Thank you, St Martin's Press and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of Darling Girls.

Another great novel from Sally Hepworth! This read kept me up past my bedtime! The pages were flipping! The journey to get to the end of the novel kept a fast pace, and I didn't ever feel bored or the need to put it down. Just the opposite! Sally Hepworth has easily kept her status as a must-read author for this voracious reader!

Wild Meadows is the house where any child would love to grow up, and Miss. Fairchild seems like the type of foster mom that any child would be lucky to have. On the surface. As Jessica finds herself placed in the loving (for now) arms of Miss. Fairchild. She learns rather abruptly how quickly that love can be taken away. Finding comfort in her foster sisters, Norah and Alicia, Jessica still can't seem to lose her wanting to please Miss. Fairchild. As Jessica, Norah, and Alicia enter adulthood, it is Jessica who takes the role of making sure they stay together. When a body is discovered under Wild Meadows as it is being torn down, the sisters find their way back to the place they swore they would never return to. While being grilled by detectives, it is difficult to determine if they're there as witnesses or suspects and to what degree this will affect the rest of their lives.

How on earth is this my first Sally Hepworth book? Have I been living under a rock?! This author drew me in quickly and did not let go. I enjoyed the multiple viewpoints and the many twists and turns! A huge thank you to St. Martins press and to NetGalley for this ARC. Now excuse me while I go purchase a Sally Hepworth novel to start ASAP.

This is a solid slow burn thriller about three girls in the foster care system who form a sisterhood. They survived an abusive placement and are tracked down as adults following the discovery of human skeletal remains at the site of their former childhood foster placement.

The characters were well developed and the mystery was intriguing enough to keep me reading until the end. I predicted some aspects but there were a couple twists that caught me by surprise, and that was fun.

The content is heavier as it deals with child abuse and I can't say the story was truly enjoyable, overall. If you're a mystery lover and okey with this type of storyline then I would say give it a go!

4.5⭐️

I found the most compelling part of the story to be the characters in the sisterly bond. The three sisters through the story were so interesting to follow, and the love between them was very evident.

The story told in multiple timelines and point of views. Primarily this story, follows three sisters and their experience in a foster home. with a foster care mother, that is not necessarily physically abusive, but obviously has emotional impacts on all of them. It's obvious upfront that the caretaker is a narcissist and each of the sisters fall into that role of children of narcissism.

The mystery element of the story is that everyone comes together, after skeletal remains are found in the basement of the previous home. And then the story goes from there.

I found the mystery, thriller element of the story to probably be the weakest part of the book but the characters really made up for it. It could be more classified as literary fiction.

I would recommend this to most readers, especially people, or fans of other works by Sally Hepworth. There may be some parts in the store that could be triggering for others, so just do your due diligence.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins press audio for this advance reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own..

4.25 STARS

Switching between past and present and offering up different points of view, “Darling Girls” is a compelling, masterful blend of mystery, suspense, and intrigue. It’s the story of three foster children--Jessica, Norah, and Alicia—forced to live a nightmarish existence at the hands of their psychologically-twisted foster mom, Miss Fairchild.

Now adults, these “sisters” must revisit their horrific past as new circumstances come to light--thrusting them back into that very same nightmare they struggled to live through--when the body of a young child is discovered buried at the place they once called home.

In a gripping unraveling of events, this fast-paced thriller kept me on the edge of my seat from its riveting start right up until its surprising, twisty conclusion.

Sally Hepworth has done it again, she kept me reading late into the night several nights in a row! There is something about her writing that sucks me in from the first page and doesn't want to let me go until I've read the last page. Darling Girls was equally terrifying, heartbreaking, and yet hopeful. I felt myself lost in the story each and every time I picked it up and I know you will too!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy of this book. All words and opinions are my own.

4⭐️

this was my first sally hepworth novel but there is no way it will be my last! i’m excited to delve into what else this author has published. i think i had a soft spot for this book as it pertains to foster care and i am always drawn to a story with a twisty, true crime element.

the story immediately pulls you in by starting off in a psychiatrist’s office… but you don’t know who the client is. it then builds through the perspectives of this client and the now adult children (jessica, norah, and alicia) who were once foster children at wild meadows. i loved the alternate chapters between past and present and the plot built on itself in a way that kept me fully engaged and needing to know the ending. in typical fashion, i was most excited by the “past” chapters. i felt that each character was well-developed and fully flushed out. they each had strengths and weaknesses, but were easy to root for! i slightly called the ending, but the twists and turns had me feeling like i definitely got it wrong, and then i was vindicated when the truth came out! i love a satisfying ending, and this definitely delivered.

this story takes place in australia and apparently australia has free health care - a public hospital? that’s one point for wanting to move there, not sure if it makes up for all the scary predators out there though.

there were some discrepancies (likely to be edited) about how long the girls had spent at wild meadows. in some areas, it would say alicia spent age 12-13 there, and in others it would state that she had spent multiple years there. slightly small details that i caught onto and raised my eyebrows at!

thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC through NetGalley. this was so special because it was my first ARC and it was an amazing book!

Great thriller! did not see the ending coming at all - loved the alternating chapters of Alicia, Jessica and Norah. I tore through this book. If I would have had the time I would have read it in one sitting. I loved the chapter length as well, which made it easy to want to keep racing through the book. This was my first Sally Hepworth book but will not be my last!

Sally Hepworth has done it again; this is another winner. I have been lucky to get early copies of her last few books through Net Galley so I was thrilled to get this one and it didn’t disappoint. Told from the point of view of three former foster girls who as adults consider themselves sisters, it tells the story of their experience as children through present day and past voices. Their experience is interspersed with the voice of a mystery woman meeting with a psychiatrist. I figured out pretty early on who the woman was, but trust me, there is still a shocker at the end that I didn’t see coming. Sally Hepworth is at the top of her game with Darling Girls.

I have enjoyed the previous books by Sally Hepworth, however, this was my least favorite of those I've read. I felt that it was slow paced and at times the writing was, disjointed. At the 75% point the pace began to increase making it a more enjoyable and less tedious read.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Woah!!! I loved this book. I enjoyed the suspenseful journey through the intertwined lives of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia—three foster sisters with a shared past filled with secrets, love, and tragedy.
Hepworth expertly weaves a tale of sisterhood and mystery, drawing readers in with the promise of uncovering long-buried truths. From the outset, the complex dynamics between the sisters and their enigmatic foster mother, Miss Fairchild, captivate the imagination, setting the stage for a gripping narrative that kept me guessing until the very end.
The author skillfully navigates the delicate balance between past and present, gradually unraveling the mysteries of the sisters' upbringing while simultaneously exploring the ramifications of their choices as adults. As the plot thickens and a body is discovered beneath the home where they grew up, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia find themselves entangled in a web of suspicion and intrigue, forced to confront the demons of their past in order to secure their future.
Hepworth's character development is impeccable, breathing life into each sister with distinct personalities and motivations that drive the narrative forward. From Jessica's steely determination to uncover the truth, to Norah's quiet strength in the face of adversity, and Alicia's desperate search for redemption, the sisters leap off the page with depth and authenticity.
At its core, "The Darling Girls" is a story about the enduring power of familial bonds and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. It explores themes of love, loss, and betrayal, crafting a narrative that is as emotionally resonant as it is suspenseful.
Sally Hepworth delivers a captivating read that will linger in the minds of readers long after they've turned the final page. I was definitely not expecting all of the twists and turns. Now I want to read more books by Sally!

Sally Hepworth always delivers! Although I found this one to be more a family drama with some mystery thrown in than a suspenseful thriller, this slow-burn multi-layered story will grip you from the very beginning and never let go. It is a rather dark read and deals with some heartbreaking and troubling subject matter. I was lucky enough to receive both and ARC and an ALC for this book, and let me just say that the narration was excellent! Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copies of Darling Girls in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars
In true Sally Hepworth style this story is sooo messed up, but in a good way. 3 young girls were raised in foster care and their foster mother was super strict and not caring at all. She actually scared the crap out of me. She forced them to do chores every day, barely eat, and they basically just feared her. as they should. Move to current time, as adults, they are told there were human bones found buried under their foster home. All these secrets and stories come to light and many unexpected twists thrown in that kept blowing my mind up through the very last page.
THE LAST PAGE. OMG.

Favorite Sally Hepworth and I have like them all! 🤩

🗓️OUT APRIL 23

Finished this one on vacation and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! The twists truly got me and there were several- this one is best to go in blind. Also loved the multiple POV, multiple timelines, and cliff hangers at almost every chapter!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my W-ARC!
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#bookstagram #thrillerbooks #darlinggirls #sallyhepworth #netgalley

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth was such a great book.

It has been a while since I really did not want a book to end. I found myself re-reading chapters just to take it all in and make sure I did not miss a thing.

I will note that the book could be triggering for people who endured abusive childhoods.

The very last bit of the book. OH.MY.GOODNESS. NO!!!!!!!!

I enjoyed the story being told by multiple points of view, and each character was well-developed, The book flipped from past to present throughout.

Jessica, Norah (with an "H"), and Alicia were all foster children of Miss Fairchild. They all came from different backgrounds, but quickly became sisters, forming a bond deeper than biology. Together, they took care of Miss Fairchild's home and dealt with Miss Fairchild's volatile moods.

There are so many layers in this book. Jessica, the first foster child, formed an instant, special bond with Miss Fairchild. She was Miss Fairchild's only foster for many years and was treated like her own child. Jessica strived to please Miss Fairchild and sought her approval.

Norah had a troubled past with many foster homes over several years. Alicia was at Miss Fairchild's for the shortest period of time.

As adults, the women are very close. When they are contacted by detectives about a case related to their foster home, they all return to the scene of their troubled childhood. They are forced to talk about their past,

Gah. I am having a hard time writing this review because I do not want to give anything away.

There is a lot going on. Trust me. It's good. Grab a copy and peel back the layers!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of Darling Girls in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 stars

Darling Girls draws you in slowly to the story of Jessica, Norah and Alicia who met as foster children in the care of Miss Fairchild twenty five years ago.

Their stories are all sad but fate has brought them together and together they bond forever.

Miss Fairchild is not the person she appears to be to outsiders: she is controlling, mean and manipulative .

Present day the trio return to Port Agatha at the request of the police who have discovered human bones buried under the farmhouse.

The book is told in the three different POV's and one unknown one that just has you getting more and more curious.

You will laugh with Jessica, Alicia and Norah and you will cry with and for them.

Most of all you will admire their tenacity.

Sally Hepworth is a master of twists and turns, red herrings and an ending that will surprise you.

Darling Girls is hard to put down as you get involved in the book and the lights stay on.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a tense but oh so good read.

Oh my goodness, this was an awesome read! Despite reading more like a domestic mystery than a thriller, I flew through this in one day. I loved the characters and Miss Fairchild was so subtly evil that I couldn’t help but root for the girls to bring her down. This is my new favorite of Hepworth’s and I highly recommend it to fans of Tarryn Fisher, Jaclyn Goldis, or Nora Murphy.

This book has everything that makes up a great entertaining suspense thriller it ticks all the boxes!
I was completely invested in the story. It was very character driven and each one had their own distinctive personality traits ,and were so compelling and relatable.
Miss Hepworth never fails to amaze me with her characterization skills and her ability to weave between the past and present so flawlessly..

I loved the storyline, and how at times it was devastating and then at other times, darkly humorous which broke up the heavy narrative perfectly.
Make sure to read the acknowledgment for the author's inspiration and abit more of her humor.
Overall I think this is her best book yet and definitely recommend picking it up on release day which is April 23rd.

Thank you yo McMillan Audio, Netgally and the author.

I loved the way this story unfolded. The use of multiple POVs and past and present chapters really propelled the story. I struggled to connect to the three FMCs, but it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the story. The twists and turns really kept me guessing! I audibly gasped during the final
twist!

I will also say I appreciated how the author brought light to fostering and adoption and some of the issues that come along with that.

If you enjoy family drama, lots of twists, and multiple POVs I highly recommend grabbing this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Add it to your to be read for April 22!

✨Review✨
I went back and forth doing the book as well as the audiobook and I loved the accent of the reader. Three girls who become “sisters” in this foster home that is an absolute nightmare and years later are brought back there because as it was demolished, bones were found underneath. Detectives are questioning each girl as well as the few other girls who were brought to this foster home for a short time. As each character is described, you sympathize with them for how they are from their circumstances they came from. Sally Hepworth keeps you on your toes, and trying to solve the mystery of who it was, and who did it. So many parts come out to play and it leaves you questioning the whole time. Each sister has such a story to tell as to why they were brought to this foster home on the farm with the sweet lady who loved these darling girls. I was completely thrown off with this ending- the final chapter! Wow! Not at all how I thought it’d end but it brought it full circle completely. With all of the characters, details, Sally did a great job keeping you on edge. I had moments of pausing to make sure I was putting each detail together correctly. I always love her thrillers and stories she creates.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and Sally Hepworth for the advanced copy. #netgalley #stmartinspress #sallyhepworth #sallyhepworthauthor #sallyhepworthbooks #sallyhepworthdarlinggirls @netgalley @stmartinspress @sallyhepworth