This was a good read that id reccomend for a light thriller rec. I was invested in the characters and the storyline was well executed.

SPOILER ALERT!

Dogs die in this book. Typically, this is an automatic DNF for me, but for whatever reason, I was able to compartmentalize this nonsense and finish the book. I don't think this fact was necessary to the storyline, which put me in a bad head space moving forward.

Described as a “race-to-the-finish family drama," that's a lie. A family drama it is, but no one was racing through this one.

I got Erin Brokovich vibes, even though that's just a back story. Is that even a thing? I don't care.

This was a murder mystery where I did not guess the end, so there is that. I also appreciated the strong brother/sister bond throughout as I love my brother and always enjoy those types of relationships. I'm less inclined to be down banging your best friend's husband, but thou shall not judge.

In the end, this is not a book I would recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

Everything We Didn't Say is such a fun mystery! I love a good small-town mystery, and this one really delivers. I enjoyed the alternating viewpoints between present-day Juniper and "June" as a teenager. I don't think all writers can pull this off, but the dual timelines really worked for me. Maybe it's because I'm a mom now, but the theme of motherhood was so interesting in this book, and I loved how the power of motherhood influenced the character relationships in different ways. I was definitely impressed by Nicole's writing style, which she expanded on in my author interview on my blog (link below!). Thank you to Atria Books for the free copy!

Interesting, and compelling but ultimately not as memorable as I wanted it to be. I do still adore the cover though

Sadly I really struggled with this one and it pains me to say it because I love Nicole Baart’s writing. I had so much trouble truly getting engaged. That being said I look forward to her next book because I am still a fan!

I really liked this one! It was a compelling read and I didn't feel pulled out of the story. I wanted to keep reading.

The wind blew, bitter and biting, sinking deep into her bones as she made her way down the dark path. The moon was hidden behind menacing clouds and thick snowflakes fell from the sky, quickly covering the ground and hiding her footsteps. This place was haunting her memories… memories of bloodshed and a night that was very much a nightmare.

Everything We Didn’t Say is a dual timeline thriller following Juniper as she returns to her hometown and awakes memories of an unsolved murder from fifteen years ago that her brother supposedly committed.

This was a very entertaining, drama-filled thriller that kept my attention throughout. Lots of secrets and small town chaos. I enjoyed the dual timeline as we got to see Juniper in the past leading up to the murder and Juniper in the present trying desperately to get to the bottom of everything and clear her brother’s name. While I guessed some of the twists, it was still a very enjoyable story!

If you like small town drama thrillers and murder mysteries, then I recommend giving this book a read.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of Everything We Didn't Say by Nicole Baart.
Everything We Didn't Say is a slow-paced mystery told in alternating time lines. Nicole Baart does a good job tying up the story and creating an adequate conclusion. The book, though well-written, could have moved at a more suspenseful pace.

I want to say that I enjoyed Everything We Didn't Say by Nicole Baart, but I really didn't. I love a good mystery and thriller as much as the next person, but this one just dragged for me.

I understand withholding information until the end, but there needed to be much more parsing out of important information in order to move the story along. That didn't happen with this one. Everything was held back not only as part of the story itself but in the telling of the story to the reader. It didn't feel authentic or real at all and it made it really hard to connect with the characters as a result. Also, I get incorporating the whole podcast angle into the story, but it has been done better in other stories.

This story unfolds in past and present timelines. I enjoyed the past far more than the present, and feel the story could have been told entirely from the past and the book would have been far more interesting. I had the guilty party figured out pretty early on so it was just a matter of taking the slow ride with Juniper until she figured it out for herself. The book wasn't without surprises though as there were a few things I got wrong and I enjoyed those twists.

There is a podcast that is mentioned in the book's summary, however we never get to hear it and I'm a little disappointed by this as I truly enjoy books that incorporate podcast episodes as a way to discover the truth.

Being an Iowa girl myself, I very much enjoyed Nicole's descriptions of small town life as well as the many Iowa references that she makes throughout the story. This is my first book by Nicole and I plan to check out her future work as I enjoyed her writing style.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was such a fast read that my bookmark was mad at me by the end because it didn't get any use! The character and plot development worked in tandem so well that I felt like I was living within the story. I loved the twist, and immediately threw this book at my mother saying, "drop everything and read this one NOW!" I will definitely be grabbing any Baart book that comes my way from here on out!

The murders of Cal and Beth Murphy rocked the small town and Juniper’s brother became a suspect. Now there’s a crime podcast that’s brining up those murders again and Juniper is back in town. Along the way she also hopes to repair her relationship with her daughter and to get to the bottom of what happened that day.

But Juniper will find that most of the residents in Jericho aren’t quick to welcome her back. First, there’s her daughter who’s been raised by her parents and is now a teenager. Then she realizes that her former best friend will never forgive her for coming in between her and her boyfriend. The more Juniper questions and tries to get close to the truth, her safety is in jeopardy.

I found Juniper very frustrating because she didn’t quite seem to understand why her daughter would hold her at arm’s length. Not only that but the reason Juniper was returning to town in the first place was to help an ill friend, who is mainly absent from the story. I get she wasn’t the central character but it just added to more reasons that I found Juniper a bit selfish. The pace was quite a bit slow for me with this novel as well so it didn’t not end up being one of my favorite mystery/thrillers read last year.

Juniper dreamed of leaving small town Jericho, Iowa. Her dear friend, Cora, needs help with the town library - her cancer is spreading. Juniper packs up to face the life she ditched. Including her teenage daughter.
15 years earlier, Juniper's neighbors were shot in what appeared to be a crime of passion. Juniper's brother, Jonathan, was the main suspect. The only suspect.
Desperate to clear his name, Juniper falls back into Jericho- hoping to put her all wrongs right.

I have just finished reading Everything We Didn't Say by Nicole Baart.

She is an Author that I have read from before and enjoyed.

This storyline is told between two timelines, about a young mother who left a baby behind with her mother, as she moved on.

There is a murder that takes place during her teenage years that was never closed.

Good writing, characters, and storyline.

I really enjoyed this one. I liked the two timelines and how things unfolded. I had suspicions but still ended up nicely surprised. I thought the characters were great, although Juniper tended to make some dumb mistakes along the way. Sometimes I wanted to shake her. But overall it was a great story and I enjoyed my time reading it.

Well not my most favorite from Nicole Baart.

I am a big fan of this author but this story just didn’t grab me like others did.

I will be reading this author again for sure though.

Juniper and Jonathan are siblings enjoying the last summer before June goes off to college but a tragedy strikes their small Iowa town. Their neighbors, Beth and Cal, are killed and many in town believe Jonathan to be the killer. An interesting mystery with familial themes makes this a great book.

Juniper comes back to her hometown to help her friend, Cora, manage the local library. She has been diagnosed with cancer and needs help. Juniper, however, has other reasons for returning to town. She wants to solve an old murder case that took place during the 4th of July one fateful summer. Cal and Beth Murphy were both shot to death and the prime suspect was Juniper's brother, Jonathan. People think he got away with murder all those summers ago.
The small town proves to be full of secrets, as most are. Secrets are revealed like a web of lies. The ending is unexpected, the prose is beautifully written and the drama/mystery is interesting. Pick it up!

While this book was well-written and the plot was solid, I didn't connect with this book like I thought I would. I find it very difficult to understand a mother's decision to not have their child with them. It made it harder for me to buy in to the characters and the plot. I found Juniper to be an unlikeable character from the beginning and I struggled to understand her choices at numerous times in the book.

I am clearly in the minority on this one. And because I enjoyed the author's writing style, I will definitely try more of what she writes. This one just wasn't for me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for sending a complimentary digital copy my way. All opinions are my own.

A compelling read. Beautifully written, emotional and unpredictable, and characters that have a depth to them.