A traumatic twin birth can be bad enough, but to be haunted by a Something that wants your babies takes it to a new level of nightmare. This is the situation facing Lauren Tranter as she tries to protect her precious boys, with no help or understanding from her husband, medical professionals or the police.
I loved this book - it was well paced, characters engagingly written and the folktale elements seamlessly entwined into the modern day to give a story that is a little different to many on the shelves today.
I was sad when it ended and look forward to reading more by the author in time.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So creepy - I loved it!

Little Darlings went by so freaking quickly. I honestly couldn't put it down! In it, you will meet Lauren and Patrick. They seem like a lovely married couple expecting their darling babies. However, Patrick's real colors come out rather quickly once those little devils are born. He's the only working parent, since Lauren quit her job. So he makes sure to tell her that he needs to sleep at night instead of her. He may help her every now and then but the twin babies are her job day and night.

I instantly hated Patrick. He's a douche and a terrible husband/father. I wanted Lauren to open her eyes when it came to him, but that didn't happen until the end. Mostly because his secrets came out in the open. Again, I hated him so freaking much!

Then there's Lauren. I have no idea how she's alive because that women barely sleeps. She constantly taking care of the kids. These boys, which Patrick has no idea who is who, were adorable but the devils basically. I don't even like kids right now so I would probably murder my husband if he didn't help with kids - especially if they were twins.

On top of all this family drama, there's sort of a folk tale spin on it. A lady came to visit Lauren at the hospital, after she gave birth, and said that she wanted her kids or to trade at least one of them. See she also had twins but they were changelings. Again, it was creepy and that's pretty much why I devoured it.

Ever since this exchange, Lauren has been constant watch over her two boys, Morgan and Riley. Then one day Patrick tells her to go outside, which was a big no no in my book. So much shit went down after that day and it's why I completely hate Patrick.

This book had so many twists and turns. It also had so many freaking secrets coming out, all Patrick's by the way. It will definitely make you feel for Lauren, hate Patrick, and probably creep you out about babies. I loved this book and I definitely need another one by this author!

At times I loved this book at others it took a bit to get through. The characters were well developed and had rough edges as all people do. The husband character was who I had the most trouble with. I simply disliked him and the parts he was in were had to get through because of my extreme dislike.

Creepy chilling a mother gives birth to twins that she is asked to exchange.There is a supernatural eerie goythic feel to this unputdownable book.So well written so multilayered.grab this book highly original .highly entertaining.#netgalley litledarlings #crookedlanebooks,

I've always been a huge fan of mythology and fantasy and it was so cool to see that blended so seamlessly with modern thriller-style writing. This book was a delight.

Creepy premise almost made me not want to read it - but once started, I couldn't put it down. This is a definite page turner! I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

I found this book to be a twisty, mind-teasing, heart-wrenching story that left me questioning my own judgment at times. This puts the reader in the same predicament as the main character, who I found easy to relate to as a new mom myself. The folklore aspect was extremely interesting and intriguing to see how it played out. I also really enjoyed the strong, female detective and the variety of narrator viewpoints presented, although it made it difficult at times to know who to believe. This book was an exciting and refreshing change from my usual mystery reads and really
provides something unique.

Little Darlings is very atmospheric and dark. The dread seems to ooze from every page and I was just waiting for something to creep out of the corners. So, before I begin I feel I must put a warning. If you are a mom and have ever struggled with post partum depression or anxiety, this book will be hard to read. With the terrible things Lauren witnessed and the fear and anxiety she feels in the book, I had to put this book down for days at a time. This book lurched my stomach and at times felt suffocating. I really hated Lauren's husband and wanted to reach into these pages and slap him!

All that said though, Little Darlings was super creepy and relied heavily on old folktales (did I mention they are extraordinarily creepy and dark?).

Normally I give a brief synopsis of the book, but with Little Darlings I don't want to give anything away. If you love mystery/thrillers sprinkled with horror, then you will love this. The book is a bit of a slow burn, but once it gets going, it doesn't stop.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooker Lane Books for this ARC of Little Darlings.

LOVED this! Total page turner and I feel kind of bad writing about it because I read a galley and it doesn’t come out until spring, but mark it down on your wishlist because this is so good. Lauren, our main character, gives birth to twins. She’s exhausted, underslept, and overwhelmed, but she knows what she saw….in the middle of the night, a woman crept in and tried to replace Lauren’s babies with her own…creatures. This book was like a modern day take on a Grimm’s fairy tale (LOVE), and it had undertones of Rosemary’s Baby and The Changeling (I’ve read the former, not the latter). Aside from being compulsively readable and totally creepy it was also an honest portrayal of the challenges of new motherhood.

This book is about every mother's worst nightmare; what if the child you brought home after giving birth was not your child. Lauren, the mother, is not quite sure what is going on with her babies but she knows something is amiss.

I really enjoyed this book as it is well written and so creepy the storyline is something I have never read before. Not a really fast paced book but it does keep you reading and turning those pages. Can't really say much more about this book or I will give out spoilers. You just need to read it and let the creepiness and uneasiness set in. You'll really like this book. Can't wait to read more from this author.

This highly readable debut from author Melanie Golding is a clever and creepy reinterpretation of classic folk- and fairy-tales. An elegant melding of crime fiction, fantasy, and horror, it tells the story of a young, isolated mother convinced that her newborn twin baby boys have been switched with "changelings" by a malevolent fairy creature. She is dismissed as unhinged by local law enforcement, except for a rogue police officer convinced there is more to the story than meets the eye.

Every sentence is infused with suspense and dread. The visceral imagery conjured straight from the darkest fairy tales will keep readers trying to decide who is telling the truth until the final page. I also thoroughly enjoyed the inclusion of excerpts from fairytales and folktales from around the world, providing context for readers who may not be as familiar with some of the lore alluded to in the novel.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Melanie Golding, as well as NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really liked this book!
It started out pretty well and had me hooked to it right till the end. I generally prefer strictly thriller books, but this one was crossed over into fantasy and I was not sure if I'd like it. Surprisingly, it was really good. However, the ending could have probably been better. That cliffhanger didn't sit well with me. But that's now a reason I'll have my eye out for Melanie Golding' next.

This was definitely a creepy read considering what happens to the twins in the book and I don't even have kids to worry about.

Lauren has twins, Riley and Morgan, in the hospital. While she's resting after the birth, she encounters an odd woman who tells her that she wants to make a trade, her babies for Lauren's. When Lauren says no, she is haunted by the woman. Lauren's babies go missing one day and they believe it to be an abduction case but Lauren knows better, she knows her children were stolen by that woman. When her babies are returned to her, she knows that they aren't actually hers, they're different. Lauren decides to risk everything to get her babies back, no matter the cost.

I was enticed by this novel because of the description, I've always been into the fey and changeling stories and this one was no different. It does have a slight twist that features Lauren's mental state as well, which was an interesting aspect to focus on. I was surprised because there are two POVs, Lauren's and Harper, the detective on the case....or rather, who is making this into her case.

I didn't really see a point in the romance between Amy and Harper, just because it didn't really go anywhere and didn't aid in the story much. I think if there was going to be a romance aspect, it should be more crucial or important to the plot. Amy just helped Harper sporadically, and more towards the end of the novel.

I absolutely hated Patrick, not because he was poorly written or because he was a flat character, but because he didn't care about anything that his wife was worried about. He literally tells Lauren that his job is more important than the fact that she just gave birth to twins, and tells her that she's on her own with taking care of them. What a horrible father and husband!

The mental health aspect of this novel, along with the unreliable narrator, really made this a unique read, one that I wasn't entirely expecting, but thoroughly enjoyed. At times, the pacing felt a little slow, although it didn't hinder my reading.

I was given an ARC of this novel on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hmmm this book was slow for me to get into at first but the story picked up bout 5o% in. Then I got hooked and had to find out what happened!!!! Lauren has twin baby boys and seems to be having a hard time with them. She swears that someone tried to take her babies while still in the hospital but no one believed her. They thought she was delusional. Until one cop started digging deeper and the crazy truth comes out. Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for my honest review.

**ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY FOR AN HONEST REVIEW**

-Little Darlings comes out April 2019!




This is a creepy, psychological thriller about a new mother who is convinced her twins have been swapped with something evil.

Lauren is a new mother, and on the night of her twin boys, Riley and Morgan’s birth she is visited by a woman who tries to steal them and replace them with her own babies, creatures. But yet nobody believes Lauren, they say she made it all up.
When Jo Harper picks up the case out of curiosity she starts to think something isn’t quite right here and maybe Lauren really did see a woman in her room that night.


So we swap chapters between Lauren and Officer Jo Harper and this is a wild ride.

I was so into this I could not put it down. I was so creeped out and yet convinced I figured it out more than 3 times and never did. You never know what’s real and what’s not in this story.


This is an amazing thriller that actually gives you thrills. My heart was pounding, I was spooked and worried and just. Omg



Patrick ( the father) will make you mad throughout this book, he’s a lousy ass husband and a lousy ass father and I can’t stand him. At all. He has no redeeming qualities to me and I love Lauren.

This is a 4.5 instead of a 5 because the writing was confusing at first and somethings I didn’t understand because it’s mainly British words, I’m American and British slang I believe, so not the authors fault. But also because the ending kind of left me wanting a little bit for something different and confused me a lot. Definitely excited to read some more from Melanie though.


Blog post:
https://kristinsbooks.wordpress.com/2019/01/16/little-darlings-by-melanie-golding/

Thankyou to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and the author, Melanie Golding, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of Little Darlings in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
It is not very often that i get scared from reading a horror novel, nor from watching a scary movie. That being said. I got chills down my spine while reading this book.
I thought the storyline was well written and thoroughly unnerving. It felt so terrifyingly real.
Well worth a read.

I definitely had a hard time getting into this book. It was a good psychological read, but confusing at times. The characters were good, although frustrating every now and then and I’m still confused by the ending. Were the babies Changlings or was she crazy? Also, I feel like her husband was pretty checked out of the relationship from the beginning and the abrupt turn around with having the nanny there (while likely having an affair with HER now) seemed strange after his initial unwillingness to be present with the twins.

From the very first chapter this book had me hooked with it's creepy, haunting story of a mother who gives birth to children who aren't what they seem to be. I devoured this book, reading long into the night when I should have been sleeping! I definitely recommend it for those who enjoy creepy thrillers.

Lauren Tranter is exhausted. After the rough birth of her twins and complications after, Lauren just needs rest. Yet she cannot, especially after a woman tried to take her children and replace them with creatures. No one believes Lauren but she knows what she saw. A month later, Lauren's twins disappear from the park and when they are found, Lauren knows that something is wrong with them. The twins look the same to everyone else, but a mother knows her children best. Lauren learns that if she wants to get her own children back, she must do something unthinkable.

I loved Little Darlings by Melanie Golding. I never knew whether I should trust Lauren or if she was going through some sort of postpartum depression. I loved the back and forth of wondering if this folk tale of changelings were true or if Lauren was wrong. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and I look forward to more from Melanie Golding.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of the book! What a STORY!!! I truly thought one thing and something else would happen. The ending was a huge surprise.

A mother’s worse fear…what happens when the newborns you just gave birth to have “changed”? New mother Lauren is about to find out, she swears that her newborn twins are crying different, singing, and are having eye color changes…but are they? Or is she just crazy? This book was great, the suspense slowly built up and you would think one thing and something totally out of left field would happen. Very unsettling and a read that will keep you up…until the haunting end.