When a teenage social media star goes missing her mother is left questioning how well she knows her daughter and dealing with the negative consequences of fame.

This book was well written and difficult to put down. I’ll admit to some whiplash as the first third of the novel reads as a subtle, atmospheric, psychological suspense, which abruptly turns into a more high stakes thriller. But both sections were well done in their own ways and thoroughly enjoyable!

Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one held a lot of promise for me, but the execution fell flat. The first half of the book was excellent and engaging, but somewhere along the way it lost steam and I really didn’t care for how it ended.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

The Long Way Back is a captivating, well-written, multi-dimensional novel psychological thriller that will have your heart pounding and leave you breathless with anticipation, as you wonder (and worry) about what will happen next.

A home-run for Nicole Baart, with this novel, as she creates a story that provides a lot of "food for thought".

The beginning of this story introduces us to a mother and her daughter, as they finish a 2 1/2 year traveling adventure, documented on (and funded by) social media. I initially thought of how cool that would be, however it doesn't take very long to make you wonder if the relationship between the two is potentially "to close" or if the relationship has stretched the bounds of parenthood to the point where at least the mother is treating her daughter as more of a friend than as a child.

The daughter was an unpopular child, who was bullied and mistreated by her peers, a situation that (as she is now an attractive young adult) leaves her susceptible to being attracted to mates with questionable intentions.

With the scene set, read the book to find out how the FBI, domestic terrorism, bombs, and fringe elements are involved in this story!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢-𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨, 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙮, 𝙖𝙩𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙥𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧.

This is my second book by this author, and I will say, I did enjoy this one a bit more. It was definitely a slow start and did take me a while to get invested, but I loved the idea behind the social media aspect.

Charlie and Eva’s relationship was so interesting, the mother/daughter connection had me intrigued from early on. I did feel like at times the story itself dragged and went over the top. By the end of the book, I had so many questions. The ending was rushed and it left too many open threads.

There were definitely twists and turns every now and then, however, none of them had me super shocked - I felt most to be predictable. I did find the story itself to be thrilling, I just was expecting a different outcome.

I really liked how social media and Instagram impacted both characters and how far a mother is willing to go to find her missing daughter. They definitely had their ups and downs, both made dumb decisions, but I still found their relationship fascinating.

Overall, this was still an enjoyable read. I liked some aspects of it, the ending was underwhelming though. I feel like the concept was intriguing, but some moments were underwhelming and rushed. I could definitely see certain readers enjoying this one!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Atria Books for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thoroughly enjoyed this one! The big twist in this book involves a subgenre of thrillers that I LOVE, so I don't want to say what it is but it was definitely not what I was expecting and it made for a very intense read.

I love thrillers that provide not just a wild mystery, but excellent character arcs, and THE LONG WAY BACK certainly delivered that.

If you like dual POVs & jumping timelines, mother-daughter relationships, and race-against-the-clock stories, pick this one up!

This is a gripping story about the boundaries of a mother/daughter relationship, the power of community, the different ways Americans see their country, social media (for better and worse), the grace of forgiveness, and a young girl's hard fought bravery. I really enjoyed following the adventures of Charlie and Eva. Their Instagram fame seemed realistic and as a mother myself I sympathized with Charlie when Eva disappeared. Without giving anything away, I especially enjoyed how Eva was able to forge connections in the unlikeliest of circumstances. The pacing fits the domestic thriller genre; the author does a good job of keeping the reader invested in the narrative's outcome. The ending, while a tiny bit far-fetched, does seem to fit the story. We leave Charlie and Eva in a realistic but good place.

Charlie and her daughter, Eva have a unique mother-daughter relationship. They've been traveling the country for the last two years in an Airstream they named Sebastian. When Eva decides she wants to attend high school instead of being home schooled for the last of her high school career, they take a hiatus. But Charlie hopes they'll return to the road afterwards - - at least for a little while. But does Eva really want to? Or does she want to finally have her chance to be a real teenage girl and simply do the things other girls her age do?

Then one day, they go out for a boat ride and when Charlie wakes up from a "nap," Eva has disappeared. Then the question in everyone's mind becomes what happened on that boat? Did Eva leave voluntarily or was there foul play involved? As the story progresses, it takes some clever turns that I didn't necessarily see coming. It's an inventive and clever storyline that kept me reading until I finished.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

This story ran away with me unexpectedly. The first half of the story about Instagram influencers mother and daughter and their travels was appealing. But when the daughter disappears I became vested in the story. Relating to the mother and her plight I was all in until the end.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

It didn’t quite have the same magic that Everything We Didn’t Say had, but it was a good book. Parts of it were great and the premise was amazing, but parts of it just didn’t jive for me I guess.

As both a mother and a daughter I can relate to both Charlie and Eva. A mother always wants to keep their child safe but you have to allow them to grow their own wings and fly! Teenage years are hard for everyone and this book explores both sides of that adventure!

f you're looking for a fast-paced summer thriller, this is the book for you! Nicole Baart (author of "Everything We Didn't Say") hits this new summer novel out of the park for me. It's packed with twists & turns I didn't see coming. For mothers of daughters, this one will tug the heart-strings. Her storytelling is relatable, bringing both the good and dangerous sides of social media into the story. The novel is quick pace told through the POV of Charlie and Eva. It's definitely got emotional feels, but I could tell I wanted just a little bit more while reading. However, I wasn't disappointed, and I'm already telling readers who like thrillers to check this one out!

I usually keep a note on my phone with thoughts on the book I’m reading to help me write a review when I’ve finished the book. I realized after reading The Long Way Back by Nicole Baart that I didn’t even start a note. I was so completely engrossed in the story that it didn’t even occur to me to flip over to make notes for later.

Eva and Charlie are unintentionally thrown into the social media influencer world when a photo of Eva goes viral. After Eva struggles with bullying in middle school, Charlie takes advantage of the new opportunity as influencers and hits the road with Eva and a renovated Airstream trailer. Halfway through Eva’s senior year of high school, the duo stops traveling to let Eva finish high school in public school. Just days before graduation, Eva disappears.

It’s hard to say more about the rest of the book without offering up spoilers, but I can say I am not typically drawn to thrillers. I literally couldn’t put this down. Nicole Baart is a master of creating complex characters and authentic relationships. Between reading this book and her previous novel, Everything We Didn’t Say, I may start adding more thrillers to my TBR.

If you like open-road adventures, stories that tell two sides of the coin- beauty and brokenness, mother-daughter duos, and good showing up in the face of evil, you need to pick up this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced digital copy.

okay wow! i really enjoyed this book. this one is about an instagram famous mother-daughter duo where the daughter ends up going missing. the book is spent trying to determine where she ended up. honestly, reading this book i had no idea this book was going to end up going the way it did. i was actually shook at the direction this one went. i honestly don't think anyone could have guessed it. it was a wild ride & i definitely recommend.

When I get super excited, I sing . Not well, but I sing . The best part ? It’s random and I make up my own words . These are my sudden bursts of self proclaimed creative talent .

Well, I’m singing .

I’m singing because I just finished another banger of a book, we’re coming up on 4th of July and It’s Wednesday! I love Wednesday’s (helllloooo hump day 😉), just not as much as I love peanut butter .

Ok, the book
Drumroll please …….

The Long Way Back, Nicole Baart .

Oh, you haven’t heard of her yet ? Well now you have and I promise you, you are going to want to get to know her because this book is destined for the Bestsellers List .

These characters come alive and jump right off the page . You feel as though you are watching this story take place right before your eyes . There is no shortage of twists and turns ! This book is oozing with suspense

Do you know the feeling when you hold your breath and your chest gets tighter and tighter ? That is the best way to describe how I felt while reading The Long Way Back.

Teaser :

When an Instagram-famous teenager mysteriously disappears, her mother grapples with the revelation of dark secrets in this twisty, atmospheric thriller—from the author of the “poignant, riveting” (Wendy Walker, author of Don’t Look for Me) Everything We Didn’t Say.

Mother and daughter Charlie and Eva never sought social media fame, but when a stunning photo of Eva went viral, fame found them. Now, after more than two years documenting life on the road in their vintage Airstream trailer, the duo has temporarily settled on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Eva is happily finishing her senior year of high school and applying to college, but Charlie longs for the adventures they left behind.

When Eva goes missing less than a week before her graduation, it’s Charlie who is immediately suspected of foul play—not just by their fans, but also by the police and the FBI. As a fight about one more road trip comes to light, and the truth about their relationship is questioned, Charlie realizes the rosy facade they portrayed online hid a complicated and potentially dangerous reality. Now, to clear her name and find out what has happened to her daughter, she’ll have to confront her own role in Eva’s disappearance—and whether she knows her daughter at all.

The Long Way Back is a dynamic thriller about Charlie and her seventeen-year-old daughter Eva who for years have chronicled their travel adventures on a popular Instagram account. When Eva disappears from a boat in the middle of Lake Superior, their fans and the police think Charlie knows why. What begins as a suspenseful mystery turns into an action-packed thriller with twists you will not see coming.

The Long Way Back, told through Charlie and Eva’s perspectives interspersed with news articles, podcasts, and Instagram posts, explores close mother-daughter relationships as daughters become adults and what happens when you share your life online.

I was a little tentative going into the book knowing there was an influencer plotline, but I had faith in Nicole Baart’s ability to write a great thriller. Not only did I enjoy Baart’s construction of the influencer plotline, I found an original plot that took me by surprise. I will not share more about the story itself so you can also be delighted by its revelations. Just know you will never see where The Long Way Back goes.

I really enjoy Nicole Baart’s writing. Baart has an evocative way of storytelling that lends itself to crafting a storyline that feels deeper than your run-of-the-mill thriller. Plus, it is always refreshing to read a thriller that is well-written.

I would have preferred the characters to be further developed, but I recognize that it is difficult to maintain the mystery and suspense if we better understand the characters’ motives. Still, I think the way Baart chose to structure the book left room to know Charlie and Eva further.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Long Way Back. It is among the best thrillers I have read so far this year, and I definitely recommend it. Bearing with the slower start is rewarded on later in the story.

After loving Everything He Never Told Me, I was quick to pick up The Long Way Back and it did not disappoint!

This book had a little bit of everything and I was totally absorbed. I loved the social media aspect, the mystery, the multiple narrators, and never knowing who I could trust. The buildup was flawlessly executed and the story took a direction I never could have guessed!

I loved that Charlie and Eva were a mother daughter duo that took social media by storm. Their account felt wholesome, real, and one I would totally follow even though I'm not big on hiking/camping! I loved the way Baart described the posts even giving us detailed translations of the images. I could totally picture Eva being the Little Mermaid Girl and Sebastian was clear as day in my mind!

The mystery was well done and it was fun being in the investigation right alongside the detectives and Charlie. Some (much?) of the story and investigation were far fetched but I didn't mind suspending believability a bit to really enjoy the story.

This was a good one and one I definitely recommend!

Thak you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the copy.

Baart's best book yet. I was hooked reading this story and loved the relevance of the lifestyle of a social media influencer.

The Long Way Back by Nicole Baart is a twisty thriller. We learn that mother Charlie and her daughter Eva become instagram overnight sensations. They decide to travel and post their adventures online, where they have thousands of followers. Then Eva decides when she turns 17 she wants to experience high school and to attend college, so they settle down in Charlie’s hometown, then one day she wakes upon their boat on the lake and her daughter has disappeared and no where to be found. It seems that Charlie didn’t know her daughter as well as she thought and that she was keeping secrets from her. This was a good book and I really enjoyed reading it. Thanks to Netgalley for this arc.

THE LONG WAY BACK is an engrossing read that twists ways that I didn’t expect. Eva’s disappearance makes Charlie realize that the daughter had more secrets than she knew. Nicole Baart explores mother/daughter relationships, social media and its pitfalls in a novel I couldn’t put down.
Eva and Charlie are interesting and fully realized characters. I enjoyed the way Baart used the social media posts and Eva’s practice essays to give a little more information on their lives. I also liked the way we alternated between Charlie and Eva’s points of view, as well as some of the flashbacks to their time on the road which gave me the opportunity to live the adventures vicariously through them. I don’t want to say too much more because I don’t want to give any more of the plot away. Don’t miss this one!
Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#thelongwaybackbook #nicolebaart #atriabooks

Thank you to Nicole Baert and her publishing team for allowing me to have this ARC

This was a well written book that keeps you on your toes. The book opens to you thinking that it is going to be a heartwarming story of the travels of a mother and daughter and their social media account and things quickly twist into something that is every parent's nightmare. A missing child.

The weaving of the social media posts and the current events throughout the book were well done and tied the story together.

Eva and Charlie have a great relationship and are able to have many adventures together while solving a problem for Eva being bullied at school.

The middle of the book was a bit of a reach for me, but it was well written and tied in well by the end.

A must read for thriller lovers as well as for people that like well written fiction.

I look forward to future projects!