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Darling
Darling has its demons.
Cherry LaRouche escaped the claws of Darling, Louisiana at sixteen. When she is forced to return after her mother’s death, Cherry and her children move back into her childhood home where the walls whisper and something sinister skitters across the roof at night.
While Cherry tries to settle back into a town where evil spreads like infection, the bodies of several murdered children turn up. When Cherry’s own daughter goes missing, she’s forced to confront the true monsters of Darling.
Cherry LaRouche escaped the claws of Darling, Louisiana at sixteen. When she is forced to return after her mother’s death, Cherry and her children move back into her childhood home where the walls whisper and something sinister skitters across the roof at night.
While Cherry tries to settle back into a town where evil spreads like infection, the bodies of several murdered children turn up. When Cherry’s own daughter goes missing, she’s forced to confront the true monsters of Darling.
307 pages, Paperback
First published August 23, 2022
About the author
Mercedes M. Yardley
105 books326 followersMercedes M. Yardley is a whimsical dark fantasist who wears red lipstick and poisonous flowers in her hair. She is the author of numerous works including Love is a Crematorium and Other Stories, Darling, the Stabby Award-winning Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love, Pretty Little Dead Girls, and Nameless. She won the Bram Stoker Award for Little Dead Red and “Fracture.” Mercedes lives and works in Las Vegas. You can find her at mercedesmyardley.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
March 11, 2022
I’ve read the author’s work before and found it enjoyable, so I had some expectations going in. This proved to be a strange book, though, a book that tried to do too much, a book that didn’t know what it was or wanted to be. So much so that it ended up dropping steadily from 4 to 2 stars throughout the reading. And here’s why…
First thing first, Yardley can write, immersively and evocatively. The writing itself is fine. The plotting though left so much to be desired.
Meet Cherry LaRouche, the darling of Darling, Louisiana. A wild child who’s made every possible wrong choice in her 20some years that led her to the place she’s when we meet her…a crappy apartment with a lecherous landlord with two young fatherless kids, one with severe special needs, and a cleaning job that barely allows her to get by. Oh, Cherry. If only you had listened to your mother…or I don’t know, used protection.
Anyway, Cherry hated her mother, but now that mother has died and left Cherry her place – a ramshackle place that contains no good memories but it spacious, private, and paid off for five years. Cherry takes it.
Moving back proves surprisingly easy. Quite literally, the moment Cherry sets foot back on Darling’s soil, she is surrounded by fawning admirers. People are just lining up to feed her, sand her deck, watch her kids.
Why? All Cherry ever tells us is how evil Darling is. And yet…
And then, there’s all the romance. If there’s one single thing that drags this novel down it is that…the fact that it so desperately tries to be a romance novel, which is…you know…yuck. Unless you’re into that sort of thing, which doesn’t make it any less yuck but might make this more of the right choice for you.
As a teenager, Cherry hooked up with the most popular kid in Darling and vamoosed. The kid proved to be a royal penis and dropped her like yesterday’s trash the second their special needs kid was born, but that should give you some idea of Cherry’s taste in men. Also, the fact that her second child was created while she was prostituting herself trying to pay for the first one.
Now, that she’s back, all the men who missed their opportunity the first time around with Cherry and who apparently have just been waiting around this entire time, come flocking in.
She selects the hot one with a stupid name over her awesome brother-in-law with a strange name. (This is the South, y’all).
Then she proceeds to toil in this cheesily torrid love triangle.
Oh, also there is a serial killer around who seems to enjoy abducting, murdering, and dismembering small children.
Also, there may or may not be a supernatural angle to it all. This includes the father of one of the victims, another devastatingly handsome Indian man with liquid eyes - a description the author is such a fan of, she uses it over and over again in an almost fetishistic manner.
There’s also Cherry’s number one female friend, a blunt weirdo who lives alone with her mother in a distinctly Bates-ian sort of way.
And then, Cherry’s baby girl gets abducted, and things get even crazier.
So, what was the author trying to do here? Was she going for a Southern Gothic? (because she got there, again in a strangely fetishistic way). Was this meant to be a serial killer mystery? A romance? A tale of supernatural? Was the author, as a mother of a special needs child herself, writing an ode to moms such as her everywhere? Why is everyone so freaking handsome? Even the serial killer's nickname is Handsome Butcher? Seriously.
Because that’s a lot for a single novel. And while there might be a way to make all of it work, this book doesn’t find that way. It crams too much and muddies the waters, especially for the serial killer mystery angle. Ambitious, sure, but in the end, a flop. Not a terrible flop, a readable, even mildly entertaining one, but overall, it underwhelms and disappoints more than it entertains. The writing’s good but doesn’t distract from the strangely nuanced yet clichéd characters. Some readers might fall under Cherry’s spell, but this darling’s charms are not for everyone. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
First thing first, Yardley can write, immersively and evocatively. The writing itself is fine. The plotting though left so much to be desired.
Meet Cherry LaRouche, the darling of Darling, Louisiana. A wild child who’s made every possible wrong choice in her 20some years that led her to the place she’s when we meet her…a crappy apartment with a lecherous landlord with two young fatherless kids, one with severe special needs, and a cleaning job that barely allows her to get by. Oh, Cherry. If only you had listened to your mother…or I don’t know, used protection.
Anyway, Cherry hated her mother, but now that mother has died and left Cherry her place – a ramshackle place that contains no good memories but it spacious, private, and paid off for five years. Cherry takes it.
Moving back proves surprisingly easy. Quite literally, the moment Cherry sets foot back on Darling’s soil, she is surrounded by fawning admirers. People are just lining up to feed her, sand her deck, watch her kids.
Why? All Cherry ever tells us is how evil Darling is. And yet…
And then, there’s all the romance. If there’s one single thing that drags this novel down it is that…the fact that it so desperately tries to be a romance novel, which is…you know…yuck. Unless you’re into that sort of thing, which doesn’t make it any less yuck but might make this more of the right choice for you.
As a teenager, Cherry hooked up with the most popular kid in Darling and vamoosed. The kid proved to be a royal penis and dropped her like yesterday’s trash the second their special needs kid was born, but that should give you some idea of Cherry’s taste in men. Also, the fact that her second child was created while she was prostituting herself trying to pay for the first one.
Now, that she’s back, all the men who missed their opportunity the first time around with Cherry and who apparently have just been waiting around this entire time, come flocking in.
She selects the hot one with a stupid name over her awesome brother-in-law with a strange name. (This is the South, y’all).
Then she proceeds to toil in this cheesily torrid love triangle.
Oh, also there is a serial killer around who seems to enjoy abducting, murdering, and dismembering small children.
Also, there may or may not be a supernatural angle to it all. This includes the father of one of the victims, another devastatingly handsome Indian man with liquid eyes - a description the author is such a fan of, she uses it over and over again in an almost fetishistic manner.
There’s also Cherry’s number one female friend, a blunt weirdo who lives alone with her mother in a distinctly Bates-ian sort of way.
And then, Cherry’s baby girl gets abducted, and things get even crazier.
So, what was the author trying to do here? Was she going for a Southern Gothic? (because she got there, again in a strangely fetishistic way). Was this meant to be a serial killer mystery? A romance? A tale of supernatural? Was the author, as a mother of a special needs child herself, writing an ode to moms such as her everywhere? Why is everyone so freaking handsome? Even the serial killer's nickname is Handsome Butcher? Seriously.
Because that’s a lot for a single novel. And while there might be a way to make all of it work, this book doesn’t find that way. It crams too much and muddies the waters, especially for the serial killer mystery angle. Ambitious, sure, but in the end, a flop. Not a terrible flop, a readable, even mildly entertaining one, but overall, it underwhelms and disappoints more than it entertains. The writing’s good but doesn’t distract from the strangely nuanced yet clichéd characters. Some readers might fall under Cherry’s spell, but this darling’s charms are not for everyone. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
October 16, 2022
DARLING from Mercedes M. Yardley falls short of its ambitious concept in which abused and forgotten Cerise/Cherry returns with her two children, Jonah and Daisy, to her hometown, Darling, which is itself evil and out to destroy her family. It will so accomplish in part through a twisted love triangle (square?) between her abusive estranged husband, Ephraim, his kind and passive brother, Mordechai, and "E's" childhood best friend, confident playboy Runner, all pursuing Cherry to the very ends of what seems like her life. Part horror novel, part thriller, part romance--this book has an identity problem.
It's likely this one just isn't for me.
It's still a largely entertaining read, if you're into chaos. If you can suspend your need for narrative logic and roll with the wild rope of seemingly unrelated character and plot information, you might still like this. It connects enough to make a rough kind of story sense all through, but I wasn't able to think too hard about any of it or it started to unravel.
I'm a little sensitive to these things, so I have to note the despicable treatment of the developmentally disabled character, Jonah. He was barely treated as a character, and more as a plot device, which is just so difficult to read. So even if I had liked this book, I would never have connected to the FMC or the narrator because neither of them humanized Jonah. If this is a triggering issue for you, you might want to avoid this book.
I've read quite a bit of work from this writer, so I can say this book is different from her typical work and though I wouldn't recommend this one, I do hope you'll check out Pretty Little Dead Girls.
Rating 2 stars
Finished October 2022
Recommended for fans of dark romance (maybe), serial killer stories, haunted house stories (maybe); I don't really recommend this selection from the writer's oeuvre
TW DV, SA, violence against children, child SA, incest, violence against women, mental illness, mental illness stigma, torture, so many more
*Follow my Instagram book blog for all my reviews, challenges, and book lists! http://www.instagram.com/donasbooks *
It's likely this one just isn't for me.
It's still a largely entertaining read, if you're into chaos. If you can suspend your need for narrative logic and roll with the wild rope of seemingly unrelated character and plot information, you might still like this. It connects enough to make a rough kind of story sense all through, but I wasn't able to think too hard about any of it or it started to unravel.
I'm a little sensitive to these things, so I have to note the despicable treatment of the developmentally disabled character, Jonah. He was barely treated as a character, and more as a plot device, which is just so difficult to read. So even if I had liked this book, I would never have connected to the FMC or the narrator because neither of them humanized Jonah. If this is a triggering issue for you, you might want to avoid this book.
I've read quite a bit of work from this writer, so I can say this book is different from her typical work and though I wouldn't recommend this one, I do hope you'll check out Pretty Little Dead Girls.
Rating 2 stars
Finished October 2022
Recommended for fans of dark romance (maybe), serial killer stories, haunted house stories (maybe); I don't really recommend this selection from the writer's oeuvre
TW DV, SA, violence against children, child SA, incest, violence against women, mental illness, mental illness stigma, torture, so many more
*Follow my Instagram book blog for all my reviews, challenges, and book lists! http://www.instagram.com/donasbooks *
July 24, 2022
Darling has its demons. Cherry LaRouche escaped the claws of Darling, Louisiana at sixteen. When she is forced to return after her mother's death, Cherry and her children move back into her childhood home where the walls whisper and something sinister skitters across the roof at night. While Cherry tries to settle back into a town where evil spreads like infection, the bodies of several murdered children turn up. When Cherry's own daughter goes missing, she's forced to confront the true monsters of Darling.
I thoroughly enjoyed the premise of this book, but this novel is a prime example of how the ending can totally ruin an entire story for its reader.
Yardley’s feisty protagonist Cherry was interesting to read about and seeing her character arc develop throughout, the story was also full of tension, suspense and horror and dealt with poignant themes like family, home, community and poverty as well as delved into the darker topics of kidnapping, murder and mental health. But for me the ending was anti-climatic and too neat after everything that Cherry had been through which was disappointing. Yardley isn’t lost to me yet though, I’ll still check out future works.
I thoroughly enjoyed the premise of this book, but this novel is a prime example of how the ending can totally ruin an entire story for its reader.
Yardley’s feisty protagonist Cherry was interesting to read about and seeing her character arc develop throughout, the story was also full of tension, suspense and horror and dealt with poignant themes like family, home, community and poverty as well as delved into the darker topics of kidnapping, murder and mental health. But for me the ending was anti-climatic and too neat after everything that Cherry had been through which was disappointing. Yardley isn’t lost to me yet though, I’ll still check out future works.
July 27, 2022
Cherry left Darling Louisiana young and hopeful of a better life, with a husband-to-be, a baby bump, and zero regrets.
That better life didn't last too long or maybe never fully materialized. Now she is older but not a lot wiser, with no choice but to return to her childhood home with her two kids in tow.
This seems like a pretty bad move since someone is killing the town's children and it's not long before Cherry's own baby daughter goes missing, possibly taken by the killer.
I was fully engaged in the story even though it was difficult for me to like Cherry. On the one hand, she was a good mother but on the other hand, she made some pretty dumb decisions that grated on my nerves.
There is also some romance thrown in, by which I do not mean unrealistic gratuitous sex scenes that border on the grotesque as usually passes for romance these days. I mean literally, some things that were romantic until they weren't. And when the romance was over it stopped in a big way. It seemed odd to me that Cherry would want to involve herself in any romantic entanglements in this town. Considering what she had previously been through I expected her to be less naïve.
I won't say that the outcome of what happened with her daughter was entirely predictable, but I did have my suspicions early on, and they were mostly correct.
I'm not sure why I enjoyed this book so much, and yet I did. The town's people were alternately welcoming, and nasty, with such frequency to give me whiplash. I'm not clear on whether something supernatural was involved since it was never fully explained. Maybe I enjoyed shaking my head and rolling my eyes at Cherry while wishing she would make better choices. Still, I am going to give this a 4 out of 5 stars even if I am at a loss to explain what I just read.
My thanks to Black Spot Books
That better life didn't last too long or maybe never fully materialized. Now she is older but not a lot wiser, with no choice but to return to her childhood home with her two kids in tow.
This seems like a pretty bad move since someone is killing the town's children and it's not long before Cherry's own baby daughter goes missing, possibly taken by the killer.
I was fully engaged in the story even though it was difficult for me to like Cherry. On the one hand, she was a good mother but on the other hand, she made some pretty dumb decisions that grated on my nerves.
There is also some romance thrown in, by which I do not mean unrealistic gratuitous sex scenes that border on the grotesque as usually passes for romance these days. I mean literally, some things that were romantic until they weren't. And when the romance was over it stopped in a big way. It seemed odd to me that Cherry would want to involve herself in any romantic entanglements in this town. Considering what she had previously been through I expected her to be less naïve.
I won't say that the outcome of what happened with her daughter was entirely predictable, but I did have my suspicions early on, and they were mostly correct.
I'm not sure why I enjoyed this book so much, and yet I did. The town's people were alternately welcoming, and nasty, with such frequency to give me whiplash. I'm not clear on whether something supernatural was involved since it was never fully explained. Maybe I enjoyed shaking my head and rolling my eyes at Cherry while wishing she would make better choices. Still, I am going to give this a 4 out of 5 stars even if I am at a loss to explain what I just read.
My thanks to Black Spot Books
March 11, 2022
I received my very first ARC on 26th February, and I've been putting off writing this review ever since. I had mixed feelings about this book, and it took me a while to get them sorted before getting started with this review.
*Deep breath*
Darling by Mercedes M Yardley is a book that surprised me, and pleasantly so, but for all the wrong reasons. Before I get started on my long, warbling rant, here's the description of the plot:
At the age of sixteen, Cherry LaRouche escaped the clutches of Darling, Louisiana. Cherry and her children return to Cherry's childhood house following her mother's death, where the walls murmur and something horrible skitters across the roof at night.
The bodies of several murdered children crop up as Cherry tries to reintegrate into a town where evil is spreading like an illness. Cherry is forced to confront the true horrors of Darling when her own kid goes missing.
Okay, now that that's done, let's dive into the murky depths of this book. I went into this book expecting the same old dragged-out tale of a haunted house, but it wasn't that. At all.
The thing that struck me right off the bat was the character of Cherry. Despite having a rough life, she does everything she can for her children to have a good life. Yes, sometimes the choices she makes are questionable, but, it's inevitably plain that Cherry loves her kids and that she would do anything for them. This fact struck me because of the constant parallels that we get into how her mother used to treat her, and the way she treats her kids now.
Secondly, this book was slightly reminiscent of the novel IT by Stephen King. Before you say no, hear me out, okay? In IT, childhood friends return back to their hometown Derry, where evil has taken root again, just like it did when they were kids, to destroy it once and for all. In Darling, Cherry comes back to her childhood home to confront the terrors of her past, as well as the evil that resides in the town and its people. Both have a supernatural element in them. Both show a comparison between how we deal with trauma in our childhood and adulthood. Both show how evil simmers beneath a town, within its people, and bides its time until it can strike again. Both have monsters that prey on kids. However, the take on monsters in Darling was a very unique one. I've read a lot of books in the horror genre, and I don’t think any book had such a take on monsters.
Thirdly, it seemed appalling how literally every man in Darling had an infatuation with Cherry. I get that she's beautiful, but, the way men fell head over heels over her for apparently no reason whatsoever, was slightly jarring.
Fourthly, the ending seemed slightly rushed. The way it was written was beautiful, but, after the relatively slow pacing of the first three-quarters of the book, the ending seemed to come out of nowhere. And the way the book ended also seemed a tad bit anti-climatic.
Another teensy tiny complaint I have with the book is the name chosen for the child murderer. Why would you ever call someone who breaks children like dolls a "handsome butcher"? How does his being handsome even matter to the plot? How is it relevant? It made me laugh hysterically the first time I read it.
But, I have to give this book credit where it's due. It was entertaining and kept me guessing until the very end. The descriptions were just right and hit me right in the feels.
*Chef's kiss*
I'd rate this book a solid 3.5/5. If the author had decided to call him LITERALLY anything other than the "handsome butcher", it would have been a 4/5. I'm definitely going to check out her other books since I loved her writing style.
*Deep breath*
Darling by Mercedes M Yardley is a book that surprised me, and pleasantly so, but for all the wrong reasons. Before I get started on my long, warbling rant, here's the description of the plot:
At the age of sixteen, Cherry LaRouche escaped the clutches of Darling, Louisiana. Cherry and her children return to Cherry's childhood house following her mother's death, where the walls murmur and something horrible skitters across the roof at night.
The bodies of several murdered children crop up as Cherry tries to reintegrate into a town where evil is spreading like an illness. Cherry is forced to confront the true horrors of Darling when her own kid goes missing.
Okay, now that that's done, let's dive into the murky depths of this book. I went into this book expecting the same old dragged-out tale of a haunted house, but it wasn't that. At all.
The thing that struck me right off the bat was the character of Cherry. Despite having a rough life, she does everything she can for her children to have a good life. Yes, sometimes the choices she makes are questionable, but, it's inevitably plain that Cherry loves her kids and that she would do anything for them. This fact struck me because of the constant parallels that we get into how her mother used to treat her, and the way she treats her kids now.
Secondly, this book was slightly reminiscent of the novel IT by Stephen King. Before you say no, hear me out, okay? In IT, childhood friends return back to their hometown Derry, where evil has taken root again, just like it did when they were kids, to destroy it once and for all. In Darling, Cherry comes back to her childhood home to confront the terrors of her past, as well as the evil that resides in the town and its people. Both have a supernatural element in them. Both show a comparison between how we deal with trauma in our childhood and adulthood. Both show how evil simmers beneath a town, within its people, and bides its time until it can strike again. Both have monsters that prey on kids. However, the take on monsters in Darling was a very unique one. I've read a lot of books in the horror genre, and I don’t think any book had such a take on monsters.
Thirdly, it seemed appalling how literally every man in Darling had an infatuation with Cherry. I get that she's beautiful, but, the way men fell head over heels over her for apparently no reason whatsoever, was slightly jarring.
Fourthly, the ending seemed slightly rushed. The way it was written was beautiful, but, after the relatively slow pacing of the first three-quarters of the book, the ending seemed to come out of nowhere. And the way the book ended also seemed a tad bit anti-climatic.
Another teensy tiny complaint I have with the book is the name chosen for the child murderer. Why would you ever call someone who breaks children like dolls a "handsome butcher"? How does his being handsome even matter to the plot? How is it relevant? It made me laugh hysterically the first time I read it.
But, I have to give this book credit where it's due. It was entertaining and kept me guessing until the very end. The descriptions were just right and hit me right in the feels.
*Chef's kiss*
I'd rate this book a solid 3.5/5. If the author had decided to call him LITERALLY anything other than the "handsome butcher", it would have been a 4/5. I'm definitely going to check out her other books since I loved her writing style.
June 21, 2026
the review
This book gave me the creeps at 1am and I am loving it. Worldbuilding is fantastic
pre read
secured an arc! the first look: it is mysterious and might give us chilling relevations.
This book gave me the creeps at 1am and I am loving it. Worldbuilding is fantastic
pre read
secured an arc! the first look: it is mysterious and might give us chilling relevations.
March 18, 2022
3.5/5
Yardley's writing style is, as always, beautiful. She has a way with words that speaks directly to the emotions; I admire her craft.
Darling is many things: haunted house, love story, small-town horror, murder mystery, family drama, and more. But perhaps it tries to do too much for its own good.
It raises an interesting question about small-town horror - is the town itself the source of evil, or does it just strip the veneer away and let people become the monsters they have always been?
As much as I appreciate Yardley's writing style, I do not think Darling is her best work. It is perhaps the most intimate and personal book, but not the most compelling one. I liked it but I didn't love it as much as her other stories.
ARC through NetGalley
Yardley's writing style is, as always, beautiful. She has a way with words that speaks directly to the emotions; I admire her craft.
Darling is many things: haunted house, love story, small-town horror, murder mystery, family drama, and more. But perhaps it tries to do too much for its own good.
It raises an interesting question about small-town horror - is the town itself the source of evil, or does it just strip the veneer away and let people become the monsters they have always been?
As much as I appreciate Yardley's writing style, I do not think Darling is her best work. It is perhaps the most intimate and personal book, but not the most compelling one. I liked it but I didn't love it as much as her other stories.
ARC through NetGalley
September 4, 2022
3.5 Darling Stars
Cherry left Darling Louisiana when she was just sixteen years old with her boyfriend and their unborn child, hoping for a better life than the one they had growing up. After giving birth to a son with Special Needs Cherry soon found out that her dreams were not going to come true any time soon since her husband left her to raise their son alone as soon as he was born.
Cherry didn't have it easy that's for sure, now the mother of two (her daughter was conceived when Cherry was selling herself to make extra money to support herself and her son) was doing whatever she needed to keep a roof over their heads and food in her kids bellies when she receives a phone call letting her know that her mother passed away and left her the house she grew up in with all of the expenses paid on it for five years but she had to live in during that time before she could sell it. So back to the place she hated most she went.
I loved the writing of this story and it definitely has me wanting to read more of Mercedes M. Yardley work. As per usual I had some things figured out pretty quickly but I couldn't quite put my finger on who the Handsome Butcher was...yes you read that right. The killer was referred to as the Handsome Butcher, I disliked that name for soooo many reasons the main one being why would we refer to a person whom took children, killed, and dismembered them as handsome? Butcher I get, but Handsome???
I loved Cherry's relationship with both of her children especially with her son who has Autism. She loved him and did everything she possibly could to show him. It was a special bond that she shared with both of her children, and when the author gave us a few chapters from his POV it was precious.
I want to point out that this isn't a romance while there are some romantic aspects to it including a love triangle. This is a HORROR, I realize the majority of my reviews are for Romance Reads this one DOES NOT FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY. So if you enjoy Horror Reads then I would recommend this one to you but if you are looking for a Romantic Horror Read this isn't it.
Happy Reading!!!
Cherry left Darling Louisiana when she was just sixteen years old with her boyfriend and their unborn child, hoping for a better life than the one they had growing up. After giving birth to a son with Special Needs Cherry soon found out that her dreams were not going to come true any time soon since her husband left her to raise their son alone as soon as he was born.
Cherry didn't have it easy that's for sure, now the mother of two (her daughter was conceived when Cherry was selling herself to make extra money to support herself and her son) was doing whatever she needed to keep a roof over their heads and food in her kids bellies when she receives a phone call letting her know that her mother passed away and left her the house she grew up in with all of the expenses paid on it for five years but she had to live in during that time before she could sell it. So back to the place she hated most she went.
I loved the writing of this story and it definitely has me wanting to read more of Mercedes M. Yardley work. As per usual I had some things figured out pretty quickly but I couldn't quite put my finger on who the Handsome Butcher was...yes you read that right. The killer was referred to as the Handsome Butcher, I disliked that name for soooo many reasons the main one being why would we refer to a person whom took children, killed, and dismembered them as handsome? Butcher I get, but Handsome???
I loved Cherry's relationship with both of her children especially with her son who has Autism. She loved him and did everything she possibly could to show him. It was a special bond that she shared with both of her children, and when the author gave us a few chapters from his POV it was precious.
I want to point out that this isn't a romance while there are some romantic aspects to it including a love triangle. This is a HORROR, I realize the majority of my reviews are for Romance Reads this one DOES NOT FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY. So if you enjoy Horror Reads then I would recommend this one to you but if you are looking for a Romantic Horror Read this isn't it.
Happy Reading!!!
January 31, 2023
3.5 Darling Stars
Cherry left Darling Louisiana when she was just sixteen years old with her boyfriend and their unborn child, hoping for a better life than the one they had growing up. After giving birth to a son with Special Needs Cherry soon found out that her dreams were not going to come true any time soon since her husband left her to raise their son alone as soon as he was born.
Cherry didn't have it easy that's for sure, now the mother of two (her daughter was conceived when Cherry was selling herself to make extra money to support herself and her son) was doing whatever she needed to keep a roof over their heads and food in her kids bellies when she receives a phone call letting her know that her mother passed away and left her the house she grew up in with all of the expenses paid on it for five years but she had to live in during that time before she could sell it. So back to the place she hated most she went.
I loved the writing of this story and it definitely has me wanting to read more of Mercedes M. Yardley work. As per usual I had some things figured out pretty quickly but I couldn't quite put my finger on who the Handsome Butcher was...yes you read that right. The killer was referred to as the Handsome Butcher, I disliked that name for soooo many reasons the main one being why would we refer to a person whom took children, killed, and dismembered them as handsome? Butcher I get, but Handsome???
I loved Cherry's relationship with both of her children especially with her son who has Autism. She loved him and did everything she possibly could to show him. It was a special bond that she shared with both of her children, and when the author gave us a few chapters from his POV it was precious.
I want to point out that this isn't a romance while there are some romantic aspects to it including a love triangle. This is a HORROR, I realize the majority of my reviews are for Romance Reads this one DOES NOT FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY. So if you enjoy Horror Reads then I would recommend this one to you but if you are looking for a Romantic Horror Read this isn't it.
Happy Reading!!!
Find out more here ➡ https://bit.ly/NBReviewd
**I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for my Blog, Nadine's Obsessed with Books
You can find me here: https://linktr.ee/NadineBookaholic
Cherry left Darling Louisiana when she was just sixteen years old with her boyfriend and their unborn child, hoping for a better life than the one they had growing up. After giving birth to a son with Special Needs Cherry soon found out that her dreams were not going to come true any time soon since her husband left her to raise their son alone as soon as he was born.
Cherry didn't have it easy that's for sure, now the mother of two (her daughter was conceived when Cherry was selling herself to make extra money to support herself and her son) was doing whatever she needed to keep a roof over their heads and food in her kids bellies when she receives a phone call letting her know that her mother passed away and left her the house she grew up in with all of the expenses paid on it for five years but she had to live in during that time before she could sell it. So back to the place she hated most she went.
I loved the writing of this story and it definitely has me wanting to read more of Mercedes M. Yardley work. As per usual I had some things figured out pretty quickly but I couldn't quite put my finger on who the Handsome Butcher was...yes you read that right. The killer was referred to as the Handsome Butcher, I disliked that name for soooo many reasons the main one being why would we refer to a person whom took children, killed, and dismembered them as handsome? Butcher I get, but Handsome???
I loved Cherry's relationship with both of her children especially with her son who has Autism. She loved him and did everything she possibly could to show him. It was a special bond that she shared with both of her children, and when the author gave us a few chapters from his POV it was precious.
I want to point out that this isn't a romance while there are some romantic aspects to it including a love triangle. This is a HORROR, I realize the majority of my reviews are for Romance Reads this one DOES NOT FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY. So if you enjoy Horror Reads then I would recommend this one to you but if you are looking for a Romantic Horror Read this isn't it.
Happy Reading!!!
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**I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for my Blog, Nadine's Obsessed with BooksYou can find me here: https://linktr.ee/NadineBookaholic
June 17, 2026
4.25⭐️
VERY crazy ride.
Please check trigger warnings.
——
Read as a netgalley ARC
VERY crazy ride.
Please check trigger warnings.
——
Read as a netgalley ARC
March 24, 2022
This was the first time reading anything by Mercedes M. Yardley and after finishing "Darling" I'm not sure I can see myself reading another book of hers.
The book started off pretty good and I was enjoying the story and the writing. At the beginning of the book there were many descriptions I loved and Cherry was a really great character. About 15% or so into the book I started coming across awkward sentences and the writing started getting too "flowery."
Soon, the excessive use of character eye descriptions became torturous. "Her eyes flashed," "His eyes narrowed," "His glowing green eyes also caught the light of the Lousiana sky," "His eyes flashed," "His eyes were glass suns, intense enough to annihilate her. Sheer immolation." This is all just from one page. I found myself wishing the man's eyes had the power to annihilate Cherry just so the story would end.
This kind of thing happened for the entire book, which was distracting. "Pigtails like banners," "her white hands," "his bony body." Like, we get it. Please come up with something new instead of using the same phrases over and over.
I can't imagine myself recommending this book to anyone.
Thank you to NetGalley and Black Spot Books for the DRC.
The book started off pretty good and I was enjoying the story and the writing. At the beginning of the book there were many descriptions I loved and Cherry was a really great character. About 15% or so into the book I started coming across awkward sentences and the writing started getting too "flowery."
Soon, the excessive use of character eye descriptions became torturous. "Her eyes flashed," "His eyes narrowed," "His glowing green eyes also caught the light of the Lousiana sky," "His eyes flashed," "His eyes were glass suns, intense enough to annihilate her. Sheer immolation." This is all just from one page. I found myself wishing the man's eyes had the power to annihilate Cherry just so the story would end.
This kind of thing happened for the entire book, which was distracting. "Pigtails like banners," "her white hands," "his bony body." Like, we get it. Please come up with something new instead of using the same phrases over and over.
I can't imagine myself recommending this book to anyone.
Thank you to NetGalley and Black Spot Books for the DRC.
August 31, 2022
As a pregnant teenager, Cherry/Cerise left her hometown of Darling with her lover Ephraim, vowing never to return. However, she finds herself returning several years later when her mother dies and wills her the family house.
Unfortunately and even though I was really excited about this book and the beginning was quite engaging, it ended up being a bit of a disappointment.
More than horror, you can expect a family drama with some thriller aspects to it. Nothing that you could really consider a real horror novel. I guess this is a big part of why I was disappointed.
The other thing was that the book started quite strong and then it ended up being a bit too repetitive for my taste and nothing much happened. I also did not really enjoy how our main character was treated by the people in town (specially by men) and even if this was the point of the story, it did not come across and it was just annoying. Our main character is a troubled girl that had to run away from home and had to be strong and independent due to her poverty and lack of help. However the woman we see as soon as she returns home is a wek, easy to manipulate submissive woman and I was not here for it.
April 18, 2022
As a pregnant teenager, Cherry/Cerise left her hometown of Darling with her lover Ephraim; vowing never to return. However, she finds herself returning several years later when her mother dies and wills her the family house. This is a deal she cannot pass up: Ephraim left her once their child—Jonah--was born with a genetic disorder. She is destitute and now has a second child to take care of: Daisy, whose father is unknown due to Cherry/Cerise having unprotected sex with her male clients when she prostitutes herself to make ends meet.
This may sound like the makings of a damsel-in-distress book: a young-women in need of a strong man to protect her and offer some romance. But then, it wants to also be an anti-damsel-in-distress book: a strong woman in peril who doesn’t want or need a strong man to protect her (romance is possible). As Cherry/Cerise navigates the threats to her family both imagined (supernatural?) and real, she waffles between these architypes—and two men--repeatedly spewing how she will always protect and love her kids. However, her behavior and actions are so antithetical to what she professes.
This may be explained by how she describes herself based on her name. She imagines Cherry as a happy person who see the world as being beautiful. This is the name the people of Darling use. Conversely, Cerise is someone who has always struggled; she has been abused, hurt, and deprived. This is the name she used when she left Darling, and the one she initially insists the Darlingites call her. But old habits die hard, for the townsfolk see and treat her as the golden child they knew before while also holding a grudge against her for taking Ephraim and leaving them behind.
There are too many plot holes and issues in this book for me to ignore and give it a higher rating. For example, after Daisy disappears, she Cherry/Cerise often leaves her disabled son alone in the car on several occasions. Not only is there an unknown child abductor out there, but her nonverbal son is experiencing the trauma of being separated from her. She also allows a new lover to spend nights in the home; a man who treats her son with distain.
Then there is the creepy scene at the end when she goes to the prison to speak to Ephraim’s father hoping to get some answers that may help find her daughter. She is very anxious and angry as he acts menacingly towards her. However, when he gives her the most disgusting information—which affects her—she is nonplussed.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Black Spot Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This may sound like the makings of a damsel-in-distress book: a young-women in need of a strong man to protect her and offer some romance. But then, it wants to also be an anti-damsel-in-distress book: a strong woman in peril who doesn’t want or need a strong man to protect her (romance is possible). As Cherry/Cerise navigates the threats to her family both imagined (supernatural?) and real, she waffles between these architypes—and two men--repeatedly spewing how she will always protect and love her kids. However, her behavior and actions are so antithetical to what she professes.
This may be explained by how she describes herself based on her name. She imagines Cherry as a happy person who see the world as being beautiful. This is the name the people of Darling use. Conversely, Cerise is someone who has always struggled; she has been abused, hurt, and deprived. This is the name she used when she left Darling, and the one she initially insists the Darlingites call her. But old habits die hard, for the townsfolk see and treat her as the golden child they knew before while also holding a grudge against her for taking Ephraim and leaving them behind.
There are too many plot holes and issues in this book for me to ignore and give it a higher rating. For example, after Daisy disappears, she Cherry/Cerise often leaves her disabled son alone in the car on several occasions. Not only is there an unknown child abductor out there, but her nonverbal son is experiencing the trauma of being separated from her. She also allows a new lover to spend nights in the home; a man who treats her son with distain.
Then there is the creepy scene at the end when she goes to the prison to speak to Ephraim’s father hoping to get some answers that may help find her daughter. She is very anxious and angry as he acts menacingly towards her. However, when he gives her the most disgusting information—which affects her—she is nonplussed.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Black Spot Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
November 30, 2022
Eh, not for me.
July 18, 2022
I snagged this ARC from @netgalley. I thought this would be great since Yardley is highly praised as a horror writer, however, I felt the book did not match the author’s hype. The concept of a town of horrors with frequent children disappearing was interesting, but I found the characters fell flat. Although I got a hint of their personalities, they all felt like they were shells of the people they were meant to be. I liked that she showed how cruel society can be towards a single mother, especially one with a special needs child, but I could not really empathize with the characters. I felt like the main issue with the town (will not further explain due to spoilers) could have also been fleshed out more, as it doesn’t really add substance to the story as it is. Overall, I was intrigued but disappointed.
March 3, 2022
Wow!
I read this book in one sitting. It sucked me in from the first page.
Cherry gets sucked back into the small hometown that she clawed her way out of so many years before. And like all small towns that you have to claw your way out of, it is crazy. The people are crazy. The events are crazy....
Much like my own small town that sucked me back in. All the crazy checks out. Humans are the real monsters.
POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD:
I loved everything about this book! My only *slight* complaint is that I knew about Daisy the whole time. But maybe we were supposed to? It was perfectly setup to know what was going on there.
Everything else was amazing!
I read this book in one sitting. It sucked me in from the first page.
Cherry gets sucked back into the small hometown that she clawed her way out of so many years before. And like all small towns that you have to claw your way out of, it is crazy. The people are crazy. The events are crazy....
Much like my own small town that sucked me back in. All the crazy checks out. Humans are the real monsters.
POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD:
I loved everything about this book! My only *slight* complaint is that I knew about Daisy the whole time. But maybe we were supposed to? It was perfectly setup to know what was going on there.
Everything else was amazing!
March 19, 2022
Beautifully written but confusing at times. Was it paranormal or just cherry’s traumatized mind. The last few chapters were an explosion of violence and deeply dark. It was a page turner for sure.
Thank you NetGalley for this arc
Thank you NetGalley for this arc
June 10, 2026
I started Darling with quite high expectations, especially because of the promise of a gothic, oppressive atmosphere and the mystery surrounding Darling. Unfortunately, my reading experience was disappointing.
Although the author tries to create a dark and unsettling atmosphere, she failed to captivate me. Instead of feeling tension or fear, many scenes seemed slow and repetitive, and the rhythm of the story had moments when it made me lose interest. The mystery surrounding the city's disappearances and hidden secrets seemed promising at first, but its development was not as exciting as I had hoped.
Another aspect that affected my reading was the lack of a connection with the characters. I couldn't get attached to any of them, and their emotions and motivations didn't convince me enough to make me invest in the story. Cherry had the potential to become an interesting protagonist, especially in the context of investigation and secrets from her past. However, every time I felt that the story was moving towards important discoveries and deepening the mystery, the attention shifted to romantic relationships, which diminished the tension I was looking for.
The ending was, for me, the biggest problem in the book. He felt rushed and insufficiently constructed, as if many narrative threads had been hastily closed. Some explanations did not seem entirely logical to me, and solving the mystery did not have the impact I expected after the entire construction of the story. Instead of providing satisfaction, the ending left me feeling that many elements did not find their place in the whole novel.
What disappointed me the most was the contrast between premise and result. The story promises a city full of secrets, mysterious disappearances and a suffocating Gothic atmosphere, but all these elements are overshadowed by a slow pace and narrative directions that do not lead where you would expect. Unfortunately, for me, Darling was one of those books that had all the ingredients needed to be memorable, but failed to use them to their true potential.
Although the author tries to create a dark and unsettling atmosphere, she failed to captivate me. Instead of feeling tension or fear, many scenes seemed slow and repetitive, and the rhythm of the story had moments when it made me lose interest. The mystery surrounding the city's disappearances and hidden secrets seemed promising at first, but its development was not as exciting as I had hoped.
Another aspect that affected my reading was the lack of a connection with the characters. I couldn't get attached to any of them, and their emotions and motivations didn't convince me enough to make me invest in the story. Cherry had the potential to become an interesting protagonist, especially in the context of investigation and secrets from her past. However, every time I felt that the story was moving towards important discoveries and deepening the mystery, the attention shifted to romantic relationships, which diminished the tension I was looking for.
The ending was, for me, the biggest problem in the book. He felt rushed and insufficiently constructed, as if many narrative threads had been hastily closed. Some explanations did not seem entirely logical to me, and solving the mystery did not have the impact I expected after the entire construction of the story. Instead of providing satisfaction, the ending left me feeling that many elements did not find their place in the whole novel.
What disappointed me the most was the contrast between premise and result. The story promises a city full of secrets, mysterious disappearances and a suffocating Gothic atmosphere, but all these elements are overshadowed by a slow pace and narrative directions that do not lead where you would expect. Unfortunately, for me, Darling was one of those books that had all the ingredients needed to be memorable, but failed to use them to their true potential.
August 9, 2022
Thank you so much to Black Spot Books for the ARC of this novel that gives new meaning to the phrase 'you can't go home again'. Darling is anything but-- and I mean this in the vein of the story as well as the town it's named for. What Mercedes has created is an evocative peek into monstrous people and the places that make them. In these pages, we meet characters that pull your heartstrings; including some of the best representation I've seen for autistic children. We encounter broken people trying their best, and some who are trying to drag others down with them. There's bullies, first loves, mysteries, killers, and bystanders. At the center of it all, there's Cherry.
We meet our protagonist as she has received a haunting phone call from the city she grew up in, letting her know that her mother has passed away. This fact leaves Cherry unchanged; her maternal figure was unkind to her in her youth and they had not had a close relationship in some time. However, the news that Iris had left her daughter her childhood home rocked her world. Cherry has two children, and the house in Darling has been paid for in full (including all the bills) until five years time. She can't say no to this prospect of giving her kids a better life as they are barely scraping by. Cherry runs into old friends, old enemies, and haunting memories once she's back in Darling. The dark of the town doesn't take long to seep into every nook and cranny of her home as children are going missing from all over-- and one night, Cherry's daughter joins them.
This whirlwind of a tale has so much heart and ferocity. Cherry has teeth and claws, and it is her strength that drives the plot. She endures so much between these pages, and it is a testament to a mother's love, and the survival of spirit in the midst of trauma. Darling, the namesake, is a snapshot of how suffering can effect a person. Some, like Cherry, grow tougher for it. Others yearn for the taste of blood and to continue the cycle of hurt. In the end, it is those types that are the true fiends. I think that's what Darling, the book, showcases best. You are not your anguish, but your reaction to it. The infection doesn't waste any time infecting those around you.
We meet our protagonist as she has received a haunting phone call from the city she grew up in, letting her know that her mother has passed away. This fact leaves Cherry unchanged; her maternal figure was unkind to her in her youth and they had not had a close relationship in some time. However, the news that Iris had left her daughter her childhood home rocked her world. Cherry has two children, and the house in Darling has been paid for in full (including all the bills) until five years time. She can't say no to this prospect of giving her kids a better life as they are barely scraping by. Cherry runs into old friends, old enemies, and haunting memories once she's back in Darling. The dark of the town doesn't take long to seep into every nook and cranny of her home as children are going missing from all over-- and one night, Cherry's daughter joins them.
This whirlwind of a tale has so much heart and ferocity. Cherry has teeth and claws, and it is her strength that drives the plot. She endures so much between these pages, and it is a testament to a mother's love, and the survival of spirit in the midst of trauma. Darling, the namesake, is a snapshot of how suffering can effect a person. Some, like Cherry, grow tougher for it. Others yearn for the taste of blood and to continue the cycle of hurt. In the end, it is those types that are the true fiends. I think that's what Darling, the book, showcases best. You are not your anguish, but your reaction to it. The infection doesn't waste any time infecting those around you.
August 23, 2022
Cherry LaRouche left Darling, Louisiana at sixteen, but now is returning after her mother's death. She and her children now live in her childhood home, with whispering walls and something on the roof at night. Evil lives in the town, and several children are murdered. Once Cherry's daughter goes missing, she must confront the truth about Darling.
It's hard for a pregnant teenager to make her way out of a small town, and within the first few paragraphs, we see how determined Cherry is to make it. With a seven-year-old son that has a genetic disorder resulting in autistic features and toddler daughter, she works herself hard to make ends meet, which others take advantage of. The offer of five years rent and utility free in her childhood home is a mixed blessing, then. No need to scrounge and offer herself up, but she's back where she never wanted to be. And all this in the first chapter!
From there, we see how the other small-town people treat her, mostly badly, and how she mistrusts the few people reaching out to help her. Then the unthinkable happens and Daisy disappears, leaving her fragile hope for better ruined. It's heart-rending, and even though I already had connected with Cherry, this cemented it. The people of the town turn on each other easily, and there's an undercurrent in the book that it's a supernatural entity feeding on anger, pain, and misery. That's never something fully explained, so don't expect a neat answer. I know that's sort of a spoiler, but if you absolutely must have a neat explanation for everything, this isn't the book for you. It explains everything Cherry needs to know, and there are supernatural elements on top of the everyday small-town horrors that can be inflicted upon outsiders or those they deem unworthy. It's a story that rapidly reaches its conclusion, and can make you look twice at people you think you know well.
It's hard for a pregnant teenager to make her way out of a small town, and within the first few paragraphs, we see how determined Cherry is to make it. With a seven-year-old son that has a genetic disorder resulting in autistic features and toddler daughter, she works herself hard to make ends meet, which others take advantage of. The offer of five years rent and utility free in her childhood home is a mixed blessing, then. No need to scrounge and offer herself up, but she's back where she never wanted to be. And all this in the first chapter!
From there, we see how the other small-town people treat her, mostly badly, and how she mistrusts the few people reaching out to help her. Then the unthinkable happens and Daisy disappears, leaving her fragile hope for better ruined. It's heart-rending, and even though I already had connected with Cherry, this cemented it. The people of the town turn on each other easily, and there's an undercurrent in the book that it's a supernatural entity feeding on anger, pain, and misery. That's never something fully explained, so don't expect a neat answer. I know that's sort of a spoiler, but if you absolutely must have a neat explanation for everything, this isn't the book for you. It explains everything Cherry needs to know, and there are supernatural elements on top of the everyday small-town horrors that can be inflicted upon outsiders or those they deem unworthy. It's a story that rapidly reaches its conclusion, and can make you look twice at people you think you know well.
August 21, 2022
This follows a woman, Cherry, who moves back to her hometown with her two children. Cherry hates her home and she chooses to return only as a last resort. While they're trying to acclimate to their new home dead children are being found in the neighboring communities. Then Cherry's daughter goes missing.
I honestly went into this book thinking it was a horror and its more of a thriller, thats my bad. The plot is a little weird and its very hard to determine if there are supernatural aspects or not, the narrator is a little unreliable.
Overall this was fine, I didn't have any real issues with it. It just wasn't to my taste.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. I wasn't required to leave this review.
I honestly went into this book thinking it was a horror and its more of a thriller, thats my bad. The plot is a little weird and its very hard to determine if there are supernatural aspects or not, the narrator is a little unreliable.
Overall this was fine, I didn't have any real issues with it. It just wasn't to my taste.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. I wasn't required to leave this review.
March 6, 2022
It’s probably a 2.5 stars for me. It was a good read in the part that I had no clue what was going to happen, that rarely happens. Most books are pretty predictable with their story lines….this one is definitely not. As soon as you get the sense of where the story is going it’s takes a sharp right turn. Was not a big fan of the main character….she was predictable and an idiot. Also, couldn’t really tell you who the ‘handsome butcher’ was….was he even real? Or was it just the hysteria of the small town??? I don’t know. I feel like I had so many questions throughout this book and even more at the end. At the end I thought okay that explains a lot, I get it and then hello handsome butcher……I no longer get it and who was the handsome butcher????
June 12, 2026
Small town horror with mysterious, eerie atmosphere that sucked me in right away.
I got a little frustrated by Cherry at first (like girl Mordachi is right THERE) but I ended up understanding her struggle as the the story goes. I also enjoyed every twists and turns, the whole mystery and "weird" small town vibes, also all the feelings and angsts.
That was eerily a lovely read,
I got a little frustrated by Cherry at first (like girl Mordachi is right THERE) but I ended up understanding her struggle as the the story goes. I also enjoyed every twists and turns, the whole mystery and "weird" small town vibes, also all the feelings and angsts.
That was eerily a lovely read,
August 24, 2022
Darling by Mercedes M Yardley.
Cherry's mum has died and she takes her 2 children with her to her mums house which she has left to her. Her daughter Daisy goes missing. Cherry hopes to find her.
Slow to start with. This was different. Had characters I liked and some I didn't. Twisted. 4*.
Cherry's mum has died and she takes her 2 children with her to her mums house which she has left to her. Her daughter Daisy goes missing. Cherry hopes to find her.
Slow to start with. This was different. Had characters I liked and some I didn't. Twisted. 4*.
November 13, 2022
A town drenched in evil that leeches into the mind of its residents? A mysterious will that draws back a former Darling-ite that escaped? A mother just trying to do what's right for her disabled child? Sign me up. Darling is full of creeps, unexpected twists, the worst of humanity, and the exact amount of heart you might anticipate if you've read Mercedes Yardley before. If you haven't, she's going to fill your brain with beauty, and make you hurt.
July 27, 2022
4 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.
Holy moly. This is a horror novel extraordinaire.
Cerise LaRouche ran as far away from Darling, Louisiana, as she could. Away from her mother. Away from a town that couldn’t keep its nose out of her business. She ran with Ephraim, her neighbor and baby daddy. Ephraim, or E as everyone calls him, was supposed to be Cherry’s rock. What a joke that turned out to be.
When their baby was born with a genetic disorder, E ran, leaving Cherry alone with a sick baby. She did what she could to get by, and ended up having a second child, Daisy. Daisy is simply a perfect beautiful child, but it is a struggle to be a single mom with few prospects and two young children. One day Cherry gets a call from her hometown, a lawyer who informs her that her mother has passed away. Her mother left her the family home, all paid for and utilities paid up for five years. Cherry has no other options but to take the house and move back to Darling.
Darling turns out to not have changed one whit while Cherry was away. E never returned, but his brother Mordachi still lives in the house next door. Mordachi was the closest thing Cherry ever had to a brother, and he’s back wanting to help her out with the kids. Jonah takes to him right away, which is strange considering Jonah doesn’t like anyone.
Then children start showing up dead. One after another children go missing, and then show up later with parts missing, or hanging in trees. Something evil is growing in Darling. Cherry begins hearing scrabbling on her roof and the walls talking. She knows there is evil lurking in her home, but she doesn’t realize how evil until Daisy goes missing.
Like I said, horror abounds in this one. Mastering the suspenseful nature and the evil lurking in Darling, Yardley delivers a novel that will give you chills. The people of Darling are both mean and not quite right. This is not a town you want to visit or spend any time in. Throughout the book I felt myself telling Cherry to just run. Take the kids and go. Something is not right.
If you like creepy, this is a good one. If you’re prone to nightmares, you might want to skip it.
Holy moly. This is a horror novel extraordinaire.
Cerise LaRouche ran as far away from Darling, Louisiana, as she could. Away from her mother. Away from a town that couldn’t keep its nose out of her business. She ran with Ephraim, her neighbor and baby daddy. Ephraim, or E as everyone calls him, was supposed to be Cherry’s rock. What a joke that turned out to be.
When their baby was born with a genetic disorder, E ran, leaving Cherry alone with a sick baby. She did what she could to get by, and ended up having a second child, Daisy. Daisy is simply a perfect beautiful child, but it is a struggle to be a single mom with few prospects and two young children. One day Cherry gets a call from her hometown, a lawyer who informs her that her mother has passed away. Her mother left her the family home, all paid for and utilities paid up for five years. Cherry has no other options but to take the house and move back to Darling.
Darling turns out to not have changed one whit while Cherry was away. E never returned, but his brother Mordachi still lives in the house next door. Mordachi was the closest thing Cherry ever had to a brother, and he’s back wanting to help her out with the kids. Jonah takes to him right away, which is strange considering Jonah doesn’t like anyone.
Then children start showing up dead. One after another children go missing, and then show up later with parts missing, or hanging in trees. Something evil is growing in Darling. Cherry begins hearing scrabbling on her roof and the walls talking. She knows there is evil lurking in her home, but she doesn’t realize how evil until Daisy goes missing.
Like I said, horror abounds in this one. Mastering the suspenseful nature and the evil lurking in Darling, Yardley delivers a novel that will give you chills. The people of Darling are both mean and not quite right. This is not a town you want to visit or spend any time in. Throughout the book I felt myself telling Cherry to just run. Take the kids and go. Something is not right.
If you like creepy, this is a good one. If you’re prone to nightmares, you might want to skip it.
October 14, 2022
The book comes across to me as Southern Gothic. Cherry is something of an antihero. This book is her story. She is a little hard to like at times because of the choices she makes. So many of those choices bring her trouble. Moving back to Darling is one of them, though it's kind of going from the frying pan into the fire.
Setting wise, there's the somewhat dilapidated house that Cherry has inherited. She and her two small children move in even though it's creepy. And then there is the town of Darling as a setting with characters. Some of the townspeople treat her well at first. Some treat her badly from the beginning, mainly the cashier at the one grocery store in town. The ugliness of the cashier in her treatment of Cherry is just the tip of the iceberg.
There were other things too that lead me to believe that this is a Southern Gothic piece. There's a suggestion of the supernatural. The way that Cherry's past affects her present as well as how some of the characters seemed to be one thing, but were really another also made me think that way as did the exploration of madness.
The plot moves along at a decent rate. There are some lulls, but many of them have a creepy aspect and help advance the plot. I didn't expect the way it ended.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Overall it's not a bad example of a Southern Gothic piece. The characters are interesting - even the unlikable ones. The plot moves decently. And the ending is twisty. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy gothic stories, those who enjoy thrillers and suspense, and some horror readers.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my review.
Setting wise, there's the somewhat dilapidated house that Cherry has inherited. She and her two small children move in even though it's creepy. And then there is the town of Darling as a setting with characters. Some of the townspeople treat her well at first. Some treat her badly from the beginning, mainly the cashier at the one grocery store in town. The ugliness of the cashier in her treatment of Cherry is just the tip of the iceberg.
There were other things too that lead me to believe that this is a Southern Gothic piece. There's a suggestion of the supernatural. The way that Cherry's past affects her present as well as how some of the characters seemed to be one thing, but were really another also made me think that way as did the exploration of madness.
The plot moves along at a decent rate. There are some lulls, but many of them have a creepy aspect and help advance the plot. I didn't expect the way it ended.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Overall it's not a bad example of a Southern Gothic piece. The characters are interesting - even the unlikable ones. The plot moves decently. And the ending is twisty. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy gothic stories, those who enjoy thrillers and suspense, and some horror readers.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my review.
July 23, 2026
Review Copy
This is the second edition of DARLING and it is even better than the first. At the end of the tale. Yardley talks about the changes she made.
It is SO worth reading, It's about how a girl escapes a small town and comes back a woman and mother. It's about a child killer and the blame placed.
The writing as always was lyrical. I love her books and writing and have read almost everything she has written.
If you haven't already added this to your pre-orders, do it now! You'll be glad you did.
This is the second edition of DARLING and it is even better than the first. At the end of the tale. Yardley talks about the changes she made.
It is SO worth reading, It's about how a girl escapes a small town and comes back a woman and mother. It's about a child killer and the blame placed.
The writing as always was lyrical. I love her books and writing and have read almost everything she has written.
If you haven't already added this to your pre-orders, do it now! You'll be glad you did.
April 4, 2023
I'm a diehard fan of Mercedes M. Yardley so anything she puts out is gold. Darling felt different than most Yardley joints, it's hard to put a finger on why. It feels a little bleaker, a little less whimsical than what I've read before. No matter what the difference is, Darling is a great read. Compelling in its narrative, and Yardley's dialog is a joy. Keep your eyes peeled for a character you may recognize.
March 13, 2022
I received an eARC copy from Black Spot Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Reading Darling was my first encounter with Mercedes M. Yardley's writing, and I have to say that reading it felt easy and smooth, with a good pace. Darling brings us into the life of Cerise Cherry LaRouche, who returns to her hometown eight years after leaving what she thought would be for good, with two children, no money, and ready to start a new life in a familiar place. Since this book belongs to the horror genre, I expected something more frightening, more chilling, and creepier.
However, sadly, we have something very predictable and outright average, with so many elements included, which took away the scary and mysterious part. We have: moving back home, having oh so many admirers and fans from the very first second she set her foot back in Darling, meeting old friends and enemies back home, facing jealousy and hatred that never faded away, trying to make ends meet as a single mom of two, looking for romantic love (because she does, whether it is the main plot of the book or not), having her daughter kidnapped, keeping her head cool with her tender son, behaving naively throughout the entire story (I felt like giving her a good wake-up shake more than once), the episode with Wendy in the shop, playing with other people's emotions in a weird love triangle, learning about the possible reasons for Jonah's illness, but not explaining it well or clearing out is it the truth or not - what a whirlwind of actions!
Why are there so many elements in a horror story? Why is there such a jumble of small and short images that don't add anything? Was there a need for them all? All these particles don't build up the world that much and most certainly don't make it a horror one; they only confuse the reader more and more, leaving all the questions unanswered. I felt more like reading a romance with dark elements of a mystery than reading a horror novel. It feels so overstuffed with ideas, with only two of them being executed well - Cerise's breakdown and utter powerlessness with her daughter's disappearance and the vengeful mob at the end of the story (tho, it was clearly aimed at a wrong person, but what does an angry mob know).
What kept me glued to the book was who is the Handsome butcher? Who is the monster who kidnaps and breaks innocent children like dolls, bringing a dark, gloomy atmosphere into town? The epilogue did not answer that either; not sure if meant for a sequel or not, but here we are.
The book overall left me disappointed. It is super ambitious, it aims high with its potential, but in the end, it falls flat and gives no closure.
Reading Darling was my first encounter with Mercedes M. Yardley's writing, and I have to say that reading it felt easy and smooth, with a good pace. Darling brings us into the life of Cerise Cherry LaRouche, who returns to her hometown eight years after leaving what she thought would be for good, with two children, no money, and ready to start a new life in a familiar place. Since this book belongs to the horror genre, I expected something more frightening, more chilling, and creepier.
However, sadly, we have something very predictable and outright average, with so many elements included, which took away the scary and mysterious part. We have: moving back home, having oh so many admirers and fans from the very first second she set her foot back in Darling, meeting old friends and enemies back home, facing jealousy and hatred that never faded away, trying to make ends meet as a single mom of two, looking for romantic love (because she does, whether it is the main plot of the book or not), having her daughter kidnapped, keeping her head cool with her tender son, behaving naively throughout the entire story (I felt like giving her a good wake-up shake more than once), the episode with Wendy in the shop, playing with other people's emotions in a weird love triangle, learning about the possible reasons for Jonah's illness, but not explaining it well or clearing out is it the truth or not - what a whirlwind of actions!
Why are there so many elements in a horror story? Why is there such a jumble of small and short images that don't add anything? Was there a need for them all? All these particles don't build up the world that much and most certainly don't make it a horror one; they only confuse the reader more and more, leaving all the questions unanswered. I felt more like reading a romance with dark elements of a mystery than reading a horror novel. It feels so overstuffed with ideas, with only two of them being executed well - Cerise's breakdown and utter powerlessness with her daughter's disappearance and the vengeful mob at the end of the story (tho, it was clearly aimed at a wrong person, but what does an angry mob know).
What kept me glued to the book was who is the Handsome butcher? Who is the monster who kidnaps and breaks innocent children like dolls, bringing a dark, gloomy atmosphere into town? The epilogue did not answer that either; not sure if meant for a sequel or not, but here we are.
The book overall left me disappointed. It is super ambitious, it aims high with its potential, but in the end, it falls flat and gives no closure.
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