The Reading Bud

Book Blog by Heena Rathore-Pardeshi

ARC Review: Little Darlings by Melanie Golding

Author: Melanie Golding
Release Date: 30th April 2019
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Adult Fiction, Horro, Supernatural, Suspense
Series: 
Edition: Ebook
Pages: 304
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Blurb:
“Mother knows best” takes on a sinister new meaning in this unsettling thriller perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman, Grimms’ Fairy Tales, and Aimee Molloy’s The Perfect Mother.
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 our darkest fairy tales, Little Darlings will have you checking—and rechecking—your own little ones. Just to be sure. Just to be safe.

REVIEW

Let me begin by saying that when I first saw this book’s listing on NetGalley, I was totally in awe! It had the most amazing cover, an incredible blurb and (upon further research) some really good reviews in the book’s favour. So basically it had it all and I was positive that this will be one heck of a read.
To be honest, I couldn’t start reading this book fast enough and I felt like this right till the moment I started reading this book:

description

But when I started reading this book, say about 20-25 pages in, I was really not sure if I was reading the right book because the writing felt very forceful and unnecessarily dramatic. For one, the author kept going on and on about how the main character (don’t even remember the name) did not feel “the rush of love” for her newborn twins. I am all for complex and grey characters, but after a while, it did start to feel like the author was unnecessarily pressing the point on the readers in order to make them hate the MC (or maybe they just wanted to make the readers feel that the character was very complex) either way, it felt too forced and outright fake. Still, I kept on reading in the hopes that maybe once this part gets over the good part would begin.

description

Then came the part where the MC was being checked by the doctor in order to see if her womb (?) was okay (not even sure if I even understood that part) and then everything went to hell because the descriptions got so crazily gross that it’s going to take me a long time to get over it. I mean, if you haven’t been pregnant ever, then I recommend not to read this part as it sure as hell scared the shit out of me!!

description

AND THAT WAS IT FOR ME!
I COULDN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!

If you’ve read this book and liked it, then hats off to you! But you haven’t yet read this book and are planning to read it, then I’d suggest to check out some other book on twins and/or pregnant-female-horror fiction like Cleaving Souls by Chauncey Rogers or stick to the plain ol’ decent thrillers like Sister Sister by Sue Fortin or The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena.

You can also read this review on Goodreads

I love reading your comments, so please go ahead…

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

I’m Heena

Welcome to The Reading Bud, my cosy corner of the internet dedicated to all things books and authors. Here, I invite you to join me on a journey of discovering under-represented books, independent and small press authors, and all things book with a touch of love and loud purrs. Let’s get Reading!

Book of the Month

Read this captivating story on the adventures and hardships of Frank Knightlite, a man who strives to illuminate darkness with his lantern in search of answers to life’s questions.
You can get it here.
January 2019
M T W T F S S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  

Reading is like breathing to me.

Recent Posts

  • Book Spotlight: Cold Sanctuary by Andrew Beardmore

    Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring Andrew Beardmore for his latest release, Cold Sanctuary. Book: Cold SanctuaryAuthor: Andrew BeardmorePublication Date: 18 March 2025Pages: 555 pagesPublisher: Ryelands Books (imprint of Halsgrove Publishing)Genre: Epic historical fantasyAvailable in:…

  • Author Spotlight: David Morabito

    Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author David Morabito for his latest release, The Lantern Man. About The Author David Morabito David Morabito is a freelance writer who lives in the mountains and deserts…

  • Book Spotlight: The Price of Breathing by Melanie Faith

    Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring Melanie Faith for her latest release, The Price of Breathing. Book: The Price of BreathingAuthor: Melanie FaithPublication Date: September 15, 2026Pages: 134 pagesPublisher: Vine Leaves PressGenre: Novel in Verse,…

  • Book Review: Seven Serpents Assembled (Grimdark West 1) by Seth Hobbs 

    Book Details: Author: Seth HobbsRelease Date: 10 June 2026Series: Grimdark West (Book #1)Genre: Western Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Horror, GrimdarkFormat: E-book Pages: 470 pagesPublisher: Voxinus House PublishingBlurb:Outlaws chase silver. Cults summon gods. The desert takes the rest…Imagine taking Sergio…

  • Book Review: Cold Plate: A Dr. Shaw Mystery(Dr. Shaw Murder Mysteries) by Edward B. Haynes

    Book Details: Author: Edward B. HaynesRelease Date: 4 June 2026Series: Dr. Shaw Murder Mysteries (Book #1)Genre: Historical MysteryFormat: E-book Pages: 56 pagesPublisher: –Blurb:COLD PLATE: A Dr. Shaw MysteryHong Kong, 1894. A city of meticulous ledgers, colonial formality, and simmering…