What a scary little book this was.

The writing needed some getting used to and I was oh so grateful when the author introduced Harper’s POV, after struggling with the first couple of chapters. The book switched back and forth between Lauren (the mother) and Harper (the detective) and I really enjoyed the book more for that. I loved how these really messed up fairy tales were integral part of the story and I sure will not leave my future children alone ever. EVER.

Oh and did I say how much I hated Patrick, the husband? I did, very very much.

What a nice surprise this was for me-completely unexpected and addictive!

First I have to give kudos to the author-a debut hit and soon to be a major motion picture! Not too shabby!

Here's a quick teaser:
New Mom Lauren becomes convinced that her newborn twins have been switched by a swamp lady that only she has seen.
If this is true, where are her twins, and how can she get them back?

Sounds a bit bizarre, right?

And it is, to be honest. It reads like a mystery with a strong folklore thread throughout. It's dark, atmospheric, and creepy in just the right spots.

The only thing that held me back from giving this 5 stars is that I felt this would have been better as a short story or novella. There were some spots that could have been edited out to help sharpen the suspense.

Overall this was truly a unique read and I can't wait to see how the movie plays out!

ARC provided by NetGalley

A book I would shelve under "one night reads". I couldn't stop reading and when I forced myself to stop, I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Initially I was unsure if this was entirely a fairy tale. By the end if the book, it didn't matter because I was already living in the book.

Haunting and provocative, I could not put "Little Darlings" down!

Lauren Tranter has just given birth to perfect, beautiful twin boys. While recovering and learning to balance all the things that come with being a new mother, something sinister arrives and threatens to take her precious baby boys. Of course, no one believes Lauren; they all think she's mad. That is until her babies are taken, and Lauren's life is thrown into a tailspin.

When the babies are found unharmed, everyone is thankful. Everyone except Lauren, who only sees the creatures who have replaced her boys. She will stop at nothing to find her real babies, no matter who/what tries to stand in her way.

"Little Darlings" is the perfect blend of creepy, sinister fairy tale and psychological suspense. It is a book that will haunt you long after you are finished. I highly recommend it!

This one messes with your head, guys! I love psychological thrillers, and this had me totally creeped out from very early on. It also had me puzzled with the mystery of the fairy-tale-like storyline. With each new chapter we're given a new layer of this mystery that makes absolutely no logical sense, but can't deny that it's all happening. I kept wondering if this was just a big mind-game with a huge twist that would turn everything on its head. Or if I was just completely overlooking a small detail that would make everything clear. I loved it!

Being a mother myself, I couldn't help but relate to what Lauren was going through. The exhaustion, the lack of help, the loneliness that comes from having a new born (I can't even imagine with twins). It's something almost all new mothers will feel at one point - the loneliness even if you're never technically alone, not having anyone else understand what you're feeling. I found Lauren incredibly easy to connect with and empathize with. Her voice is genuine. Her fear, her doubt - even in regards to her own sanity, her love for these new babies in her life were all so palpable. Even though this is written in 3rd person, which I was a bit worried about at first, I found myself engrossed by these characters.

The story is told in alternating POVs. One being Lauren, the other being Harper - the local detective who found Lauren's story a bit too unusual to leave alone. Harper is also a well rounded, flawed character who has her own issues that make her feel connected to Lauren. Having this second POV makes the mystery all the more eerie - as Harper finds pieces of the puzzle that make your skin crawl. It can't be all in Lauren's mind if Harper is seeing it too, right!? AAAAH!

Little Darlings is a gripping and disturbing psychological thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat - and your sanity.

Little Darlings was such a chilling atmospheric book. The creepy suspenseful feeling started on page 1 and did not stop! It would be a perfect October read! The story reminded me of a Grimms fairytale. I was fully engaged with Lauren's character. Writing was wonderful, definitely won't be my last Melanie Golding book.

3.75 Stars.* (rounded up)

Fairy Tales and Folklore, what a combination!

Imagine being Lauren Tranter, mother to newborn twins, Morgan and Riley. She is excited and nervous to take her babies home and then she get visited by a disheveled, dirty and smelly woman who threatens to steal her babies and replace them with her own “changelings.” Then it happens and Lauren Tranter is beside herself. Detective Jo Harper investigates and is the only one who believes her. The babies don’t just coo and smile - they imitate an adults’ behavior. Could it be possible?

Lauren swears these are not her babies! How far will she go to get them back?

There are fairy tales, there is dark lore and then there is “Little Darlings.” Is your heart in your throat? Do you have the chills? Admittedly, I will say that this is one strange tale and it took some very odd turns and yet I was glued to the pages like there was no tomorrow. With “Little Darlings,” Melanie Golding weaved a sinister tale that is sure to capture your attention in the wickedest of ways.

This was a buddy read with Kaceey and both of us were absolutely fascinated.

A huge thank you to Sarah at Crooked Lane Books, NetGalley and Melanie Golden for a galley of this novel to read and review.

Published on Goodreads on on 3.17.19.
Will be published on Amazon and Twitter on the release date of 4.30.19.

Infuriatingly slow to start and massively infuriatingly compulsive!

There is folklore and fairy tales at play throughout the book mixed into a psychological thriller with touches of the supernatural. This book plays on the fears of every new parent, the sleepless nights, the paranoia of something bad happening to your new baby and even the irrational fears every parent feels at one time or another.That is this books strength, how well she has put those fears and thoughts, the emotion they create and written them into this fantastic book. It had me questioning my own sanity and believes in the unknown.

Changelings – a child believed to have been secretly substituted by fairies for the parents’ real child in infancy. One of the most sinister superstitions and folklore.

The only slight negative I can say about the book is nothing to do with the book its self as such as the book is well written, slow paced until the midway point and then things really start to unravel with a great ending, so it is more to do with the advertisement of the book. Described on Amazon as ‘The most addictive and haunting debut of 2019’ that is a massive statement to live up too and as much as I enjoyed the book it just didn’t hit that mark for me sadly. Didn’t meet expectations you can’t help but have going into this book just from that one sentence.

Other than that it is a great read and one that will make a brilliant book club read as it will give you all plenty to discuss, during the read and after.

I can also see this one hitting the big screens in the near future, I know I’d love to see this book turned into a movie!

Little Darlings will be published in the Uk on 02 May 2019 and can be pre ordered now

A massive thank you to the author Melanie Golding, publishers HQ and NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest and independent review.

https://debbiesbookreviews.wordpress.com/2019/03/18/little-darlings-by-melanie-golding/

Shortly after the birth of her twins, Lauren is recovering in the hospital when one night she hears a woman singing an eerie song. Concerned that the woman will wake up her twins, Laura approaches her and asks her to stop singing. The woman, dressed in ragged and dirty clothes seems to be singing to her own baby twins. When Lauren approaches her, the woman presents Lauren with an offer--her dirty and filthy creatures, for Lauren's own sweet, perfect babies. When Lauren refuses, the crazed woman attempts to steal the babies away. Fearing for her life and for the lives of her twins, Lauren hides in the bathroom and calls the police. When the police arrive, there are no signs of an intruder in the hospital. Nurses and doctors deny the presence of an intruder and everyone turns to Lauren questioning her sanity. Could she be having some sort of post-natal psychosis?

If you have ever had children and by that I mean if you have ever birthed children, you are well aware of how exhausting the process is. If you ever had twins, then you also know the amount of work and lack of sleep that comes with them. Golding is superb in describing these initial days right after bringing a baby home. You can relate to the desperation that the new parents, Lauren and Patrick, are feeling. Lack of sleep and the constant demands of two newborn babies can drive anyone a bit nuts. Golding has a beautiful way of describing a scene that puts the reader in the middle of the action, and at times it's hard to discern if Lauren is just one over-exhausted new mother, or if indeed some evil force is trying to take her babies away. Little Darlings is the debut novel of Melanie Golding. This is a suspenseful, addictive, and intelligent drama that mixes well the themes of myth, parenthood, pain, guilt, and psychosis. The ending is brilliant and by far one of the best novels I have read this year.

I would like to thank Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The book is told from the point of view of Lauren Tranter, an exhausted new mother of twins and Jo Harper a detective who investigates the events that take place concerning Lauren and her twins. The story starts towards the end of Lauren's long labor and the baby boys are named Morgan and Riley. Lauren spends several days in the hospital with them, wondering when her "love" for her babies will appear. Lauren is exhausted, inexperienced, and gets no real support from her husband Ben, at any time in the story. The first night of her babies' birth, she hears and sees a dirty woman in the area next to hers, singing a horrid song, while a basket with the woman's "twins" surrounded by rags, sits at the woman's feet. As the woman tries to trade babies with Lauren, she is able to call 999 to get help and Det. Jo Harper's intuition drives her to want to know more about what is happening to Lauren.

Once home, Lauren grows to love her baby boys and will do anything for them. The doctors, nurses, and Lauren's husband think that Lauren was hallucinating in the hospital and when she sees the woman in front of her home, Ben is upset that Jo Harper would even consider what Lauren saw as real. Lauren continues to see the dirty woman over the next month as she learns from fairy tales about changelings, and knows she must do everything she can to keep this woman from swapping twins with her. Lauren doesn't even leave the house until the twins are 5 weeks old.

This is Grimms Fairy Tales come to life for Lauren and Jo Harper is the only person who believes something is really happening to Lauren...that Lauren isn't just hallucinating everything she sees. The book had me hooked from the beginning and I felt so much compassion for Lauren and a lot of disgust for her husband, who knew his wife was exhausted but insisted the twins, the house, the chores, were all her responsibility. Ben wasn't willing to help Lauren in any way and wanted life to go back to how it was before they were born, with his only responsibility being his job during the day and going to the bar to "network" in the evenings.

What is real and what is a figment of Lauren's imagination? Many things point either direction and even Lauren doubts herself at times. Jo Harper works to find out what exactly is going on, with the help of Amy, a journalist that Jo fancies. The 'maybe' romance between Jo and Amy detracted from the book for me. It just didn't fit into the story and was unnecessary, in my opinion. Otherwise this book entranced me, even with an ending that may leave some readers questioning just what was real.

Thank to Crooked Lane books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Loved this debut. The atmospheric vibe was perfect. I loved the chapters with the POV from the mother but was less interested in the detective. I generally am not interested in mysteries that focus on the detective storyline. In Little Darlings, it was a small part of the story but some parts I didn't like. Also, the ending felt abrupt and I left the book with some unanswered questions...but that was probably the author's intention. Overall, this was super good and creepy!

Oh my goodness! This book rolled out as a truly creepy read that had me keeping several lights in the house shining bright as I huddled in the corner of my sofa, shaking while I read on.

Lauren Tranter has just given birth to twins, exhausted from a prolonged labor and delivery. Curiously, she keeps over-hearing another woman behind the curtain in the next bed singing to her twins.
Lauren can’t believe it! Two sets of twins in one night? What are the odds? Things take a strange turn however, when the other woman asks Lauren to swap babies. WHAT!? Terrified, she immediately locks herself in the bathroom and calls the police.

When Lauren discharges home from the hospital, fear for her babies keeps her firmly locked in her home. Can Lauren save her babies from this strange, other woman? Or is it too late?

Melanie Golding writes an atmospheric and creepy tale that will leave you wondering what’s real and what’s not! Normally I avoid anything remotely supernatural but in this case it worked. I was actually left wanting more of that aspect!

A fabulously chilling buddy read with Susanne!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Poppe at Crooked Lane Books and Melanie Golding for an ARC to read and review!

This book is one of the creepiest ones I have read in recent times and I loved it. Lauren, after the birth of twins and going through post partum hemorrhage, was both exhausted and overwhelmed. Her husband Patrick pretended to support her, at least in the hospital. A woman in rags at night, singing a song, wanting one/both of her sons, put Lauren into a panic and a call to 911.

Days later, sleep deprived and going for a walk in the park with the babies, Lauren dozed off on a bench, and babies were gone. They were found, but Lauren was convinced her little darlings were swapped by changeling. Was that true, had the twins been interchanged or was Lauren hallucinating?

Melanie Golding's debut had me questioning the lines at every point. My views kept changing about what was happening with Lauren. There was so much conviction in her prose that I had goosebumps while reading the parts of the story. The changed twins staring creepily caused a shiver to go down my spine. Brrr... The only thing I was sure of was that the husband was a nasty piece of work!!

I loved that this story was a cross between a thriller and Grimm's fairy tale. The Dark Wicked Faerie wanting both her sons, really came alive with Melanie's writing. The cop investigating all this Jo Harper soon found a place in my heart. I loved her gut feelings and her vulnerability in personal life.

A few parts niggled me, they went slow, the story dragged at some points. The rest of the prose compensated for those slow bits.

I enjoyed the book thoroughly, I was scared and I loved that!! An absolutely atmospheric read filled with creeping eerieness.

Told as if a modern faery tale, it's both horrifying and fascinating. A woman believes her twin babies are swapped with changelings shortly after their birth. No one believes her. I read this book in one sitting, because I couldn't put it down.

Little Darlings is a creepy, page-turning terror. A modern-day Grimms fairy tale that will keep you reading until the wee hours.

Lauren Tranter is a new mother of twins but her happiness is tinged with horror when someone, or something, wants her babies. But is Lauren just exhausted after a difficult birth and caring for twins? Is she suffering from postpartum depression or is there really a dark figure in the bushes waiting to steal her babies?

Pulling on classic folklore motifs, Golding builds an eerie story that leaves the reader guessing until the end.

Lauren has identical boy twins. After their birth, while Lauren is still in the hospital, someone/something tries to steal her babies. Everyone – except maybe Jo Harper, the detective assigned to the case – thinks Lauren is psychotic. But she’s not. Weeks later, the babies are actually stolen and exchanged, and Lauren must get her own babies back.

The character development was excellent. I empathized with Lauren, was disgusted with Patrick, her husband, liked Detective Harper, and was ambivalent regarding my thinking about Amy.

What a great debut novel. This is definitely a page-turner. The author expertly keeps this dark, fantasy story believable. The book is described as a horror story, and that genre is not usually for me. But this one lured me in. I even started it during daytime because I was afraid I’d be spooked; I wasn’t and read late into the night.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Little Darlings. It was my pleasure. Well done, Ms. Golding. Well done.

I did not finish this book. I probably should have given it more of a chance, but I had to quit in chapter three when the nurse/doctor had her hand inside Lauren to try to stop her postpartum hemorrhage and ripped her episiotomy stitches. I know the book will go beyond Lauren's time in the hospital, but reading about newborns is not always good for me. I had the feeling that this was going to be one of those books where you wonder for most of the book if the person is crazy or it's really happening, and the thought of reading about someone else's potential postpartum depression (or psychosis) being turned into a horror story was too much for me. I'm not sure why I wanted to read this in the first place, and rather than there being anything wrong with the book, it's just not something I'm comfortable with. I will not rate this book anywhere else since I did not finish it.

Thank you net galley for this opportunity to read Little Darlings!!

What would you do, if your child was kidnapped and returned safely back to you, but only problem is that you child is not...your child??

I totally enjoyed Little darlings dark atmosphere and grimm fairytale theme. Dark twisted psycholigical thriller!! Will keep you up at edge of seat!!

Quite creepy and you start wondering how sane Lauren really is.

If ever there was a character you wanted to punch, it would be Patrick Tranter. He got on my nerves from the very start.

As a new mother of twins, Lauren is bound to have some postpartum depression and anxiety, but how much of what she experiences is in her head?

A strange hospital visit, a weird book, a creepy baby gift, it’s a wonder I didn’t go crazy reading this story.

Little Darlings was an eerily creepy yet addictive debut book that left me turning the pages and wondering what was real and what was not. It's a daring book that combines a dark element along with realistic life , which made for a very entertaining and haunting story.

Lauren gives birth to twin boys and soon after is visited in the hospital by a woman that claims she will steal her babies and exchange them for hers and no one will know. This changes everything about Lauren and the way she deals with life. She is exhausted (which as a mother, we can feel for her). She gets no sleep, is basically raising her children without the help of her husband and she won't leave her house for fear that the woman will hold her actions. Yet in all of this, not one person believes her. Until the detective Jo Harper steps in and just feels something is off. Even when she is told to stop working on the case that never started because it was "open and closed" with no evidence helping Lauren's claims. She just trusts her gut and dives deeper to find some truth.

The story is a bit twisted and reads like a Grimm fairy tale told in more detail. It even has quotes from some darker fairy tales. And then we get the history of the small town they reside in and events that lead to some creepy 'folklore'.

What is truth? What is fiction? What is real? What is a figment of your exhausted imagination? And what will you do to keep your children alive? It was a crazy ride and I felt for Lauren all throughout the book. Could this woman be crazy? Unreliable protagonists are always fun to read, but this hit on a whole other level. It was unsettling and full of emotions that new mothers deal with regularly. The book was put together quite well and I would totally recommend it for someone that isn't afraid to go a little dark and almost fearful.
I was still thinking about it when I finished and applaud Ms Golding for her fantastic debut. 4 + stars!

#netgalley #LittleDarlings