4⭐️

The new book from Nicole Baart is exactly what I've been waiting for since I read her last book Everything We Didn't Say. It was a bit slow at first but once this book picked up, I couldn't put it down! That twist at the end was incredible! Another amazing and suspenseful book from Nicole Baart!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my immensely honest opinion!

Nicole Baart has such a beautiful way with words, even if they are depicting the horror of waking up on a boat to your teenage daughter missing. I loved this book, I always love what Nicole Baart writes. They’re always deeper than a surface level thriller.

I have the opportunity to be part of Nicole Baart’s street team to promote her new novel, which comes out mid-June! I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy for my Kindle through NetGalley and gobbled it right up!

The story is about a mom-daughter duo who become Insta-famous and is told brilliantly from many perspectives and timelines.I loved the description of the Instagram photos and thought the book was just about as dramatic as I could handle. I’m not one for books with a lot of suspense or darkness, and this one went right up to the edge for me.

Nicole did a giveaway, which sadly is already over, but she encouraged people to think about their journeys in life and how taking “the long way back” sometimes brings you the best joy. I know that at the end of travels, getting home quickly can sometimes be the goal, but it is important to remember that the Long Way Back can afford you a different view of your return and of your home and can help you to savor every moment of the journey.

I love books set in Minnesota and this one takes place “up north,” in a fictional town north of Duluth. I’m pretty sure I’ve been there and can imagine the houses and beaches on Lake Superior. The book also touches on current concerns, such as social media influence.

As I said, I gobbled this book up and hope that people look for it when it is released on June 13!

This was my first time reading a novel by Nicole Baart, but I'll definitely be seeking out her backlist. This was an interesting novel about a mother/daughter relationship that takes an unexpected twist that turns it into a tense thriller. Great character development, lovely writing about scenery and places, and the title really ties into the book. I also liked the use of different types of social media portrayed in the writing - the Instagram posts, the podcast transcript, and even the voicemail messages.

Book Title: The Long Way Back
Author: Nicole Baart
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: June 13, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 384

I was drawn to this story as I have read three Nicole Baart novels and they were great.

When I discovered that Charlotte aka Charlie (the mom) and Evangeline aka Eva (the daughter) Sutton have a following on their Instagram account known as "Eva Explores" –
I stopped and said out loud ~ Oh no not another ‘influencer story’!!
Honestly I was drawn to this because I like the author and didn’t check blurb or reviews!!!

I recently read several ‘influencer theme’ stories and although I like mysteries, these stories seem to have a formula ~ the influencers are perfect and experts on what we should be wearing as well as how to live our lives. Of course, one goes missing presumed dead and in most cases was murdered.

In this story Charlie and Eva post their travels via ‘Eva Explores’ and thousands of people live vicariously through their travels in their Airstream trailer. When Eva disappears . . .
~ Yikes! Wait what did I just say about a formula?

Wait a minute!
Aww the backstory made me change my mind about this being a formula driven influencer story.
The story is told from the POV of Charlie and Eva.
The chapters list Instagram posts as well as college application essays that Eva wrote.
The essays gave me the backstory that made me change my mind about this story.
I was deeply saddened by the behavior of some students’ to Eva.😒

As the story goes on Charlie is a suspect in her daughter’s disappearance; she is determined to find her daughter and prove innocent.
While investigating she discovers that Eva has a boyfriend Zach that she kept a secret. Long about this point there is a dark turn to this story. Now I am reading as fast as my eyes will focus.
Story turned out much better than expected.
Okay – I knew Nicole Baart wouldn’t let me down! 😊

Author, Nicole Baart’s “Author’s note” is great (I always find the back of book worth reading as typically give us readers the inside scoop on the motivation and/or what inspired the author had in writing the story). In this case, she tells us that her goal is to show humanity of her characters to be real and honest. She encourages us to have a conversation with someone who sees the same situation but sees it differently. Perhaps if we just listen we probably will find sometime Maya Angelou writes: “We are more alike than unalike”.
Yes! Most of us will find more things the same than so completely different.

The Reading Group Guide discussion questions are also great!

Want to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for granted me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 13, 2023.

The Long Way Back by Nicole Baart was such an exciting story that is full of twisty secrets and a mysterious disappearance.

This was a very entertaining, drama-filled thriller that kept my attention throughout.
I found it to be well-paced with a fully developed storyline and interesting characters.
The characters were true to life with realistic problems.
This book makes you feel all the emotions for the characters.
Absolutely well done.
Every angle is covered and the story is tightly woven and flows at a perfect pace.
A great family drama that was a terrific read and kept me turning pages late at night.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Atria Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

The Long Way Back is a page turner. I couldn’t read it fast enough. Charlie and Eve have the perfect life, as the mother/daughter are portrayed on social media. Then, a mother‘s worst nightmare, as Eve goes missing.
Nicole wove her Midwestern background – as she mentions Iowa!

I have been trying to get into this one for a few months and I just can't seem to. It's moving a little too slow for me and I just cannot seem to get hooked.

There’s a lot of love out there for this one, but it didn’t seem to work as well for me, I’m sorry to say. It started out strong but then felt really draggy to me for a good while. I do think you should try it for yourself as there are many excellent reviews for this one out there.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I loved so much about this book!!!!! There were so many different kinds of relationships that were put together so beautifully. Plus the social media aspect is something that’s done a lot these days, but this felt fresh and relèvent and truly added to the story. Great summer read that has something for everyone in it!!

I thought this was a timely idea for a book, involving social media and podcasts, but it was chopped up and it didn’t flow. Maybe editing? Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I really enjoyed the first part of the book and all of the later descriptions of Charlie and Eva’s life on the road in their Airstream!! Their podcast seemed to be very positive and an example of good use of social media.I was really getting into their relationship when Eva runs away with Zach!!

The book then takes a turn into a cult following of extremists with a “prophet” who thinks the world needs to change right now. Even if it means a type of control by using weapons against established government, etc. The head of this group sees Eva as someone he would like to use to spread the word about his group.

What follows is Charlie’s search for Eva. She had no idea that Eva even had a boyfriend!! Without Eva’s phone or computer it really takes a long time to get pointed in the right direction.

I think this part of the book dragged and the writing seemed to get a bit choppy.

I would have liked to know more about Charlie and Eva besides their travels on the road. I thought Charlie wanted to give her daughter insight into the beauty of different parts of the country and she did that. However Eva was 17 and this was the first time she was in a public school.

The ending was a bit rushed and there were some loose threads. It was an entertaining read and a quick one!

If you like reading about social media and it’s influences, you will enjoy this book.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

Nicole Baart is a go to author for me and once again she did not disappoint. As soon as you start reading, you are sucked into the life of Charlie and Eva Sutton on their travels around the United States via their popular instagram posts. This well-written story had twists and turns that I never saw coming, but also left the reader grappling with the realities of our country being both beautiful and broken. Her characters are real, raw, and highly relatable. I recommend this book for those whole love suspense as well as family drama.

The Long Way Back by Nicole Baart was quite fascinating read. The book revolves around a mother and daughter, Charlie and Eva, who have been traveling around the country in a vintage Airstream trailer, documenting their travels on Instagram. However, when Eva disappears from a boat on Lake Superior just a week before her high school graduation, Charlie is immediately suspected of foul play. The police, FBI, and even their fans on social media all turn against her.

The story is told from different perspectives and is gripping. I enjoyed the complicated relationship between Charlie and Eva, which was more nuanced than it first appeared. Initially, I thought I knew where the story was headed, but the plot took a different route that I didn't see coming. The ending was gratifying, but I was not elated with it.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. The Long Way Back is a great family drama with well-developed characters and relationships. The author's captivating writing style make this book a compelling read. I will definitely watch out for her future works.

I want to thank Atria Books and Netgalley for the Advance Reader's Copy!

Struggling to put my thoughts into words for this one. I liked it, but then again I didn't. I wasn't too fond of the characters, I think the thing I liked most of the story was the ending,.

This book took a wild turn in the middle and while it sort of made sense, it really changed the entire vibe of the book. It reminded me of the Bollywood classic Fanaa—it was a cute and typical story and then suddenly TERRORISTS!

I didn’t hate it but I felt like the end was rushed and oddly anticlimatic,

This was an excellent thriller. It was creepily aligned with the influence social media has on real life and I was on the edge of my seat until the end.

Meh. Beginning a bit slow but readable. Middle was just bizarre. Ending too pat and predictable. Not her best.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️: 4.5/5

Charlie and her daughter Eva became Instagram famous through their account, Eva Explores, documenting their travels through the country in their Airstream. Now, they’ve settled in Charlie’s hometown for Eva’s senior year of high school. When Eva goes missing, Charlie becomes the main suspect, and begins to learn that Eva had secrets, and the two weren’t as close as she may have thought.

I’m a big fan of Nicole Baart, and this is the third book I’ve read by her. It was admittedly a bit of a slow start for a missing person themed thriller, because it felt like nothing was happening and no big reveals were occurring for about the first third, but wow did it it end up picking up! The plot went in an entirely different direction in Part 2 than I could have ever predicted, and I was so invested that I didn’t put it down from that point until I finished it. I loved the way that Part 1 was all Charlie’s POV, which really set up some plot twists due to her limited knowledge of pertinent things, and then Part 2 was all Eva’s POV, which is where things really got interesting. Through Part 1, I was honestly pretty frustrated with Eva, since I found her stupid and spoiled in a stereotypically teenage way, so I’m really glad we got to hear from her POV before any judgements could be set in stone. The Instagram post captions and descriptions, the college essays, and the other extra content interspersed between the chapters was also a really interesting and fun way of providing flashbacks and context to the book, making it not just super suspenseful, but also full of heart, with the focus on the fraught and misunderstood relationships between mothers and daughters.

Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Charlie and Eva hit unexpected Instagram fame with a photo of teenage Eva by a waterfall. Their newfound fame allows them to hit the road for over two years in their Airstream trailer, spending all their time together. But now they are back in Charlie's Minnesota hometown, where Eva is attending her senior year of high school. Charlie dreams of one last trip before Eva heads off to college, but Eva is ready for stability. Then everything changes when Eva disappears while the two are boating. Suddenly, it seems their Instagram fans and the police suspect Charlie of hurting her own daughter...

This was a great read--beautifully written, suspenseful, and a total page-turner! Baart does a wonderful job exploring motherhood and parenthood alongside the mystery of what happened to Eva. Charlie struggles with returning home--she's famous not only for her Instagram and traveling with Eva, but for being the daughter of the town drunk in small town. She holds so much baggage from her past and clings to the idea that traveling on the road with Eva will keep her close and prevent her from having secrets.

But, wow, secrets abound in LONG! There are some amazing twists in this book! While so much of the story focuses on the potential benefits and dangers of social media (are you exposing your child while traveling around, or putting your adventures on social media, or giving her memorable adventures that she couldn't find elsewhere), there are other dark turns too--and it's best to go in blind.

Told from both Charlie and Eva's point of view, THE LONG WAY BACK shows a mother struggling to let her daughter go and a daughter itching to be set free. It delves deeply into familial relationships of all types and the power of social media in our divisive world. It keeps you reading with its immersive tale and beautiful prose. It presents a fascinating mystery along with a thoughtful story.