I wanted the book because the plot looked really good. It's right up my alley but I found this book hard to get into. I didnt finish it. I found the mother in the book to be hard to sympathize with and I'm a mother. The detective is the best character and even she was kind of grating.

However with all the rave reviews I feel like this is just how I'm seeing it and not a reflection of the book itself. I do hope that I can pick this up another time and get into it.

I'd say give it a shot! It may not be for me but it could be for you!

Little Darlings is exactly the type of mystery/thriller I love to read, containing just a touch of the paranormal and enough creepiness to push this one into almost horror territory. Best of all, it features allusions to the changeling myth, the idea that fairies could steal a baby away, leaving behind an altered or possibly evil simulacrum in its place.

This is the story of Lauren Tranter, a new mom to twin boys Morgan and Riley. The birth was difficult with complications, further adding to her exhaustion and frazzled nerves. One night, alone during her recovery at the maternity ward, Lauren is convinced that a strange woman was trying to get into her room and take her babies, even though everyone, from her husband to the hospital staff, are telling her that the experience was all in her mind, a symptom of her overtiredness and trauma. But Lauren knows what she saw, and the memory of the event has made her so anxious and skittish that even after returning home, she is afraid to leave the house or let her boys out of her sight for a second.

Finally, her husband Patrick has had enough, persuading Lauren that she has to start going out and seeing people again, which would help get her back into the normal routine of life. Knowing deep down he is right, Lauren takes his advice and takes the now six-week old twins out in their stroller for a walk—a miscalculation that she ends up regretting forever. All it took was a moment of distraction, a few minutes where Lauren’s attention was elsewhere while she rested on a park bench, and suddenly, Morgan and Riley were gone. Thankfully, the police quickly mobilized a search and found the twins by the river before anything could happen, and a person of interest was also taken into custody for the abduction. But rather than the joy of being reunited with her babies, Lauren feels instead a terror and a revulsion when she looks down into the twins’ faces. She knows with a mother’s instincts and every fiber of her being that these are NOT her sons. It is as she feared; the strange woman at the hospital had done what she promised she would do—steal away her babies and replace them with her own unnatural, inhuman spawn. Lauren doesn’t understand why no one else can see this, but everyone thinks that the pressures must have finally gotten to her, that the twin’s brief disappearance was what broke her mind. Only Joanne Harper, a determined Detective Sergeant who had been the original officer to respond to Lauren’s emergency call at the hospital seems willing to consider the possibility that not all is as it seems.

To begin, I have to say that when it comes to books, I don’t really scare that easily. The written word isn’t like the movies; without any physical images, it falls to great writing and a very talented author to generate the same kind of visuals in my mind. I can probably count on one hand the number of books that have managed to truly and genuinely creep me out. Now though, I can add Little Darlings to these exclusive ranks. Seriously, what is it about children and babies that make them such an effectively terrifying trope when it comes to the horror genre? And twins, especially creepy twins! There were scenes in this book that would have made me run screaming from the room if I ever had them happened to me. Reading this one in the dead of night was probably not the best idea, but at the same time I relished in the thrill of being scared, and some parts were just so gripping I could not put the book down even though it was well past my bedtime.

I think one big reason why Little Darlings got to me so much was my ability to relate to Lauren. My heart broke to read about all those complex emotions in her, which transported me back to those uncertain months following the birth of my oldest, when I was a nervous and paranoid wreck. Let’s be clear, there’s no way I could have read this novel when I was a new mom—it’d be too disturbing, and I’d be waaaaay too freaked out. I likely would have been driven to new heights of terror, for there are things in here that are the stuff of nightmares for any parent. I am fine now, but I still remember with uneasy clarity the horrible postpartum anxiety I experienced, the worries and fear that I would fail miserably as a mother and that I was doing everything wrong. And I still spent most of the time reading this book with a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach, and that’s when I wasn’t also getting the heebie-jeebies.

Bottom line, I had a good time reading this book. Little Darlings was chilling and addictive, a fantastic thriller if you want both a touch of horror and some mystery in one neat package. Great characterization, atmosphere and writing in this one! Recommended.

It was very easy to get pulled into this story. I went back and forth a few times before I decided who to believe, there was plenty of room for doubt. I'm not all that comfortable with the type of story it turned out to be, but getting there was certainly interesting.

I thought the mother, Lauren, was a interesting character. Her fear felt very real. Jo Harper was much easier to like. Sadly, Harper seemed to become less and less effective as the story progressed. After reading the story, I'm not sure she actually much of an impact on any of the major events of the story. The Jo Harper in the first half of the story was great.

Laura Tranter just had newborn twin girls, Morgan and Riley. She is completely exhausted and needs rest, the night in the hospital room a woman tried to take her babies and replace them with her own, creatures....
Oh my gosh!!! When she tells everyone what happened no one believes her.
This book was creepy good, I was so into the book, it was a big page turner... I was completely sucked in, I love a good book, and this my friends is a good book.. This book will for sure be on your mind for days!!!
I loved the ending it was so well done.. This author has a very great imagination, I hope to see another book from her soon..

This was a really solid debut from Melanie Golding. Super creepy and sinister, I loved the incorporation of the dark fairytale and was racing through to find out how it would end- was it real or all just an illusion? An overly exhausted new Mother’s mind playing tricks on her or a horrible fairytale come to life?
I definitely related to Lauren’s postpartum struggles, wondering if her extreme exhaustion is making her imagination run wild, or if she should trust her gut and her motherly instincts since no one else was taking her fears seriously.
I generally find it extremely frustrating when authors leave the ending up for interpretation , but I think it was fitting in this case. Fun read!

Little Darlings by Melanie Golding is a wonderfully suspenseful paranormal mystery debut novel with a dash of horror that is based on a Welsh fairy tale. Lauren is the new mother of twins - and during her stay in the hospital an extremely creepy woman tries to take her newborns and replace them with her own - creatures. Lauren and her twins get to safety and she calls the police, but police find no evidence of another woman at all and everyone including her husband assume that she was just imagining things. Lauren knows what she saw and she's been on edge since that day, but a month later the twins disappear from her side at the park and when they reappear there's something decidedly wrong with them. Lauren's willing to do whatever it takes to bring her real children home, but if she's wrong she could make a deadly mistake. The novel is compulsively readable and the twists and turns will keep you on the edge of your seat. While I enjoyed the down to earth police procedural aspect with Detective Sergeant Harper, it's still the weakest aspect of the story in comparison to Lauren's story but either way it's quite an intriguing contrast. Overall, if you're a fan of dark fairy tales and Neil Gaiman, I have a feeling you'll enjoy Little Darlings. I can't wait to see what Melanie Golding does next.

This book was unusual to say the least. I am not sure what I expected to be honest, but I’m kind of not sure what I actually read either. Here are my pros and cons:

Pros

- Creepy doesn’t even begin to describe this novel.
- This was definitely a frightening depiction of postpartum depression that some woman suffer greatly from after childbirth… but the book is written so well, and throws in just enough black magic and fairy tale elements, that you actually start to question yourself as a reader what is really going on. You are experiencing the “delusions” along with the mom (Lauren) and what is real and what is not real is anyone’s guess.
- I strangely felt sorry for Lauren because absolutely no one believed her when she said her babies were replaced. Honestly, I wasn’t sure whether I believed her either. However, there is really no way she could have made up some of the things she knew about… and other details in the story took you down another path altogether that just confused the issue. If the author was trying to make me frustrated in an attempt to empathize with Lauren’s situation/mental illness, then she succeeded brilliantly.
- When it comes down to it, I guess in a way it didn’t matter if Lauren’s babies were replaced or not. Regardless of whether it was real or her own mental issues/imagination, the emotions she went through –fear, anger, frustration, depression – were exactly the same and felt very real.

Cons

- I really disliked Patrick (the dad/husband). I wish he would have been written just a little bit kinder.
- The book moved a little too slowly for me. I was enthralled until about the halfway mark and then the story just bogged down tremendously. It didn’t pick up again until about the last 15% of the story, but…
- Sadly, the last 15% of the story is where it kind of went off the rails for me. Details about what is happening start to conflict with one another a bit (can’t give specific information without spoilers) and you are left with just a vague notion of what the heck is going on. But like I said in Pro #3 above – maybe the truth doesn’t ultimately matter. However, while that may be true, it was still an unsatisfying and confusing ending overall.

Summary

I would imagine most women that have experienced postpartum depression in some manner may find this book to be a realistic and uncomfortable reminder of that time of their lives. As a matter of fact, I’m not sure I would recommend this book to anyone that has suffered PPD. Nor would I recommend it to mothers of newborn twins. I don’t think I’d ever sleep again!

While the book had some issues in my opinion, I don’t feel like I wasted my time reading it. It was an uncomfortable and creepy book to say the least, and any story that brings out strong emotions in a reader is a decent book in my opinion. If the ending had been a bit more satisfying, this would have bumped up to four stars for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The story was good, and the author was on point about how sleep deprivation causes havoc with a new mother's mind and body, but I was underwhelmed with it as a Psychological Thriller, or was it supposed to be Horror? There were too many plot conveniences, and it was a bit to predictable for me. There was also too much story dribbling on after the climax.

Little Darlings
by Melanie Golding
Published: April 30, 2019 by Crooked Lane Books
Dates Read: April 30 – May 3, 2019
Genre/Category: Horror, Mystery & Thrillers
Read For: ARC / NetGalley Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
4 1/2 stars

Little Darlings. Oh, what did I just read? My head is still spinning. I need to talk to Melanie Golding ASAP and pick her brain!
Book synopsis from Amazon: Everyone says Lauren Tranter is exhausted, that she needs rest. And they’re right; with newborn twins, Morgan and Riley, she’s never been more tired in her life. But she knows what she saw: that night, in her hospital room, a woman tried to take her babies and replace them with her own…creatures. Yet when the police arrived, they saw no one. Everyone, from her doctor to her husband, thinks she’s imagining things. A month passes. And one bright summer morning, the babies disappear from Lauren’s side in a park. But when they’re found, something is different about them. The infants look like Morgan and Riley―to everyone else. But to Lauren, something is off. As everyone around her celebrates their return, Lauren begins to scream, These are not my babies. Determined to bring her true infant sons home, Lauren will risk the unthinkable. But if she’s wrong about what she saw…she’ll be making the biggest mistake of her life. Compulsive, creepy, and inspired by some of our darkest fairy tales, Little Darlings will have you checking―and rechecking―your own little ones. Just to be sure. Just to be safe.
When I finished this novel, I truly did say to myself “what the h*ll did I just read?” The reason was not bad in any way, it was good, in fact very good. This one really made me think. Full disclosure, I didn’t find Little Darlings to be “creepy” as many others have described. I guess this depends on your definition of the word, but when I think of the word creepy, I think more along the lines of the movie “The Ring” and that girl crawling out of the TV. Ew (shudders).
I found Little Darlings to be more of a psychological thriller with a touch of fantasy. The psychological part was based off a brilliant premise… a fairy tale. (What an awesome idea, and why didn’t I think of it????) You have your typical relationship, typical relationship issues, and your typical female hormonal overthinking of everything.
The whole thing seems obvious, Lauren is just exhausted. RIGHT??? Seems too good to be true, almost like a psychological thriller that isn’t really worth picking up right? Same old, same old. Yeah….. no. Now I always promise no spoilers so there is no way I can continue explaining my feelings without telling you the story, and I HATE when people do that. So lets get to my rating.

I give this a good solid 4½ stars. Anyone who has read my reviews knows I am very stingy with the stars but this one deserves to be up there. Here is why. Not only did it have all the general basics that I require (see rating scale) but boy, did it make me think for a long time afterwards. A very long time. There are so many intricate facts revealed that need to be considered, and you have to question what you really believe in, down to your core. Here is where my nursing career comes into play, my psych training kicks in, and I try so hard to figure out all the answers. This is where I want to talk to Melanie Golding because I need these answers, I need my thoughts validated. I found the ending “smart.” It was one of those endings that may leave certain people (like me) wanting more, yet may leave others quite content. Either way, this book was worth every second I tore through it, and I highly recommend the read!

Thank You so much to NetGalley and to Crooked Lane Books for the ARC and the opportunity to review this book. I received this ARC for an unbiased and honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Melanie Golding hit it out of the park with Little Darlings as far as I'm concerned. This story is sinister, creep-crawly and preys on one of a mother's worst nightmares. As a mother of three, this book evoked feelings of horror, angst, and had me overall questioning what I would do in the shoes of Lauren Tranter.

Lauren Tranter has just given birth to a loving set of twin boys. She and her husband Patrick are over the moon. However, the bliss doesn't last long, as shortly after, while in the hospital, Lauren experiences a horrifying situation resulting in her believing that someone has tried to abduct her boys and transform them into changelings. What follows is a narrative from the point of view of Lauren as well Jo Harper, a detective assigned to the case.

What I loved:

1.. With each chapter, Golding begins with a bite of a folklore tale involving twins, changelings and/or motherhood. This really set the atmosphere of darkness and under-your-skin possibilities.

2. Sleep deprived Lauren is not the most reliable narrator. Much of the time I didn't know whether her experiences were actually occurring, or whether they were a result of an over exhausted mother of twins.

3. The supernatural element to this story was so well done and the opposite of cheesy. There was a good balance between the reality and that which was not.

4. I felt for Lauren Tranter. She was a mother who wanted the absolute best for her sons, as we all do, and I was pulling for her all of the way!

I am not one that usually gravitates toward sci-fi, but this has a tasteful mix of sci-fi and thriller elements. Because I read so many thrillers, I am always looking for an author with a unique take and perspective on the genre. Little Darlings hit the mark, and should be considered as your next scary read.

This was a decent read. Engaging and well written with good characterisations. Patrick, the husband, is such an awful person that I honestly felt anger towards a ficitonal character, so well done on his portrayal.
Gothic horror elements linked with folklore about changelings and twin births. This was a decent take on it and Golding adds a nice little bit of suspence and mystery.

Where this book falls down however is the complete lack of conclusion(s). <spoiler>why does Patrick lie on his observation forms about Lauren? Who exactly is Natasha? She's mentioned a lot and is even a suspect of abducting the twins, but is just fizzled out and forgotten about. What is her relationship with Patrick? It's never answered fully or with any satisfaction. Nor is there any satisfactory conclusion with Jo Harper. Her character is explored so much, but much like Natasha is just fizzled out </spoiler>

I was expecting more gothic horror and suspense and instead finished this wondering where the ending was. One thing I did really enjoy was reading up on the background of the drowned village in Derwent. Golding has researched this and the geographical surrounding area very well and I found this aspect of the novel fascinating.

Overall, a decent read but it falls flat for me due to the lack of an adequate ending.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
While in the hospital, after giving birth to her twin boys, Morgan and Reilly, Lauren Tranter is visited by a decrepit woman, wearing tattered clothes and smelling of the sea. The old woman also has twin boys and warns Lauren that if she leaves her twin boys alone for even a minute, the woman will swap her boys for Lauren’s and they will never be seen again. However, when Lauren tells this story to her husband, Patrick, and to hospital staff, and even the police, they all chalk it up to Lauren being exhausted and overwhelmed. While out on a walk one day, Lauren falls asleep on a park bench, and when she wakes up, her babies have been abducted. Police officer Joanna Harper is called in and the babies are returned safely. Soon, though, Lauren begins to claim that the babies have been swapped and that Morgan and Reilly are not her sons. Again, these claims are dismissed as the claims of a vulnerable and mentally ill mother, but Jo Harper continues to investigate after hearing about an old folk tale where children are swapped with children of the sea, being stolen out of their beds and exchanged with children who appear similar but are, in fact, very different.
Melanie Golding’s “Little Darlings” is her first novel, and it is quite a debut! Wrought with suspense, intrigue and old fashioned fairy tales, “Darlings” leaves you guessing right through to the very end (and beyond).
This novel is interspersed with snippets of historical fairy tales about children being abducted and swapped. Many cultures have a fable similar to this in their folklore, from the changelings and faeries of the British and European culture, to the German tales of the Nixies. “Little Darlings” leaves a reader questioning the truth to these stories, and the possibilities that exist in a world outside our own.
I disliked the character of Patrick at first, finding him extremely condescending and misogynistic, but eventually he grew on me. Lauren was likable and I found myself rooting for her and her babies.
The ending of “Darlings” left a lot of questions unanswered, and although it was written very well, it still leaves the reader to make their own assumptions about the outcome.
Well written, especially for a debut novel, “Little Darlings” is creative and entertaining, bringing the world of fairy tales to light, as well as covering the dark and very real world of mental illness and postpartum psychosis. Although I would’ve preferred a more concrete and defined ending, I definitely look forward to Golding’s next work.

3.5 stars

Oh wow, this one really took me ages to read! I think I kind of psyched myself out of reading it because it's a supernatural thriller and the supernatural isn't really my jam. I had no clue when I read the blurb that it would have these elements, I honestly thought it would be about a woman who was suffering from postpartum depression or something along those lines. I don't really see this as a thriller but perhaps more of folk tale inspired slow burn mystery. That said, I don't think my apprehension to read this affected how I felt about the story. I didn't dislike it, but it did fill me with a lot of anxiety, though I enjoyed the uncertainty of not knowing what was real and what wasn't.

Lauren Tranter has just given birth to beautiful twin baby boys and although she isn't initially sure if she loves them, she soon develops that strong motherly bond and love for her babies, and would do anything for them. During her stay in the hospital ward post birthing, an "ugly, smelly, disheveled woman" appears in the adjoining bed with twins of her own and tries to convince Lauren to exchange her twins with hers. Lauren is terrified that this woman will steal her children, and is frustrated that no one will believe what happened. Due to this incident, Lauren is filled with such high anxiety and stress, and compounded with the lack of sleep which comes with being a new mum to twin babies, she slowly begins to unravel. So when she falls asleep in the park to find her babies are missing, she's sure the woman took them. Although the twins are eventually found unharmed, she's convinced that her babies have been swapped with changelings, but why can't anybody else see it? Will she find a way to get her babies back or will she lose them forever?

The story is told in alternating perspectives between Lauren and Detective Sergeant Joanna Harper. Harper's POV was pretty much standard police procedure and detective work, although there was a lot of personal conflict with her character. She felt pity for Lauren but also understood her situation as a mother, which led her to taking the leap and believing something that should've been completely ridiculous. Ultimately though it was for the wrong reasons and only added to make the situation worse.

Lauren's anguish, depression and loneliness was palpable throughout the book. It left me feeling anxious about what would happen next, and sad for her character and what she was going through. My least favorite character in this novel was her husband, Patrick, who was honestly such a weak and spineless man; I wanted to push him off a cliff with how patronizing and selfish he was! To be honest though, since we only saw his character through Lauren's eyes, I wasn't sure whether he was really like that or if it what we saw was clouded by Lauren's depression and mania.

Perhaps the reason why I didn't absolutely love this story was because I don't have children, and at this point in my life, I'm leaning towards not having any of my own. This story is fully about a mother's love for her children and her willingness to do just about anything to get them back, and I couldn't really connect with that anguish and desperation. While I'm not saying that it's necessary to have children to understand the intensity of this novel and Lauren's character, I think it definitely helps to connect with it.

I thought this was a fairly well-paced mystery, although certain parts in the middle really slowed it down for me and got boring. I liked how every chapter began with excerpts from various folk tales--it definitely added to the creepy supernatural vibe of the story. I will also admit that this was a lot less creepy than I thought, although many things to do with babies and the supernatural kind of freak me out in general :) There ended up being quite a lot of elements in this story and at first I was wondering how Golding would tie it all together, especially when a new one was introduced so late in the book; but while the climax was slightly unrealistic, this was inspired by a folk tale so it fit with the overall story arc. One thing I will say is that this novel kept me guessing throughout and although I knew none of it could be real, I still couldn't help but wondering "what if". Overall, I'm impressed with how Melanie Golding packaged everything for a satisfying, if not slightly sad, conclusion.

This is a solid read, although I was expecting something a bit creepier with more substance. The ending was a tad ambiguous, which was perhaps on purpose but it made me wonder what actually happened, who was really to blame. In the end I was just left confused with more questions than answers. Who left Lauren the book? Was there ever a threat or was it all in Lauren's head? What about the difficult birth that was mentioned but never really explained? Did it have anything to do with Lauren's mental state? And how exactly did Victoria Settle fit into all this? I thought the characters were poor for the most part and the focus on DS Harper and her love life didn't seem to have any valid point. If this had been a police series than the character development would have made more sense, but here it was just distracting. Natasha seemed to be a plot device and her inclusion didn't make any sense in the end. Patrick was a piece of work and a worthless husband and I wonder how much of Lauren's problems stemmed from his behavior. Still, this book was a fun read and parts of it were really creepy but not to the level of supernatural horror that could have really made this novel unputdownable. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the DRC in exchange for an honest review. 3 stars.

This book was a dark new and contemporary fairy tale which is what makes it quite interesting. With some definite thriller aspects, this novel is definitely worth the read. This book is about a mother who is frightened that her twin babies are no longer her babies but monsters. While others think she's crazy she knows what she's seeing. This was such a new approach to a thrilling fairy tale and I loved it. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a thrill.

This book is kind of freaky in my opinion but it is the kind of freaky that ushers to read one more chapter up until you realized that you have read five, six, or seven more chapters more than planned. The story is vastly creative, it reminds me of Grimm's fairytale. It is addictive and spine-chilling.

4☆
ARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All of my opinions are my own, and are in no way affected by the exchange.

I dont read a lot of thrillers/suspense novels. I dont tend to find their synopsis very interesting but the summary of this book really grabbed my attention. This book is about a new mother of identical twins, changelings and fear.

The book begins with Lauren having just given birth to twins Riley and Morgan. Quickly, Lauren saves her children from a woman who tried to swap her children for Lauren's twins. The story goes from that point on. No one believes Lauren when she says someone tired to steal her kids, they all think that she is just tired or delusional.

I really liked the writing of this story. It was very atmospheric and descriptive. I dont have or ever want children and I still felt the primal fear a mother must feel is/when their children are in danger. I liked the lengths that Lauren went to protect her children. Her husband was disgusting and the weakest form of man but that's something entirely different. I never really understood why Lauren and Patrick ended up together but I think that was kind of the point. I really enjoyed the fact that we didnt know if Lauren was crazy or if someone was actually trying to swap her children.

There is a side most likely lesbian character but she never self identified beyond liking women. There is a VERY subtle blossoming f/f relationship in this.

Lauren Tranter has given birth to twin boys Morgan and Riley. While in the hospital recovering, she is visited in the middle of the night by a woman, with twins of her own. She is acting strangely, and there is a sinister cast about her. She tries to swap her boys for Lauren's boys.
The police are called, but the woman runs off before anyone else sees her.
The doctors and her husband Patrick think she is breaking down emotionally from the rough birth and the strain of being a new mother to twins. They don't believe the other woman was real.
When Lauren is released home with the twins, Patrick is not much help and he goes back to work right away. She is left exhausted, caring for the twins on her own, and she is afraid to leave the house in case she sees the woman again.
When she is eventually persuaded to leave the house, she takes them for a walk in the park. So worn out, she falls asleep on a bench and wakes up to find the twins gone. After much panic, they are finally returned to her unharmed. But even though they look the same, she knows they are not her boys!
What lengths will Lauren go to get her real babies back?
Based on fairytales and folklore, this supernatural thriller is exquisitely creepy and compulsively readable!
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

https://lynns-books.com/2019/05/09/little-darlings-by-melanie-golding/
Little Darlings is an unusual book to review, not least of all because of the possibility of spoilers, but also because it’s a slippery sucker that’s difficult to pin down. Is it a dark twisted fairy tale, a mystery or a case of one woman’s journey through post-natal depression? What I can say is this was a creepy and compelling read, maybe not exactly what I was expecting when I picked it up but nonetheless it was thoroughly gripping and at the same time an excellent exploration of the doubts and fears of being a new mother.

Basically, this is like all your worst nightmares coming true as a new mother and it’s really well written to be honest. We make the acquaintance of Lauren. Pregnant and expecting twins she’s starting to discover little cracks in her relationship, possibly not the best timing but then the babies decide to put in an appearance and all is forgotten. Of course Lauren is exhausted and sore and struggling to cope with two newborn babies with very little support – her husband certainly seems only too happy to relinquish responsibility at the drop of a hat. So, you can imagine, that when Lauren calls the police from hospital, hysterical and talking of a woman trying to steal her babies the doctors immediately write her claims off as lack of sleep.

All except one detective, Jo Harper. Jo has ghosts that haunt her from the past, that she still feels remorse over and that lead her to examine things in greater depth. I’m not saying that Jo believes Lauren but at the same time she doesn’t totally knock her claims on the head, although her boss refuses to sign off the expense needed to investigate events which leaves her in a rather tricky situation.

So, let’s talk about the other woman. Lauren wakes up in the hospital late at night and can hear singing coming from the next cubicle, when she peeps inside an old woman is crouched over a basket, seemingly where twins are lying. The woman is bedraggled, unkempt and smells of the river. She makes Lauren an offer, she’ll take one of Lauren’s boys and leave one of hers in his place and if Lauren refuses this offer she threatens to take both. Then things turn really nasty and that’s when Lauren calls the police. Of course, the old woman can’t be found, no images show up on the hospital’s CCTV and so the episode is put down to over exhaustion and frayed nerves.

Now, I can’t really tell you too much more about the plot, Lauren returns home and from there things go from bad to worse. That’s all I’ll say.

My thoughts. The writing is excellent. I felt exhausted myself just reading about Lauren’s struggles and fears for her twins. She has so very little support and as mentioned above her husband takes absolutely no responsibility for the twins whatsoever. Okay, he’s at work and he has to be able to wake up in the morning but he felt very cold as a character and I found him incredibly irritating, not to mention he had something of a roving eye. There was the awful tension that just increased little by little of Lauren not coping, becoming very insular, of everyone starting to look more closely at her – you had this horrible feeling that everything was going to go awfully wrong, and of course it did, but when things finally come crashing down boy oh boy do they come crashing!

I mentioned above that this isn’t quite what I was expecting. I don’t mean this negatively, I just think I imagined there would be more of the fae elements with the whole changeling aspect to the story whereas this comes across much more as a contemporary story with a slight element of magical realism. Regardless, of that it’s a very good read, dark and sinuous in nature with just enough things thrown into the mix to make you wonder. In fact that’s another thing that I thought was really well done – the way the author makes you doubt things yourself as the story develops casting suspicion on people and scattering red herrings around.

The other thing that also came across to me was Lauren’s sense of, not just isolation, which was massively the case during parts of the story, or of the extreme tiredness she felt due to sleepless nights but also this overwhelming fear of not coping and being very much aware of this huge responsibility that she had taken on board.

In terms of criticisms. I don’t really have anything much to say, I think if you read a lot of mystery/thrillers then you’ll probably be able to pick holes in the police procedural elements of this and if you read a lot of fantasy then you might find this a little on the light side speculatively speaking, but, I didn’t mind either of those and thought the two came together very well.

Overall, I found this a good read, quite dark and creepy and definitely tense.

I received a copy through Netgalley courtesy of the publisher for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

The best horror plays off of real-life fears. For any parent the biggest fear has to be something happening to your children. Melanie Golding assaulted this fear. Playing with nursery rhymes and traditional children’s stories, Golding has created a new parent’s nightmare.

I wanted to love this story, to have Golding pull me into Lauren Tranter’s life and the pure terror that she experienced, but I just couldn’t get there. Little Darlings jumped back and forth between Lauren, the distraught mother who believes her children have been switched, and Harper, the tenacious investigator who refuses to accept that there is no case to be found here.

The Harper storyline felt more like a distraction that added little or nothing to Lauren’s plight. In the end, I felt like this arc of the story was a tool to allow Golding to begin her series. The story was supposed to be about Lauren, Morgan, and Riley, but now that all of her readers know and like Harper, we will all be eagerly awaiting Harper’s next case. When it happens naturally, I love it. When I feel like you are trying to trick me, I lose some respect.

Golding tosses in a few other characters that added little or nothing to the story: Patrick, the arse of a husband, I may have met and hated him before, the obstinate police supervisor/captain who forces “our hero” to go rogue, and the nosy reporter – I’m still not sure what she added to the story.

Lauren’s story was good. I felt like I was with her, but I needed more. Originally, I was going to give Little Darlings four stars, based on Lauren, her torment, and the author’s details and insight into Lauren’s situation. And if she had focused more on that, she would’ve had it. The story needed more and trudging through Harper’s story took away from all of the good.

*3.5 Stars