Nobody wants to get to the heart of this town: THE LONG WAY BACK.

The Long Way Back by Nicole Baart
My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars

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. 4.25 stars (rounded up).

I received a copy of this book from Atria Books and Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review. Look for THE LONG WAY BACK on 6/13/2023!!


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And there's one more boy, he's from my past: EVERYTHING WE DIDN'T SAY.

Everything We Didn't Say by Nicole Baart
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

At 33, Juniper arrives in her hometown of Jericho, Iowa--a place she vowed never to return--to help a friend with cancer. After Juniper's high school graduation, her family's close friends and neighbors, Cal and Beth Murphy, were murdered. Juniper's brother, Jonathan was the prime suspect, even though he was never charged. Jonathan still lives in Jericho--as does Juniper's teenage daughter, Willa, who has been raised by her mom and stepdad since birth. Juniper has no desire to get dragged back into the dark memories and rumors of Jericho. But when something happens to Jonathan, she finds herself reliving the summer Cal and Beth died. And as she does, she realizes that Jericho itself hasn't put the past behind.

"She was the runaway, the prodigal daughter who had split when the going got tough."

I really loved this book. Baart is such a wonderful and deft writer, and she draws you into Juniper's story immediately. She captures small town Iowa so perfectly--the gossip, the pettiness, the country setting. The characters are well-formed and realistic: reluctant Juniper, so careful and worried about reuniting with Willa. Jonathan, her younger brother, who has remained in Jericho despite the accusations. Her lovely mother and much older stepfather. The handsome and charming boy Juniper fell for one summer. The story comes together so easily; even if this a taunt and slow burning story, I flew through the pages, desperate to find out what was going to happen.

Baart tells our tale in two parts--present-day, as Juniper returns to Jericho, and the past, leading up to the day of the murders. I had a small inkling of some of what might have happened, but loved trying to work it all out. It's a very suspenseful read and the combination of character building and tension works quite well. The way the plot winds together, pulling in emotions, memories, personalities, family connections, and the inner workings of the town is quite masterful.

Overall, a winner for me. I really enjoyed the suspense along with the family drama. 4.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Atria Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

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I need to say goodbye: YOU WERE ALWAYS MINE.

You Were Always Mine by Nicole Baart

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jessica Chamberlain and her husband, Evan, have been separated for months, so she's quite surprised when she gets a call from the police regarding him. Even more shocking is that the police believe Evan to be dead--his body found on a hunting ground in another state. As Jessica attempts to figure out what happened, she must also try to mother her two boys, thirteen-year-old Max and six-year-old Gabe, who is adopted. Jess can't believe Evan is dead, however, and the more she digs, the more she starts to wonder if it was truly a hunting accident. She's sure her house was broken into, for instance, and she feels like Evan was investigating something in the months before his death. Soon, she wonders if that had something to do with Gabe's adoptive mother--someone with whom Jess vowed never to be involved. What really happened to Evan? And are the rest of the Chamberlains safe?

It's always exciting to request an ARC on a whim and have it be enjoyable. I've never read anything by Nicole Baart before, but I will certainly be picking up some of her past books. This novel was a little outlandish and unbelievable at times, but it was just so compelling and readable. It was exactly what I needed at the moment.

Jess was a very relatable character: as a mother too, I felt quite connected to her. Baart put in a lot of little details that made her feel real, not a cardboard cutout parent that you so often see. She did a great job at capturing parenthood in all its ups and downs. I found myself very attached to Jessica's two boys, as well. They went through a lot in the book, and you found yourself rooting for the entire family unit.

The plot itself--while a bit of a soap opera sometimes--was really quite fascinating. I couldn't put this one down, even during a crazy time at work. The writing was crisp and the novel just flowed so easily. I was actually really surprised by the twists and turns (it's always so fun when that happens) and certainly along for the ride with Jess and her clan.

Overall, this was just a really enjoyable book with an interesting, twisty plot and realistic, relatable characters. It was a pleasant surprise, and I'll definitely be reading more from this author. 4 stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 10/16/2018.

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