This was a truly dark novel and unlike anything I was expecting from the synopsis. It was a hard read, with graphic depictions of domestic abuse and violence throughout, and was genuinely quite upsetting throughout the whole thing. Saying this, because I connected with the characters immediately, I felt so strongly about the events that occurred and truly felt myself falling into the story and trying to protect the characters from the world/people around them. I also felt that their relationships were detailed and well laid out, with the strong connections between them all further connecting me to the story.

However, there were some structural issues. It seemed to be paced a little oddly, with the ending feeling slightly rushed, and it was hard to depict when there were changes to the perspective timeline - I never really knew when starting a chapter if it was present-day or past. It was also unlike the synopsis, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but did alter the way I went into it and I do feel like a more accurate description would help this novel. I also think adding more time at the dinner party would’ve helped with this as well as ensured that the ending didn’t feel as rushed as it did.

Overall, I think Collins has a great, hard-hitting writing style which in turn created authentic characters that drew me to this novel. I would just caution those reading it to check the trigger warnings as this is emotionally distressing and hard to read.

TW: domestic abuse, violence, abduction/kidnap, death, sexism, child abuse (detailed)

Going into this book, I assumed the present day dinner party would hold more significance , but looking back I actually preferred the direction it went. Having the past blend and merge with the present added a layer of confusion and anticipation for what was to come. Overall, it was a brilliantly written book, especially in terms of the beautiful imagery woven into the story. It really pulled together and aligned well with the connotations behind the title and the significance of Kintsugi. Told through multiple POVs, it was only natural I found some perspectives more engaging and captivating than others - Laika's and Willa's were my personal favourites, and the pacing felt most stable and engaging in their chapters. The childhood trauma yet resilience among them both was touching to read. My only quip with the novel is, although I liked the back and forth flitting in the timeline, having to re-read the dinner conversation across for multiple pages just to capture a different POV did grow tiresome and could've been condensed.

I actually loved this. At first I thought it was going to be one of those mystery ones, where someone has an ulterior motive and it all turns out disappointing. But it wasn't the case - this was a proper story. And it did take me by surprise every step of the way. I loved it.

Laika Martenwood vanished without a trace on her way to school one morning. For her sister, Willa, life was never the same.
Willa sees Laika everywhere and believes that her sister is alive, somewhere. 

When a dinner party conversation about childhood memories gets underway a revelation from one of the guests forces Willa to rethink her past. And, the truth of what really happened to Laika begins to emerge bit by bit.

Not going to lie this was a very slow starter for me but at about 20% in it took a turn and started to get me interested in the story. I did like the dual timeline and I didn’t really expect the twist but it worked well. I liked the character and the concept but the only thing that disappointed me was the ending as it felt it ended quite abruptly. Overall a good book and worth the 4 stars I have rated it.

This was not what I expected from the synopsis but nonetheless it was an enjoyable, emotional read.

The dinner party in question is attended by 4 couples, some are also siblings, exes etc. but we soon learn Willa's childhood was marred by the disappearance of her sister Laika.

Throughout the dinner, and in Willa's and Robyn's backstory we learn about the secrets of Willa's childhood and what led to the disappearance or Laika but it's clear there is more to the story than meets the eye.

Like I say, this was not what I expected. I thought there would be more of the storyline focused on the dinner party but this actually plays only a minor role in the story. The main story is told via backstory about how Willa and Robyn met and how the disappearance of Laika affected everyone involved

I'm not sure the ending will be delivered without some questions from the reader but it was satisfying and a solid debut novel

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business, Viking for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I enjoy reading and this one was no exception. It was a fast paced psychological thriller with a unique storyline that kept my attention. I would recommend this book

This was not what I was expecting from this book. I thought it would I be completely centred around a dinner party table with the mystery and secrets all coming out over the course of the evening.
This book isn't like that while the main event happens at a dinner party most of the story is told over multi person pov in the 3rd person spanning time lines going from the present and to various points in the past. The layout of the book is very good and adds to a sense of mystery and develops the characters well. I really liked how we heard about the same event in the same way but from the characters different perspectives this is a very cleaver way of writing from the writer as one of the main topics at the dinner party is about how we remember things and how we in fact don't all remember the same things the same way. So while it wasn't what I thought it was still a good way to present the plot in fact it properly worked better with some aspects of the story and gave it a chance to be a bit deeper and broader in terms of plot.

Furthermore the title matches very well with some the themes and symbolism throughout the book I can certainly see what the author was going for, with references to kintsugi and the strength of a once broken thing. It gives an uplifting element to quite a dark book in places.
I found this really smart and well written.

This was a book of two halves for me with some very enjoyable parts and some pretty drawn out and tedious parts. At no point though did I think about not finishing the book so it did hold my interest however I found that this book had a slow start and I did at times feel I could have been reading two separate books this was mainly within the first half of the novel as it proceeded it flowed and matched up better.


The first half of the book mostly flits between the perspective of Willa and her friend Robyn spanning over the past and present reflecting on their friendship and the disappearance of Willa's younger sister.

I found the Robyn sections boring and they didn't fit in the book for me they almost made it like a completely different type of book. I found it didn't add to the story.

I loved the Willa parts hearing all about her childhood, the lead up to and the aftermath of her sister going missing, here the writer really shows what a good writer she could be with more focus on the main plot lines, I found these parts engaging and they kept me reading. She takes great care in showing the horrors of domestic violence she highlights all the nuance of it and does so in way that is relatable and true to life.

The second half of the book is more so from the perspective of one of the guests at the dinner party. I much preferred the second half where the story got into fruition and accelerated into its climax. This part had a Gone Girl feel which I really liked.

There are some red herrings with regard what happened to Laika (Willa's sister) of which I found so obvious to add any merit and they lacked what was needed to add depth to the mystery. They just too in your face one in particular regarding the guest made me chuckle it was that blatant in trying to miss direct the reader. There was real lack of style and flair in terms of the writing with these which was a shame as the writer showed real class in the other areas of her writing. Perhaps a few more books and she will have mastered it all. I will would certainly read more of her work in the future, there is real promise for her work.

I worked out the "twist" very early on I kept reading as what I wanted to know how it played out. While it was okay it was very far fetched however I did like ending.

For a quite a gritty novel the ending is a bit happy ever after but as said I worked for me.

It was an interesting read, however, I didn't feel that the summary reflected the actual plot of the story, but despite that it was good read and I would recommend it.

Perfect reading for fans of Erin Kelly and Lisa Jewell

Thanks for the ARC it was the first read of 2024 and it was good start to this years reading and reviewing

This was a book of two halves for me with some very enjoyable parts and some pretty drawn out and tedious parts. At no point though did I think about not finishing the book so it did hold my interest. The premise of the book has been well documented in other reviews so I wont repeat it here. I think the author did a good job at conveying Willa's continued distress over her sister's disappearance and also the way that significant people in her life reacted to her distress and how this shaped relationships throughout her life. There are some red herrings with regard what happened to Laika (Willa's sister) which I enjoyed as they sent me in the wrong direction a few times. The last part of the book when things were pieced together and the reader got some answers held a few twists/shocks and it was this part that moved my rating from a 3 star to a 4 star. The book is tod from various POVs and timelines which I found a little disjointed at times but ultimately this was a well written and enjoyable book.

Willa’s sister Laika vanished one day when she was 13. This has haunted Willa’s life for years, setting up a website devoted to her and the desire to find her. Then one day, as a grownup, Willa goes to a dinner party and they all start talking about earliest memories and false memories.
The first half of the book mostly flits between the perspective of Willa and friend Robyn. The second half of the book is more so from the perspective of one of the guests at the dinner party. I much preferred the second half where the story got into fruition and accelerated into its climax. The first half of the book set up the background, but in the second half I loved the story from the dinner guest. The two half’s did tie together nicely though and it gave a nice insight into the going on of people’s minds and their thought processes

Read this book in about 2 days over Christmas as it did draw me in from the beginning.

It was an interesting read, however, I didn't feel that the summary reflected the actual plot of the story. From the summary I had assumed that there would be a huge reveal all ending, however it was slightly anticlimactic for me.

Apart from that I did enjoy reading and the plot itself I found engaging.

2.5 stars

This book didn't quite work for me. What promised to be an interesting plot was hindered massively by a structure that dragged particularly in the middle. While the relationships between Willa and Laika, and Willa and Robin had a lot of promise they ultimately felt unfulfilling and quite one dimensional by the end. Even the big twist was quite anti-climactic in that SPOILERS it still allowed for all wrongs to be righted and for them all to live happily ever after.

I can certainly see what the author was going for, with references to kintsugi and the strength of a once broken thing throughout, but this unfortunately didn't translate on paper for me. It was by no means a bad read, but not one I would recommend or revisit.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved this book. Told in different timelines about 2 sisters and how one of them Laika goes missing leaving Willa and her mother searching for her over the years. The storyline of the sisters and a controlling and abusive father then the relationship between Willa and Robyn kept me gripped and I couldn’t put it down. This is the first book iv read by this author and I will definitely be looking for other books by her now. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this early copy.

I found that this book had a slow start and almost gave up reading it but I persevered and I’m glad I did!
There are bits that are a bit unbelievable but, on the whole, this developers into a story that keeps you hooked. The tale of two sisters separated when they were young and who find each other again by chance, told in flashback with tantalising clues about what actually happened along the way. I enjoyed this one.

A dinner party romp I thought to begin with. So wrong.

The main character of the book is Laika who’s sister disappeared on her way to school years ago, her trials and tribulations through the years. Her unacceptance of what seemed to be the facts.

Then the girls father is shown for what he really is power hungry individual, but you hope it backfires. The end of the book is totally unexpected, complete with a total twist of the facts.

Thank you to Penguin General - UK and Sarah Easter Collins for the opportunity to ARC review Things Don't Break On Their Own in exchange for a fair and honest review. An interesting premise of a story with lots of turns and turns featuring around the disappearance of a child and the impact it can have on a family and the quest to discover the truth of what happened that fateful night.

A gritty, dark read with a horror element of a breaking family lost in grief. Told across multiple points over 25 years with flashbacks, which felt a little disjointed with some of the flashback points. The characters for me weren't always likeable or relatable, I felt disconnected from the characters involved in this story, which made it hard to accept some of the brutality on the page. Sadly, this wasn't the thriller read I hoped for.

I hope this story gets picked up as a movie or television series, I think it would suit the medium better.

Clever and intricately woven, this story draws you right in as Willa seeks answers to a mystery from the past. Revelations at a dinner party lead to uncovering clues that might reveal the circumstances around Willa's sister Laika's disappearance during their childhood. A thrilling and enthralling read.

I expected this to be set at the dinner party but it was actually small part. However the storyline was captivating and compelling.

Really enjoyed this one. The differing storytellers and timelines told the story in a very engaging way. Although you suspect there is a sinister undertone to the mystery, the twist at the end was quite unexpected.

Willa is sent to boarding school following the disappearance of her sister Laika after being abused by their sadistic father.
She becomes friend and lover to Robyn, a kind girl from a lovely family, but breaks up with her just before their final exams.
Willa's life becomes a search for Laika.
The story is told by several characters, going backwards and forwards through their lives leading up to a dinner party with a lot of unspoken revelations. Then afterwards, how their lives move on after this. The group of friends are lovely, they care for and support each other. Highly recommended.

Such an intriguing book! A real page-turner.
Story starts with an invitation to dinner. A group of friends get together and secrets have a way of slipping out. The novel then gets back in time to how two of the main protagonists met. This was definitely my favourite part of the book.