Little Wonders audiobook

I have to say, even as a non-mother I am completely hooked on these witty, laugh-out-loud books that give a glimpse into the chaotic mommy-world where perfection is demanded but impossible to achieve. Little Wonders by Kate Rorick is a complete delight to read, and a perfect book right now as we are away from it to remind ourselves that perfection is not attainable, and holding ourselves to that standard will never win in the long run!The epitome of “First World Problems”, this book is filled with characters who have a lot to learn about supporting one another rather than battling to be the best. I loved how funny this book is!At the Needleton Academy for Potential Prodigies and Little Wonders (yes, that is the name and I am living for how bougie and over-the-top it is), the PTA is basically a full-time job. Parents of these little wonders are expected to be basically perfect. But that is, as we know, impossible to achieve!Quinn Barrett, president of the PTA, is leading the pack in her efforts to be the perfect mom with the perfect child and marriage. So when she has a full-on mommy meltdown when her son refuses to wear the homemade costume she labored over for him, things seem to be spiraling out of control. When that very meltdown is captured on video and goes viral, Quinn can’t understand how this happened to her of all people (how unfair!).The video was captured by new mom in town Daisy McGulch Stone but it subsequently going viral was completely by accident! Of course, no one can know that now. Daisy doesn’t fit in with the perfect moms club, with her tattoos and blue hair, and it would be worse if they knew she was the culprit, however accidental.This book is just simply a wild ride and I loved every second of it! It’s like Desperate Housewives for the new generation (this is a HIGH compliment). I really loved that Daisy and Quinn were so different, but found a way to bond in their own way through this…situation. The blending of humor and bits of heart made this crazy story feel just real enough that I truly cared what would happen.Honestly there is so much to love here, but I don’t want to spoil it! If you want something that will make you laugh and still has heart, this is your book!Thank you TLC Book Tours and William Morrow for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Admittedly I’m drawn to over the top, train wreck type of drama, whether that’s in a book, tv show or a movie and if there’s a side of sarcasm and sharp wit, I’m even more intrigued. Who’s with me? I know most of y’all loved Tiger King and couldn’t get enough of the drama. While Little Wonders isn’t quite as outrageous as TK it’s definitely dramatic and funny in it’s own right. This follows two moms whose kids both attend the same prestigious preschool and they couldn’t be more different. Quinn is a type A overachiever who is more than a little intense in all aspects of her life and Daisy is...normal, especially compared to Quinn. They form an unlikely friendship after Quinn’s meltdown over her son’s Halloween costume goes viral and I love an unlikely friendship. This is satirical and witty and you definitely don’t have to be a parent to enjoy this one, but I did thank the lord that my own kids preschool experience was way more mellow than these characters.

“In dark moments, when Quinn Barrett looked back and analyzed what caused the destruction of her entire life, she should have known that it would happen at the Little Wonders Preschool Happy Halloween Costume Parade (and Dance Party).”After a long, trying day, Little Wonders Preschool Parent Association President, Quinn Barrett loses her temper when her three year old refuses to wear the Halloween costume she’d spent hours making. When her tantrum is caught on camera by another parent and inadvertently goes viral, Quinn’s perfect life begins to spiral out of control.Little Wonders is an entertaining novel exploring the pressure on mothers to present a facade of perfection. Honestly Quinn is the type of woman many of us both envy and resent, she seems to have it all and manage it without any visible effort. Her fall from grace is somewhat satisfying as the viral meltdown exposes her tenuous control over the various areas of her life, including her career and her marriage. But forced to consider what it is she really wants, Quinn earns her redemption, and in the end I found her to be a very sympathetic character.New to Little Wonders and Boston, Daisy is struggling to fit in. Her electric blue hair, tattooed arms and love of Star Wars marks her as obviously different amongst the traditional moneyed class of Boston society. She’s unwittingly the reason for Quinn’s viral infamy as the ‘Halloween Mom’, and has her own lessons to learn about how far she will go to fit in. I identified more with Daisy than Quinn, or Shanna (Quinn’s sort-of nemesis), and I’d love to play a game of D&D with her.In this Instagram age, where appearance is often more prized than truth, Little Wonders is relevant and often relatable, even if predictable. I loved the snarky preschool newsletters, (having written a few of those in my lifetime, the truth is definitely in what you leave out), and I enjoyed the geeky fandom/rpg references too.Witty and winsome I enjoyed Little Wonders finding it an easy, engaging read.

This is a book that every Mom entering the world of parental involvement in school should read. It has a few characters that we can all relate to.Quinn is the hyper organized, got her shit together, working mom, or is she?Shanna is the bitchy, newly staying at home mom, who thinks that she can do everything better than Quinn, but can she?Daisy is the new to the area, doesn't fit in with this mommy crowd mom, doesn't she?Once we have children we begin on the new friendship adventure all over again in our lives. However, this time around we have all of the baggage of all the other times we've been down that path and sometimes things just didn't work out for us. Making new friends is so difficult with the mommy shaming that happens along the way for women.This is a good read. To find out just how right and wrong these three women get it all along the way.Thank you to Book Club Girl and William Morrow for providing Book Club Girls Sparta this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not a mother. I have no desire to be a mother. I'm an aunt and I love every single one of those little brats, but I would honestly lock myself in a closet forever if I had to deal with them for more than a couple days. My deepest regards to all your parents out there, and your 24/7/365/rest of your lives wonders.That said, I loved this book. It was at times hilarious, heart breaking, and heart warming. I would recommend it to anyone needing a fun read during this hectic time, especially moms who try way too hard to be 'perfect'.

I read Little Wonders by Kate Rorick and I loved it! Little Wonders features PTA mom, Quinn Barrett, who is caught on video having a full blown mommy melt-down. Daisy McGulch Stone moves to the upper middle class town and could care less about the politics of Little Wonders Preschool.Quinn and Daisy find themselves becoming close friends, yet Daisy has a secret that she's keeping from Quinn.Little Wonders was so relatable and quite funny! The perfect read for this chaotic time.

Little Wonders is a fresh take on the 21st century art of mommy shaming. The twist is that it’s done with heart -and humor.Quinn Barrett is trying to do it all and do it all perfectly. Achieve partner status at her job, take care of her young son Hamilton, keep her husband happy and be the best president ever of the Little Wonders Parent’s Association. The problem, of course, is that life is not at all perfect. Hamilton is not potty trained; her husband seems to need a lot of spin classes and Quinn has way too much on her plate. The cracks in the façade start when Hamilton (Ham) refuses to wear the very perfect Halloween costume Quinn has handmade (of course). Quinn, sleep deprived and stressed out, has a Mommy tantrum. Quinn thinks her meltdown has gone unnoticed, but it’s inadvertently recorded by the newest parent to the group, Daisy. Recently transplanted from LA with blue hair and tattooed sleeves, Daisy does not exactly fit it with the Little Wonders parents. Without malice, Daisy shared the recording with two friends; unfortunately, one of them gave it to a Hollywood starlet, and, of course, it went viral. Quinn is removed from her post with the PTA and replaced by Shanna. She’s also removed from her pet projects at work, and her surgeon husband, Stuart, is less than supportive at home. Quinn’s life implodes and now we get to read along as she tries to make sense of it all and put her life back together.Soon Daisy’s role in the PTA has expanded to helping coordinate events. Quinn offers to help her out and they form a friendship. Quinn gets two shocks: That Daisy is the one who shared the video and a not so shocking truth about her husband. How does Quinn respond to these revelations? Does she forgive?What I loved about Little Wonders is that the author does not fall into the easy trap and make these women one-dimensional PTA villains. Quinn, Daisy and Shanna are written as real women who are trying to live life in their own ways. Maybe the problem is the belief this can be achieved with perfection. We’re reading and laughing at their struggles, but there is so much heart here, you find yourself rooting for them, too! There is not one Mom reading this who has not had her “moment” as a parent. What would you do if that less-than-stellar moment was caught on tape and shared with the world? Thanks to Library Thing Early Readers, Kate Rorick and William Morrow/Harper Collins for the advance copy of this book.

I found this book very enjoyable! It was relatable, funny and entertaining, and a quick read for me. I loved following along with our two main characters Daisy and Quinn. Quinn has the picture perfect Instagram life. Then a video goes viral of her at her son's pre-school Halloween parade and it forces her to take a look at her professional life, motherhood, and her marriage. Daisy has just moved from LA and does not fit into the typical Needleton Little Wonders Pre-school mom mold. She has electric blue hair, tattoos, and is into Star Wars and D&D. Daisy finds herself starting to change the way she looks so her daughter will fit in better at pre-school and she will get a better job to help her family make money. When the two women end up coming together they realize what is really important in life and what makes them happy. Quinn gets very "messy" with herself, and the two form a great friendship. I'm not a mom so I couldn't relate to this book on a parenting level but I could very much relate to the pressures of having that "picture perfect" Instagram worthy life. Social media can be a blessing but has very much become a curse; the comparing of oneself to what you see everyone else doing online. The judgement and mean comments that come from other people. The unattainable "perfection" which causes a lot of anxiety and messes with our mental health.

Just finished reading Little Wonders by Kate Rorick! Such a lighthearted and fun read for the spring, especially during this time when we are all stuck at home. The strength of this book lies in its characters, preschool moms of the East coast clash with the newcomer mom of the West Coast. We meet the perfectionist, type A, overachiever Quinn with her days perfectly planned, and we meet her opposite, the D&D loving, blue-haired, geek Daisy. Both moms tackle the struggles and parental drama through a school year at Little Wonders, a fancy preschool for future prodigies. Even though complete opposites, Quinn and Daisy are both relatable to any woman with Quinn desperately trying to maintain a facade of perfection and Daisy trying to fit in while branching out of her comfort zone. This book reminded me of a modern Big Little Lies by incorporating pop culture and social media references. Without a doubt I recommend Little Wonders for a pleasant read, filled with laughs and cheer as the author pokes fun at the hoops parents jump through just for a parent association.

Rorick has put a fresh spin on mommy shaming - and she's done it with humor and heart. Quinn wants everything to be perfect; she's an interior designer with a surgeon husband and Hamilton, a three year old son. Problem is, it can't be. Ham isn't potty trained, her husband is going to a lot of spin classes, and she has too much on her plate. Unfortunately, her meltdown comes when Ham refuses to wear his Halloween costume and it's filmed by Daisy, a fish out of water at this upscale preschool. Daisy's inadvertent release of the video leads to a chain of events that will keep you reading. Daisy's a great character-she's got piercings, blue hair, and she named her daughter for Carrie Fisher. Quinn's life implodes and then, to everyone's surprise, she becomes friends with Daisy, who has cosplayed herself, albeit briefly, into a brunette with covered arms but who always retains her Daisy-ness. I very much enjoyed this. It's funny, it's pointed on the issue of social media, and it's sharp. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. Great characters and storytelling made this an excellent read.

We are all looking for "that" book right now and let me tell you, I think I found it!Have you ever had one of those books that no matter what time it is, or how heavy your eyes are, you just couldn't put it down?  Well, LITTLE WONDERS was one of those for me.  This book was so good it was like I was watching Desperate Housewives pre-school moms version.This book is like an out of control train.    Quinn, Shanna and Daisy, our three main characters not only have their own personal problems, but they are all parents of preschoolers at Little Wonders.  When Daisy accidentally catches Quinn having a meltdown in front of her child on video, she doesn't think anything of it until she sends it to her friends in L.A. for a laugh, where one of them posts it online and the darn thing goes viral.  Of course Quinn is outed at school (mainly because of snotty Shanna) and Daisy is beside herself because of the total mess she has made.  As expected, things just don't stop there and you become so vested in these true to life characters, that you have to stay on this crazy train until it either reaches its final destination safely, or crashes and burns in a hot mess.There is a hilarious truth to this book and Kate Rorick seems to have nailed the preschool years like a champ.  The writing and dialogue is so spot on, you'd think you were dealing with your own school and neighbors.  This is pre-school parenting satire at its best, almost as if Rorick has shared with us a little bit of personal experience compiled in a fictional novel.  The book has such a good flow about it that you will be tearing through the pages without even knowing.  With family, preschool, and social media drama, you'd think all bases are covered, but its Rorick's small addition of the Little Wonders Preschool Monthly Newsletter and the color commentary of Suzy, the Parent Association Secretary that really hits this already comical and heart-warming novel out of the ballpark.This one was un-put-downable.  If you are looking for something to get you out of a slump, or cheer your mood, or to just generally make you laugh, I highly recommend this read.  All my teacher friends out there will absolutely love this one, not to mention the preschool moms too!  (And props to Kate Rorick for making Daisy one kick ass character and dropping some awesome Star Wars dialogue in there too)! I gotta give this one 4 1/2 stars, but since Amazon and Goodreads won't let us do that I will definitely be rounding up!Thank you to @williamorrowbooks, @noblerorick and @TLCBookTours for my gifted copy of this book.

Quinn Barrett strives for perfection.  It's her personal mantra, to appear perfect, to be perfect for her husband, her son, her work life and as the president of the Little Wonders Preschool Parent Association.  The next perfect event she needs to pull off is the Little Wonders Happy Halloween Parade and Dance Party.  However, when her three year old son Hamilton would rather not wear the perfectly hand crafted spaceship costume Quinn made, she has the mother of all tantrums. New Preschool mom, Daisy captures it all on video only to have it quickly spread around online putting Quinn in internet infamy.   Daisy is an L.A. transplant and does not fit in the posh suburb of Needleton with her electric blue hair and tattoos.  She wants the best for her daughter Carrie, but is finding it hard to be herself.  Daisy feels awful for sharing the video of Quinn, but also finds a friend in the now outcast Quinn and is finally finding her place in Needleton.  As a mother of a four year old, many of the themes in Little Wonders hit home for me.  The first part of the book was a little hard to read as Quinn's character dominates with her endeavor for perfection.  I could feel the stress that Quinn placed on herself and everyone around her emanating off of the page.  It was difficult to connect to any of the characters at first because they all seemed like awful people.  I still felt bad for Quinn as the video was posted online and blown severely out of proportion.  However, after Quinn stopped striving for perfection everything lightened up and I really enjoyed reading the second half of the book.  Her growth was amazing and I liked watching her relationship grow with her son and Daisy.  As the point of view switched between Quinn and Daisy, I appreciated Daisy's journey in finding herself, losing herself and finding herself again.  Little Wonders serves as a reminder to all moms that we need to stop taking life so seriously, enjoy all the imperfections in life, embrace humor, and find a really good group of mom friends. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

Quinn is the perfect designer, the perfect wife, the perfect mother, the perfect Parents Association President. And then she has the perfect meltdown at the preschool's Halloween parade when her toddler doesn't want to wear his costume. Caught on video, Quinn goes viral and becomes "Halloween Mom". Which wasn't what Daisy, with the electric blue hair and tattoo sleeves, wanted to happen. She just sent it to a few of her cool west-coast friends, she didn't think they'd share it around. Daisy is desperate to keep the truth a secret, afraid her mistake might get her daughter expelled from the school. But as Quinn's life continues to melt down around her, she and Daisy find themselves becoming friends. And keeping a big secret like that becomes harder to do.This was a cute story about the pressures of modern parenthood. It's also about staying true to yourself, even after becoming a parent, and having a life outside of being mommy. I feel like this isn't the first story I've read or seen about a parent going viral with a bad moment caught on tape, which is no surprise in the current age. The writing is funny, and both the Quinn and the Daisy perspective have a distinct voice to them. I was surprised a few times by the direction the story took, but I never had a hard time believing where it took me. A few developments were entirely predictable though, and it took a while for the story to pick up pace. I liked the school newsletters that popped up every few chapters, as those not just give the reader another perspective of parent politics, but they also function as a handy tool for tracking time throughout the story.This was a highly enjoyable read, and I look forward to reading more from Kate Rorick.(I received a copy from the publishers via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.)

Things are not going well for Quinn Barrett. Her seemingly perfect life is falling apart around her. A video of her stomping on her son’s Halloween costume is making its rounds on social media causing an uproar just about everywhere she goes. Because of it, she has given up her position as the president of her son’s preschool Parents Association. And she left her job with a media company (a job she loved). Now her handsome, successful, surgeon husband has moved out of the house because he says he needs a break from their marriage. Daisy McGulch is a transplant from LA, having moved to New England from LA when her husband got the job of his dreams in a sleepy town in New England, where everybody knows everybody, and everybody knows everybody’s business, and where blue-haired, tattooed, nose-pierced Daisy sticks out like a sore thumb. She hangs out with her husband’s cousin’s wife (her cousin-in-law) who is helping her navigate the tricky terrain of a small town. But, when Daisy films Quinn’s meltdown, and sends it to her friends in LA, and one of them posts it online, Quinn’s live start to unravel. Quinn and Daisy form an unlikely friendship, one that would certainly be threatened if Quinn finds out who made the video. A novel of love, and family, and friendship, women who pose as super moms, and private schools, and the dangers of your privacy being invaded by a bad posting on a social media site. It’s insightful and entertaining. Enjoy.

Imagine if one of your worst moments in time was caught on camera, posted to the internet and then it went viral. That’s what happens to Quinn Barrett, a woman who strives to live a perfect life with her surgeon husband and toddler son. She has a meltdown during the annual Halloween parade at her son’s preschool and the new mom in town happens to have her phone pointed in the right direction. That mom, Daisy is trying hard to fit in with the East coast, upper crust, Boston crown but she has electric blue hair and her arms are covered in tattoos. She doesn’t intend to do anything with the video but she shares it with one friend and from there it explodes.But Little Wonders is more than a story about the schadenfreude but rather about crawling out from what you think is the worst and making something better. It’s about the strength of women coming together and learning to trust each other rather than hate each other. Plus learning that perfection doesn’t exist.This was an exceptionally quick read for me, but I do read exceptionally quickly. I enjoyed it as a delightful diversion from my forays into the past. The characters were fun and it didn’t require a lot of thought – it was just entertaining. I think for the way things are right now it’s the perfect read.

***I received an ARC from Library Thing in exchange for my honest reviewQuinn Barrett is trying to be the ultimate wonder mom, but her son Hamilton is not making it easy for her. Three-year-old Ham is still not quite potty trained despite her best efforts, and although he has insisted for weeks he wanted to be a spaceship for Halloween, now that it is time for the Halloween Parade at the Little Wonders Preschool he wants to be a fireman. He refuses to get into the spaceship that Quinn spent hours perfecting and for her it is the last straw. She has a tantrum of her own and destroys the spaceship, not realizing one of the other moms caught the whole thing on video. When the video gets posted online and goes viral, Quinn's life implodes. She has to take a step back and think about what is really important to her.I read Kate Rorick's first book "The Baby Plan" and loved it, so I was excited to read this one. This is chick lit at its best. It has lots of funny parts throughout and I think anyone who has been a mother can relate to some of the things in there. I think it is definitely a must-read.