THE TWINS ARE CRYING.
THE TWINS ARE HUNGRY.
LAUREN IS CRYING.
LAUREN IS EXHAUSTED.
Behind the hospital curtain, someone is waiting . . .

Lauren is alone on the maternity ward with her new-born twins when a terrifying encounter in the middle of the night leaves her convinced someone is trying to steal her children. Lauren, desperate with fear, locks herself and her sons in the bathroom until the police arrive to investigate.
When DS Joanna Harper picks up the list of overnight incidents that have been reported, she expects the usual calls from drunks and wrong numbers. But then a report of an attempted abduction catches her eye. The only thing is that it was flagged as a false alarm just fifteen minutes later.
Harper's superior officer tells her there's no case here, but Harper can’t let it go so she visits the hospital anyway. There's nothing on the CCTV. No one believes this woman was ever there. And yet, Lauren claims that she keeps seeing the woman and that her babies are in danger, and soon Harper is sucked into Lauren's spiral of fear. But how far will they go to save children who may not even be in danger?

I always try to keep my preconceptions of a book minimal so that my expectations don’t affect my enjoyment of the book. However, due to the description written on the proof, ‘The most unsettling book of the year’, I couldn’t help but have a few ideas of what to expect and part of me was worried this would lead to disappointment. But Little Darlings well and truly lived up to its description, I’d certainly have to agree that it’s one of the most unsettling books I’ve read this year, and there really have been some crackers!
I absolutely loved the way that I never quite knew what to believe and how Golding kept me wondering throughout, questioning everything and constantly changing my mind.
The descriptions of certain scenes, especially the terrifying encounter which leads to Lauren thinking that the twins will be taken, were so creepy and haunting, I can still picture them in my mind now and shiver at the thought.
I think what makes this book as unsettling as it is though, is how real Lauren’s emotions are. Whether you have a child or not, Golding allows you to understand what Lauren is going through and to feel her fear for her twins coming right off the pages. It’s impossible not to hold your breath while you wait to see what the outcome will be of the things she goes though.
Overall, I’m giving Little Darlings 4.5 out of 5. It’s unsettling, haunting and kept me questioning absolutely everything! I’m really looking forward to reading more by Melanie Golding!

Seven-year-old Jocelyn loves her nanny more than her own mother.

When her nanny disappears one night, Jo never gets over the loss.
How could she vanish without saying goodbye?
Thirty years on, Jo is forced to return to her family home and confront her troubled relationship with her mother. When human remains are discovered in the grounds of the house, Jo begins to question everything.
Then an unexpected visitor knocks at the door and Jo’s world is destroyed again as, one by one, she discovers her childhood memories aren’t what they seemed.
What secrets was her nanny hiding – and what was she running away from? And can Jo trust what her mother tells her?

Sometimes the truth hurts so much you’d rather hear the lie.

As soon as I saw the ARC cover of The Nanny in my parcel, I got super excited to read the book. I loved the effect of the shadow on the front which created a lot of intrigue and also the colour scheme on the spine. The final cover is just as striking and while you should never judge a book by its cover, I think that in this case you definitely can, as it was just as amazing as I’d been hoping!
While it took me a few chapters to fully get into it, the pace worked brilliantly to gradually build up the intrigue, with Macmillan working in a perfect blend of secrets, revenge and family mysteries to keep the pages turning. Every time I finished one chapter, I was desperate to start the next.
I thought that the whole story was cleverly written and well told, with a cast of characters who, while not entirely likeable, were really interesting to read and were what made the book enjoyable for me, with their alternating POVs keeping me on my toes!
Overall, I’m giving The Nanny 4.5 out of 5. It’s engrossing, tense and there are twists and turns around every corner. I can’t believe I’ve never read anything by Gilly Macmillan before, but I’ll definitely be reading more now!

Gilly Macmillan is the New York Times bestselling and Edgar-nominated author of What She Knew, The Perfect Girl and Odd Child Out.

She grew up in Swindon and studied at Bristol University and The Courtauld Institute of Art in London. She has worked at The Burlington Magazine and the Hayward Gallery and has been a lecturer in photography.

She now writes full-time and lives in Bristol with her family.

Today I’m taking part in the blog tour for Lost You by Hayley Beck! Thanks so much to Mia for organising the tour! Don’t forget to see what other awesome content is being shared today!

The content I’m taking part with is a copy giveaway and it really couldn’t be easier to enter! Simply head over to my Twitter (here), make sure you’re following me and retweet my pinned tweet announcing the giveaway! That’s it! It’s open until 11th July. This time it’s UK/Ireland only and the winner will be announced on Twitter!

Libby would do anything for her three-year-old son Ethan. And after all they’ve been through, a holiday seems the perfect antidote for them both. Their hotel is peaceful, safe and friendly, yet Libby can’t help feeling that someone is watching her. Watching Ethan. Because, for years, Libby has lived with a secret.
Just days into their holiday, when Libby is starting to relax, Ethan steps into an elevator on his own, and the doors close before Libby can stop them. Moments later, Ethan is gone.
Libby thought she had been through the worst, but her nightmare is only just beginning. And in a desperate hunt for her son, it becomes clear she’s not the only one looking for him.

Every Monday, 49-year-old Ellie looks after her grandson Josh. She loves him more than anyone else in the world. The only thing that can mar her happiness is her husband's affair. But he swears it's over now, and Ellie has decided to be thankful for what she's got.
Then one day, while she's looking after Josh, her husband gets a call from that woman. And just for a moment, Ellie takes her eyes off her grandson. What happens next will change her life forever.
Because Ellie is hiding something in her past.
And what looks like an accident could start to look like murder...

For me, Jane Corry is one of those authors where you can pick up any of their books and be guaranteed a cracking read. I can always be confident that I’m going to enjoy Corry’s books and reading I Looked Away just reinforced that confidence even more!
I actually gasped audibly when I reached the twist because I’d become so totally wrapped up in the book.
The layout and pace were perfect and the topics of homelessness and family were really well handled and explored. While not strictly part of the book, I thought that Corry’s letter to the reader at the end was so interesting and helped me to process and understand what I’d been reading more deeply.
I feel like I’ve said this a lot lately, but it’s because I’ve had the privilege of reading the work of such talented authors - the way that Corry made me feel things so strongly during the book was absolutely masterful and so deftly done. She had me in the palm of her hand the whole time and I felt emotions so strongly, especially when reading about the injustices faced by one of the characters.
I simply LOVED the ending, it was absolutely perfect for me. Once again it was emotional, but it was also when one of my favourite parts of the book occurred and I felt a surge of happiness. (When you read it you’ll know exactly what I mean!)
I really could go on and on about this book, but I think the best thing I could do is just to tell you to go out and get yourself a copy!
Overall, I’m giving I Looked Away 5 out of 5 and adding it to my five star favourites shelf! It’s addictive, pacy and totally enthralling. Bring on the next book! (And the next, and the next and the next!!)

Jane Corry is a writer and journalist (Daily Telegraph and women's magazines) who worked for three years as the writer in residence of a high security prison for men. This experience helped inspire her Sunday Times bestsellers 'My Husband's Wife', 'Blood Sisters' and 'The Dead Ex'. She also writes short stories as well as a weekly digital column about being a granny for My Weekly. Jane speaks at literary festivals all over the world. Many of her ideas strike during morning dog-jogs along the beach followed by a dip in the sea - no matter how cold it is!


Jane's brand-new thriller 'I Looked Away' is published on 27th June 2019 by Penguin Viking.


You can find Jane on Twitter at @JaneCorryAuthor and on Facebook at JaneCorryAuthor as well as Instagram.

Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Whisper Man by Alex North! Thanks so much to Jenny for organising the tour and don’t forget to check out the rest of the stops!

Still devastated after the loss of his wife, Tom Kennedy and his young son Jake move to the sleepy village of Featherbank, looking for a much-needed fresh start.
But Featherbank has a dark past. Fifteen years ago, a twisted serial killer abducted and murdered five young boys.
Until he was finally caught, the killer was known as 'The Whisper Man'.
Of course, an old crime need not trouble Tom and Jake as they try to settle in to their new home.
Except that now another boy has gone missing. And then Jake begins acting strangely.

If you leave a door half open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken...
I absolutely had to start my review with the rhyme because for me, the rhyme itself tells you everything you need to know about what to expect from The Whisper Man. It’s creepy and haunting but also very intriguing and you won’t be able to get it out of your head!
This book had me completely mesmerised the whole way through and the tension was palpable the entire time, gradually increasing even when I thought I couldn’t be any closer to the edge of my seat without falling off!
I loved the extra layers to the story, such as the exploration of grief and loss, as well as father-son relationships. The way these more emotional elements are balanced alongside the sinister and spine-chilling side of the plot so effortlessly, was essential for me in making The Whisper Man the well-rounded and accomplished novel that it is.
I found myself never wanting to put the book down, and when I did have to, all I could think about was reading it again. It truly is an unforgettable read, don’t be surprised if you see this book in my list of favourite books of the year for 2019!
Overall I’m giving The Whisper Man 5 out of 5 and adding it to my five star favourites shelf! It’s chilling, powerful and absolutely masterfully written. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, but a word of warning if you decide to give it a try... you won’t leave your doors unlocked ever again!