Vaughan’s <i> Little Disasters </i> is a novel about every mother’s worst nightmare. Your child ends up in the ER with a horrible injury that can’t be explained. You were the one home with that child. All eyes are pointing at you. How do you deal with this tragic event? How can you explain that you would never harm your child?

Told from multiple perspectives and timelines, this novel was thought provoking and touches on a lot of issues — PPD, absentee parents, PTSD — as well as a number of triggering situations. I felt that the main character, Jess’ relationship with her husband should have gotten a lot more exploratory, but overall, I enjoyed this one!

I couldn’t put this book down. I was glued to my chair.... I am defiantly now a fan of the author! I look forward to reading lore of her books! This was fantastic!

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgally for review purposes.

This is my first book I've read by this author and I am now committed 👏

This. Book. Went. There.

I've read books before that have touched on postpartum but never that fully dived in like this one did. It was raw, real, and honest. It didn't skirt around the issues and really touched on how scary and isolating it can be.

All that aside this mystery held my attention and gripped me. It was intense as anything and kept me glued page after page.

Overall I loved it and would definitely recommend. Super refreshing to read something this raw.

When four woman meet at a birthing class, with their babies around the same age they connect and become friends. Liz whose a doctor and is looked down upon by her boss for being a woman and taking time off for her maternity leave, Jess whose trying to make it through a day and shes a stay at home mom to three children, Mel who has two children and her husband had just left her for a younger woman who was his assistant and Charlotte whose a lawyer and had had fertility issues but has a son. One night Liz is working the night shift at the hospital when Jess walks in with her youngest Betsy. Betsy had vomited and isn’t acting like her self. After examining Liz is shocked she has skull damage and it appears to be child abuse. Liz doesn’t want to turn her friend in but as a doctor it’s her duty. Jess can’t seem to tell a straight story and the police begin to investigate. The hospital and the police begin to wonder was this mother suffering from postpartum depression who snapped? Jess’s husband does his own investigation he begins to realize he didn’t see the cracks at home and maybe he should have helped more. Did Jess hurt her own baby. As we dive deeper into the story we get Jess’s side and I really felt for her, it’s not as easy job being a parent and with the society we live in, people shame moms who ask for help and it makes it difficult to ask for help and that should never be the case ever. We get Liz’s side as she’s working though her moms deteriorating health and the abuse she had to endure and what really happened to her sister who died as a baby. I felt this was more of a psychological story with more of a character build story than a mystery or thriller. This book may not be for everyone with child death, postpartum depression , child abuse and more. Four stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good domestic suspense book, and I really liked that this book dealt with a topic I haven't read about in that format before: postpartum depression, postnatal anxiety, and maternal OCD. The author does a great job of putting you in Jess's shoes so that you can feel her anxiety about her children's safety. However, for some reason, I just could not muster an ounce of sympathy for Jess, the mother accused of harming her child, perhaps because it's revealed early on that Jess is an anti-vaxxer. Overall, it's an entertaining suspense novel, although I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who is suffering from the conditions covered in the book.

Review posted on Goodreads on May 5, 2020.

I was super excited about this book. Touted as a psychological thrilled, I expected twists and turns, never being sure about exactly what was going on. My kind of book, right?

The good things: This book jumps back and forth from the past to the presents and jumps between different points of view. At the heart it is about two friends, both of whom have secrets, and they're torn about when one makes a grave mistake.

Sounds good, right?

The bad: Here's the thing. I was bored. I wanted to care, but I just couldn't. I'm not entirely sure why but I just wasn't drawn in. I found myself skimming through the pages, just wanting to know if there was more than meets the eye.

And while sometimes the ending can totally save a book for me, unfortunately even the ending wasn't really enough. There were two twists, but I kind of felt like I saw them coming and they just didn't really surprise me.

This book fell short for me, which is disappointing because it had the opportunity to be great. And while I can't pinpoint exactly what went wrong, it was just average for me. Maybe next time.

The baby has a skull fracture. The mother's story is suspicious. Her friend is the ER physician who is duty-bound to involve the authorities. What actually happened to the baby? What secrets and deep-buried memories will be revealed?

I enjoyed the author's exploration of the ER physician's struggle with the ethics of reporting her friend. Descriptions of post-partum depression were compelling and relatable.

I'm unsure about the best audience for this book. Readers looking for a thriller may find this book sags or seems predictable. But readers looking for a novel about motherhood, post-partum depression, and the different roles of parenting may find the characterization thin or forced in service to the thriller twists.

For me, 3.5 stars, rounded up. Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this novel! I loved it. The pacing was fast, and I loved how the chapters switched from character to character. I really liked Liz but learning about her childhood and infant sisters death was tough. The relationship she had with her mom towards the end was something I personally would not have been able to achieve. Jess was a character I also related to on some level. I suffered postpartum depression with one of my pregnancies so I totally felt the loneliness that she was going through. The little twist at the end was a nice touch to finish up the mystery of baby betseys injury. 4 stars and would definitely recommend.

This one definitely kept me interested from start to finish.
We all think we know our friends but how well do we really know them?
Liz and Jess met at a birthing class years ago and have been close ever since, intertwining their daily lives with parties, dinners and long last friendship.
When Jess brings her 10 month old to the ER where Jess is on call it changes everything about their relationship.
What really happened to Jess's baby and how far will Liz go to find out the truth? What will it cost them both?

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! I did not see the twists coming, especially at the end, which kept me interested and turning the pages.
I really liked how the author highlighted some important issues including postpartum depression and mental health throughout, whilst also exploring the often intense, daily struggles of motherhood in a very vivid and sometimes frightening way. I've thought about this book and certain characters quite a bit since finishing and have recommended it to other Paediatric Nurses/Doctor's I work with.

Thank you to Net Galley, Atria Books and Sarah Vaughan for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

First off, let me say this was not a bad novel by any means. However, I feel that it was not a thriller but more of a domestic drama. Maybe my expectations were set too high, but this wasn't my favorite read this year. With that being said, it's still a good story. It was a hard read as well because of the postpartum depression issues and thoughts of abuse and may be a trigger for some people.

So good! Very slow to start but it picked up and I couldn’t stop. This is a good thriller! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Binged this and stayed up past my bed time

A pediatrician is called to the ER and finds her friend there with her infant daughter who is clearly unwell. It is determined that the child suffered a fractured skull and was in need of hospitalization and Social Services and Police intervention. The plot follows the stories of a group of neighbors who had become friends when taking prenatal classes with each other prior to their first child’s birth. It deals with suspicious, post natal depression, friendship and love. It is very well written and will keep the reader engrossed until the very end which is a remarkable twist. Thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC for an honest review.

Amazing! I read this book in one night... I just could not put it down and I cannot help but think about it now that I have finished it. This is a stunner you won't want to miss.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for the arc of this novel.

I could not put this book down! It was so well written with intriguing characters and a great story line. This was an eye-opening experience being immersed into these characters lives. This is an emotionally written novel about postpartum depression, mental health, and the complexities of motherhood. This was the first novel I have read by this author. The ending was absolutely brilliant and I did not see that final twist coming. I am looking forward to reading other books by this author, as this is the first title I have read by her. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves domestic stories and psychological thrillers!! 5 stars!

Tense chilling a book that will stay with you scenes that will haunt.A mother of three exhausted stressed overcome with her baby's crying. The same baby hurt somehow a rush to the hospital a fractured skull the doctor on duty a close friend.A hurt baby a report to social services a story that grips so many questions so much tension.lives torn apart,
I read Sara Vaughan’s thriller Absolute Scandal raved about it recommended it was a brilliant read and this one had the same effect.I read this in a day Could not tear myself away will be recommending highly.Already looking forward to the authors next book,#netgalley#atriabooks

I really enjoyed this little gem. Even though I had figured out part of the "who" it was still an incredible read. I love that it focused on such an important issue, post-partum depression. It is a beautifully written story that sucks you into the lives of women who are really smart, strong and interesting. You get to see how the secrets we keep (sometimes even from ourselves), sneak into relationships. The harm comes when assumptions are made to try to understand the intent and motivations of people we tend to think we know well. There is enough action, and good writing to keep the reader firmly interested in the outcome for all of the fascinating characters in the story. I really liked this one...Sarah Vaughan has done it again.

Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan Reviewed on April 28, 2020 2.7 rounded up

I really struggled with this one. I am okay with dark and creepy but real life situations are usually a difficult read for me. This was not an enjoyable read and didn’t work for me but that doesn’t mean others won’t enjoy it. We all have different tastes in novels ~ what we like and don’t like ~ aren’t we lucky to have so many great options?

I do want to thank NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for this early release granted to me in exchange for an honest review. Publishing Release Date scheduled for Tuesday, August 18, 2020

I loved Vaughan's previous novel, Anatomy of a Scandal, and made a mental note to read any further work from this author. I was excited to get a copy of this one; unfortunately it wasn't my favorite. The tone felt a bit off to me, though it may just be the timing of my reading it. Quarantining is definitely affecting what I want to read!

Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan earns 5 hearts out of 5.

Poignant, jarring, heartbreaking, illuminating and frighteningly relatable.
It will tug on your heartstrings and expose your inner vulnerabilities all the while holding your heart from cover to cover.

Little Disasters tells the story of motherhood, the fragility of life and normalcy, and how quickly it can all unravel. An infant sustains a head injury and what follows is a child protection investigation, a discovery in family functioning and a deep dive in all that lies buried beneath a mother’s socially expected mask of perfection.

As someone who works in child protection and social work and who also struggled with post-partum anxiety, Little Disasters does a brilliant job in showing the complexity of motherhood along with the realities of what happens when a infant is presented with injuries including joint investigations with child protection and police. The author, Sarah Vaughan, has captured the process along with many ethical considerations such as - what happens when you are the doctor and the mother and child are friends and you have a duty to report? How do relational dynamics shift between a husband and a wife when all is not what it seems? What will a mother do to protect her child? And, how do services and supports fracture and strengthen families at the same time?

I deeply respected the care with which Little Disasters presents each character and the building of empathy through shared perspective taking. While not condoning behaviour, Little Disasters and Sarah Vaughan honours families and their experiences by allowing a space for them to be seen and heard so that healing can begin. I would encourage workers in child welfare, social services, police, health care and community supports to read Little Disasters. The book is sure to elicit sharp questions, appreciative and reflective inquiry and meaningful discussions on our approach during crisis and our best next steps in safety planning and restoring dignity.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Simon & Schuster for an electronic ARC for my honest review.