Welcome back, everyone! I am not sure how your weekend was, but mine was not filled with as much reading as I had planned…kids. Well, kids and the fact that I went to my favorite second-hand bookstore but was met with sad news. I discovered The Book Centre about 6 or 7 years ago with my older son’s dad. We were both in college and had a break while my son was still in daycare. So naturally, I had to visit this bookstore I had heard about. Oh man, from the moment I walked in the door I was in love. There were books wall to wall, piled to the ceiling. My OCD part hated this because there were just piles of books all over the place. The book lover in me was overjoyed. So, there I sat for an hour, on the floor surrounded by book piles as I sifted through them.
Naturally, I shared my beloved haven with my husband when we met. He, being a reader as well, loved it but hated having to look so much for a book he enjoyed. Since then, they’ve sold the store to a new owner and things have slowly been becoming more and more organized. That was until my most recent visit. I was so happy, walking to the door when I saw something strange…looking through the windows I saw that everything was gone. The carpet torn up, walls stripped…everything was gone. It turns out the bookstore officially closed around October! I had not been back since summer and was so excited.
Knowing that I was upset, my husband took me to Barnes and Noble instead to get something. So, not all was lost but it did kind of put a damper on my weekend. Have you ever been met with the sad news that your favorite local bookstore has closed?
So, speaking of books…today I am talking about Little Darlings by Melanie Golding.
Little Darlings
Author: Melanie Golding
Published: April 30th, 2019
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Book Length: 304 Pages
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Buy the book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository (Use my referral ID: TheBibliophagist)
*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and it in no way impacts my opinion of this book.
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 somelet our darkest fairy tales, Little Darlings will have you checking―and rechecking―your own little ones. Just to be sure. Just to be safe
I want to begin by saying I am all for creepy, and eery psychological thrillers! I heard about this book via NetGalley and after reading the description, I just knew that I would love it! The cover reminded me of a tangle of tree roots underwater, that blue-green color bringing an eery feel to the book. The light blue coloring of the title really makes it stick out among the background. My favorite part of this though is the branches that intertwine around and through the lettering. It makes the cover feel almost three dimensional.
There was not a lot of world building neede for this story because it takes place in our world in present times.
Lauren: She is the main character in this book and I really felt for her. As a mother, I connected with her and felt her pain and fear as she experienced these awful things.
Detective Jo: We see her grow as the story progresses, seeing the story unfold from her POV. There is a sudden romance between her and someone else that adds a new possible plot twist to the story later on. She is driven and refuses to let her gut feeling go with this case. I really like her as a character.
I could mention the other characters but since the story was told from these two POVs, these were the ones that really stuck with me. Although, I was not fond of Lauren’s husband for many reasons you will find as you read this book.
If you love a book that grabs you and forces you to live it rather than read it, this is one for you. The author has an uncanny ability to make you feel as confused as the character themselves. Some might hate that feeling, but I think it pulls the reader deeper into the story if done properly. A creepy yet engaging tale is what awaits you between the pages of this book. Go ahead and read it…if you feel prepared.
Would you read this novel? Buy it or borrow it? If you have read it, what did you think?
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It was sad that the book store was closed. Like you said all was not lost 😁.
Great review.. you know me though I dont like to be confused to much when I read. So by the sound of it I would not enjoy this book.
This is for sure a book I’m not sure you’d enjoy.
I read the first two chapters and know I will enjoy this one. Great review! The cover is creepy, but so well done.
I’m so glad you loved it! It was a very enjoyable read. You are in for a treat😋
A creepy one with an inception type ending