DNF

The premise of Little Lovely Things by Maureen Joyce Connolly is everything. Based on the blurb, it's exactly the type and style of book that I love. However, after multiple attempts to read LLT, I was unable to connect to the story. I may try again at a later date, but right now, this just wasn't the story for me.

3.5 stars

For the first chapter or so, I thought this would be a mystery. What happened to Claire’s daughters? On an otherwise ordinary morning, she drives them to school. When she begins to feel sick and dizzy, she pulls off into a gas station and decides to leave them in the car. They’re sleeping, she’ll only be a minute, it will be fine. But the illness overtakes her and she faints. When she comes to, her car–with her daughters in it–is gone.

But then Maureen Joyce Connolly turns this from a mystery into more of a psychological exploration of a mother’s guilt, a daughter’s terror, and a couple of other perspectives. She tells you, very early on, what happened to the girls. Sometimes the inner agonies of one of the daughters feel so painful that it’s difficult to read them.

I liked how Connolly helped me understand Claire. Her guilt nearly crushes her, yet she finds a way to keep moving. While we don’t get in her husband Glen’s mind, Connolly does show us his sense of powerlessness. He loses his daughters physically and his wife emotionally. One of the other perspectives Connolly delivers is that of Jay, a Lakota Indian who tries to avoid getting entangled in this case but feels drawn to it nonetheless. The first couple of times we were in his POV, I felt like the pacing slowed down, but then I sort of hit a groove with him and he wound up being someone I came to care about.

If I have a complaint about this book, it is the pacing. There were times when Connolly would move more laterally in her storytelling and I would wish she’d move forward. The pain, though, reverberates on every page. Each of her four narrators struggles and suffers, and you feel it all.

Little Lovely Things by Maureen Joyce Connolly is about Claire and her family's trauma after her children vanish outside of a gas station. I am not going to give much more of a description, as it will spoil the novel.

This novel is very engaging and I kept wanting to learn more about the characters. This novel differs from most others of the genre because you care about the abducted as well as the other characters much more than usual. It makes the novel more memorable. The POV's in this are very well done.

This is an excellent debut novel and I will read anything else this author writes.

4/5 stars. Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for letting me review this book.

It’s a sign of a strong writer when you find yourself thinking about the characters during the day. I found myself frustrated with Claire but also compassion, as we all make mistakes and she pays an extraordinary price for hers. This book will keep you up and be forewarned, if you are a young parent you will take extra care going forward.

While Little Lovely Things was not at all what I expected, I have to say it was a good book. To me, this book was dark and very emotional, and I had a hard time reading some parts of it, because I am a mom, but I also couldn't put it down, because I had to know how it ended.

Little Lovely Things by Maureen Joyce Connolly is a page turning debut novel.
Claire Rawlings life emotionally ended the day she left her 2 children sleeping in her car while she ran into a combiner store bathroom. What unfolds in this novel is grief, guilt and heartbreak. What unfolds throughout this novel keep you glued to the very end.

This was a stunning debut novel! The narrative moves along at an energetic clip and the author makes you realize how life can change in an instant. A last minute decision can change everything...Many thanks to Sourcebooks and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

When I started this book I did not expect to have my heart ripped out, my emotions so raw and the tears to flow so hard.

From the first to the dramatic ending this book made me cry. Ugly sad tears and at times tears of happiness for the characters. I rooted for Claire and Glen to make it through the worse thing that can possible happen to a couple. For them to cling to each other and help each other through this horrible time. They had so much pain and loss. From blaming themselves to possibly blaming each other. They didn’t sit and talk things through. It was like they didn’t except what happened. Maybe closed down to it.

Claire certainly had enough guilt for both parents and Glen in ways made me so mad. I thought he was a bit cold but in reality I’m sure he was suffering too. How do you go on when the things you treasure most are taken from you. You have no idea where they are or what is happening to them.

This was certainly a sad story with a very good ending. I loved almost all the characters. I did not like Moira. I found her to be very unlikable and cold. I know she went through a lot but there was no excuse for the things she did. She was cold hearted and I just did not like her.

Jay I loved. He was full of compassion and cared about the parents of these two beautiful girls. He played a pivotal role in this story and I really loved him. He was a down on his luck drunk who had more feelings than lots of people would have had.

This book is a page turner for sure. It has things going on that will keep you in edge, keep you wondering how it’s all going to play out. It’s a story of love, loss, empathy, caring, sadness, tragedy and you will want to keep reading to see what happens next. It’s a well written book.

This author did a great job of this book. She sure brought out the emotions in me. When you read it have plenty of Kleenex handy because I promise you will need them.

I loved the ending but there is one thing I do wish would have happened or been taken care of.

Another 5 star review from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC in exchange for my honest unbiased review. I highly recommend this book!!

Little Lovely Things sounded so interesting, but I was a little nervous because it is a thriller and they tend to be hit or miss for me. I read this book in one day. It was difficult to read at times, but any story that deals with a missing child makes me turn the pages until the very end. I wanted to see the resolution.

Claire, a mom in medical school is taking her children to their morning drop off while she goes to work at the hospital. While driving she starts to feel extremely sick and has to pull over at a gas station so she doesn’t get in a wreck. She leaves her daughters in the car and when she comes out they are gone. What happened to them and where did they go?

This is essentially a nightmare scenario. The story unfolds from multiple viewpoints so that the reader is privy to information that the main character is not. Claire’s grief was heartbreaking to watch, but I felt that the author portrayed it realistically and made the characters so relatable you could feel their pain. As I mentioned above, any story involving children and violence against children is heartwrenching and can be difficult to read, but it also kept me turning the pages because I wanted to see justice done.

There are so many interesting aspects included in this book, how grief shapes us, how it affects a marriage and a family, and it also includes information about Native American culture and gypsies. (?)

I really enjoyed this book and I am excited to read more by this author.

4.5 stars

This novel is beautifully written and at the same time riveting and heartbreaking!

Claire and Glen have a wonderful marriage with two beautiful daughters, Lily, who is fifteen months old and Andrea, who is 4 years of age. Claire has been studying to be a radiology physician and is almost near graduating and Glen is a teacher at a nearby school. All the med students and staff at the hospital must have vaccines, so shortly after getting her shot, Claire seems to be coming down with a cold or just exhaustion from work overload so she tries to dismiss her feelings of unwellness. Driving the children to daycare on the way to work, Claire suddenly feels very ill and must pull over at the first gas station that has a restroom. Claire barely makes it out of the car and the children are sleeping so she leaves the restroom door propped open so she can watch the car and the girls and then the unthinkable will happen and change many lives in just a moment in time.

This book was a standout for me. Maureen Joyce Connolly has done a wonderful job in creating a story that was so compelling to read and also beautifully written. The characters were very believable and well thought out and I could feel all of their emotions which was very difficult at times. I also enjoyed that the writer gave such interesting background information on a few of the characters and their stories were tastefully approached. I was so impressed that this was the author's first novel and I look forward to reading more, since I can't say enough about what a wonderful writer and story-teller Ms. Connolly is.

I want to thank Netgally and the publisher Source books Landmark for the opportunity of reading this book!

I highly recommend "Little Lovely Things" and have given a rating of 5 Emotional 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars!!

Genre : Suspense and Domestic psychological thriller

Synopsis: Claire live a normal life with her husband and her two little girls. A common day on the way to her regular routine, girls to day care, and Claire to her work she felt very sick what forced her to stop at a gas station to vomit in the bathroom which inevitably forced her to leave her daughters in the car. At that moment a couple of addicts and travelers ( gypsies) passed through the area and decided to steal the car with the girls on it. What happens after that is a sad and complicated story. From what was a home and a life of love and security became the opposite for all parties involved.

Review: A sad story written with a lot of elegance and delicacy. Well written, it reminds me of the narrations of the novels of many years ago. A lot of poetry, which to me gives the author a unique style. A perfect title that identifies the plot and that gives the sublime element of a sad horrible story. The plot, a story of an event that changed their lives and their trajectory in a sad way. A touch of beauty in the little stories that unfolds within the whole plot. And a good ending.

The first chapter of this book brings out one of my worst fears as a mother. What do you do if you get sick while alone with your children? I had to wait a few days before I could read more. It just really tore me up emotionally. Usually I read books within a weeks time. This one has a difficult storyline. I had to keep putting the book down and walking away from it. It’s a wonderfully written book.

I’m definitely ready for something light and funny after this one.

Title: Little Lovely Things
Author: Maureen Joyce Connolly
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

Claire Rawlings can’t afford to get sick. Her two little girls are asleep in the back seat. She’s a medical resident. And she’s speeding down the highway. She doesn’t have time to get sick. But nausea and dizziness wait for no woman, so she exits the freeway to find a gas station, runs to the bathroom, and passes out.

When she wakes up a short while later, her car—and her two little girls—are gone. There are no witnesses, and the police struggle to find any leads. As the days pass, Claire struggles against her own guilt as her marriage crumbles under the strain.

The only lead they have—a witness who’s unreliable at best—only leads them to more devastation, but Claire is convinced there is still hope…if only she can hold things together and hang on.

Little Lovely Things is about a mother’s worst nightmare and is at turns horrific. The mystery over who took the girls haunts Claire’s every moment and even when it seems all hope is lost; she clings to the remnant. There’s some interesting—and depressing—bits about Traveler society, and overall, the book is dark with glimmers of hope and light.

Maureen Joyce Connolly is a poet, a foodie, and a dragon boat racer. Little Lovely Things is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Sourcebooks Landmark via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Little Lovely Things follows the story of a mother who makes a split decision that changes her life forever. It’s a mystery/thriller but is also a story of family, love and loss. This novel kept me on the edge of my seat but also made me cry my eyes out.

Connolly does a great job at developing her characters, especially Claire. While I haven’t been through any types of things Claire has gone through, I definitely felt for her. I also felt that the emotions and her behaviors were exactly what a grieving mother would be experiencing.

This was a fantastic debut novel from Connolly and I definitely hope to be reading novels by her in the future.

*** I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!***

Claire is a mother, wife and aspiring doctor. One day on her way to drop her two young daughters off before work, she suffers a debilitating allergy attack and passes out in a gas station bathroom. When she regains consciousness, she discovers that the unthinkable has happened: her car with her daughters in it has vanished. What ensues are years of heartache and searching and a rollercoaster ride of emotions for Claire and her husband.

I especially enjoyed the beginning of this, with the descriptions of the kidnapping and right before the kidnapping. As a mother, I searched for alternative ways for Claire to have handled her predicament, but I don’t know if I would have done anything differently. Understandably, Claire suffers profound guilt for the loss of her girls, but obviously the ultimate blame lies with the heartless, immoral kidnappers.

I liked how the story was told from multiple viewpoints and found that this was instrumental in building suspense. I also liked the Native American character, Jay, who was sympathetic and very real. He added an original and alternative point-of-view to the story. The ending was ok, but I wish it had more resolution. It just kind of ended. I think an epilogue was much needed.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and Maureen Joyce Connolly for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Claire and Glen Rawlings are the parents of two beautiful little children. While en route to daycare, Claire is incapacitated and her car and children are stolen! The rest of the book deals with the search for the children and Claire and Glen's struggles with guilt and despair.

When I read the blurb for this book I was immediately intrigued. I was not disappointed. The characters were complex and presented well, and the story moved along. I really enjoyed the tidbits about Traveller life and the spiritual struggles Jay White went through. As with many good books, I feel like the story ended too soon and I wanted to know more about the characters who I had grown attached too.

What can I say about a book that is so realistic it felt like I was reading a play-by-play account of a mother’s worst nightmare? At times the book was difficult to read; as a mother myself, news stories like this always bring tears to my eyes. I had to remind myself that this was just a novel, and hopefully—hopefully—all would be well in the end. The developments kept me glued to the pages. I read this book in only 2 days!

The only problem I found with this story is the cursing—so unnecessary; I really hate when writers use God in their curse words. Fortunately the author did not feel the need to throw in the sex scene found in just about every book.

This novel is an absolute page-turner. It was an emotionally charged thriller. The writing was captivating, as was the graphic symbols.

A book that’ll make most parents cringe. The grief aspect as with the entire book was compelling.

Thanks, Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy. This was an astonishing debut novel.

This book was different in a good way. It wasn't a true thriller but it was super suspenseful. I found the book to be intriguing but sad. This was a fantastic debut by Maureen Joyce Connolly.

Connolly made me feel in this novel. I felt for the parents of the girls. Both struggling to make life work and struggling not to blame each other.

This book was completely gut wrenching and I haven't felt that way about a book in a long time.

I had high hopes for this book based on the synopsis from Goodreads- the mother has a horrible allergic reaction which forces her to pull over at a gas station and run inside to the restroom. She passes out and when she emerges her car, with her two young daughters in it, is missing. Her husband is called, the police are summoned and the search begins immediately...but we find out right away who took the girls. This took the suspense right out of it for me and left me less excited to keep turning pages. The truth of what happened is almost too horrifying to imagine and having it all up front made me almost stop reading.
BUT- then a new character is introduced. This brought a little interest back for me and made a difference for awhile. The new perspective helped me to keep reading, maintain hope, and I felt a mediocre level of connection with the characters and investment in the outcome. The new character's sudden interjection into the story felt believable enough. But as the story went on it felt too forced, that particular character's continuous involvement didn't feel genuine, and I kept wondering if maybe there was more to his story than he was letting on...a major twist to come? But....there wasn't. I know we all love an ending where the bad character is caught and the good character flourishes, but this one was just TOO much of a crazy coincidence for me to fully get behind.
The book gets 3 stars from me because I liked the writing style and the various characters, but it lacked the fully believable twisty plot line I was hoping for. Thank you to Net Galley and Sourcebooks for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion!