Mother and daughter duo, Charlie and Eva are social media influencers since a riveting photo of Eva went viral. Exposing your life to the world also makes you vulnerable to unsavory characters. When the two of them step away from the spotlight and settle on the North Shore of Lake Superior to try to live a seemingly normal life, Eva disappears and everyone is questioning what happened. Could Charlie be at fault? By posting pictures of her beautiful daughter did she invite a predator into their midst? This was a great read that kept me guessing! Thank you for the ARC!

This book just wasn’t for me! It could have been a wrong time/ wrong moment type of situation, but regardless, it’s a no for me

✨The Long Way Back✨

Format: eARC
Genre: thriller
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- really enjoyed it!
Pub date: 6/13/23

First of all, I want to say thank you to Nicole and Ateia for letting me be apart of this street team, and for the gifted copy of this book! I had so much fun interacting with the rest of the team.

The Long Way Back had a slow start, but quickly turned into a page turning thriller. I found that I couldn’t stop reading about halfway through, and I had to know what happened next. I have to say that the twists really captivated me—it was all just very different from other thrillers I’ve read.

I love that the description of this book gives literally nothing away, and my review will be that way too. I’m just going to tell you to read it and find out for yourself! 😉

I finished the book and immediately ordered a physical copy to add the signed book plate Nicole sent me. She’s officially my first (and only) signed book 🥰

If you liked these, you'll love this one:
✨You Can Trust Me
✨Zero Days
✨The Spare Room

Description:

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 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 in a tiny Minnesota town. 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 knew her daughter at all.

This was a fairly enjoyable read. It was fun getting the instagram posts in between the chapters and seeing the life that was actually being led versus what was displayed in social media. It was a cautionary tale of the price of fame, and privacy once you subject your life to the internet. The ending fell a bit flat, but overall it was decent.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Nicole Baart is one of auto read authors and I have loved everything she has written. This book is no exception, it was so well done. A great mystery with multiple POVs of mother and daughter kept this story moving. Personally, I am not a fan of social media snippets in books but this was very well done. Highly recommend

I'm a sucker for books that include transcripts from social media, podcasts, phone calls, etc., and Nicole Baart has incorporated all of these items masterfully and they help set the scene and give the reader insight to the mother daughter duo. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book. Charlie and Eva's explorations in their Airstream trailer made me want to pack up my travel trailer and explore the US. When Eva goes missing I felt frantic and hopeless. The twist is one I could not have imagined and without giving anything away I can tell you it gave me the creeps and made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. As you can tell this book gave me all the feels.

I really liked both Charlie and Eva, finding them to be strong, intelligent women who could feel their emotions and still move forward to do what needs to be done. I also found FBI special agent Jude Turner to be both capable and comforting at the same time.

The overall plot felt a little too far fetched for me, or maybe I just do not want to believe this is a world we could be living in.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC/digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5
I loved the concept of this book. The reader follows influencer mother and daughter who travel the U.S. together and share their adventures on social media with the tag line of "take the long way back." But Eva wants to go to senior year of school and be in the social world before graduation, which she does. She then goes mysteriously missing with her mom in the hot seat of blame.

The book changes POV to slowly reveal what has happened as things slowly unravel. This took a direction that I was NOT expecting and it was such a fun concept. My one qualm is it did feel a little unrealistic with a few things not totally lined up...but it makes for a great summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the advance e-copy of this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me the latest thriller by a favorite, Nicole Baart - 4.5 stars rounded up!

When a photo that Charlie took of her daughter, Eva, goes viral and Eva is having trouble at school, they make a decision to hit the road in a renovated Airstream and document it all on Instagram. They are soon trending as they make their way across the country. As Eva gets older and college looms, they decide to settle back home and Eva starts public high school for the first time. When the two take a boat onto Lake Superior one afternoon, Charlie wakes up and discovers that Eva is gone. Soon the authorities think she knows more than she is saying.

This is a wonderful mother-daughter relationship story at heart, with Eva anxious to spread her wings and Charlie holding on even tighter. When Eva is missing and the investigation begins, Charlie learns that she might not have known Eva as well as she thought. Told in various POV from both Charlie and Eva as well as through Instagram posts and Eva's college essays, which give you a glimpse behind the social media spotlight. I never expected the turn of events and was glued to the pages to find out what happened. Be sure to stick around and read the very important author's note. Highly recommended!

Happy Pub Day to Nicole Baart and The Long Way Back! This may look like a quiet character-driven story from the dreamy cover, but this plot is pulse-pounding and twisty once it starts moving. It's perfect summer reading.

Teenaged Eva and her mother Charlie are Instagram-famous for their travel / lifestyle account. Together they lived in a vintage Airstream trailer and experienced the beauty of nature at various national parks. Then the pair returned to Charlie's Minnesota hometown so Eva could attend her senior year of high school. With graduation approaching, the duo disagree about their plans. Charlie wants one more summer traveling with her daughter, but Eva wants to hang out with her friends before going to college. Charlie and Eva go boating the day after a big argument, and then Eva disappears. Was there an accident? Did someone kidnap Eva? Did she leave on her own?

As law enforcement officials investigate Eva's disappearance, Charlie is an early suspect. Then surprising clues are discovered that prove there's much about Eva's life that Charlie didn't know, even though she thought their bond was strong.

This story is so gripping because it could happen today, both Eva and Charlie's Insta fame and in what happened to Eva. (To share more will spoil the rest of the plot for other readers.) While far from my life, the events felt realistic and believable all the way through. As a lifelong Midwesterner, I love reading novels set in our part of the country - life happens here too! This is an interesting exploration of motherhood, family bonds, and social media's impact on daily life. I just wish the ending hadn't been quite as "neat" as it was.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for access to a review copy of this novel and to author Nicole Baart for the privilege of serving on her launch team.

This well may be Nicole Baart's best yet, and that is saying something. It captures the intensity of this mother-daughter relationship at the center of the story really well- the fierce love and protection comes through, but the drama of this story is high stakes and keeps readers on the edge of their seats. It's really effective that while one character's perspective is being told in longer sections, readers have no idea what is happening to the other. It's well developed in both character and story, and even the setting is distinct.

Happy Publication Day!! Wow, what a twisty story, I was not expecting the turn it took! Charlie and Eva are mother and daughter travel influencers who live in an Airstream traveling the country. After settling down in Minnesota so Eva can experience her last year of high school, Eva starts to feel that desire to forge her own life away from her mom. They have a big argument about spending one last summer on the road but Eva relents, or at least Charlie thinks she has. But, instead, Eva mysteriously goes missing. The rest of the story is a race against the clock trying to figure out where Eva went and the answer is definitely more sinister than could be imagined. I really enjoyed this book, it’s my first by Nicole Baart. Thank you Netgalley, Atria Books and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is available for purchase TODAY!

Master storyteller and the queen of family thrillers, Nicole Baart, returns following Everything We Didn't Say (5 Stars) with her latest powerful and moving thriller, THE LONG WAY BACK.

Emotionally charged and psychologically rich— an intense, compelling, and skillfully-plotted suspense of family dynamics where two storylines collide in a race against time.

A mother-daughter duo turns into Instagram Influencers with exploring and adventure, while another family is brooding and plotting.

The author takes you on a wild roller coaster ride with alternating chapters and intriguing side commentary. You may be wondering where the author is headed, but do not stress—enjoy the ride. Expect the unexpected.

Mother Charlie and daughter Eva Sutton decide to travel in their vintage Airstream trailer after a photo of Eve by a waterfall goes viral. Soon they are enjoying the beautiful country and sites while attaining a few sponsorships to afford them to continue their journey for two and half years.

They are an Instagram hit with lots of followers on social media. Charie homeschools Eva (once bullied in school for being fat) and attempts to keep their faces out of the main photos.

The Sutton Girls IG page turns to Eva Explorers, and their vintage Airstream is now called Sebastian. There are many adventures, and fans enjoy following them along their journey. While on the road, they are placed in the public eye—their new life could be fun, exhilarating, and exhausting.

Little do they know how dangerous social media can be. Who has been watching and observing?

They temporarily settle in a small Minnesota town while Eva finishes her senior year of high school and prepares for college. She wants to settle down in one place for a while. She works part-time as a waitress at Mugs at a local cafe and wants to be a writer like her mom.

Charlie misses the adventure, and they have words about it. They are on their boat, Summer Moon, on Lake Superior at night, and Charlie falls asleep. When she awakens, Eva is missing.

In alternating chapters, we hear updates about the investigation and Charlie's desperation to find her daughter. She thought she knew her daughter as they were close, but did she? Was she too overprotective, and was her daughter wanting to break away from her and spread her wings to become more independent?

Charlie is a suspect. Are they trying to get media attention for more followers?

There are Instagram posts from fans posting their thoughts and speculations on the disappearance, pointing fingers at Charlie, and Essays from Eva, which provide insight and perspective, and enhance the overall story.

We also get snippets of a boy named Zach that Eva likes, but her mom is unaware she has a boyfriend until the investigators show her video footage.

Where are her computer and phone? Where is she? Does she have friends, and did she keep her life secret from her mom? Is Eva too sheltered and naive to know when she is in danger?

New evidence is uncovered as the investigation heats up, leading them down a dangerous, violent path. Is Eva being held, prisoner? They need clues to find her before it is too late. Is she alive, and who took her? There is no ransom note.

What a story! Atmospheric, Riveting, Haunting! In The second half (Part Two Eva), the book takes a 180 turn keeping you turning the pages into the wee hours of the morning, desperate to know more about Eva. You know darkness is lurking around the corner.

Surprising, action-packed, propulsive, and twisty! Now age 17, we learn much about Eva through her College Essays (brilliantly done). Nothing is as it appears.

A cautionary tale of the dangers of social media, exploring mother/daughter relationships and family. Known for her family dramas, THE LONG WAY BACK is Baart at her best! I loved it —it ranks in my top 10 thrillers of 2023.

Without giving away spoilers, for me, this was Gilmore Girls meets Gabby Petito's story, Joyce Maynard's The Influencers, Lisa Jewell's Then She Was Gone meets Laura McHugh's What's Done in Darkness.

With her signature lyrical prose and winning style, the author brilliantly explores two sides of a coin—broken and beautiful in this atmospheric family saga, both timely and thought-provoking.

A massive fan of the author, this is my fourth book, and all are five stars. You know, when you pick up one of her books, to set aside the time. Unputdownable. I love her style. If you enjoy twisty family dramas, surprises, social media, true crime, and intelligent well-written thrillers, this is for you!

My Q&A Interview with Nicole #AuthorElevatorSeries | Everything We Didn't Say

Thanks to #AtriaBooks for a gifted ARC via #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I also ordered the audiobook narrated by Cassandra Campbell (fav) and Rebekkah Ross. I can't wait!

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 💙 Stars +
Pub Date: June 13, 2023
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The Long Way Back is a difficult book to rate. I enjoyed the first part of the book. The Instagram posts were a unique way to do flashbacks and I was pulled in by the mystery of what happened to Eva.
The second part of the book tells us Eva’s side of things and what happens to her. This is where the book completely lost me. Without spoiling anything, it felt like a completely different book that came out of left field and that I was not interested in.

This book was unexpected, in the best way. After hearing the premise I swore I knew how it was going to play out, but it went so many different ways I wasn’t expecting. I truly couldn’t predict what was going to happen and I loved that. I also think the two different perspectives really added to the suspense of the story. I also thought embedding other types of media like the Instagram posts, podcast transcript and college essays added more dimension to the story. I definitely recommend this one!

Alright, well, didn’t see that coming lol. This felt like two separate books, both which I normally love but something here was too jarring and didn’t work for me as it normally does. I would go into this one as blind as you can so you don’t see any spoilers. I enjoyed the first half and couldn’t wait to find out what happened to Eva. The MCs were strong and mother-daughter dynamic was well written - you could feel the tension between the two. Overall, a quick read the will keep you guessing!

I really enjoyed this author’s book Everything We Didn’t Say, so was thrilled when I saw they were coming out with another book.

This was a pretty fast-paced book that makes you want to keep flipping pages to find out what comes next. There are short chapters that give you insight to each characters lives, feelings and motivations. It really allowed the reader to feel connected to the characters and understand them.

It was also very easy to picture what was going on and what the characters looked like and were wearing. Since this is so in tune with the current situation of content on social media, it was easy to make a sort of mental mood board for each character’s taste. One of my favorite parts was the meaning of the title of the book.

Without giving anything away, wow, was there a lot going on in this book! I didn’t see some twists coming. I went into this book not knowing a ton about the premise, but mainly because of the author, and I think it really helped the surprises that popped up; you think you know and it’s going to go one way, but then it does a full turn to throw you off.

The characters were very relatable to a many number of reader and may even make you question what all you’re willing to put out in the world (especially on social media). How much would you show of your life and still be able to have some place to call home and safe?

Thanks to the author, Nicole Baart, Atria Books and NetGalley for this eARC of The Long Way Back in exchange for my review!

To say I was hooked from the beginning is an understatement. I love how the story progresses and can admit I did not see the ending coming. It's rare to have a thoughtful story tied into a mystery, so I appreciate it when they come around. A must-read this summer!

Thank you to Artia books and Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I highly recommend picking up this thriller. It had some good twists and turns and I enjoyed reading about the mother/daughter relationship. I like that it gave POVs from Charlie and Eva which gave the story good depth. Well paced and entertaining, definitely pick this one up.
4 Stars

Nicole Baart's newest novel holds so many elements that appeal to me -- a Midwest setting, mother-daughter relationship issues, travel adventures, a missing person mystery to solve and enough suspense to keep me reading late into the night. I was especially excited to discover the final scene taking place at the state park in the Iowa community where I grew up. This may have been the first book I read from Nicole Baart, but it definitely won't be the last! Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance copy to read and review.

The first part of this was so relatable I felt it in my soul. And the second part was action packed and terrifying. I loved every single word.
I don't want to reveal anything because it twists and builds, but trust me- this is good. It is a good book. The ending was great too!