Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart *plus* a Giveaway

Happy Monday, My Lovelies!  I'm thrilled to be the first stop on this tour promoting Nicole Baart's Little Broken Things.  If you're looking for a remarkable, suspenseful book to read during the holidays, your search is over.

According to Goodreads:

An engrossing and suspenseful novel for fans of Liane Moriarty and Amy Hatvany about an affluent suburban family whose carefully constructed facade starts to come apart with the unexpected arrival of an endangered young girl.

I have something for you. When Quinn Cruz receives that cryptic text message from her older sister Nora, she doesn’t think much of it. They haven’t seen each other in nearly a year and thanks to Nora’s fierce aloofness, their relationship consists mostly of infrequent phone calls and an occasional email or text. But when a haunted Nora shows up at the lake near Quinn's house just hours later, a chain reaction is set into motion that will change both of their lives forever.

Nora’s “something” is more shocking than Quinn could have ever imagined: a little girl, cowering, wide-eyed, and tight-lipped. Nora hands her over to Quinn with instructions to keep her safe, and not to utter a word about the child to anyone, especially not their buttoned-up mother who seems determined to pretend everything is perfect. But before Quinn can ask even one of the million questions swirling around her head, Nora disappears, and Quinn finds herself the unlikely caretaker of a girl introduced simply as Lucy.


While Quinn struggles to honor her sister’s desperate request and care for the lost, scared Lucy, she fears that Nora may have gotten involved in something way over her head—something that will threaten them all. But Quinn’s worries are nothing compared to the firestorm that Nora is facing. It’s a matter of life and death, of family and freedom, and ultimately, about the lengths a woman will go to protect the ones she loves.

My review:

I almost read this entire book in one sitting: It.  Is.  That.  Good.  I was completely intrigued with the book's premise (via the Goodreads synopsis) and it didn't disappoint.  The action of the story takes place in less than a week's time (Wednesday through Saturday), from the time Nora sends her sister Quinn the first cryptic text message requesting that Quinn "keep something safe for her" until the emotional conclusion.  What makes this book so incredible are the family dynamics and drama between the sisters and their mother Liz.

The "something" is Everlee, and her story breaks my heart.  Nora is insistent on keeping her safe from one of the most vile predators ever to grace a book's pages.   Quinn loves children, and she wants to teach (her degree is in secondary education), however Quinn is disappointed that she wasn't offered a job at a local preschool.  Although Nora and Quinn have never been close, Nora trusts Quinn with Everlee, insisting that she's "one of us."  This and the fact that Everlee has "Sanford eyes" leads to a couple of misunderstandings.

I enjoyed getting to know Liz; she's much more complex and capable than I thought at the beginning of the story. It's one element that makes this book a compelling read: Nicole Baart gives us information about Liz like peeling and onion.  She removes one layer, and you think you have Liz all figured out until she removes the next one.  Liz is a widow, but her late husband Jack Sr. was such an ass in life that his ghost is all over the place in this book.  Thank goodness that in spite of horrible, predatory men in the book there are a few sweet, kind, loving men, like Quinn's husband Walker, her ex-fiancé Bennett, and Nora's friend, Ethan.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books with: family drama and dynamics; very well-drawn, complex characters; and suspenseful plots.  I figured out a major plot point early in the book, but it did not impede my enjoyment of this book at all.  Plus, the "After" or epilogue is so brilliant that I smiled all afternoon thinking about it.  It's one of the best-written epilogues I've ever read, and it epitomizes how beauty can stem from little broken things.

Disclosure:  I received a copy of Little Broken Things from the publisher via TLC Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review.  And thanks to TLC, I have a copy to giveaway as well.  The giveaway is open to readers living in the United States.

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Until next time...

Happy reading!
Ricki Jill



Below please find the Goodreads link, purchase links, and links for Nicole Baart's social media:

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Nicole Baart’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, November 20th: The Sketchy Reader

Tuesday, November 21st: From the TBR Pile

Tuesday, November 21st: Kritter’s Ramblings

Wednesday, November 22nd: Books a la Mode – author guest post

Friday, November 24th: Books & Bindings

Friday, November 24th: Jathan & Heather

Monday, November 27th: Snowdrop Dreams of Books

Tuesday, November 28th: A Bookish Affair

Wednesday, November 29th: Readaholic Zone

Friday, December 1st: The Baking Bookworm

Monday, December 4th: Katy’s Library blog and Instagram

Wednesday, December 6th: Lit Wit Wine Dine

Friday, December 8th: Ms. Nose in a Book

Monday, December 11th: Bewitched Bookworms

Monday, December 11th: Novel Gossip blog and Instagram

Tuesday, December 12th: West Metro Mommy Reads

Wednesday, December 13th: Laura’s Reviews

Monday, December 18th: Girls in Books blog and Instagram

Monday, December 18th: Patricia’s Wisdom

Wednesday, December 20th: Thoughts on This ‘n That

Friday, December 22nd: Not in Jersey