I love the way Jen writes. Both her characters and the plot are always engaging. You feel exactly what the characters are going through.

This is my first Jen Craven novel, what drew me to it was the intriguing synopsis.
In brief, the book is centred around a missing child, the family as a whole, and the individual relationships within, and the fallout.

As you can imagine from that summary alone, the storyline is one that is every parent’s nightmare. (I have 5 children of my own and honestly, just the thought of this brings a lump to my throat).

The author skilfully delves into the family dynamics and what can happen after this, what seems to be, an unending tragedy. How it can affect marriages and the trauma responses it results in.
From the start, this is a book that gripped me emotionally, and honestly, physically at times. There are certain situations that evoked in me a visceral reaction. I can tell you now, it takes a gifted author that can provoke these feelings and emotions in a reader. Jen Craven is clearly now on that small, select list.
I’m not sure if this a debut novel, or whether I’ve clearly been missing out on a gifted writer.
My first job after this review is to go and do my homework.
Either way, I’m looking forward to reading future novels from Jen Craven. (Or reading her back catalogue).
Thank you for my arc.

EDIT: Turns out…..I’ve just been missing out!
So after reading this, I’d already be happy to recommend you go and check out her previous novels, I’ve just downloaded another one!

This book! Just wow! Loved it from start to finish! I did not want it to end - it was that good! Do read this one - it's brilliant!

The Day She Vanished is written by Jen Craven. This is the first book that I have read by this author, and it definitely will not be my last. I found myself drawn in within the first few pages and reading through the story to try to find out what happened next. As a mother of children myself I can’t even imagine this happening.


Parents Wade and Greta have taken their three children for a fun filled day at an amusement park. Their children, Merritt, Gus, and Summer have been enjoying the family time all day. As the day winds down, Wade wants to take Greta on a roller coaster by themselves. As they wait in line, they can see their children sitting together. Then when they get off the roller coaster Summer is missing. Merritt along with Gus had been watching things on her phone. Summer was standing right next to them until she wasn’t. The questionsshe gets from authority makes her feel like the worst parent ever.

The author has captured a families grief. The family starts to be falling apart at the seams wade isolates himself. Everyone blames each other meanwhile, Summer is still missing.

I love that the author captured all of the characters process of the situation. All of the characters are well written and real feeling. The storyline is very engaging and will leave you on the edge of your seat. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope to read more from this author in the future. Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this book all thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of The Day She Vanished by Jen Craven. This is my first read by this author and I enjoyed it quite a bit. There was some repetition but it did not hurt my enjoyment of the book. Missing children cause a lot of grief and tensions run high. Many marriages do not survive this kind of trauma. The family members' experiences are emotional and you feel like you are there with the family. The author captured the emotions and it was well written. A 5 star rating from me.

I’m always happy to take part in Bookouture blog tours! This one was a psychological thriller that had me reading the entire thing in one sitting as I could not put it down and I needed to know what happened! Need I say more?
Here’s the scoop:

Clutching my husband’s hand, I screech with delight as the rollercoaster loops through the air. I feel young and free for the first time in years, but as we roll to a stop and I look for our three beloved children in the crowd, I panic. I can only see two. Where is my daughter?

Today was meant to be special. A final fun family day out before five-year-old Summer joins her big siblings at school. But in an instant, we’re plunged into a nightmare. We scream her name as we frantically search the amusement park for a glimpse of her flaming red hair.

When the police ask about strangers, grudges and enemies, I have no answers, just questions. Why did I think I could leave my children alone, even for a minute? What kind of mother am I?

I feel in my heart that Summer is out there somewhere. But as I obsess about finding her, my family is falling apart. My eldest daughter Merritt is withdrawn. My son Gus is angry. And after seventeen years of marriage, my husband has never felt more like a stranger. Where does he go when he says he’s working late? Who is he constantly messaging?

I must fight to hold my family together, but I’m terrified Summer’s disappearance will destroy us all. Will I ever forgive myself for letting her out of my sight? Will I ever hold her tiny hand in mine again?

Excited to share this book because it was so good!!! This cover had me sold the minute I saw it so I went in blind . The very first page had me hooked!
Mom fantasizing about escaping on the Ferris wheel… and then the unthinkable. Her 5yo daughter has vanished! Imagine the guilt! Isn’t this every parent’s worst nightmare. This book will have your heart pounding from page 1 from the mom’s POV. Every family member blames themself and you won’t see that ending coming!

The Day She Vanished by Jen Craven.
I did love the cover and blurb. This was a really good read. Twisty gripping and emotional. The characters were believable. The emotions Greta and Wade felt were believable to. I also felt for Merritt and Gus. Very well written. I read in two sittings. I did like the ending.

Reading Between the Wines book review #97/130 for 2024:
BOOK TOUR
Rating: 3🍷🍷🍷
Book: The Day She Vanished
Author: Jen Craven
Available now!!

Sipping thoughts: I was expecting this book to be like your typical child missing thriller, but it was so much more. It was also a domestic suspense. It surrounded the mother, Greta, and her guilt of being responsible for her missing 5 year old daughter. There were so many emotions that I felt as I read this. I went from sadness to anger to annoyance and back through them again. This is a slow burn for sure and may be a trigger for some.

Cheers and thank you to @Bookouture and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @TheDaySheVanished.

##TheDaySheVanished #JenCraven #Bookouture #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult #BOOKTOUR

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ARC!

This book was unputdownable. I was a little bit worried as the cover does not scream read me - but Im glad I did!

This book was suspenseful and entertaining, it was written well and the author was very good at ensuring there were multiple cliffhangers throughout the book - always leaving you wanting more.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for early access in exchange for my honest opinion. I read The Day She Vanished earlier in the month, but it has stuck with me - and I think it will have a similar effect on other readers.
The Day She Vanished is set in a small town in PA where a family is at their local amusement park, Wonderie Land. With three children between the ages of 5 and 11, Greta has stayed home with them but is not contemplating reentering the workforce, as the youngest will be attending school this year. She feels like she’s lost a part of herself being the primary caregiver 24/7. While at the amusement park, Greta is pulled to ride SkyRush, a wooden roller coaster, with her husband, as they rode it together on one of their first dates long ago. Greta convinces Wade, her husband, to wait in the short line and ride it once. Merritt, the 11-year old, is put in charge of watching her younger siblings Gus and Summer at a table that is mostly in their parents’ sight. But when Greta and Wade get back from their turn, five-year old Summer is gone. What follows is the family’s search, along with the police, to find Summer’s kidnapper and bring Summer home.
I definitely recommend this book because I thought it was very well written, BUT if you have young children it may be too stressful for you to read! This childless cat lady definitely felt stressed. I think that’s part of the reason I read it quickly - I needed to get to the resolution to be able to calm down. It’s now available everywhere - just make sure you’re ready for this realistic content!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Wow. Wow. Wow.
“The Day She Vanished” by Jen Craven follows a family when the unthinkable happens. A family is enjoying an amusement park when their youngest child disappears.
This book is labeled as a mystery/thriller but it is so much more than that. It is a story about family and relationships. If you like Kate Hewitt’s books, then this one's for you! Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#TheDaySheVanished #JenCraven #NetGalley #Bookouture #BooksOnTour #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks

It’s a regular day at a theme park, where Wade and Greta have brought their three kids - Merritt, Gus and Summer - for a little family time. After going on rides for kids all day, Greta begs Wade to go on a rollercoaster with her. The line isn’t long, the ride takes less than a minute, and they can still see their kids most of the way. Merritt, the oldest at age eleven, is tasked with watching over her two younger siblings. As the parents stood in line, they kept glancing over, and nothing was out of the ordinary.

It wasn’t until they got off the ride that they noticed Summer, their five-year-old, is gone. Merritt had been playing games on her phone (something Greta didn’t like to begin with), Gus was watching the game, and Summer slipped away. After frantically searching for her, the police are called and an Amber Alert sent out. Late that night, when the police finally make them go home, it hits them: Summer is gone.

The family immediately breaks down. Wade isolates himself from and ignores Greta, as he blames her for wanting to go on the ride. Greta is treating Merritt the same way, for being on her phone instead of watching her sister. As the weeks and months go by, Wade and the other two kids are trying to get back into life, but Greta can’t function without knowing where her daughter is, or if she’s even alive.

Missing children are a common mystery/thriller plot, but this was still suspenseful and entertaining. The author wrote well, showing how each member of the family is dealing with their grief, and how a whole city gets involved (in both good and bad ways). This is definitely a quick read and a page turner! 4.5 stars.

(Thank you to Bookouture for inviting me into this book tour! “The Day She Vanished” is slated to be released on September 25, 2024.)

Master storyteller Jen Craven returns following Her Daughter with her latest, THE DAY SHE VANISHED — a harrowing, emotional, and heartfelt tale. Every parent's nightmare—a missing child in one split second. One decision changes everything for this family.

A life-changing tragedy.

About...

The book opens in Erie, Pennsylvania, with a scene that resonates with every family day out at an amusement park. Wade and Greta Goodman and their three children, Merritt, Gus, and Summer, enjoy a fun day. It's the end of summer break, and all three kids will soon be in school, with Summer starting kindergarten.

Then, after the kids ride, Greta decides she wants to ride the rollercoaster with her husband for a quick, fun thrill and instructs Merritt to watch the two younger siblings.

All was fine until they exited the ride and found Summer missing. Merritt and Gus were in the same spot, but Summer was gone. Merritt was looking at her phone, distracted for a split second.

Realizing Summer is missing leads to all-out panic and fear. It was a frightful and fearful event, wondering what happened to their little girl. The longer she is gone, the more worried they are. Only five years old, soon, the authorities are called in, and no one can locate their precious little girl.

What if someone has taken her to Canada? What if she is harmed? Greta feels like a bad mom for leaving her daughter with her eleven-year-old daughter.

From here, the book takes us through the days, hours, and minutes of Summer's absence. We witness a family in turmoil, grappling with blame, hurt, guilt, regret, resentment, and anger. Will their family ever be the same?

Where is Summer? A kidnapping? Motive? Who has her and will they find her?

My thoughts...

THE DAY SHE VANISHED is a gripping and powerful novel that delves into the complex dynamics of a family and the aftermath of a heart-stopping crisis.

One mother's desperate search for her daughter. A compelling and thought-provoking family drama that showcases the emotions of a mom, dad, sister, and brother and how each reacts to the disappearance and the strain on a marriage.

As always, the author brilliantly showcases the intimate lives of a family in crisis and how each person handles those emotions differently in this well-written domestic drama.

An ideal book club pick for further discussions. Questions included.

Recs...

THE DAY SHE VANISHED is for fans of the author, and those who enjoy Jodi Picoult, Rea Frey, Alice Hoffman, and Emma Robinson.

Blog Tour...

Join me on my blog on Sept 25 (pub day) for a Blog Tour Stop to learn more about the book and this talented author.

Thanks to Bookouture for an advanced digital review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Sept 25, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
Sept 2024 Must Read Books
Sept Newsletter
Blog Tour Stop

This is an emotional and heartbreaking tale of a family, who deals with the loss of a child, when their child was abducted on one summer day.

Greta and her family had gone to the amusement park to have the summer fun. While Greta and her husband Wade went to have fun, leaving Merrit their oldest daughter to look after the two children Gus and Summer. When they return back, they realized that Summer is gone but Merrit and Gus was there. Then comes the search for Summer, the trauma that it caused and Greta's determination to get her daughter safely back home.

This book was well written and it was actually emotionally read. The whole story is told in Greta's POV and Greta is dealing with guilt, as well as her deteriorating relationship with her family, including her husband and her two children--she started having straining relationship with all three of them. Greta is determined to know what happened to her daughter and at the same time she was determined to find out who was reponsible for kidnapping her daughter. The writing was great and throughout the story, you could actually feel Greta's pain and anger ad guilt, which makes the book actually really great to read. The ending was actually a happily ever after ending.

Overall, if you are fans of Jodi Picoult, then check this book out, as it talks about child abduction and the trauma and emotions the family is going through after the abduction. Worth 4.5 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this exceptional book

oh my word what have i just read...because it was gripping and stunning and i couldnt put it down even if i had wanted to....

this has to be the every mothers nightmare... when your child goes missing....

five year old summer is bored... she is with her brother and sister whilst her parents go on a ride at the amusement park but she wants to go back on the carousel....

in the time for the ride to finish and her parents come back summer is gone.... her brother and sister hadnt noticed she had gone they were busy looking at merritts phone....

and so begins the slow destruction of a close nit family and the keyboard warriors make themselves known....

the police are looking for summer and hunting down leads..

oh my goodness me the slow destruction of the family was painful to read and several times i had to take a breather but i couldnt stop reading this book... and i cried heavy tears at the end...oh my goodness me...

i can certainly say that i will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors books from now on

What an amazing book, The author did such an amazing job of capturing the emotions of Greta and Wade, such a heartbreaking read.

Thanks Netgalley for my copy.

I made a mistake. The title, the cover, even the description made this sound like a thriller. But it's not. I don't do heartfelt or heartwarming. I want horror and gore and nastiness. So this really wasn't for me.

If this is your thing, you'll probably like it as it's written well and although the MC is really annoying, you can forgive her because of what she's going through.

This book had me gripped right away, the amount of fear when a child goes missing was so well written, I definitely felt captivated.

My thoughts:
What an emotional and heartbreaking story.
I found myself compelled to read on and on.
While also getting anxious and stressed out.
The author does such a great job making the readers feel the emotions and intensity the characters are going through.
A mother’s worst nightmare….can the family survive what’s happened?
A must read for fans of a good family drama.
All opinions expressed are my own.