Love that cover! This book is written from the perspective of Lauren Tranter, who has just given birth to twin boys and a creepy visit at the hospital from a strange woman wanting to trade her strange babies with Lauren. Only problem is: no one believes her and thinks she imagined it all due to exhaustion. Then you have the perspective of Detective Harper, who just feels that something isn’t right. This book started out great with just the right sort of creepy element, but then I feel like I got bogged down by all the descriptions. Same with the detective side of the story, I felt bored with some things I felt unimportant to the story. But,oh man! At a little over the halfway mark, I was hooked and the story became more of a page turner with all the little creepy facts that come to light and Lauren taking a stand for what she knew to be true. An enjoyable read overall.

3.5 stars I enjoyed the darkness of this book, some sections in the beginning were really drawn out. I am also wondering why every female detective in books turns out to favour women? It’s getting a bit cliche. I would have liked to see the ending a bit more complete and wrapped up with Patrick.

Little Darlings by Melanie Golding was a fantastic read that was hard to put down. The cross over between real world and fantasy/myth was well done and kept you entertained throughout. I was not a fan of the ending of the book, but that did not ruin the rest for me.

This is a book that is for everyone, even those who don't think they like the fantasy genre. I will definitely read Ms. Golding's subsequent works.

It is very hard to believe that Little Darlings is Melanie Goldings debut novel. She seems like a veteran, writing quite realistically, blending and blurring the lines between a nasty folklore tale and a new mother's fears and doubts in such a way, that the reader isn't quite sure what to believe!

Laura Tranter has just given birth to identical twin boys. Overwhelmed by the hardship of labor, the physical after-effects of giving birth, and the unending demands of her new sons, it takes a while for her maternal instincts to kick in. Her husband, Patrick, and maternity nurses are a bit concerned. That concern ramps up when Laura places a 999 call to the police while locked in the bathroom of her hospital room saying a woman is trying to steal her children and exchange them for her own twin boys.

DS Joanna Harper responds to the call, even though it has been marked as "handled". With a past that makes her sympathetic to new mothers, the young detective finds that she believes the woman, and much to her superiors’ chagrin, investigates the case even after being told to consider it closed.

When Laura goes home with the boys, she is extremely fearful and won’t leave the house. She insists time and again, that a horrible woman is trying to take her children. Her husband and doctors are sure that she is suffering from post-partum psychosis. But is she? Detective Harper, called by Laura, finds evidence that someone has recently been where Laura told Patrick the woman was looking through their windows. And odd things are happening around Laura and the babies. Is she telling the truth, or is she mentally unstable?

Ms. Golding offers readers a fascinating, though disturbing read, filled with richly described characters. Kudos to her on a more than fine first effort! I look forward to reading more from her!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Really liked this book! It was thoroughly creepy and addicting. The folklore aspect was really interesting and makes me want to read more about changelings. I usually like books that have endings wrapped in a bow but I like that this was left unresolved. I’ll be thinking about this for a while.

“Give me one of yours. I’ll take care of it. You have one of mine, treat it like your own.”

A lingering and disturbing dream haunts new mother Lauren Tranter’s thoughts. Coincidentally, while still in the hospital with her new twin boys, an evil and ugly woman threatens to swap the boys with her own twins, though terrified Lauren cannot find anyone at the hospital to corroborate her story.

When Detective Jo Harper shows up for work the day after the incident, she reads Lauren’s unsettling police report and is compelled to take the case since babies are involved. Will she find that Lauren is psychotic or is there something more sinister going on?

The story starts off as a slow burner and builds into a surreal and unnerving page-turner that had me questioning reality vs fantasy. The main characters Laura and Jo are well drawn by Golding, yet the character that most intrigued me was Lauren’s husband Patrick. His character’s behavior had an undercurrent that I couldn’t put my finger on. Supportive and encouraging at times, dismissive and cold at others; he just got to me.

Golding’s imaginative storytelling kept me completely engaged to the end.

*will post in additional online venues once published

It was hard to put down and very creepy. Thank you to the publisher for this ARC. I'll definitely recommend this book in the future.

Such a great read! I was intrigued by the synopsis and very excited to start this book. The author did a great job of bringing fairytale into a real world setting. Truly enjoyed this. Would absolutely recommend!

A psychologically disturbing and suspenseful, creepy modern folklore story, with a fairy tale feel!

4.5.

Lauren Tranter gives birth to two healthy twin boys, Riley and Morgan. Her first night on the maternity ward, sore and exhausted from a tough labour, she hears, from the bed next door to hers. another new mother whispering to her own twin babies. The next morning a nurse informs Lauren that no one's sleeping there, and that hers are the only multiple births currently in the hospital. Night two, the sound of a horrible lullaby drifts through the dividing curtain, and getting up to investigate, Lauren finds an old woman, dressed in rags, a basket of what appears to be babies (although Lauren can't see them, can only hear them breathing and snuffling) at her feet. Before Lauren knows what's happening the woman tries to convince her to swap babies.

‘”I'll take yours and you can have mine. You'll never know the difference.”’

She then attempts to grab Riley and Morgan, but Lauren manages to escape, locking herself and her babies in the bathroom. But, when hospital security arrive on the scene, there's no sign of any intruder, and they don't believe her. Nor do the nurses, the police, not even her own husband.

Then, the woman follows her home...

Dark and absolutely thrilling, this story quickly captured my imagination and attention. Fairy tales, cartoons, Disney movies, and children's stories like Spike Milligan's, Bad Jelly the Witch teach us early on that the face of evil often belongs to an old women, and generally a little bit of that fear carries over into adulthood. So, I have to admit that the vile, hag-like, reeks of decay, dark magic casting, baby-stealing villain in this story scared the bejeezers out of me. And of course, I loved every minute of it. The folk tales, superstitions, and excerpts relating to changelings, twins, and babies, preceding chapters, upped the spooky ante.

Throughout the novel we're never quite sure whether Lauren has postpartum/postnatal depression combined with lack of sleep, or if her babies are really being threatened by a supernatural being, only visible to her, and the argument is strong for either.

Embracing and adjusting to new motherhood was a prominent theme. Lauren's strength, fragility and love for her children shone through the pages, and it was clear that she would go to any lengths to protect her twin boys from anything or anyone, and when she thought her children were stolen away, would sacrifice herself, and her freedom, at any cost to get them back.

For a debut novel, this one really impressed me, and I can't wait to read whatever Melanie Golding writes next.

I'd like to thank Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Melanie Golding for the e-ARC.

Release Date: 30th April, 2019.

Actual Rating - 4.5

Melanie Golding's writing is brilliant. I had a hard time believing this was a debut. The vivid imagery and atmospheric setting that Golding conjures with her writing is truly masterful and I'd definitely pick up anything she writes.

“Come away, O human child
To the waters and the wild
With a faery hand in hand
For the world's more full of weeping than
You can understand.”

- From 'The Stolen Child' by W.B.Yeats


The story starts with the birth of Lauren's twins and in the hospital room, the author deftly shows us many things; the nature of her husband Patrick, Lauren's fear of labor, fear of being a new mother, as well as something much more sinister and it'll all just SO real. We the readers are right next to Lauren, feeling her pain, confusion and happiness and I think that was very important because Lauren's thoughts and feelings are what build the story hauntingly. The postpartum depression and anxiety is so brilliantly and chillingly written. I've read quite a few reviews by readers who have suffered PPD themselves and they've all said the PPD representation in this book is accurate and spot on. And it plays an important role in the feel of the story and really messes with our heads when it comes to the mystery.

“Was this love, this fear of them dying?”


Though the story is about Lauren and her twins, the author deftly and subtly weaves in the facets of motherhood, relationships, marriage and different kinds of heartbreak which only adds to the haunting atmospheric feel of the book. The eerie little poems from literature and folklore also add to the haunting atmosphere.

“Look at someone every day for long enough and you stop seeing what everyone else sees. You start to see what no one else sees, what is kept hidden from most people.”


The plot drew me in quickly. the idea of changelings in mythology and folklore has always intrigued me and in no time I was fully immersed into the story. The story also moves from the view of Harper, a cop who because of her own past with motherhood, takes it upon herself to help Lauren. When Lauren starts insisting her babies are not really her babies, Harper is torn between wanting to believe Lauren and wanting to be logical as a cop. I liked seeing glimpses of Harper's past and how it affected the case at hand. Harper and Lauren are brought together by a bond that is shaped by Harper's past and I wish it had been fleshed out more. The backstory was there but it failed to bring forth any strong emotion from me.

Throughout the book, Golding makes us doubt ourselves; is there really a sinister paranormal hand behind it all or is it all just in Lauren's mind. So as to not give any spoilers, I won't say more but I will say that different readers have interpreted the chain of events differently. The final pages are open for interpretation and it is upto the readers what they choose to believe. Despite what you might choose to believe as you turn that last page, you can't deny the brilliance that is Melanie Golding's power of storytelling.

Stories of changelings are always good for me. A changeling, a fairy child that had been left in place of a human child stolen by the fairies, plays upon my need for 'creepy' in books.

Little Darlings did not disappoint. While this is categorized under 'thrillers' this is more fiction with a little but of fantasy thrown in. Lauren is a new mother of twins. A rather traumatic birth has left her physically exhausted and her newborn twins needs have left her mentally exhausted. One night, during her hospital stay, Lauren encounters a strange woman who wants to trade her twins with Lauren's. Lauren is terrified by this woman, grabs her babies and retreats to the bathroom.

Joanna Harper is a detective with her own secrets. She comes across the notes on the 999 call from Lauren and immediately feels like something is there - that the decision to just write this off as a mental health episode is wrong.

What follows is a terrifying story of mental illness, of a woman who isn't being listened to - who is told that she is wrong. This is also the story of Joanna who knows that something is wrong and that Lauren should be listened to and believed.

This story does require you to step out of reality - to think about changelings, about fairies, about depression and stress. To believe that bad things can happen, that babies can be missing and replaced and speak in songs and whispers.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and Melanie Golding for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is something I would not have normally picked up. I do have to say it took me awhile to get into the book and I almost DNF but something kept nagging at me to go back to it and I’m glad I did. Little Darlings keeps you guessing all the way through the book. I’m still not sure if it was all in Lauren’s mind or if her husband set it up because he was having an affair. This is the kind of book that keeps you on your toes, hoping that it wasn’t the girlfriend messing with Lauren or if she had read the fairy tales before and her mind was compromised and the story became real to her and she had to protect her babies. Great job! ARC provided by publisher and Netgalley for a honest review.

I was really interested in this book as the story is quite scary. I like how Little Darlings is inspired by dark fairy tales. As I am fond onf psychological thrillers, this book was a perfect fit for me as the atmosphere is well implemented. A good read for sure if you like this type of thrillers.

I was supposed to like this. That's what everyone said. I felt like this entire story was a whole lot of nothing going on. The characters were extremely unlikable, the story slow and plodding.

Rounded up from 3.5. I found this dark, domestic tale to be fascinating in the telling, but the end left me with many unanswered questions. Lauren's character was very well-developed. Her anguish during childbirth, the uncertainty of parenting new babies multiplied by two, the disappointing new dad, and the threat of the dark woman. . . She truly bonds with Riley and Morgan and knows them as her own. The complementary view of Harper, the police sergeant aided in moving the plot along, giving the reader respite from Lauren's melancholy view of the world outside. At the end of it all I found I was disappointed in the development of Harper's character as well as that of Patrick, the husband. The ride to the finish felt rushed and I needed an epilogue or something to tie it all up.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this debut thriller in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, but I wanted more. I felt like the author left a lot relationships hanging, which was disappointing.

This is a fast-paced story that keeps the reader off balance throughout. Could the babies be changelings? Is it all a delusion? In the end, nothing is really as it seems.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Is Lauren an unreliable narrator? Has she experienced some sort of mental breakdown? Up to you as you read this mixture of mystery and fable. Lauren's convinced that the woman who appeared in her hospital room replaced her twin boys with......changelings. No one believes her (would you?), even her husband, who really should have been more sympathetic. And then DS Jo Harper does. Jo investigates what happened that night and then again in a park when the boys disappeared for a bit. This is creepy but not too much so and it will make you think about what shapes our thoughts. It's quite atmospheric and never, to its credit, goes off the deep end into the woo woo stuff. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. I didn't expect to like this as much as I did but it's well written and will suck you in from the start and not let go until you, like Lauren, know the truth.

It is a quick, entertaining read. A psychological thriller that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. Throughout the entire book, I was wondering if the bizarre things happening to Lauren were real or a figment of her imagination. Lauren has an encounter with a creepy woman who wants to switch her twin babies with changelings. Lauren freaks out and calls for help, but no one believes her. The doctor believes she imagined it.

This book is excellent in its portrayal of the difficulties of coping with parenthood. Lauren’s situation is different. She had postpartum depression although her situation almost deviated more toward postpartum psychosis than depression. Lauren was overwhelmed, miserable, tired, and lonely. The way she was feeling, aside from the paranoia of someone being out to get her, was easy to relate to. It’s not easy being the primary caretaker of babies especially without much support.

The story is told from the perspective of two people: Lauren and Harper. Harper is a police officer investigating Lauren’s case. Her perspective was boring although it did give extra incite to Lauren’s situation. I didn’t understand why she was inclined to believe Lauren. Her personal issues were of no interest to me whatsoever.

The ending was alright. Things ended up the way I expected them to. In some ways, the ending was as ambiguous as the rest of the story.

Little Darlings is about a woman (Lauren) who thinks her twin babies have been switched for something else. Everyone around her thinks she's suffering from delusions, including her husband, but she's determined to get her real babies back. This book really kept me questioning what was real and what was in Lauren's head. It isn't far-fetched to believe that a new mother of twins with a very unhelpful and disconnected husband would have a mental breakdown. It's happened plenty of times. I don't have kids so I can only imagine the affect this book would have on a mother. I loved it!

There has been a lot of buzz around Little Darlings lately, and not without cause. This soon-to-be-published debut of Melanie Golding is without doubt something special! Little Darlings is not your ordinary psychological thriller and instead offers a fascinating mix with folklore and fairy tale elements. A hint of the surreal is mixed with suspense and a mental health angle in such a fluid way that really makes the folklore stories come alive... It's without doubt an intriguing mix of genres and different elements that will keep you wondering until the very end. Little Darlings is basically three different storylines in one: one one side we have detective Harper, her history and the investigation, on another side we have Lauren Tranter, her newborn twins and her home situations and as a third element we have the supernatural mixed with a mental health angle. This might sound like a bit much, but the plot is constructed and developed in such a a way that makes everything connect seamlessly. My favorite part of Little Darlings are the folklore elements, which give the story an unique touch as well as adding a healthy amount of suspense to the story. Is it all real? Or is it part of the postpartum depression Lauren seems to be suffering from? These questions will keep going round and round in your head and will keep you wondering ever after you reached the final page. Oh yes, Little Darlings has an ambiguous ending you can interpret both ways... And this time around, this technique really worked for me and added an extra mysterious vibe to the overall story.  As for the characters... I'm not sure I actually liked most of them (although I did like Harper and her stubborn insistence to investigate the case), but they do fit the story in general. I confess I had a strong dislike of Patrick though, and the final reveals involving his character and actions were not really satisfying. But that was only a minor blip compared to my general feelings for this wonderful mix of folklore and reality.