Barbara Davis is one of my favorite authors. I always look forward to a new book. She knows how to capture your heart. Your fears. Your everything. Whether it is a thriller or a love story she pulls you in and keeps your attention. This book is so good. So emotional and filled with so much. Another winner for sure...

When Mallory goes back home she has no idea what kinds of changes she is about to unfold. How much her life with me changed.

Mallory is a social worker who just lost a young client to a brutal murder. Her boss advises her to go. To get away. To take a break. Mallory doesn't want to at first. She doesn't feel like she needs too. She reluctantly goes back to where her mother is. Her mother, Helen, helps people. She helps them to transition out of this life. They are dying and alone. It was a hard life for Mallory growing up and she has some resentment toward her mother. Quite a bit of resentment it seems. But Helen is determined to make things right.

Ten years before, Mallory was engaged to marry Aiden. Aiden lived next door. He was an aspiring musician. He played the piano and was gifted. His mother, Estelle, didn't want him to marry Mallory. She wanted him to pursue the dream of playing and becoming famous. After a sudden loss he did leave. But his heart always belonged to Mallory. I didn't like Aiden a lot. To me he was a bit whiny. He should have stood up to his mother. But then there would not have been a story right. So it was written perfectly.. He left and ten years later they find themselves face to face again. What will happen now?? Can they make amends? Pick up the pieces and move forward? Or should they go their separate ways and just let that be it?

Helen and Estelle were never friends. Until they are. It takes something truly awful but they do become friends. Helen has a few secrets in her life that she needs desperately to share with her daughter Mallory. And she needs to come to terms with things also.

This is a beautiful story of love, loss, forgiveness, and starting over. A story that will keep you turning the pages. Make you believe in almost anything. Through the many tears and just as much laughter can these four make peace. Can one move on and the rest be ok with it? What secret is Helen hiding and will Mallory forgive her? Forgiveness is what matters most in some cases...

Thank you #NetGalley, #LakeUnion, #BrillianceAudio, for this ARC.

Barbara Davis has done it again with Every Precious and Fragile Thing. It was such a deeply moving work of fiction. The characters were brought to life and transformed right before my eyes. There was a lot packed into this story; mother and child relationships, lost loves, forgiveness, death, secrets. I would definitely recommend you read this story about Mallory, a social worker who recently lost a young at-risk client and her mother, Helen, a death doula.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and the author for an ARC of this book which I had the pleasure of reading. All opinions are my own. Publication date: February 18, 2025

This story will hold you in its thrall long after you read the last page. Once again Barbara Davis spins a tale so original, so gripping, that it is impossible to put down. The dynamics between Mallory and her mother go straight to the heart and from the first time we see them together, we know there is a darkness that can't be overcome. The twist that reveals all will leave you gasping. With a unique storyline that questions some of the deepest issues we face in life to the intriguing lineup of characters, this book is headed straight to the top of the bestseller list. I highly recommend you read it.

Really enjoyed it and would give the book 3.5 stars. Helen's story was my favorite part, along with her interactions with Estelle. I liked how the book alternated between characters. Primarily it was Helen and Mallory and only a few times with Estelle. Knowing Estelle, she doesn't like to be left out and needs to control everything. Mallory was my least favorite character in the book. I didn't love her storyline with Aiden, work, her mom and pretty much everything in her life. Mallory definitely was not suited to be a counselor. She actually needed someone to talk to with all her issues. Mallory always blames everyone else for what happens in her life and is always angry. She always runs away and never deals with the problem. She only tolerates Helen. I can't believe she read her mom's journal. If Helen did that, Mallory would be furious. Mallory's reaction and response to Helen's confession is ridiculous. What she accuses Helen of is awful. Helen definitely made mistakes with her daughter and she wasn't perfect, but at least she's trying. I was definitely shocked when the truth about Helen was revealed. I never guessed who she was writing to in her journal. I was shocked when the truth about Helen was revealed. She shaped her whole life around what happened in that motel room. For all the animosity that surrounded Estelle and Helen, Helen was there for her. The story was full of love, loss, forgiveness, second chances, family dynamics and so much more.

Definitely recommend the book. Loved the characters, writing style and story. By the end of the book, I actually liked Mallory. I enjoyed Helen's collection of keepsakes from her patients, except the creepy Victorian dolls. No one wants to stumble upon a bunch of dolls staring back at them. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

You know those stories that simply take your breath away?
That’s exactly how I feel every time I pick up a Barbara Davis book.

This is a story about second chances, broken souls, family secrets and the power of forgiveness that will capture your heart completely. I think I have a new favorite book from her, I loved every page.

This book touched every emotion… and was so freaking good! Relationships, traumas, families, different dynamics… it will touch or make you feel something and the ending just … is so good!

Incredible and worth the read- I would recommend to any/all readers!

This is such a complicated story. There are lots and lots of secrets. Some secrets the reader is aware of but the character who is affected does not know yet. Then there are the secrets that are hinted at but it takes time for the reader and the character(s) to learn of them.

There is a love story from the past in journal form, but pertinent details are not revealed until the time is right.

It’s about a mother/daughter relationship which is not harmonious. And, it's also about a mother/son relationship which is also on the rocks. It's about second chances. It’s about accepting the past. It's about forgiveness.

There's more, but to add it here will only make it confusing. It is a complex story with a lot going on but it is written in such a way that it is easy to follow. The characters are interesting and realistic. Certainly not perfect.

I got to a point where some of it became predictable but not all of it. But most of the plot points did not wrap up until I was approaching the end. A few surprises along the way, which is always good.

Sometimes people’s lives get messy. Sometimes there's so much going on in people's lives that is hard to know which way to turn. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. This story is an example. And it's refreshing to read a story that imitates life. And, the ending made me happy. Always good!

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

This was my first Barbara Davis book and I'm so happy to say I really enjoyed it. I was really invested in these characters. A story about an estranged mother and daughter who are trying to rekindle their relationship. Mallory heads home to the Rhode Island coast to her mother's house, to try and heal from an upsetting death. Her mother, Helen, had always put her career above her daughter, which has caused the distance in their relationship. So when Mallory shows up, can they reconnect? This deals with mistakes from the past, secrets that are kept, and forgiveness. I always enjoy mother/daughter relationship plots and this one really pulled me in. At 400 pages, I actually flew through it. Such a heartfelt book and I'm happy to have found a new author that has many backlist books that I can add to my list.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Suzy approved book tours for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Helen and Mallory have never had a good relationship- with Mallory always feeling as though she's come second to the people her mother works with. Now, though,, she's come home after one of the teens she worked with dies and the two of them confront their pasts and move to the future. Much of Helen's story is told in journal entries and it's surprising. Mallory must also deal with Aidan, the boy next door she loved once upon a time - and there's a secret there too. This was more than I expected it to be and no spoilers about the twists. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good storytelling made this a good read.

For social worker Mallory Ward, working with at-risk youth is a calling. But when one of her clients is tragically killed, she finds herself at a crossroads. Despite long-held resentments toward her distant mother, Mallory retreats to her childhood home on the Rhode Island coast to contemplate her future. Instead, she’s confronted by her past, not only in the renewed tensions with her mother but in the unexpected appearance of a familiar face—and the wrenching losses that drove her away a decade ago.

Helen Ward’s home is filled with precious keepsakes from her patients, a testament to decades spent caring for the terminally ill. Her work has always come first, though, leaving little time to connect with her daughter. Over the years, the rift between them has become a chasm, so when Mallory appears unannounced, Helen sees it as an opportunity to repair their broken relationship.

This is a gem. While it's about death and grief, it's also about healing and closure. This one will touch you at your core. It will stay with me for a long time. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

Every Precious and Fragile Thing by Barbra Davis reveals many layers of different relationships.Social worker Mallory Ward is having a difficult time after the devastating death of a client.She goes back to her mother’s home in Rhode Island and struggles with old tensions between herself and her mother Helen..Also there are unresolved issues between herself and her ex fiancé and his mother who live next door.You will want to keep turning the pages as the story gives details of decisions made in the past,regrets,losses and forgiveness.Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel.

Mallory is a social worker for at-risk youth. When one of her patients is found dead, Mallory takes it very hard almost to the point of a breakdown. So her boss and friend Jevet puts her on a leave of absence for the summer. With not enough funds to go anywhere else, Mallory heads home to spend the summer even though she has a very tense relationship with her mom, Helen. While home, she runs into her high school sweetheart, Aiden, and learns things she never knew about her mother. She is tempted to flee. Will she run or will she stay and reconcile? Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Every Precious and Fragile Thing by Barbara Davis is a highly recommended domestic drama.

Mallory Ward is a social worker who works with at risk youth in Boston. Due to a tragic and stressful situation there, Mallory is encouraged to take time off from work. She decides to returns home to Little Harbor, Rhode Island, and stay with her mother, Helen, a death doula who cares for terminally ill clients. The two have had a tense relationship but hopefully they can mend it.

Making Mallory's visit more complicated is that Aiden is back in town visiting his mother, Estelle, in the house next door. He was the love of her life who who broke off their wedding plans ten years ago. The two have unresolved issues.

This is an extremely well-written novel which examines the complex relationship between mothers and their children, dying with dignity, repairing broken relationships, and confronting long held secrets. The narrative is told through Mallory's point-of-view as well as Helen's which include long descriptive letters she wrote to the love of her life who is gone.

The characters are fully realized, complex, and depicted as unique individuals with strengths and flaws. The past and present experiences of these characters all contain mistakes and secrets, but they all also long for a resolution and connection. What they seek may vary depending upon the relationship, but they all must admit to or confront their past to obtain the trust and reconciliation they currently need.

There are several big reveals and twists in this family drama. One huge twist was surprising but it also required setting a large amount of disbelief aside. Helen's long letters were also a bit too lengthy at times. Every Precious and Fragile Thing started out strong for me but lost some momentum along the way.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

This book was an emotional one, but in a good way. There were lots of broken relationships in the beginning:

Aiden & Mallory
Aiden & Estelle, his mother
Mallory & Helen, her mother
Helen & Estelle
Mallory & Estelle

10 years have passed since Mallory & Aiden lost their baby and Estelle maneuvered the end of their relationship. Now they are both back home at the same time and inevitably cross paths.

Through the book, the broken relationships are explored, and we get to see beautiful stories of forgiveness and redemption.

The end of this one had me in tears. Davis has a natural way of writing deeply emotional stories and I loved this one.

Thank you Net Galley and publisher for an advanced eARC of this book!

I love Barbara Davis and was so happy to see she had a new book! I became a huge fan thanks to 'The Echo of Old Books' and 'The Last of the Moon Girls.'

After social worker Mallory is asked to take a leave from her job following the death of a client, she retreats to her childhood home despite a strained relationship with her mother. Next door is her ex-fiancé and his mother. Mallory most definitely does not have any closure from this relationship.
We quickly find Mallory's mother sharing parts of her past to which Mallory had not been privy, but it's clear to Mallory some key pieces are missing.

As much as this story is about Mallory, it is about her mother, Helen. As her story unfolded through journals, it was clear my predictions were incorrect and such a beautiful story played out. Saga-like truly, but in a more manageable length ;)

Themes of love, loss, second chances, and death with dignity and respect contributed to a moving story and was just what I was needing to read.

Thank you to Barbara Davis, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would call this book an engaging study of relationships, family dynamics, and what keeping secrets and manipulations can do to them. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and felt for the characters and their various dilemmas. While not exactly a mystery, there are some surprises along the way, which made the book more interesting and intriguing. I would recommend this book to my friends, though not all of them will appreciate some of the turns that it takes. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read book.

I am not sure where to start. This is the most amazing book I have ever read! It is the story of a mother and daughter who are mostly estranged. Neither understands the other. Mallory travels home very seldom but something happens at her workplace so she decides to go home for the summer to think about her future. Mallory’s wedding plans to Aiden fell through but she discovers he is back home. Estelle is Aiden’s mother and has always disapproved of Mallory and her mother. But a tragedy abruptly changes everything for all four of them. It is a most beautiful story of love, loss, forgiveness, grief and family. This story touched my soul and will stay with me forever.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the emotional story of Mallory as she deals with trauma related to her work as a social worker with at-risk youth, and as she confronts her past when she goes back home for an extended leave. She tackles tensions with her mother as well as ghosts from a past relationship that ended poorly. But, Mallory begins to sense that feelings may change as she starts to watch her mother's unique line of work, and begins to engage with the community herself.

I have read a lot of Barbara Davis's books. I think Every Precious and Fragile Thing is one of my favorites. This is about a love story on so many levels, regrets, loss and second chances. This was such an enjoyable read that you just can't put it down.
Mallory Ward, working with at-risk youth is her calling. But when one of her clients is tragically killed, she finds herself at a crossroads. Despite long-held resentments toward her distant mother, Mallory retreats to her childhood home on the Rhode Island coast to contemplate her future. Mallory doesn't realize her ex-fiancé is also back in Rhode Island until she runs into him in the local book store. Mallory just wants to run back to Boston and not face the pain that she experience 10 years before. Her mother convinces her to stay. Will this be the right decision or should she have left. The characters will have you loving them and the stories from their past. You will love this as much as I did and find it is a must read!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Sometimes it’s OK to judge a book by its cover. This book has beautiful cover, and I also was intrigued by the title which led me to request it. This book really digs in deep to all different types of relationships. It does a nice job of telling the stories of the different characters by taking us into the past and showing us what happens in the present. There’s definitely a theme of forgiveness that I think works well with the plot. It takes you through a lot of different emotions and even made me laugh a couple of times. It was a good read, and I would recommend it to my friends. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the digital ARC of ” Every Precious and Fragile Thing” in exchange for my honest opinion.