This book by Nicole Baart came highly recommended to me by my friend Holly over at Dressed to Read and I’m so glad I was able to read this book! What an emotional roller coaster this book of domestic suspense took me on! That’s the genre I landed on, after seeing other reviewers comment on how this one is hard to place. It is not a psychological thriller in the modern sense of the word, though I think it would classify as one if it were written two decades ago. It doesn’t have that wild twisty ride of a thriller. It really is more of a novel of suspense filled with a deep, emotional character study about this woman who is put in an impossible situation, and does what she thinks is best for her children.

This is a beautiful story with a dark psychological suspense undertone that will have you hooked until the very last reveal. I can see why Holly loves this author so much—she has a way with writing characters and moral dilemmas that were thought-provoking, insightful, and added to the authenticity of the story.

About the Book

Jessica Chamberlain lives with her two sons in a small Iowa town. Recently, Jessica and her husband Evan separated under one of those impossible circumstances where they realized they’d just stopped trying in their marriage. Evan was wrapped up in his career as a family practitioner and Jessica was wrapped up in motherhood and their two sons.

And then one day not long after Evan moved out, Jessica receives a phone call. They’ve found a body in Minnesota with no personal belongings to identify, save for a slip of paper in his pocket that led them to her. In a single instant Jessica’s world will change. How can this seemingly unrelated crime possibly derail her life? As the pieces fall into place, Jessica realizes that the mystery may lead back to her and Evan’s adopted son Gabriel.

Gabriel became the Chamberlain’s through a closed adoption. It is what everyone wanted at the time. But now it seems there may be more to the story of Gabriel’s birth, and Jessica can’t protect them from the truth much longer. With a ferocity that only a mother can show, Jessica tries desperately to hold her family together in the most trying of times. Will the love of a mother be enough to weather this storm?

Reflection

What a beautifully written novel this is! Baart writes with authenticity that had this story creeping into my heart and taking hold of my thoughts. This felt like a story that could be happening in my town, even. And that made the subtle horror of the situation have a monumental impact.

One element that seems all too familiar and was written so well was the relationship between Jessica and Evan. I have a good friend that did pre-marital counseling with her husband, and one of the issues that she said they spoke to their counselor about was always prioritizing their marriage, even before their children. It seemed so counter-intuitive. But actually one of the main reasons marriages fall apart is that partners forget to prioritize themselves. And when that happens, their children aren’t getting the best of a unified family anymore. In this story, we see the aftermath of this realization. Jessica wonders who it was that stopped trying first, and if it is too late to reconcile. This situation happens more than we realize. Even with love there from both sides, there needs to be a continued effort to choose to stay together.

And then we have the dynamic of Gabriel’s adoption. One thing that resonated in this story is how difficult of a position an adoption is all around. Both parties are having to make a decision on behalf of a child who isn’t old enough to decide for themselves whether the biological mother should be involved. Jessica feels so strongly that a closed adoption is the way to go. And Jessica is a truly outstanding mother—that is without a doubt. But what an impossible decision that is! I loved the way Baart discusses both sides of this issue. There really isn’t a right or wrong answer. Every situation is unique. And what should be done if one party changes their mind later? What then?

I am so thrilled to have this book out in the world. I think the story will have meaning and provoke thought on these complex issues in so many readers. I know that I won’t think about adoption the same way again, because I now see so much of the nuance. What a credit to Baart’s writing!

Thank you to the team at Atria Books for my copy to review.

So this is what Nicole Baart’s books are like? I am a fan!

Whether you call it a domestic drama, domestic suspense, or even a domestic psychological thriller (because it most definitely had me analyzing what was happening as it happened!), You Were Always Mine is a tense and emotional story of adoption; one that will surprise you!

Jessica Chamberlain, a high school teacher and mother of two boys, has recently separated from her doctor husband when he suddenly disappears and is later found dead.

One of Jessica’s sons is her birth son, while the younger son, Gabe, is adopted. Baart describes both boys and Jessica’s relationship with them in fleshed-out three dimension. I could easily imagine them all and could feel the palpable love between them.

The synopsis actually tells you more about the story than I want to say. Go in blind if you can because the way it all develops will keep you guessing and also feels so entirely human, so viscerally real, I would not want to take away from that experience.

Baart is skilled at writing about the complexity of relationships- wife and husband, mother and son, father and son, and father and daughter (in the scenes with Jessica’s father). At its heart, You Were Always Mine is a poignant tale of adoption, and the drama and suspense added a wealth of intrigue and propelled the dynamic plot forward.

Thanks to Atria for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Little Broken Things was a book I reviewed last year, and though it wasn't one of my favorites, I did like it enough to read this latest book from author Nicole Baart.

Unlike her first book, where I was hooked immediately before the book slowed to a crawl, this book took me quite a while to even get into before ending in a whirlwind of excitement.

The characters were relatable to some degree, but I found the more I read, the less I felt connected or even knew specific personality traits to any of the main characters. There were times when the main character, Jessica, acted in ways that seemed unbelievably reckless and I just read while shaking my head in disbelief.


This premise of this thriller is unique, but for some reason I just couldn't completely immerse myself in the book. The mystery element did hook me, but the slow, overly detailed "in-between" parts frustrated me and took away from the what I felt was the "meat" of the story.

This was a mystery that was fun to piece together. Little hints and puzzle pieces were dropped throughout the novel and I honestly was surprised in how it ended. For such intricate detailing of things that weren't important to the overall story, the ending came abruptly, neatly and very oversimplified.

This was a 3.5 star read for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria books for allowing me a copy to read and give my honest review.

Happy Reading!

This was an evocative and addictive read that will reel you in and won’t let go!

This is a story about compassion, trust, deception, secrets, mystery, motherhood, but most of all it is about the darker side of adoption...Nicole Baart brings so much heart and authenticity to the story... her experience as an adoptive mother really shines through on these pages... my brothers are adopted, so I really had a strong connection to the adoption part of the story.... I found the psychological impact on both adoptive mother and adoptive child fascinating....

Miss Baart has woven together a complex story with many layers... A slow burning tale that will keep you turning the pages... you will need to know the truth just as strongly as Jess!

Jess and Evan are separated after 15 years of marriage... they have a biological son Max 13 and an adoptive son Gabe 5... both want what’s best for the kids in this hard situation.... I really felt as though Jess an Evan would have ultimately got back together, that’s what made Evan’s death even more tragic... so what was jess’s non-outdoorsy husband doing on a hunting trip? Determined to find out the truth Jess starts to play amateur Detective... The more she digs, the more secrets revealed, the more complex it gets.... shocked to find out that Evan had been in contact with Gabe‘s bio mom Jess is convince this has something to do with his murder but what? And why? How fragile are the bonds of motherhood? and is unconditional love ever not enough?

My heart broke for Jess, I felt her grief, her determination, her frustration, and her need to know the truth.... Jess is a likable character that will definitely win you over... there was just something about her that made it tremendously easy to put yourself in her shoes....’ maybe it was the stresses of motherhood? Your heart will also go out to her boys, A teenager struggling to come to terms with his father passing away and a five-year-old who already has emotional issues dealing with grief when he can’t even put a name to it... you will really want Jess to find the truth and give this family some closure needed to MoveOn....

A beautifully told perfectly paced story... seriously how can anyone not relate to needing to know the truth after finding out a loved one has been lying to them? Add in the impact this has on your children... HOOK. LINE. SINKER.

Absolutely recommend to anyone who enjoys a good story filled with well drawn characters, a well constructive mystery, and some heart!

PS: I forgot to mention how fantastic I thought the descriptors at the beginning of each chapter were, added an entire additional layer to the story! Well played!

*** A huge thank you to Atria for my copy of this book ***

Jessica Chamberlain, a high-school teacher and her husband Evan, a family doctor, have been married for 15 years, live in a small town in Iowa, and have two sons; Max, thirteen, and Gabe, six. Jessica asked Evan to move out six months ago, because she was tired of her workaholic husband never being available. The separation was amicable, and both are hoping to work things out.

When Jessica gets a call from school, on a Friday that Evan is to pick up the boys for the weekend, she is surprised to hear that he didn't show. That's not like him, but perhaps he got tied up with a patient. She'll just pick up the boys and take them to Evan's. When she finds he isn't home and Evan doesn't answer her multiple calls, she calls his office. They tell her that he hasn't been in for a few days. Jessica begins to worry. That worry is put into overdrive when she gets a call from a deputy in Minnesota, asking her questions about Evan. They have an unidentified body that he believes is Evan. The description the deputy gives doesn't even sound like Evan, and what in the world would he be doing in Minnesota? The deputy is fairly certain though it is him, and comes to see her. She is shocked when he tells her he doesn't think Evan's death was an accident.

Things become even stranger when Jessica is certain that someone has been in their house. She can't find anything missing, but several things are out of place. Trying to absorb the loss of her husband, helping her sons who are both mourning and acting out, trying to figure out who would want Evan dead, and discovering a project that Evan was working on when he died which might have led to his death, all place a heavy load on Jessica.

She is determined to find out what happened to Evan, and her inquiries all seem to lead back to their closed adoption of Gabe.

This is a well written suspenseful mystery filled with fully developed characters that are quite easy to identify with. I enjoyed the way that Ms. Baart keeps building the suspense, which keeps the reader turning pages to find out what happened and why. I highly recommend this good read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The book will be published 10/16/18.

Mother of two Jessica Chamberlain is informed that her estranged husband was found dead a state away in an apparent hunting accident. Jess finds his death and the artifacts that he left behind to be confusing and suspicious. As she seeks answers to her lingering questions, she also struggles to deal with her grief and take care of her boys, who are dealing with their own issues. Things are not at all as they seem and Jess learns that not everyone in her life is trustworthy.

This was an outstanding, fast read for me. I felt empathy for Jessica, who was no super mom, but an average mother and teacher trying to care for herself and her family while at the same handling very real feelings of both herself and her two sons. The issue of adoption is also at the forefront, with Jessica’s son Gabe having been adopted. The mystery surrounding her husband’s death is somehow connected to the adoption and the mystery is riveting with an unexpected twist and a thoroughly satisfying conclusion.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Atria Books and Nicole Baart for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Jessica Chamberlain and her husband, Evan, have been separated for months, so she's quite surprised when she gets a call from the police regarding him. Even more shocking is that the police believe Evan to be dead--his body found on a hunting ground in another state. As Jessica attempts to figure out what happened, she must also try to mother her two boys, thirteen-year-old Max and six-year-old, Gabe, who is adopted. Jess can't believe Evan is dead, however, and the more she digs, the more she starts to wonder if it was truly a hunting accident. She's sure her house was broken into, for instance, and she feels like Evan was investigating something in the months before his death. Soon, she wonders if that had something to do with Gabe's adoptive mother--someone with whom Jess vowed never to be involved. What really happened to Evan? And are the rest of the Chamberlains safe?

It's always exciting to request an ARC on a whim and have it be enjoyable. I've never read anything by Nicole Baart before, but I will certainly be picking up some of her past books. This novel was a little outlandish and unbelievable at times, but it was just so compelling and readable. It was exactly what I needed at the moment.

Jess was a very relatable character: as a mother too, I felt quite connected to her. Baart put in a lot of little details that made her feel real, not a cardboard cutout parent that you so often see. She did a great job at capturing parenthood: in all its ups and downs. I found myself very attached to Jessica's two boys, as well. They went through a lot in the book, and you found yourself rooting for the entire family unit.

The plot itself--while a bit of a soap opera sometimes--was really quite fascinating. I couldn't put this one down, even during a crazy time at work. The writing was crisp and the novel just flowed so easily. I was actually really surprised by the twists and turns (it's always so fun when that happens) and certainly along for the ride with Jess and her clan.

Overall, this was just a really enjoyable book with an interesting, twisty plot and realistic, relatable characters. It was a pleasant surprise, and I'll definitely be reading more from this author. 4 stars.

Motherhood can make a woman fierce. It certainly did for Jessica Chamberlain. Still adjusting to life after separating from her husband, Jess was getting back on her feet when she gets the call. A body has been found in a different state and the police think the deceased is her husband. Jess is sure there has been a mistake, but the clues start to pile up and Jess realizes that Evan had been keeping secrets from her - secrets that involved their adopted son.

You Were Always Mine is a gripping novel that keeps you a little off-kilter and wanting to know more. I liked how Nicole Baart started each chapter with a coded entry that included a woman’s name and a list of classifications. I was deliciously annoying to not know what they meant and propelled me through each chapter hoping to find out more.

The themes of adoption and connection to our children elevated this book beyond domestic thriller to thoughtful book club book that I wholeheartedly recommend.

I really enjoyed this book! I didn't want to put it down and didn't see the twist coming that happened! It was great; very suspenseful and kept me engaged the whole time. This won't be the only book I read from Nicole Baart!

3.5 rounded up. This book had a great plot line, but the characters annoyed me and it felt like the book drug out way too long. I didn’t see the big conflict coming, and I loved the way it turned out. Overall, an enjoyable read about a dark side of adoption.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

This is a touching story of love, family, and strength, with a mystery woven throughout.

Jessica Chamberlain is newly separated from her husband Evan. They have two children, Max and Gabe, and have been amicably sharing custody for the past six months. Evan was supposed to pick up the children from school on Friday and spend the weekend with them – but he never showed up.

I really enjoyed how real the family dynamic was. Max is a typical 13-year-old testing his limits, pushing buttons, and dealing with the separation of his parents. Gabe is a bundle of energy and the bond between him and his mom is touching. The two brothers don’t always get along, but when it counts their brotherly bond shines through.

I loved the many letters, emails, journal entries, and more at the end of each chapter. I found the letters particularly interesting and a unique way to give Evan and LaShonna (Gabe’s birth mother) voices that they would otherwise not have. I found it a creative way to give the readers information that Jessica was completely unaware of, and intensified the mystery of what happened to Evan.

I really enjoyed the mystery that ran throughout this story. The story opens so vague, I couldn’t help but to wonder how it would fit in with the rest of the story. I love getting bits and pieces of information and ponder what is truly going on.

I was immediately drawn into this novel, which is part family drama, part mystery. Right away I liked the main character, mother and teacher Jessica Chamberlain, who is separated from her husband. She was the one who asked him to move out, but she’s still hoping things can be repaired between them. So, when she gets a call that her estranged husband is dead in an apparent hunting accident hundreds of miles away, she doesn’t believe it. Dr. Evan Chamberlain isn’t an outdoorsy hunter, he’s a little on the nerdy side and willing to take a smaller salary so his clinic can help uninsured people who can’t pay the big bucks.
When there is no mistaking the identity of the man who died, there are still many questions to answer.
In mourning and dealing with a thirteen-year-old son who has been acting out publicly and definitely privately—he blamed Jessica for the problems before his father’s death and then he blames Evan’s death on her, too—she also has a six-year-old son who is a little developmentally slow and still given to tantrums when he’s confronted with too much noise and lights in public places. In their small Iowa town, the actions of her sons reflect heavily on the mother—their issues are blamed squarely on her.

For me, the minutia of the day-to-day life of a mother got a little slow, although Jessica becomes and amateur sleuth along the way, trying to figure out what her husband had been up to and whether it played any part in his death, and that mystery compelled me on. And it was so worth it—I did not see that ending coming, and I love when I can’t figure things out before the end. It was a very strong conclusion to the mystery. Recommend.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES OCTOBER 16, 2018.

Nicole Baart’s thriller, You Were Always Mine, examines the threads of an ordinary life gone disastrously awry when choices made in secret are exposed to the harshness of daylight.

Lit teacher Jessica Chamberlain is dealing with her separation from her doctor husband Evan, whose cheating and frustrating inconsistency in parenting their children has resulted in the boys being troubled.   Sullen thirteen-year-old Max and sunshiny Superman-obsessed seven-year-old Gabe are her world, and she does her best to keep the household afloat in Evan’s absence.

It’s an average weekday morning when Deputy Mullen from Minnesota calls Jess’ Iowa home to inform her that a body shot to death and matching Evan’s description has been found on public hunting grounds with Jess’ phone number in the front pocket of his shirt.  The police positively ID him, and at first Jess is in denial.  Then someone breaks into her house, leaving behind a cryptic diary filled with information she can’t parse.  It leads her to communication between Evan and the mother of their adopted son – the subject of an adoption she thought was closed.

LaShonna Tate has a deep connection to the Chamberlains.  LaShonna gave her boy to their safekeeping years ago, requesting a closed adoption, but Evan has kept in touch with LaShonna, in many ways.  When complexities, secrets, and betrayals emerge, Jess will only have herself to rely on.  What secrets was Evan hiding?  And how deeply was he connected with LaShonna?

You Were Always Mine is a balancing act in disparate qualities that comes off beautifully.  The way the novel alternates the sinister with the normal is fascinating; childhood illness and school trouble with deep dark secrets and missing mothers.  The frailties of the human body, the frailties of the human spirit – all emerge and come out to play.  The kitchen sink beauty of the situation is what helps boost everything along and makes the whole novel compelling.

Jess is an ordinary woman trying to keep her balance in a world that keeps pulling the rug out from under her feet.  She’s easy to understand and root for, and easy to relate to.

Max and Gabe are wholly compelling characters who feel like real children instead of plot constructs, which is an authorial victory.

The complicated weight of parenthood rests heavily on the novel.  The plot is beautifully woven, and ramps the tension up step by step.  Jess’ difficult relationship with her father and stepmother echo in her relationship with her children, which is typical but fraught with complex love.

The suspense plot is unexpectedly twisty; you won’t be expecting the way it plays out, and you won’t be ready to figure out who our sympathetic monster really is.  It’s fun to follow, engrossing, and morally complex.

You Were Always Mine is likely to strike a solid cord with anyone who’s loved a child, or anyone who simply likes a darn good mystery.  Who you’ll side with in the end will be up in the air – it will leave you thinking, and tug on your heartstrings.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Another amazing read from a favorite author!
A gripping story that I couldn't put down!

This was an incredible story from one of my favorite authors. I was absolutely hooked from the very beginning. It turned out to be a suspense filled drama that was quite compelling.

Jessica is a mother of two boys, the youngest, Gabriel is adopted. She is estranged from her husband Evan and her life is complicated. I love this author's writing style and I was pulled into the story and carried away to Jessica'a world. At times, I wanted to hold her hand and sob with her (I may have been holding my breath at times).

I was so curious about where the plot was going and I was totally invested in the characters. Many of the chapters were filled with tension that kept me reading because no way could I stop until I found out what happened! Jessica becomes an amateur sleuth and starts to put some clues together. All the dots are connected in the stunning end.

There is a mystery, an emotional adoption story, and a multi-layered plot that took many detours that had me racing to get to the last page!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me this book for my honest review.

From the first chapter of this book I was hooked. Jess and her husband adopted a son when he was born. He is now seven years old and Jess and her husband are now in a trial separation. She receives a phone call one night about a death and she can't not believe it has any kind of connection to her, but learns it does. She starts digging into how this death could have happened and what led to this fate and everything points to her adopted sons birth mom.

The twist and turns this book will take you on will leave you at the edge of your seat and turning the pages to try to piece this puzzle together. This was a very solid read and a nice change of pace to some of the other thrillers out there. 4.5 star read for me.
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Jessica has two sons and has recently separated from her husband after him being distant for so long and later finding out that her was having an affair. That's when she's told her husband has died in a context that wasn't like him at all and quite far from home. The suspicions increase and she starts finding links back to the adoption of her youngest son.

This had an interesting mystery to a point I questioned if Jessica's husband was even dead for real. There are small clues along the text that work more like teasers—letters he'd exchange with the son's biological mother without Jessica knowing, some notes on random women followed by even more random numbers. You do get the idea of the big secret, but there's still so much more to know you can't help but keep reading.

At the same time, it wasn't a read that flowed well. I'm not into navel-gazing, especially when I'm itching to learn more about a mystery. You did see there was something else happening in the background but it was too subtle to really give you a thrill from reading and in the end you get a bunch of bad choices by Jessica and her life falling apart. It was frustrating, even though I understood most of her choices and found her very brave in most of what she did.

There was a nice conclusion but all in all this book didn't do me much. I think this could appeal those who like family drama, since this element was far more present than the thriller, but even as such I don't think it could be a five-star.

Tl;dr: Propulsive and eminently readable, You Were Always Mine is a first rate domestic suspense novel.

Wow! I couldn't stop reading You Were Always Mine, especially towards the ending! Ms. Baart's writing is tight with a t and I actually missed my stop on the bus home today because I was so busy reading.

Although I know this will be classified as women's fiction--a term I'm starting to find irritating as seems to imply that awesome novels like this can only be read by women (not that we don't deserve great reads, but the term is limiting, especially in terms of industry reviews) I think You Were Always Mine would appeal to anyone who likes well written suspense novels.

Since the description is even free of spoilers, I'll just say I loved the main character, Jess, and thought she was realistic and sympathetic. The way she copes with what happens feels like "yep, that's what would happen," instead of the more typical "and she can do everything perfectly!" role that is the norm.

I will most certainly be steering readers looking for books in the vein of Kristin Hannah and Jodi Picoult to this, but also readers looking for books along the lines of a current critically praised but, imo, craptastic suspense novel I won't name.

Definitely a great choice for book clubs and for teen readers as well (maybe paired with Far From The Tree ???) and well...basically anyone who wants a good read! So yeah, highly recommended.

I did receive an ARC, but have preordered a copy for myself because how can I not? I will also be making sure we've got copies of Ms. Baart's backlist at the store and be ready to direct people to it at the library when they realize they are number 125 on the waitlist for You Were Always Mine.

'Evan wasn’t dead. Jess knew that. She knew it deep down in a place where she believed there was still a connection between herself and the man she had once called her home'

A busy school day morning, much like any other, is disrupted when Jess receives a phone call from a man named Deputy Mike Mullen near Minneapolis. There has been an accident, a middle-aged man is dead, but there is no way it could be her husband Evan. Recently separated, but trying to work on their problems, she’d certainly know if he had traveled out of Iowa. The body has no identification, it doesn’t sound like him, his hair wasn’t gray! Why was her phone number in the victim’s pocket? This is the first mystery that will close around she and her children, her adoptive son Gabe in particular.

Dr. Evan Chamberlain’s abilities to provide for his family has never come into question nor his fierce dedication and passion to his practice. All his hard work has left little time for Jess and the children, consumed by his job she has felt their love receding. Separated, divorce looms but neither seems to be urgent to make final decisions. She could never get enough of him, always wondered with wounded pride if he felt the deep love for her that she felt for him. With his distance, constant distraction, forgetting important meaningful dates, cooled passions, doubt crept in. Now this. When Evan doesn’t show up to pick the children up, nor answer her calls she has to face there might be more to this dead stranger, and her husband could be involved.

A closed adoption brought Gabe into the couple’s life, it suited her needs to be the only mother he would ever know. After the call, and what follows, a break in occurs at her home, related to the incident. Betrayal rises to the surface when she discovers Evan has been in intimate contact for years with Gabe’s birth mother. It is the least of his secrets, and his involvement in something sinister is going to unravel the secure life she has been living with her sons. Just who is this woman, how had Evan allowed her to worm her way in? What does this mean for Gabe? Though blessed to have a biological elder son Max, it doesn’t make Gabe any less hers that she isn’t his birth mother. Why did Evan feel the need to communicate with this woman? Wasn’t she enough? What was between them, really?

What her husband was involved in is bigger than their family and someone will stop at nothing to make sure they aren’t exposed. It isn’t just the intimate letters to Gabe’s mother, there are notes (maybe clues) written on a business card, maybe answers to what Evan was up to before tragedy struck. He wasn’t a man who hid things, it was against his nature to deceive, it is a burning mystery. So why then the sudden subterfuge? Why was he staying at a motel, there are other strange tidbits, shaky connections that don’t add up, only lead to more questions. Then a file is found full of names… codes. One, according to Deputy Mullen means ‘prostitution’, a strange thing to be among Evan’s personal effects. But names, and criminal codes aren’t answers either, just another thing to add to Evan’s peculiar behavior.

Her dear friend Meredith was the social worker involved in their adoption of Gabe, now an honorary Auntie and a major support for Jess. Lately, Meredith has doubts about Jess and her parenting. All she cares about is seeing Gabe properly cared for, even if speaking out will hurt their friendship. Now Jess is being accused of things that could threaten her hold on her children. Why would someone want to do that? Could it all tie into whatever Evan was working on? How is all of this connected to Gabe’s adoption?

This is a hard review to write when one must tread lightly on giving away the plot twists. It’s about birth mothers, those who manipulate women without choices, the good intentions that can sour clear thinking and the passion to right grievous wrongs even at the very risk of your own life. It’s a psychological mystery about the underbelly of adoption. It’s about being so consumned by something you know is wrong, that those who need you desperately become impossible to see.

Not every reader will like Jessica, but her fierce devotion to her adoptive son and comfort in a closed adoption can be understood as fear is a great motivator. The threat of another woman, always looming somewhere out there makes such adoptions ideal, as much as said biological mother may not wish to be found. Maybe it’s easier for people, like social worker Meredith, to imagine those mothers as abusive, cold creatures, unfit women so they can swoop in and save the precious little ones. What if the narrative is wrong? What if in desperation people are urged to act against their wishes, until it is too late. What happens when those working the system abuse it? Should you remain blind if you yourself benefited?

Publication Date: October 16, 2018

Atria Books

Jessica Chamberlain, newly separated and living with her two sons in a small Iowa town, can’t believe that a tragedy in another state could have anything to do with her. But when her phone rings one quiet morning, her world is shattered. As she tries to pick up the pieces and make sense of what went wrong, Jess begins to realize that a tragic death is just the beginning. Soon she is caught in a web of lies and half-truths—and she’s horrified to learn that everything leads back to her seven-year-old adopted son, Gabriel.

Years ago, Gabe’s birth mother requested a closed adoption and Jessica was more than happy to comply. But when her house is broken into and she discovers a clue that suggests her estranged husband was in close contact with Gabe’s biological mother, she vows to uncover the truth at any cost.

I have read several of Nicole Baart's novels and I have enjoyed them all. I enjoy the page turning suspense and I love that it is free of some of language and gore and other content that I would rather not read. In You Were Always Mine, I really like how Baart highlights a little known issue in society and encourage the reader to think about justice beyond the scope of the story. The characters are interesting and complex and having lived in the area where the book is set, it feels a bit like going home. And as always, while it is a suspenseful novel and difficult and bad things happen, there is hope at then end. This is certainly Baart's best work yet!

First off, as a family medicine resident physician I have to share this quote at the beginning of the story:

"Evan Chamberlain was a workaholic. An absent husband and father who was more committed to his caseload than his wife and boys. He was distracted and selfish, obsessed with the lives of his patients. Addicted to his phone. Evan stayed at work late and forgot her birthday and had become a roommate instead of a lover and friend. When he was home, he slept. And snored. Loudly."

Anyone in a super demanding job can appreciate this quote so much. I can relate a large majority of this quote to my current life. For me, this is something to appreciate and something to work to not become.

Getting back to the review...You Were Always Mine is about a newly separated mother-of-two (Jess) who finds out her husband (Evan) was killed in a tragic accident. However, something about his death just doesn't seem right to Jess. Struggling to deal with her grief, while continue to take care of her teenage boy and her adopted son, Jess discovers there is more to her son's adoption and her husband's death than meets the eye.

The title You Were Always Mine lead me down a great path of making assumptions on how the plot would unfold. However, Nicole Baart does a great job throwing the reader for a loop every chance she gets. This unique story kept me engrossed the entire time (and I am not a very big mystery read fan). The characters were extremely relatable and Jess' grief, fear and suspicion was palpable. Adoption controversies are discussed in the story that easily forgotten about but applicable in today's society.

This is the perfect mixture of women's fiction and mystery that any reader will love.

This ARC was provided by Atria Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.