The powerful and unforgettable contemporary fiction novel for 2026 that everyone will be talking about

Explosive and timely, beautiful and provocative, DEAR DARLING cuts to the heart of a conversation – and gives a woman her voice. An unforgettable novel for those who loved My Dark Vanessa and Half His Age.

‘A seriously impressive new talent’ CHRIS WHITAKER

'A deeply moving character study of a woman in flux’ LISA TADDEO

'Shimmers with nuance at every turn – absolutely brilliant' HEATHER DARWENT

'Comparisons to My Dark Vanessa are inevitable but I like this one better' ERIN KELLY

***

Dear Darling,

So begins the letter from Daniel Prior.

The man Lauren had sex with when she was fourteen years old.

The man she fell in love with, long before conversations about power and consent and #MeToo.

The man she locked away in the deepest part of her memory.

Eighteen years later, the world is changed, and Lauren, a wife and mother, is changed too.

But now, fresh out of prison, Daniel wants to meet.

And Lauren must finally confront the electricity and devastation of the man who's loved and harmed her more deeply than anyone in her life…

From bold new voice Ella King, Dear Darling cuts to the heart of some of the most complex issues of our age.