I really liked this book! There were definitely parts that dragged and then it was maybe TOO much all revealed right at the end. But I really like how the author took on such heavy and highly stigmatized topics and handled them deftly. She made sure we understood these characters and felt empathy for them (well, some more than others..) when their dark secrets were revealed. I felt her pain when Jess went to the hospital the last time before everything came to a head. The pain of a frantic mother who is also out of her mind. I wanted to reach into the page and hug her! I will definitely look for more books by this author in the future.




Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the advanced copy in exhange for my honest review.

This book had a lot of good parts. The twist was really good at the end. However, there were a lot of parts that seemed to drag on.
But if you enjoy slow burns then this is a good book for you.
I liked how it touched on a lot of problems with post-partum and the stress of having kids. It also features all types of Moms which I appreciate.
Thanks to @netgalley and @atriabooks for this advanced copy in exhange for an honest review.
Synopsis from Goodread:

You think you know her…but look a little closer.

She is a stay-at-home mother-of-three with boundless reserves of patience, energy, and love. After being friends for a decade, this is how Liz sees Jess.
Then one moment changes everything.
Dark thoughts and carefully guarded secrets surface—and Liz is left questioning everything she thought she knew about her friend, and about herself. The truth can’t come soon enough.

With Sarah Vaughan’s signature “clever and compelling” (Claire Douglas, author of Last Seen Alive) prose, Little Disasters is a tightly-wound and evocative page-turner that will haunt you long after you finish the last page.

This book is out on August 18th 2020

This is a book about the complexities of motherhood. Four women meet at a birthing class, so at least their firstborns are all about the same ages. There is Liz, a doctor, who’s slightly less successful because her superior doesn’t appreciate her taking maternity leave for two kiddoes. There is Jess, who seems to be the perfect stay-at-home mom with a wealthy husband. Mel has two kids and when the novel starts, her husband has just left her for a much younger assistant. And there is Charlotte, who is a successful lawyer.

This is told primarily from the points of view of Liz and Jess. Liz is working at the hospital when Jess comes in with her third child, a baby girl. Jess’s story is a little muddled, and the problem with the baby could be indicative of child abuse. Liz doesn’t want to be part of the team that reports this to Britain’s equivalent of social services because she knows what a conscientious, if high-strung, mother Jess was with her older two children. But police do investigate possible child abuse.

Both Liz and Jess did not have easy childhoods. Because of celebrities telling their stories, we all know that even women who seem to have it all can suffer postpartum depression and can want to lose their mind when a baby is crying and crying, particularly when that mom also has two older sons, one of whom is not an easy child at all. Did Jess hurt her own baby?

That is the mystery. Some twists I liked, others I thought were a little less successful. The novel did a good job of looking at motherhood from various perspectives. Moms need support, from other women and, ideally, their husband, and not all women should become mothers. I liked this book, but I didn’t love it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book, which RELEASES AUGUST 18, 2020.

One of our leading voices in thriller writing - this doesn't disappoint. If you want a edge-of-the-seat experience, you'd do worse than pick this up. Highly recommended.

Brilliant book.
Very very well written with lots of depth and real characters.
Complex but believable and utterly gripping. I thought I had worked it out but boy I was wrong. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Was over too soon.

Being a mother of three can test your patience but can it cause you to hurt one of them? Jess is a mother of three and starting to notice that she is getting overwhelmed by her feelings/emotions ever since she had her youngest, Betsy. Then one day Betsy is taken to the hospital for a head injury...Could this be done by Jess? Is she capable of doing this to her own child.
If you are a parent or not you have to read this one...
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this advance copy.. Book release 18 Aug 2020,

First and foremost a huge thanks to Netgalley and Atria for an early reading copy.
My first book from this author and it did not disappoint. The book delves into motherhood, postpartum depression and a taboo of harming your child. The story centers around a group of mothers and how each plays a role in the shocking accident that places a child in danger. The author gives believable insight into the mind of a postpartum mother. It made me realize and help explain the real life mothers who harm their children.

This is my first book by this author but if her others are as good as this, it will not be my last. I read it in a day which is unusual for me. It was fast-paced and well-written.

Little Disasters is the story of friends who met in a childbirth class years before and have remained friends. Liz is a ER Pediatrician and her friend, Jess, presents with her newest child, Betsey. Betsey has sustained a mysterious head injury and all indications point to Jess being responsible. Liz is torn between her knowledge of her friend and the overwhelming evidence that she is unstable and possibly hurt her child.

This novel delves deeply into motherhood issues, especially those that you bring from your own childhood. While it is not a mystery in the traditional sense, there are plot twists and surprises that I did not see coming.

I highly recommend this book. Thank you NetGalley and Emily Bestler Books/Atria Books for the chance to read this early.

After an intriguing first chapter, I found the first third or so of this novel slow to start. I did set the book down for a few days as reading/concentrating is a bit tough in these times in general, but not one to give up, I did dive back in.

The main theme is a good one - young mothers forming bonds that can only happen in the throes of raising children, especially for those mothers who carry the brunt of the childcare. Postpartum depression, the stress of protecting your children in the world and, in some cases, balancing a career can be extremely overwhelming. What happens when one woman who seemingly has it all drops the ball?

The writing is fluid and kept me interested, more in the character development than in the action itself. The story line is definitely more domestic women's fiction than a thriller. There are a couple of twists at the end, one obvious and one less so - but the less obvious one is also not very realistic and completely out of character for one of those involved.

Overall I would recommend the writing more than the story itself, but will definitely look out for more works by this author.

**4 Stars**

Jess is a picture-perfect stay at home mother; she is pretty, thin, and has three beautiful children, including her beautiful baby Betsey. She is married to Ed, a successful businessman who works long days and nights to sustain his family and help his wife stay home. Jess' world is flipped upside down when she finds herself being charged with negligent parenting after bringing Betsey into the ER. To make matters worse, the charges have been filed by Jess' friend and ER doctor, Liz, who she befriended in a mother-baby group with their first children.

The story is told from the competing perspectives of Jess and Liz. Liz is a hard-working mother who feels terrible for reporting Jess. However, Betsey's injuries appear serious; it seems as though she sustained a head injury, an injury that resulted in Betsey seizing and remaining hospitalized. Jess' story of how Betsey got injured is inconsistent, making everyone around her wonder if she committed an unforgivable crime.

Did the taxing nature of motherhood cause Jess to hurt her child? Or is someone else responsible for Betsey's serious injury?

Perhaps the guilty party is Ed, who might be having an affair on the side with Jess' friend, Charlotte. Or maybe it is one of Jess' sons, who are somewhat neglected due to the arrival of their newborn sister, Betsey. Or maybe it is Jess herself, who has been suffering from delusions and anxiety since she had Betsey. Liz also seems to have some skeletons in her closet and is working with doctors who are notoriously difficult to please.

This book is a good character study on the challenges and difficulties of being a parent. I appreciated the time the author put into developing the plot and characters. There were also lots of twists and turns that were unexpected that kept me engaged and interested in the book. 

Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books, NetGalley, and the author, Sarah Vaughan, for an advanced reader copy of Little Disasters!

Jess is the superstar mother of the friend group. She does it all and makes having two young boys look effortless. Until one night when she brings her three month old baby girl to the ER. Jess’s account of why her baby has a fractured scull does not add up. Jess’s friend Liz is the doctor working, and is forced to call child protective services to investigate, despite what Liz knows about Jess as a mother.

I thought the back and forth of now and then was a good fit for the pace of the story. I wouldn’t consider it at a mystery or a thriller, but rather a fast-paced family drama. I could definitely see this book becoming one of Reese’s Book Club picks.

One small thing that sticks with me is that the cover doesn't really match the story. Perhaps a mom and daughter holding hands would better fit. It just seems random.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC.

Loved it, loved it, loved it! This book had me gripped from the get go and as the story developed, I just couldn't put it down. I would recommend it to anyone!

Imagine yourself as a pediatrician who is called to the emergency room, you enter the room and sitting there is your friend with her infant daughter. It goes against all the rules for you to treat this child but you do. Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughn begins here but it surprises you by where this book leads and by the common but misunderstood illness it uncovers. There is a shocking twist near the end you will not see coming. Enjoy!

#LittleDisasters #NetGalley

Special thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

I am not in a mood of drama any more and this novel have a lot of drama, when i picked it, i thought that it's Mystrey but i don't found any thrill.

This book is about Liz is an hospital physician working one night when her best friend, Jess, brings her daughter, Betsey, in due a head injury. Liz is required by law to contact social services for an injuries to a child.

The story is well written but so painful and emotional, i cried many times because of those amazing characters.

This novel is so hard for me because it's remainded me with my hard and black days after giving birth to my daughter, she can't take breastfeeding because she have esophageal reflux , she can't sleep and crying all the time. I can't sleep or relax and suffering from a lot of pain in all my body.

The cover is so good, i love it.

What happens when things go awry for the perfect mother? When her husband, friends, and sister don't notice that her life is spinning out of control. Jess handled the birth of her first two children with ease, so why is it that her third child is proving to be so difficult. She can't tell if the baby cries 24/7 just to taunt her, but she fears what she might do if ten-month-old Betsey continues to cry.
When Jess and the baby arrive at the ER, her friend Liz is on duty. Jess tells her the baby has been vomiting and won't stop crying, but when Liz notices Betsey has a head injury, she begins to doubt what happened. Did Jess finally lose control or did someone else hurt Betsey?
Having known Jess for years, Liz finds it hard to believe that she would have hurt her daughter. Jess can't explain why she didn't notice the injury and her story just doesn't add up. Liz's oath as a doctor requires her to report the injury to social services, and it isn't long before Jess comes under police suspicion. Their friendship is put to the ultimate test as what happened to Betsey is slowly revealed.
Both Jess and Liv had difficult childhoods and numerous secrets are revealed that shine a light on who they are today. Told in the past and the present from both women's point of view, the plot moved along quickly, and as all the pieces of the puzzle are put together, the truth emerged. The characters were well written, and my assumption of how this would end changed many times throughout the story. There is more than one twist, but not the oh my gosh what just happened kind. More of the triumphs and tragedies of what it means to be a perfect mother.

This is a great read that was sometimes emotionally difficult to continue. I found the pain of these characters really powerful, sometimes to the point that I needed to put the book down for a few minutes. This story is about women, and motherhood, and all the pressure's put on women by society, and by themselves to the perfect mothers. We start with a doctor and mother Liz, who has to investigate her own friend Jess after she brings in her baby Betsey with a skull fracture. This story really gives all positions, as it takes you through the police and social services investigation. We learn that almost every mother in this story has their own pain. Everyone is culpable for what happened to Betsey, either by action, or inaction. Definitely a great read.

This is my first ever DNF (did not finish). Back in 2007, my infant nephew was murdered and I sat through the trial, which meant hearing and seeing things that will stay with me forever. This book was a huge trigger for that and I didn't get very far into it.

I have friends who read and loved it. The book is well-written, and the story was super compelling. I did skip to the last chapter to find out how it ended. This review is based on the parts I could read, and the fact that the book garnered such a strong emotional reaction is truly a compliment to the author. I look forward to reading other things she's written.

Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan, author of Anatomy if a Scandal, was a great read. The central character was Liz, a paediatrics doctor, married to Nick, with two kids. Their circle of friends comprised of couples they’d met on their antenatal course and had remained friends ever since. One friend Jess admits her youngest child Betsey (a name that grated on me throughout) to ER one night with a suspected head injury. A scull fracture is discovered after scans, and so the story unfolds. This is a very good read, well thought out, with strong, easily distinguishable characters. It has plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes and enough human flaws and conspiratorial deception to drive your emotions. It’s expertly researched and very well written. Another excellent piece of work from Sarah Vaughan.

Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan is more of a family/psychological drama than a thriller or mystery. While the characters were well-drawn, I found it difficult to get into this book.

This was a really suspenseful read packed with emotion and a twist.

Jess is a mom of two boys and a 11 week old daughter. One night she rushes her baby Betsey to the emergency room ,where she finds her friend Liz a doctor is on call that night and also called in to observe Betsey who just won't stop crying.

The story alternates from each characters point of view of the events that traspired that night and everything before leading up to that night. Love the guessing game of who did or could have done something to Betsey

Trigger Warning: post partum depression

Thank you Netgalley and author for this digital arc in exchange for my review