favorite author to adore! I was immediately drawn into the story from the first pages. It is beautifully written and captivating, I was engaged by the mysterious texts from the start!

I could imagine myself getting a text from my sister, "I have something for you" and immediate panic strikes! This is possibly not good! The story and characters are multi-layered and ultimately reveal their inner motivations that drive them to make decisions they will later question. I really enjoyed the different point of views as it gave me their perspective.

The family is successful and lives in a small, quiet suburban neighborhood near a lake, but beyond the the outward appearance, secrets and past mistakes will threaten to change their lives forever.

This story explores how one family members decision can snowball and entangle the entire family. Just how far would you go for a precious member of your family? Do you pull together or fall apart?

I would highly recommend to fans of family based mysteries that reveal hidden secrets and motives that may have you asking yourself- What would I have done?

Little Broken Things is the latest suspense novel from Nicole Baart. It is expertly crafted and full of all of the elements that make for a great read – a solid story with plenty of mystery and tension, characters that feel very real, good pacing, and a satisfying conclusion. Baart will surely be a new favorite for fans of Karin Slaughter, Gillian Flynn or Paula Hawkins.

Quinn Cruz’s life is upended when her sister, Nora Sandford, with no explanation or information whatsoever, drops a little girl on her doorstep with the imperative that Quinn must keep her safe and let no one know the child is there. How do you keep a secret like this from coming out? Quinn lives with her husband and her mother lives just across the lake. Even in a family practiced in keeping secrets, it is not long before Lucy is discovered.

While seemingly placid, life on Key Lake has never been perfect. Much is hidden beneath the surface. Through the different viewpoints of Quinn, Nora, and their mother, the fractured pieces of the past are put into place to reveal the present dangers. The sharp edges of those pieces can still cut deeply – can they cut the bond between a mother and her child? Is blood thicker than water? How far would you go to help a friend? How far would you go to protect your family?

I really enjoyed Little Broken Things. It is smart, suspenseful, heartbreaking and written so well I was holding my breath praying for the safety of the little girl at the heart of the mystery. When an author can make me care that much for the characters she has created I know she will deeply touch the hearts of all of her readers. This is the first book I have read by Nicole Baart, but it will not be the last.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley, Killer Nashville and Atria Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Copyright © 2017 Laura Hartman

I didn't connect to the characters at all, the twist was seen a mile away for me. An enjoyable read but not something I would really suggest to anyone else. The whole book felt like it was trying to hard to be something else.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley, Killer Nashville and Atria Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Little Broken Things begins with Nora Sanford cutting and dying the hair of a child she obviously loves, but is not hers. There is a sense of danger and impending disaster if she doesn't change the little girl's appearance and move her to a safe place before the unknown disaster befalls both of them.

Nora whisks her off and dumps her unceremoniously at her sister Quinn's home. Without a clue as to who the child is, or why Nora drops her off without any explanation, Quinn is angry at her sister but fearful because Nora begged her not to let the child out of her sight. And more importantly, she was not to let anyone know the child was there. That is more than difficult because Quinn's artist husband is living in the house with her. Her domineering mother, Liz, owns the house and lives right across the lake from them in the home that Nora, Quinn and their brother JJ grew up in. How can she keep a five year old secret in this little town of gossips? As the plot swirls around the little girl, with eminent danger closing in, there are no straight answers about her or her parents available to those who were given the impossible task of keeping her safe.

Nora has brought this to her family's doorstep, but this is not the only secret her family has been pretending isn't there. On the outside they were a solid, happy family but even as young children, the three Sandford kids knew how to keep secrets. Such as the happy family life they portrayed was often far from it. Even after the recent death of her husband, Liz followed the Sandford "rules" put in place by her domineering husband that often affected her children even though they are grown. They must find a way to work together to save this child no matter who she really is, even if it goes against everything they have been taught to do.

Baart brings so many elements in to bring her characters to life I felt as though I knew each of them. There were several things that brought them together. Art plays a huge but subtle part in the story-line. Motherhood also plays a huge role in Little Broken Things.

I really enjoyed Little Broken Things. It is smart, suspenseful, heartbreaking and written so well I was holding my breath praying for the safety of the little girl at the heart of the mystery. When an author can make me care that much for the characters she has created I know she will deeply touch the hearts of all of her readers. This is the first book I have read by Nicole Baart, but it will not be the last.

Copyright © 2017 Laura Hartman

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

“Little Broken Things” grabbed my attention because it was billed as being a great book for Liane Moriarty fans, which I am. I definitely could see how this book could be billed that way but Nicole Baart is an author all herself. “Little Broken Things” starts off very quickly. In fact the first page alone grabs your attention. From there the pace of the book moves very quickly and every time you think you’ve figured it out there’s a new twist. I thought I had this book figured out by Chapter Five but the ending really took me by surprise. And Baart will keep you reading until the very last page before she reveals the books truth.

I highly recommend this one if you’re looking for something that’s going to keep your attention. You don’t want to start this one at 8 PM on a Sunday night like I did unless you have Monday off!

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Nicole Baart, and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

This is an excellent novel with interesting people, and various parenting parables with their pros and cons spelled out sharply. You have to appreciate Liz or at least understand her - she raised her chicks in a time that appreciated and almost demanded a stay-at-home mom. Tiffany, Nora, Quinn and even Amelia as modern mom's have a whole different set of values and requirements than their Mother's did - and a great deal more to deal with. Every community, even those as small and insular as Key Lake, Minnesota are, because of radio, television and internet, global communities also. Yes there are great benefits to having access to all that information. The disadvantages are legion, as well. Nicole Baart lays this all out for us, and then stirs in the benefits of stalwart will and a firm sense of responsibility and the emotional strength of these women, to bring forth an alternate universe. And we want all of that for Everlee. We need for her to be whole and complete, not one of these little broken things.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Past secrets and strained relationships are at the heart of Nicole Baart's newest novel, Little Broken Things. Nora, estranged from her sister, Quinn, sends a cryptic text before showing up on her doorstep with a six-year-old girl. Nora abruptly leaves the girl in Quinn's care with the instructions to keep her safe, and not to ask any questions. Quinn and her mother, Liz, believe that the girl may be Nora's daughter.

By telling the story through multiple viewpoints—Quinn, Nora, Liz, and Nora's friend, Tiffany—Baart slowly reveals the circumstances that led Nora to leaving the little girl in her sister's care. Other past indiscretions are also brought to light to help explain why the relationships between the women are so strained. Not everything is how it appears from the outside; Liz kept up appearances at all costs, no matter how exhausting and this was the trade off to preserve what she envisioned her image to be as a wife, mother, friend, and socialite.

At times this novel is not an easy read; Baart tackles some pretty big issues. Even though I wasn't blown away with the ending, I still enjoyed this exploration of familial relationships. Sometimes the most fragile bonds are with those we love the most.

'She knew that their lives were far from perfect, that things shimmered just beneath the surface of their shiny facade.'

Just who are ‘the little broken things’? Is it the scared little girl, ‘the something’ her sister Nora seems to be lending her? Just whose child is she and what sort of mess is her older sister Nora wrapped up in? How is Quin supposed to keep a little girl secret, especially from their uptight mother? Lucy is a mystery, and Nora is gone leaving nothing to fill the holes of the child’s mysterious existence. How dare she do this, but is it so surprising? Quin always comes when she beckons, almost like a slave. How does Nora seem to always call the shots? Though the two have a strained relationship, Quin knows she must help her sister, whatever it is she is involved in is bigger than their damaged bond.

The things that make families drift apart are sometimes small, insidious things that eat away at them over time. Secrets we keep from ourselves and each other, though, have a way of coming out. This is the case with the characters in this novel. The matriarch watches over her daughters, but is also removed. Maybe once she was bold, but marriage to Jack Sr. turned her into the model wife, never saying no, keeping the kingdom running smoothly and comfortable for it’s master. Her girls are stronger, bolder- as she once had been too. Liz is order, and her children are chaos. Her Nora, the one to always ask “why”, Liz ‘ the secret keeper’, the one who doesn’t need her, and Jack Jr ‘JJ’ the same as his father, in control. Now with Jack Sr gone, she is free to watch over the lake and spy on her daughter- making hiding a child that much more impossible. Liz doesn’t approve of her daughter’s husband, she knows it won’t last, and watching them from Jack’s telescope, now hers, only proves she is right. Misunderstandings and the distance between mother and daughter paint a picture of a family that desperately needs one another, but are in their own way. Watching the struggle Liz has in showing her love is painful, how do people get to that point? Why do her children leave? She must prove how good home is! Why can’t she accept Walker, Quin’s husband?

Quin soon knows who Lucy really is, or does she? She is furious with Nora, because Lucy’s existence will ‘change everything.’ The reader begins to understand why Nora isdesperate to hide the child, it’s disturbing and at times confusing. We meet Tiffany through Nora’s chapters. Tiffany is a key player in the novel, and one has to wonder why Jack Sr hated her, judged the young girl so harshly. JJ isn’t close to his sisters, and he sort of floats on the edges of the story. You think you know where you’re going, but it flips on you.

I slowly began to figure things out before the end, which wasn’t quite the explosive ending I expected yet it works for this novel. The beauty of the novel for me wasn’t so much the danger, but the damage we do with our expectations. The blindness we suffer when our own emotions are at the forefront, the pain it causes those we want to protect. Families are a strange experiment, and seem composed of everything that tests who we are. They are all little broken things, in their own strange way. But the question is, can they be patched up? Can a mysterious child be a bridge, or will she be the final blow that fractures the family beyond repair.

I enjoyed some of the characters and others didn’t seem fully formed. I do think it will be a popular read though. I think it’s hard to accept Quin sort of going along, I imagine most of us would be demanding answers before taking any child in, but maybe that is to express just how much Quin follows her big sister’s lead, even against her will. JJ never felt real to me, he just wasn’t in the novel enough for my liking. I felt frustrated and I am not sure how I feel about Tiffany and everything that happens, the ending left me with a few questions but I leave it to other readers.

Publication Date: November 21, 2017

Atria Books

Nora has a secret. Quinn is trying to reconcile the life she has with the one she wants. Liz is the matriarch who has spent her life trying to keep her family's social status intact while keeping secrets that threaten to undo her. This is the story of a mother and her daughters and how a little girl named Everlee forces them to face their fears, their pasts and their future. The characters in this book are complex even if they are not always likable. It is written so I felt as if I was on a journey with them. Although I figured out the "secret" long before the end of the book, I was compelled to see not only if I was correct, but also to see how each of the characters would react to the news. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read and one that I will recommend.

Heartbreaking. I appreciate the circumstances that lead Baart to write this & think it is a beautiful testament to the power of love. However, I felt a lil bit more disconnected that I would’ve liked and the ending fell a bit flat. All-in-all, just ok for me. 3.5 stars.

This was fast a paced novel set at Key Lake, Minnesota in the present time. It is about families, identity, relationships and secrets.
Quinn receives a cryptic text from her sister Nora saying "I have something for you" the something turns out to be a young girl called Lucy. Nora drops off Lucy and disapears.
Meanwhile Nora's friend Tiffany is on the run and hidding from her ex partner Donovan. Nora is also looking for Tiffany. Donovan is dangerous and is hunting down Nora and Tiffany, and will stop at nothing until he finds them.

Little Broken Things is a mystery wrapped in a dysfunctional family tale. Slow start, but the pace picks up after a bit. Too much reliance on a twist that is not well concealed to build suspense.

This was the first book by Nicole Baart that I've read, and I look forward to reading more from her in the future! There was suspense throughout, some odd romantic relationships, and multiple mysterious twists interwoven in as well.

I recommend reading this book. The story line is genuine and keeps you reading from the beginning to the end.

Fantastic! Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I enjoyed it very much!

This suspenseful novel is about sisters, family relationships and family secrets. The pacing is brisk and the characters are well drawn. It's a mystery but also an examination of family and what one does to protect loved ones.

Little Broken Things could not sum up this book any better. Things were not quite so broken between Nora & her sister Quinn that she couldn't turn to her and trust her with a huge secret. Things were not quite so broken between Nora, Quinn and their mother Liz, that they couldn't reconnect over some suspenseful moments and huge revelations.