Darling Bud

by C.J. Skuse

PRE-ORDER the brand-new gripping dark comedy thriller from the world of the Sweetpea series! Now a major TV series on Sky Atlantic starring Ella Purnell! 🌷🌷🌷

Murder can be a family business … 🌷🌷🌷

Even wallflowers have to bloom.

Sixteen-year-old Ivy is your average teenager. She’s annoyed by the scratchy labels on her school uniform, old men who wolf-whistle, and her mother the serial killer.

But is murder in her roots?

Ivy was raised far away from the shadows of Rhiannon Lewis, the Sweetpea killer, but when the local predator – better known as Ivy’s football coach – is found dead, could it be that she has discovered a taste for blood?

As suspicion grows deeper, Ivy’s only way out is to get some motherly advice. But when the internet’s unlikeliest vigilantes determine that Ivy must be punished for her mother’s crimes, she must decide whether to control the rage burning inside her.

Or to unleash her thorns…

READERS LOVE C.J. SKUSE! ‘Visceral, chilling and absolutely downright I wish I had read it sooner!’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This darkly comic novel… has the potential to become a cult classic’ Daily Mail

‘Wickedly funny’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Dark, depraved and devilishly delicious. A full throttle savage and satirical thriller’ John Marrs

‘Brilliantly dark and twisted’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Hilarious, refreshing, dark and memorable. It doesn’t disappoint, I loved it’ Phoebe Morgan

Genres: Thriller

Audible Audio

Expected publication June 4, 2026

About the author

C.J. SKUSE is the author of the Young Adult novels PRETTY BAD THINGS, ROCKOHOLIC and DEAD ROMANTIC (Chicken House), MONSTER and THE DEVIANTS (Mira Ink). She was born in 1980 in Weston-super-Mare, England. She has First Class degrees in Creative Writing and Writing for Children and, aside from writing novels lectures in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University. C.J. is currently working on adult novel SWEETPEA for HQ/HarperCollins (out April 2017).

C.J. loves Masterchef, Gummy Bears and murder sites. She hates carnivals, hard-boiled eggs and coughing. The movies Titanic, My Best Friend's Wedding and Ruby Sparks were all probably based on her ideas; she just didn't get to write them down in time. Before she dies, she would like to go to Japan, try clay-pigeon shooting and have Ryan Gosling present her with the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

You can find C.J. Skuse on Facebook or on Twitter www.twitter.com/CeejaytheAuthor.

Reviews

[Gem ~ZeroShelfControl~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 5*
Writing skill : 5*
Plot: 5*
Pace: 3*
Characters: 5*
Completion: 4*

Having finished the series 18 months ago, I was stoaked to see Skuse had written another instalment. I wont go into too much detail on the story, spoilers galore if you havent finished the rest of the series, but it was a pretty good addition to the overall story, any insight a few years down the line is okay in my books. Sad again that were at the end of the journey, but very happy it ended the way it did. One of my fave series of all time!

[Oliver Pickup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a huge fan of the Sweetpea series, there was never any doubt I was going to adore this companion story. Thank you so much NetGalley, HQ, and CJ Skuse for the eARC.

I'll start of by saying Darling Bud is exactly what you want out of a companion novel. You can happily go into it without having read any of the Sweetpea books and any key information is provided throughout e.g., we have mention of Rhiannon and her crimes, news clippings, and flashbacks.

There is a cameo from Rhiannon with her meeting her grown up daughter and this is handled so well. It's important, it's exciting, it's, dare I say, fun! It is absolutely not the focal point of the story and doesn't detract from the fact this is a book about Ivy, not Rhiannon.

If you're a fan of the Sweetpea books, you will love Darling Bud. If you've never heard of Sweetpea, you can still read and enjoy Darling Bud, and you'll be sure to want to head into Sweetpea afterwards.

Easy 5*. Brilliant companion novel to a fantastic FemRage series. IMHO, perfectly executed (no pun intended).

[Amanda C · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was perfect!! I can't say how delighted I was to get an early copy of this, the Sweetpea books are probably my favourite series ever, and I was gutted when I finished them.

I loved getting to know Ivy, her 'things that bloody annoyed me today' lists were brilliant, and I loved the nature/nurture thread which ran through the story. I adored getting to catch up with characters from the Sweetpea books and finding out what had happened to them 10 years after the events of the last book.

The ending was absolutely perfect, no notes. My only issue is that I wanted to make this book last but I read it far too quickly!

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of ‘Darling Bud’ by C. J. Skuse, due to be published on 4 June 2026 by HQ.

Meet Ivy, the 16 year old daughter of Rhiannon Lewis AKA the Sweetpea Killer, as she navigates life when her adopted mother Claudia passes away.  Descended upon by family she has never met arriving from Australia who she is supposed to go and live with, despite it being against her wishes. They won’t hear mention of Rhiannon’s name, have little time for Ivy and seem mostly more interested in the money she will inherit, along with the valuables in the house. 

Set in 2030 after Rhiannon has been captured and imprisoned, Ivy finally is able to read all the literature associated with the murders to understand the severity of her birth mother’s crimes.  Finding herself the subject of suspicion when a teacher dies, Ivy wonders if she’ll ever be truly free.

Whilst Ivy is a complex character, she’s engaging and funny - her daily lists of who has annoyed her are a particular highlight.  At the heart of the story is a young girl, blighted by history and feeling unwanted and unloved following Claudia’s death. She’s headstrong and determined to do the right thing for herself, despite what others think she should do. The Australian family are extremely unlikeable, and the conclusion of their story is very apt. 

Can be read as a standalone and is set up nicely for a sequel with a twist to the tale at the end. A fun, lighthearted read.

[Faiza BEGUM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I genuinely thought saying goodbye to the Sweet Pea series had broken me already… and then CJ Skuse came back and dropped Darling Bud into my life 😭🖤 Returning to this chaotic, darkly hilarious world through Ivy’s story felt both nostalgic and completely fresh at the same time.

Set in 2035, Darling Bud follows Ivy — Rhiannon Lewis’ sixteen-year-old daughter — and WOW what a character she is 👏 She’s grown up carrying the weight of a legacy she never asked for. Her mother is an infamous serial killer locked away in prison, she never had the chance to know her father because of Rhiannon’s actions, and now she’s suddenly caught in the middle of accusations surrounding the death of her PE teacher 😳 Talk about a rough start to life.

What I loved most was how determined Ivy is to be nothing like Rhiannon 🥹 She’s compassionate, witty, emotionally strong, an animal lover, and honestly just wants the chance to live a normal life. But no matter how hard she tries, her mother’s shadow follows her everywhere. Watching Ivy struggle with that while also trying to understand who Rhiannon really was made the story so compelling.

And yes… the true crime elements involving Rhiannon were EVERYTHING 👀🖤 Ivy reading books and articles about her mother’s crimes to piece together the truth about her life was such an interesting layer to the story. CJ Skuse balanced the callbacks to Sweet Pea perfectly without ever letting them overshadow Ivy’s own journey.

I also appreciated that Darling Bud works really well as both a continuation and a standalone ✨ If you’ve read the Sweet Pea books, there are so many moments, cameos, and references that hit emotionally in the best way. But if someone is completely new to the series, there’s enough context woven throughout the story that they could still jump in and enjoy Ivy’s story independently.

The reunion between Ivy and Rhiannon??? 😭 Absolutely handled perfectly. Emotional, awkward, intense, darkly funny — it captured everything it needed to without taking focus away from Ivy as the true center of the book.

And that ending?!?! 🤯 I literally finished the book and just sat there staring into space trying to process what had happened. CJ Skuse really knows how to deliver a finale that leaves you emotionally spiraling and desperate for the next book immediately.

I also listened to the audiobook 🎧 and overall it added so much personality to the experience. The narrator captured Ivy’s humor, frustration, and emotional strength so well. As an Aussie, some of the Australian accents made me laugh a little because they leaned more Kiwi at times 😂 but honestly it didn’t take away from how much I loved the story.

Darling Bud perfectly captures the same dark humor, sharp wit, emotional chaos, and addictive energy that made the Sweet Pea series so iconic while still allowing Ivy to become fully her own person ❤️ And now I desperately need CJ Skuse to give us more Ivy because there is NO way I’m ready to leave this world again.

[The Cookster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.4/5

When I reviewed "The Bad Seeds", the fifth and final instalment of the Sweetpea series, I was both sad and glad that it had come to an end. Sad, because I had thoroughly enjoyed each of the books, but also glad, because I felt that Rhiannon's story had now been told and the time was right for the author, C.J. Skuse, to move on. In that review I stated that I was looking forward to watching the Sky Atlantic dramatisation of "Sweetpea", which, unfortunately turned out to be quite disappointing. I also questioned whether the author would now choose to move in a completely different direction, or whether she would opt to create a spin-off related to the Sweetpea series - and that is precisely what C.J. Skuse decided to do.

Set in the future, 2035, "Darling Bud" tells the story of Ivy Silverton, the daughter of Rhiannon Lewis aka Sweetpea. Ivy is sixteen and has been brought up by Claudia Solverton, who she very much views as her real mother, as opposed to Rhiannon, who was merely her birth mother. However, Claudia is terminally ill and it is only a matter of time before she will shuffle off this mortal coil, leaving Ivy's future uncertain.

Stylistically, "Darling Bud" bears the same hallmarks as the Sweetpea series. Rhiannon's "kill lists" at the start of each chapter may have been replaced with Ivy's "Things That Have Bloody Annoyed Me", but the appeal and the effect are very similar. Likewise, where the narrative of Sweetpea series was in the form of Rhiannon's internal monologue, we now have the inner voice of Ivy guiding us through events. The key difference is that "Darling Bud" contains far more sadness and poignancy, with the character of Ivy eliciting far greater feelings of empathy than Rhiannon's ever did. There are times when this novel is not only touching, but deeply moving. That said, there are still ample amounts of the author's trademark humour injected at regular intervals, which may well having you laughing out loud on occasion.

I would have to say that I think this is the best book C.J. Skuse has produced since the very first one in the Sweetpea series. The only reason I have stopped just short of awarding this a full five stars is that "Darling Bud" is hamstrung by the need to be familiar with the Sweetpea series. It really would be something of a stretch to view this as a story that could be read as a standalone. You could try, but I feel that you would struggle to fully appreciate and derive the most enjoyment from it unless you have read the five Sweetpea novels previously. I would certainly recommend that people add this to their reading list, but with the caveat that they read those Sweetpea books first.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the Sweet Pea series ended I was so sad that it was over. Imagine my delight when I received an early copy of Darling Bud by CJ Skuse - the story of Rhiannon Lewis’ 16 year old daughter Ivy!! So exciting. Warning, do not read this if you have not read the previous books, you need to know and love Rhiannon to appreciate this one.

The year is 2035 and Ivy is now 16 years old and her life is falling apart. Her biological mother, serial killer Rhiannon Lewis is in prison and she never got to meet her father., because her mother killed him. She is being accused of murdering her high school PE teacher, because you know the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and all that. And on top of all that, she has to move to Australia to live with her father’s family. Ivy has to be strong to get through this time in her life and she comes into her own.

I loved it! I couldn’t get enough of it. It was fabulous to be back in the Sweet Pea world again, and learn about Ivy. She is determined not to be her mother’s daughter, she is a vegetarian and an animal lover. She just wants a normal life but find that is never going to happen with her mother. I loved that she read the true crime books about her mother to learn about her crimes and life.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a fantastic job, although as an Aussie, I did cringe a little at the Australian accents. For me they sounded more like Kiwi accents. It didn’t take away from the story for me, I loved it so much but I do find that non Aussies do struggle with doing our accent.

This is just such a fun book and the ending floored me!! Please tell me there will be another book! i need another book.

Thank you so much to HQ for allowing me to read this book early. Out on June 4th.

[Philippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy 5 stars. Just brilliant.. brilliant… as a fan of any series will know when there’s a spinoff you never quite know what to expect and sometimes they land wide of the mark. (that Joey spin off from Friends.. I’m looking at you) But CJ Skuse has absolutely hit this one out of the field.

It picks up the story perfectly, enough time has passed so we have all moved on a little… it finds an excellent balance between making it about Ivy but also retaining the same sensibilities of the previous books with little pop ups from characters we loved.
Set in 2030 … this is Ivy‘s story now, she is 16 years old, Rhiannon has been in a category A prison in Bristol for five years and Ivy lives with adoptive mum Claudia who is sadly dying of cancer

This is one of those books where when I finished I had to close it and sit staring at a wall for 10 minutes processing it and trying to figure out what the hell just happened. What an ending!! C J Skuse knows how to write an ending that’s for certain… I really hope we get back to more adventures with Ivy in the future because we can’t leave it there!

Anyone who was a fan of the previous Sweetpea books will absolutely love this. Have no fear that because it isn’t another Rhiannon novel that you won’t like it. Ivy is fantastic character, she isn’t Rhiannon at all. She’s very much her own person but still with razor sharp wit, massive inner strength, sense of humour and heart.

You could probably read this book as a standalone if you haven’t read the previous Sweetpea series but you would get the most out of it if you had read the sweet pea books beforehand. And I urge everyone to read them anyway.

[Claire Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A darkly funny return to a twisted world.

I picked up *Darling Bud* because I absolutely loved the Sweetpea series, and it definitely delivers the same dry wit and dark humour that C. J. Skuse does so brilliantly.

Ivy is very much her own character. There are clear echoes of her mother, Rhiannon Lewis. She adores animals, she’s sharp, she keeps meticulous lists of the things that irritate her, and beneath everything there’s a kind heart. But Ivy is also very different. She’s a lesbian vegetarian with a genuine phobia of blood, which creates an interesting contrast to her infamous mum. That tension between inheritance and individuality is one of the book’s strongest elements.

The tone is familiar, funny, dark, and very readable. It’s set far enough beyond the events of *Sweetpea* that it doesn’t feel like a direct sequel. Instead, it has its own direction and narrative thread, even though the two series are clearly intertwined. I appreciated that it didn’t simply rehash what came before in a next chapter kind of way.

That said, the novel spends a significant amount of time revisiting and retelling the events of the three Sweetpea books. While this makes it accessible as a standalone, you could easily read it without prior knowledge, it does slow the pace and occasionally makes the story feel as though it’s treading water. At times, I found myself wanting more fresh narrative and momentum to really let Ivy’s story stand firmly on its own. The lists at the start of each chapter also felt very reminiscent of Rhiannon’s. A fun nod, but perhaps a little too close to the original device.

Overall, not a huge amount actually happens plot wise. It’s more of a slow burn character piece, but it’s engaging and entertaining nonetheless. If you enjoy Skuse’s dark humour and sharp observational style, it’s an easy, compelling read. I’ll definitely continue with Ivy’s story. Even when the pacing drags slightly, the voice and wit are hard to resist.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from Netgalley

Sweetpea is back! (Sort of...) Set in 2035 Rhiannon is in prison and her daughter, Ivy, is going through all the things typical teenagers do. She's in love, having trouble at school, questioning who she is, what she likes and where she comes from. Oh, and her serial killer mother is in prison, her abusive stepfather is in Switzerland, her adoptive mother is dying and she's being accused of murder.

I always enjoy CJ Skuse's dark, humourous, matter-of-fact style of writing, and Darling Bud brought new aspects to the continued story by having our narrator be plagued with more human emotions than Rhiannon typically felt. However, I do wonder if we've now completely exhausted the subject matter. Understandably Ivy had a very similar inner monologue to Rhiannon, but at times this felt repetitive, especially as there were flashbacks to previous novels as Ivy learns more about her birth mother. And I found myself enjoying the scenes involving Rhiannon herself the most, and whilst I understand there's only so many times she can evade capture, I wonder if I'd have preferred a prison-based Rhiannon storyline with the occasional Ivy cameo.

Having said that it was great fun as usual, and, let's face it, I'll read anything written in this series! And I would recommend to fans of the original series, and works by other authors such as Kitty Collins.

Thanks for NetGalley, HQ Harper Collins for the advanced reader copy!

[Christy Guest · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨Book Review- Darling Bud✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have been reading CJ Skuse’s books since I stumbled across Pretty Bad Things in Borders (RIP) when I was in grade school. Since then, I have devoured almost every book she’s written (I promise I’ll finish Rockaholic and Dead Romantic!).

When CJ said she was thinking of writing a book from Ivy’s perspective, I waited patiently (CJ will tell you this is a lie) to get an ARC and then I read it painfully slowly so it wouldn’t end. I swear the Sweetpea series is like a drug and once you read it, you can’t stop thinking about it. Then when it did end, I sat there in disbelief, swiping back and forth through the last pages in NetGalley, looking for the rest of it because WHY DID IT END THERE? WHERE IS THE REST OF THE BOOK????????

Ivy’s perspective is so important to this story because it really takes on the idea of nature VS nurture and the warring feelings she has for Claudia and Rhiannon. There’s such a different feeling to the book than the rest of the series because in the original Sweetpea series, you’re inside Rhiannon’s head- you don’t feel what the rest of the world feels, you only feel what she feels. From Ivy’s perspective on the outside, dealing with the repercussions of Rhiannon’s actions, you truly get a sense of the damage she’s done and start to question your sanity for liking her so much. Then she shows how genuine she is and you remember why you like her in the first place.

Anyway, I’ll always be a Bad Seed and will devour any crumbs CJ gives me :)

#darlingbud #sweetpea #bookreview #arc #badseeds

[Jo Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

First I think I need to confess that I have read none of the Sweetpea series and honestly probably would’ve been none the wiser that this was a sequel or companion novel had sweetpea not been mentioned throughout and rung a bell, it’s a series that I’ll definitely be looking to read now though.

The story is told from the PoV of Ivy the 16 year old daughter of the sweetpea serial killer, Ivy fears the blood that runs through her veins will lead her to be just like her birth mother, and when the shadow of suspicion falls it seems others also fear that. Ivy’s life is about to be upended as her adoptive mum is dying and having shielded her from much of the truth about the past as possible Ivy feels like she may need to lean into those genes to survive. I really liked the character and if be intrigued to read more, there’s certainly a little cliffhanger that leads there to be possibility of one.


I found the writing to be solid, the story fast paced and hilariously funny, I think I’d have scored far higher had I enjoyed the narration more. The accents really didn’t work, but I also had issues with mispronounced words and a general feel of reading out loud rather than narrating. I’m guessing this is something fans of the series could easily let slide but I’m fussy.

Enjoyed immensely nonetheless.

Huge thanks to HarperCollins U.K. audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

[Alejandra Martin ~ Lexi Likes to Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this audiobook without realizing it was a spinoff of an existing series, and by the time I finished, I was already adding the earlier books to my TBR. The story follows the adopted daughter of a notorious female serial killer, whose adoptive mother has spent years trying to keep her out of the spotlight. Unfortunately, the paparazzi never seem to stay away for long, forcing them to constantly uproot their lives. When her football coach is found dead and she becomes one of the possible suspects, everything she thought she knew begins to unravel. As the investigation closes in, she's forced to make difficult choices about who she can trust and what she's willing to risk.

This one was an absolute doozy. The character development was fantastic, and even though I never fully connected with the main character, her struggles, decisions, and growth kept me invested from beginning to end. The audiobook narration was equally impressive. The narrator brought the characters to life while blending so seamlessly into the story that I often forgot I was listening to a performance at all. The final twist was definitely on the wild side, but it fit the story well and delivered the kind of jaw-dropping ending that had me thinking about it long after I finished. Between the compelling mystery, strong character work, and nonstop tension, this was a book that kept me hooked the entire time.

[Chris Scotland · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always a joy when a new Sweetpea book is on the horizon, or, in this case, a Sweetpea book that revolves around Ivy, teenage daughter of the eponymous serial killer herself. This is a story that's been on the way for a little while, for those familiar with the full set of Rhiannon Lewis's escapades, and it doesn't disappoint; indeed, I think that changing perspective and moving forward a few years in time has added a lot of vroom!I

Poor Ivy (come on, there has to be a follow-up called Poison Ivy?) is not so poor, as we see her more than capable at handling the dreaded 'lists' that, like her mother's, are so down to earth yet also not afraid to stick a truly awful thing in - she may want to kill a school-mate, but Ivy isn't a chip off the old block, is she...but then there's the PE teacher who wants to demonstrate much more than sport moves, the family from hell who descend on Ivy to "take her home", and for whom she feels zero afilliation, despite their connection to the father she never met....These, and many more, tribulations conspire to test out heroine and CJ Skuse has a wonderful knack of leading the reader up many paths.

So, does Ivy succumb to her mother's urges, or is she truly her own woman? As I read this, I found myself routing for each, and I was very happy indeed with the outcome!

[isabella lola · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh my god 10/10 no notes that was everything and more!!!!! the most PERFECT companion to the sweetpea series this was absolutely everything i could’ve wanted and i need more ivy now!!!! need a sequel please!!!

just absolutely perfectly written, it felt so good to be back in the sweetpea universe and i LOVED ivy so much!!! i love love loved how she read the sweetpea books so it felt like reliving and rereading them with her!!! and her moral dilemmas on how she felt about rhiannon are so real like yes i will always support rhiannon’s killings but also aj and dean didnt deserve it.

also ivy being an animal lover and vegetarian obviously made me love her even more my diva my queen. love love love how she took no shit from anyone and stood her ground🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

loved all the characters from sweetpea series that made appearances too!! literally just perfect

that ending!!!!!! i need more please cj skuse give us what we want i need to know what happens next and how the rest of ivy’s life plays out!!!!!!

one of my most anticipated books maybe ever and it did NOT disappoint!!!! god i loved it so much!!! thank you our lord and saviour cj skuse for giving the people what we wanted and needed🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

thank you SO much to HQ and netgalley for the arc i feel absolutely HONOURED to have been able to read this book early <333

[Jen James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved the Sweetpea series from the very beginning, and have been alongside Rhiannon throughout all of her ups and downs. If you have not read any of this series, you really must head back and start with the first book, entitled Sweetoea. If you don’t, you will subject yourself to a huge amount of spoilers. In fact, don’t even read any further in this review.

The year is 2035, Ivy, Rhiannon’s daughter, is 16. Living a normal teenage life, still under the long reaching shadow of her birth mother. Sadly Ivy’s settled, happy life is about to be devastated, all she has ever known taken away.

From the very first page, I knew I was reading a Sweetpea book, and that Rhiannon’s blood runs through Ivy’s veins, even if Ivy herself didn’t feel it yet. The start of the book I found to be poignant and moving, which is a change of pace from the original books. The book is also deliciously dark, and wickedly funny, as you would expect.

I really enjoyed the narration, provided by Emily Jackman. She voiced Ivy’s feelings really well, from the anger and frustration, to fear and uncertainty, also showing the vulnerability of her youth too.

Darling Bud is a must read for all fans of the original series, and for fans of the feminist revenge thriller genre. I hope there may be further books to follow this companion book.

[Lost Vegas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had so wanted to read this after enjoying the Sweetpea series and I found this an enjoyable, but slightly clunky read.

Ivy is fantastic to read, she has traits of her mother but she is very much her own woman. Regardless of being left with Claudia in a safer environment than Rhiannon could offer, Claudia is now dying of cancer. I found Ivy’s responses to this both reasonable and profound and surprisingly very beautiful. I struggled with the way so many of the other characters treated her and the author has proved she is the master of character study.

Throughout the book there are excerpts from the Sweetpea series and while I understand how helpful this would be for new readers, at times it felt overly long and hindered the great pace of the book. Regardless, this book leaves a possibility for a sequel which feels warranted by the last page.

This is a much lighter book than the series and I have no idea why as there’s still plenty of dark humour, love, loss and rabbits. Ivy is tremendously likeable and I know I will re read this.

This book will be snapped up by all fans and would read well to a newbie.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Helen Frost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply fabulous. I didn’t realise how much I’d missed these books, until I started this one. The style is laid back easy with its quirky, easy in its own skin manner. There are a lot of tongue in cheek moments and little surprises which hit even harder as you’re so chilled into the narrative. I loved some of the new characters, notably the Australians, who was almost cartoon like in their mannerisms and personalities but, as with everything in this book, hidden darker depths.
I should’ve been more aware of my surroundings though, when things start to get even remotely cosy and that inner happy fuzz moment arrives I should be scanning the horizon, reptilian like, for what’s about to go wrong. Life lessons hey, I shouldn’t be so easily duped and let myself off guard.
Ivy is fantastic, especially given her life trials. Her humour and similarities to her mother are not to be ignored and foremost in our mind, it’s a great psychological study in nature and nurture. I loved the nods to both the similarities and the differences as we ride the story’s path.
Obviously the ending threw me a bit, see my earlier comments, but I’m absolutely left craving the next book and where on earth this might be going! Top writing as ever, seriously good and very compelling.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a place to start, I straight away wanted to know what had happened to Rhiannon and where this book would go. Set in the same universe as the Sweetpea series, this time we're following Rhiannon's daughter, Ivy. Ivy has a similar sense of humour and shares some other characteristics with Rhiannon but is a distinctly different character. It was really interesting thinking about how her life as the daughter of a notorious serial killer has gone. It made me feel sad for her and review Rhiannon differently. I loved all of the tantalising tidbits of what happened to Rhiannon and Rafael. I really enjoyed Ivy learning more about her birth mother Rhiannon and her reactions to the things she had done. Although I did enjoy learning about Ivy it was a bit slow to get going. It picks up further into the book, particularly towards the end. And what an ending! Hopefully there's going to be a other one. This is perfect for fans of the original Sweetpea series. I think you could read it without reading Sweetpea but I think you would benefit from understanding Rhiannon before you read this one.

[Kate | Date With A Thriller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not crying, you’re crying!! 😭 Oh wait no, I’m definitely not crying because my jaw just dropped with that last paragraph! 😮

C.J. Skuse has done it again!! Man, what a roller coaster of a read this one was!! This book is the follow up to her amazing Sweetpea series that I’m always raving about! Have you read that yet?? If not, you need to!! But I digress…

I loved this book! Laughing one minute (okay several times), and the next I’m in tears! So so good!!! I absolutely loved the Ivy character! Omg that ending though…😮 I know I shouldn’t have been surprised but I was! 😅 Anywho…I cannot say this enough - I HIGHLY recommend the entire series plus this book!! These books will always be near and dear to my heart! ❤️

Thank you to HQ and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

And C.J. Skuse - I honestly hope this isn’t the last we’ll see of Rhiannon and Ivy, but just know that no matter what you write, I will be right there to read it!! Thank you for bringing these amazing and darkly funny characters to life! ❤️

Now calm thine tittage!! 😂 (iykyk)

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really pleased to get an ARC of Darling Bud by C. J. Skuse. I’ve read the full series and it’s one I keep coming back to for its darkly comic, irreverent edge.

Ivy is such a brilliantly offbeat character. On the surface she’s dealing with all the usual teenage frustrations including school, awkward interactions, trying to fit in. But with the added complication of being the daughter of the infamous Sweetpea killer. That contrast is where the book really shines. Her voice is sharp, dry and often very funny, but there’s always something slightly unsettling running underneath.

The story leans into that mix of humour and darkness, especially as suspicion starts to build and Ivy finds herself pulled into something far more serious. There’s also a timely thread around online outrage and how quickly people judge, which adds a bit more substance beneath the chaos.

It’s not a neat or predictable read but that’s part of what I enjoy about this series. It doesn’t play it safe and fully commits to its tone.

Overall, a really entertaining continuation. Dark, funny and just the right amount of twisted.

[Alison Taylor-Muhl · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw there was a new book in the Sweetpea series it was an instant ‘must read’ and I have to say, it’s thrilling to be back in the chaotic, and ever so slightly scary world of Rhiannon Lewis. Darling Bud is told from the point of view Ivy, who is Rhiannon's sixteen-year-old daughter, and from the off it’s very clear to see that she has inherited some of her mother’s traits: she is impulsive and fierce, however, Ivy also has a vulnerable side and is openly struggling with having a celebrated serial kills as a mother. Ivy’s struggles with what she inherited versus her being herself are poignant and I loved how the author gave Ivy her own voice, but I was also delighted that Ivy has undoubtedly inherited her mother’s wit and dark humour.

The writing is fast-paced and matter of fact, making it addictive from the first page, and as a longtime reader, I enjoyed the smattering of reminders of key elements of past books. All in all, this book is familiar, witty, and poignant, and that twist at the end… Brilliant!

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darling Bud by C. J. Skuse (publishing 4 June 2026)

Opening line and I’m straight back in the world of Sweetpea.

This time we follow Ivy and finally discover what happened to her. As she navigates the chaos of teenage life, she’s also dealing with complicated family relationships that shape who she is becoming.

Seeing familiar faces through Ivy’s perspective adds a fresh angle to the story, and it kept me completely hooked. It had me laughing, crying, and desperate to know what would happen next.

Through Ivy, we also come to understand Rhiannon better. Ivy learns a lot about herself, but she also starts to recognise where parts of Rhiannon’s personality come from and realises that she may actually have more self control than she first believed.

A gripping, emotional return to the Sweetpea world.

Huge thanks to
@HQStories @ceejayismeeejay @netgalley for an advanced copy!!

#DarlingBud #NetGalley xx

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

An effective enhancement to the beloved Sweetpea universe!

C J Skuse’s writing style is perfectly aligned with my taste, so I felt confident that I would love this release. Acknowledging this bias, I can wholeheartedly say that the story did not feel forced or unnecessary as some series additions tend to.

I’ve had a read of the reviews and it seems to me that, as long as you are going into this book NOT expecting it to be a ‘Sweetpea’ book centred on Rhiannon then you will not be disappointed.

What you can expect is the amazing balance of heaviness and wit that Skuse is known for, never a dull moment or a filler sentence. It is fun and dramatic but also intentional and profound. Complex characters, an entertaining plot and beautifully evocative writing - what more could you want?Readers obsessed with this series like I am will likely experience a similar emotional roller coaster as I did while reading.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's nothing like a bit of C J Skuse to get you out of a ultimate reading slump! The way she writes and the stories she tells always has me wanting to read on.

I loved the whole Sweetpea series and was honestly gutted when it ended, so I was really happy when I saw Darling Bud on Netgalley and it was approved. Big thanks to C J Skuse, NetGalley and HQ for the advanced ebook copy!

I found this great companion novel to the series! I loved hearing more about Ivy and seeing who she’s become. Her relationship with Heather seemed so special. I really liked how C J Skuse wrote this book in the similar style as Sweetpea series with the start of chapters showing 'the list'. It felt really familiar after reading the whole series and was easy to get into.

If you were a fan of the Sweetpea series, this is one to read.

Publishing date: 4 June 2026 ❤️

[Harveynics · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an arc for free meatballs in exchange for an honest review.
Having read all the sweeties books I looked forward to reading this. It didn't disappoint Even though Ivy was not brought up by Rhiannon and is disgusted by the thought of what she did to her dad AJ and all of her other victims, Ivy finds her curiosity about her birth mother blossom when she finds herself all alone after adoptive mother Claudia passes away. We follow Ivy learning all the grizzly details about Rhiannon via documentaries, people from her last and from meeting Rhiannon IRL. A departure from the care free killing we had from Rhiannon's books but Ivy's story is still full of the same dark humour which carries you through the book and make this story an easy read.

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skuse has done it again!

I was absolutely bereft when the Sweetpea series came to an end. I genuinely missed Rhiannon, a fictional character, the way I'd miss my own best friend if I never saw her again. So when I got wind of this companion novel, you'd better believe I was counting down the days until I could read it.

So thank you, NetGalley, for bringing that day even closer by allowing me to read an ARC.

And it did NOT disappoint. It's full of Skuse's trademark wit and memorable characters, and I was thoroughly engrossed from the first page.

If there is currently a Rhiannon Lewis-shaped hole in your heart then fear no more. Pick up Darling Bud as soon as it hits your local bookshop and get your fill.

[Emily Thorpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the Sweet Pea books so was excited but also abit apprehensive for Darling Bud. I needn’t be worried as I loved this book. It follows the daughter of Sweetpea, Ivy following the death of her adoptive mum and her trying to find where she belongs. I was really happy to see the dairy format and the list of annoyances again.

The book works well as a companion novel but also has enough detail to be able to understand the back story as a stand alone. It’s a funny, well paced, comfortable read. I love how CJ Skuse writes, she really sets the scene and I love how she builds the characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the ending was fabulous. Hopefully we get to read more about Ivy as she grows into a woman.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

This was a lot sadder then I was expecting but was great to read Ivy's story after re-reading the whole Sweetpea series. The dead football coach in the blurb was actually such a minor plot point, I'm not really sure what it added to the story. I really loved where the ending was going (I really love that Ivy finally connected with Raf and Leo) until the very last page. I don't know, I just wanted it to be different. I feel like torturing a child goes against everything that this series stands for.

Still a great time though. Nice to see Rhiannon is still unhinged AF.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

[Catherine (Rin) Melia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect continuation of the Sweetpea story and I got everything I wanted out of it and more! The similarities between Ivy and Rhiannon were written so well and I instantly connected with Ivy’s character. As with all the others in this series, the pacing was absolute perfection and I flew through it. There was less humour than in Rhiannon’s books but Ivy was still a brilliant and well-rounded character with her own quirks and her journey was done brilliantly.

The ending of all of these books have been incredible and this one was no exception - my jaw literally dropped! The last 50% was addictive.

I can’t recommend this series highly enough.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.