Lauren is understandably exhausted after giving birth to twins, but enough to imagine she saw a woman enter her hospital room and attempt to swap out her babies? Lauren insists someone is out to steal her twins, but the only person who is giving her the benefit of the doubt is Joanna Harper, the officer who responded to Lauren’s initial emergency call.

But it should be considered as a dark fiction, an adaption of Welsh fairy tale with its magical, folklore elements. A fairytale about a mother gave birth to her newborn twins who were swapped with changelings. I know this story line is already makes you say WTH! On the whole, I was enamored of this debut. It's an adult novel (I specify this because so many fae/supernaturalish-possibly-themed novels are YA) and it's dark and clever. A couple of hesitations: I didn't love how the POV focus shifted towards the end of the novel, and I felt let-down by the author's appar 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. Since the police can find nothing proving that this new Mama had any visitors, Lauren agrees that she is exhausted and maybe it didn't really happen. However, in her heart, she can't rule out that the visit in the night certainly felt like it occurred.I told you, that wasn't them," said Lauren, "whatever was in that stroller. They've been swapped. They're evil those things, they're not my babies." Lauren’s reflection had deep shadowed holes where it should have had eyes. A vision of horror. She turned away.” The Hidden by Melanie Golding". www.publishersweekly.com. Archived from the original on 2023-07-04 . Retrieved 2023-07-04. Lauren continues to feel unease and doesn't want to leave her home. Her mission is to protect her babies. On a rare outing to the park, the twins disappear from her side, and once found, Lauren is convinced that something is not right, and Lauren declares "these are not my babies" The prose is amazing, the author really know how to alternate being fear, being rational, being grimm fairy tales-que, telling the story from a new exhausted mom's point of view and then switching characters... it had me trapped and I couldn't put it down until I had finished it.

At her friends' urging, Lauren finally chances going out and meeting them in a park. She vows to keep a good eye on her identical twin boys. But will she be able to? a b Little Darlings | Bookreporter.com. Archived from the original on 2023-07-04 . Retrieved 2023-07-04. Lucy Murphy, director of kids content for Sky UK and Ireland, said: “ Dame Jacqueline Wilson is one of the UK’s most beloved children’s authors, so we’re thrilled to be bringing Little Darlings to life on our screens supported by the exceptional musical talents of Lemar and Jamelia and this diverse cast of talented young actors – this tale of family bonds, celebrity and sisterhood really has something for everyone.”Little Darlings by Melanie Golding was a perfect novel to read in the lead-up to Halloween. This book is creepy, scary, and unsettling, in the vein of traditional fairy and folk tales. Each section begins with an excerpt from such a tale to set the disturbing mood.

Notting Hill director Roger Michell has died aged 65". The Independent. 2021-09-23. Archived from the original on 2021-09-23 . Retrieved 2023-07-04. Motherhood, like other things in life, contains paradoxical aspects. There is such joy experienced in creation, yet your body and your mind is in a way torched and set ablaze to bring forth new life. Your body no longer looks the way it used to, the healing and recuperation can take a toll and now, suddenly and a little intrusively, there is a newcomer to consider. What makes it worse for our protagonist Lauren is that she has two babies to deal with, when one baby alone is enough to send most running for the hills. The writer was able to create a psychological thriller which is atmospheric with a dark and creepy feel to it throughout. It blends folklore and fairy tales perfectly together, with a touch of horror to the story. In fact, the element of magic makes some of the mystery parts more believable. This book is full of with quotes and passages from other folk stories (which was a nice touch). The tense atmosphere, the narration, and the twists and turns make you question your judgment, as to what is real and what is an illusion. You no longer know what and whom to believe and that is storytelling at it’s very best. I can't quite believe how selfish Sunset's mother was as she put what she wanted before her children's needs. She also complained the father couldn't look after the children when she clearly couldn't either. The new TV series will star chart-topping artists Lemar and Jamelia, featuring original music from Lemar.DS Harper vacillates between belief and disbelief in Lauren's insistence that these "creatures" are not hers. Is the "kidnapping" a hallucination? How will Jo separate shadowy, inconclusive data from reality? Both Lauren Tranter and DS Jo Harper are truly unsettled by the disturbing events surrounding Morgan and Riley. Has Lauren experienced postpartum psychosis, a "temporary impairment of her mental health"? In true fairy tale style, each reader's interpretation will be his (her) own. I believed. Though the ending is somewhat open-ended, better to have the reader resolve the loose ends in this case. All I know is that I believed. Destiny's mother was so irresponsible and didn't seem to think about her daughter when she made decisions, especially when she got into a random car late at night. Melanie Stokes, head of Kindle entertainment and executive producer and co-executive producer, Emma Stuart, added: “Little Darlings offers Jacqueline Wilson fans a fresh take on a much loved book, from writers Nathan Bryon and Jonny Wright." As any new mother would be, Lauren is exhausted and completely deprived of sleep, when something happens. I don’t want to spoil it, so I will leave it at that… But I had to find out if it was real or not!

The main idea of the book is based on the European myth of the Changeling, an evil fairy who abducts babies and leaves in their place its own creatures. ( more about that here) Making matters worse, one night an intruder breaks into her room, a very scary, ragged-looking woman, tries to take her babies, to exchange them with her own evil little monsters. Lauren Tranter is a new mother to twin boys. As many new moms do, Lauren struggles upon her return home from the hospital after giving birth. She is exhausted, she is constantly feeding her babies, she can’t find time for a shower, she can’t possibly think of finding a way to venture out of the house with the boys to get groceries. Her husband works a lot and pushes Lauren to get out of the house with the twins to refresh and reacquaint herself with society. Lauren’s first venture outside ends with a traumatic afternoon that changes her family forever. I want to thank the publisher Crooked Lane Books and Netgally for the opportunity to read this ARC!Now imagine this: you awake, startled on the bench, not knowing how long you've been asleep only to see that the stroller and your precious babies are no longer there. A psychological thriller, readers have a chance to determine how to interpret a story that can be told in many ways. Golding's talent sits in the ability to walk a fine line of confusion and power. We will all feel differently, yet it's the same words and story. Which part will you connect to? Definitely worth a read, you'll find hidden gems in the life lessons and fairy tale history we learn along the path. I recommend it for those looking for something a little different than the normal family drama. As a mom of four I remember the sleep deprived feelings, forgetting what day it even is, never having time for a shower or to read even a magazine or newspaper and the constant needs of a newborn. I can’t even imagine the exhaustion of this new mother of twins. Woman may never be left alone during the first six weeks following childbirth, for the devil then has more power over them.