This book definitely sucked me in and kept me reading, even though the story was fairly predictable. It's a beautiful look at second chances and what it means to love someone.

Plot: Mallory is going through a tough time at work, and her boss/close friend sends her on a vacation. She goes home, where she hasn't been in years, to recuperate. She doesn't have a good relationship with her mother, Helen, which makes the whole thing strained.
To make matters worse, her former fiance is back as well. What will happen? (wink, wink)

It's told with intermittent pieces from Helen's diary. There's definitely a secret in there, and we know it's going to come spilling out and affect their relationship.

As I said, it's really a lovely read, and although you kind of know what's going to happen, you want to read and see it happen. There is a twist in the middle, although I think you can see it coming from pretty far.

I didn't love Mallory as a character. She was somewhat inconsistent, weak-willed but abrasive. She made a lot of decisions that didn't make too much sense but were needed for the plot, from the beginning when she went back home, even though she knew it wasn't a good idea. Aiden isn't so compelling, either. Neither of them says what they really want to. Somehow, at the end, they seem to find the words, but the progression wasn't gradual enough; it was just a revelation. There is also a little too much "telling" in the dialogue and characters' thoughts.

If you love a good romance with some suspense thrown in, you will adore this.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union, and Barbara Davis for an advanced copy for review.

I really loved this book. Barbara Davis is becoming one of my top 10 authors. No matter how many books of hers I read, I'm always fully immersed and can't put them down. And each book is different enough to not become formulaic. I love the ability she has to make a secret so surprising! I gasped out loud at find out about Poppy's identity. I actually went back and reread all of Helen's journal entries and they were flawless. Shame on me for assuming it was a boy/man!!!

2 quick cons - this took place in 1999, there was no scrolling on your phone, and people didn't really carry them around as handily as we do now. I felt that was a flaw in Mallory's character writing - she was very attached to her phone and it mentioned her scrolling.

Mallory was such a child and had a lot of tantrums, kudos to the author for writing her so realistically that I felt so strongly about her, but it was a bit much for her to be so over the top immature.

A heartbreakingly beautiful masterpiece of grief, love and forgiveness. I could keep going with the nouns pertaining to this story since there were so many plot points, but those three registered with me the most. I finished this book last night but had to wait until today to write this review because... I just couldn't. I couldn't find the words to express how much this book affected me and took hold of my emotions. I choked up multiple times trying not to cry my eyes out. I wanted to hug my mom and tell her how much I love her. Every character in this story touched my heart and I empathized with their pain, especially the mothers. I don't think that this book could have been written any better. Barbara Davis is a genius when it comes to weaving emotional tales. She makes the darkness of death and despair turn into a light-filled experience filled with magic and hope. This book is going to stay with me for a long time. I can't recommend it enough; it was that good! A must read in my opinion.  

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for granting me digital access via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

Mallory has returned home after a tragic incident at work. Her relationship with her mother has always been
strianed - she never udersttood why Helen was more interested in being there for her terminally ill patients rather
than her daughter Mallory must also deal with the added stress of her ex-fiance next door.
Aiden has been back home since his accident enede his music career. His relationship with his mother is also
strained, made more so by the secret she is keeping.
Emotional compelling read - have a box of tissues handy.
#EveryPreciousandFragileThing #LakeUnionPiblishing #NetGalley

Okay. I'm not sure where to start with this book. I was teetering on 4 stars until the end, which really knocked it out of the park for me. Mallory is a bit of a mess, and by the 75% point I was basically yelling for her to GET IT TOGETHER. But that ending. ::kisses fingertips:: Perfection.

The story is about mothers and daughters, and mothers and sons. It's about relationships, trauma, and most of all forgiveness and what that truly looks like.

I have loved all of Barbara Davis' books that I've read, and this was no exception. It's raw, and real, and hopeful, and full of love. Highly recommended!!

This is a beautifully written book about death and forgiveness. This book spoke to me in ways I didn't expect. Seeing the view of parent/child relationships and how each are at fault for their misunderstandings and hardships. Having had some difficult interactions with parents in my life recently it made me take a hard look at my own actions and how maybe my own feelings were making it hard to see the good intentions.

Mallory grows so much as the book progresses. She was running as Helen and Jevet pointed out along the way. Estelle was at first a villain but she was just a mother who thought she was doing what is best for her child. I feel like we have all been there and it is so hard to let your child go. It is the hardest lesson in motherhood (or so I think). Helen made peace with her demons too. These three women were so different but all had something to deal with and overcome.

I highly recommend this book

Thank you to Lake Union and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own

After only hearing praise for Barbara Davis, I jumped at the chance to read/review this novel. And what a brilliant experience it was!

This is the story of Mallory who travels back home to stay with her mother after a tragedy linked to her job. There’s tension between the two women. Mallory’s ex boyfriend lives next door and their unresolved issues haunt them both.

Heavy themes are discussed with dignity adding such value to the story. The multiple POVs worked. I looked forward to each character’s POV (which is rare for me). Beautiful plotting and near perfect pacing had me enamored . I was glad I didn’t know anything about this one going in. The narrative shifted in many directions and I was completely hooked. Avoid spoilers for this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

Barbara Davis never disappoints and I was so excited to read her newest novel. When a mother and daughter try to reconcile their broken relationship, many secrets are revealed that threaten everything Mallory knows to be true.

As she travels home, she has to confront her lost love, Aiden. This book is about letting go, forgiveness, accepting the truth and accepting the people we love despite their many flaws!

Every Precious and Fragile Thing by Barbara Davis is a 5-star read for me. Barbara Davis has such a great writing style - her words flow and before you know it, you’re way into the book.
I didn’t care for Mallory, the main character, in the beginning. She was a mess, and it felt like she didn’t want to change anything. But then she’s forced to take a leave of absence from her job, which up until that point was her whole life. She ends up going to stay with her mom for awhile. Malory and her mom, Helen, have had a lot of issues as Malory was growing up, and it seems like a really terrible idea. And it is, in the beginning. But gradually they come to an understanding.
One of the things I love about the two books I’ve read by Barbara Davis, is there’s always some sort of secret or mystery to be solved. And because of that, the ending is so satisfying. I highly recommend this book!

Love!!!!! This is my first book by this author and I will absolutely be back for more. Her ability to fill a page with beautiful descriptions transporting me right into the book was exactly what I needed!

Every Precious and Fragile Thing by Barbara Davis is set on the Rhode Island coast and features two families who life next door to each other in this wealthy community. Mallory Ward is a social worker working with at risk teenagers and when one of her clients is murdered Mallory goes back to Rhode Island to contemplate her career. Mallory and her mother have a tense relationship and it is whether on this return home they will be able to resolve their past and move forward.
Meanwhile next door there is another person who has returned home, Mallory’s former fiancé. After Mallory suffered a miscarriage Aiden goes off to resume his pianist career, it is ten years before they meet again.
Helen Ward is Mallory’s mother, she is also a death dula by trade and has spent her life caring for terminally ill patients who have no family left to look after them. On Mallory’s visit home, she unexpectedly becomes friends with Estelle Cavanagh, Aiden’s mother when she is terminally ill.
The summer is a time of reconciliation and the time to give up the secrets of the past, so that all four people can begin to move on with the next stage of their lives.
Highly recommended

I wanted to love this one. Loved Mallory, but boy oh boy was this a slow moving book that at times I wanted to DNF. It had so much potential but I think the execution just didn’t work out. However, I will check out more of the authors work in the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed Every Previous and Fragile Thing and gave it 4 stars! The tension between the characters was wonderfully crafted, keeping me engaged throughout the story. The foreshadowing and subtle hints sprinkled along the way added depth, and the twisty reveal was perfectly timed and cleverly concealed until the right moment.

If you're a fan of complicated family dynamics, strong character development, and real-life struggles, this book is an excellent choice. Barbara Davis does a fantastic job of weaving together these elements into a compelling read.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was just ok.

I felt like the story dragged in places and there was a 'big secret' that I had guessed way before it was revealed.

There was a lot going on - family drama, dealing with death/dying, romance, past secrets, etc. It just never came together that well for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

A typical read by this author. She is a master at familial drama and unraveling the mysteries of complicated family relationships.
This was a good book about the relationship complexity between mother and child
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review the book

I really enjoyed my first book by this author, The Echo of Old Books , and it had taken me by surprise that I had never read her before. In my review of that title I had written it wouldn’t be my last. As soon as I saw this on NetGalley I grabbed it and am I ever glad I did.

Even though they are sort of on the outs and have a very strained relationship Mallory goes home to get over a tragedy. Not only does she have to deal with her estranged mother but she also has to deal with the ex-boyfriend next door. As usual, Davis writes characters that I care about and feel invested in. Even though they had their flaws I loved being on their journey of personal growth. The pacing of the book had me flipping pages and saying “Just one more chapter” over and over again.

Even though the book deals with death and loss it's a very heartwarming book at its core. I felt so many emotions while reading it and that's what the author is known for. This one is about motherhood, coming to grips with our mistakes and how keeping secrets isn’t always a good idea. The story and characters captivated me and it was hard to put the book down so the 400 pages just flew by. Barbara Davis does it again and in this thought-provoking story she asks…are we defined by our past? Can we learn from it or does it have to shape our future? It was a very powerful book and once again I'm looking forward to reading another book by Barbara Davis. She has won me over.

A heart wretching story of a mother/daughter relationship that will leave the reader in tears. A mother who has spent her life helping people with terminal illnesses and her daughter, a social worker, are reunited after the daughter returns home after a devastating event that involved one of her clients. Hidden secrets between the two main characters. friends reunited, and what it means to be a family are explored in this novel. This would be a good book choice for your next book club, highly recommendable.

My Review
💜💜💜💜💜

A captivating story from the beginning to the end.

mother and children fiction.💜

This story was written with heart and soul.
The author always writes books that keep me intrigued. Her books are simply amazing.

The name of the book is perfect. It's simply a beautiful story.
I love books with journals, history of the story. I'm reading. This one is just a beautiful story.

Love and loss, and so much more along the way.

This author's work I've loved each book i have read of hers.

I loved everything about this Story.
Thank you Barbara Davis-author

This is a very difficult book to review because how it started doesn't really relate to the story as a whole - the beginning felt like a crime novel but then the rest of the book was an emotional, romance, life-affirming type story and I feel as though the editor should have helped the author to smooth it out.

The main story I didn't understand really at all - how two people could still be so caught up in each other ten years on, to the extent that they haven't been able to live their lives properly and then when they're together again after ten years there's some kind of tension which then quickly just goes away and they can go from that to suddenly talking of marriage so quickly. I just didn't buy it, nor did I feel or SEE any passion. It didn't make sense.

The part of the story I really liked was Estelle's story, her character was fantastic, it was emotional and well written.

I don't like the sense that when someone is dying it's pretty much all is forgiven and everyone moves on - that isn't believable.

Overall, the story was OK but flawed.

This book covers so many emotions: forgiveness, healing, relationships, death. Mallory finds herself returning to her childhood home to deal with her doubts about her ability to continue counseling at-risk children. Returning home means spending time with her mother who she is essentially estranged from. The story is very well told and you can feel all the old and new emotions. As Mallory learns more about her mother’s life she finds out more about herself as well. This book was nearly impossible to put down after about 50 percent. If you like emotionally charged women’s fiction I recommend this book. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I’ll be looking for more. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.