Whenever I have the opportunity to read a Sally Hepworth book, I jump at the chance. This book was 4 stars til the end, and she always gets ya, 5! I knew there would be a twist.

This book, like her others, is unique to other thrillers. Set in Australia, 3 foster sisters are brought into their hometown for questioning after their foster mothers house was demolished and bones were found lying beneath,

Miss Fairchild, a sinister foster mother, recounts her childhood. 4 POVS.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced read!

I highly enjoyed Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. The characters were well developed and the dual timelines worked perfectly to help the reader untangle this captivating thriller. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. .

*ARC Review* 🔅 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑺𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝑯𝒆𝒑𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉

Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pub date: Apr 3, 2024
Rating: 4🌟

𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:

Thank you @sallyhepworth and @stmartinspress for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

This novel is well written and very captivating, right from the beginning. I was able to finish this book in 2 days because it kept me invested right from the first chapter. Sally Hepworth does a great job of developing each character through the use of multiple POVs - that of Jessica, Alicia and Norah, and multiple timelines. Thrown into the mix is an unknown POV that retells her past to a (rather odd) psychiatrist, Dr. Warren. Thus only adding to the suspense. Seeing the experiences of Jessica, Alicia and Norah, not only through their personal POV but also that of their sisters’, really allows you to gain a deeper understanding of the trauma that each girl faced at the hands of Miss. Fairchild.

All that said, I was extremely triggered by some of the content covered in this novel. As a mom of an infant daughter, the theme of child abuse is very challenging to read. However, instead of the difficult themes triggering me to the point where I couldn’t finish the book, I found myself NEEDING to finish it so I knew how everything turned out for them. I had to put it down about 3/4 through so I could go to sleep, but I could have easily read the whole thing in one sitting.

I am going to put a VERY strong warning out there though… as interesting as this storyline is and as well as it’s written, it has some EXTREMELY disturbing content. I’ll put the trigger warnings below for your reference.

Again, thanks to the author and publisher for allowing me the chance to read and review this ARC. I had read The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth earlier in the year so when I saw the opportunity to read Darling Girls, I jumped.

⚠️Major trigger warnings:
•death of an infant
•child abuse
•sexual abuse
•drug addiction/drug abuse
•mental illness

First I want to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Sally Hepworth for my ARC of Darling Girls.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia are sisters, not by blood but bonded by the trauma that they have been through. Rescued from family tragedies, they’re all placed in foster care at Wild Meadows with Miss Fairchild. They’re all told how lucky they are to live on in this beautiful farm house and now have a second chance at a happy family life. However, their lives are not the fairytale they thought they were getting.

Miss Fairchild is unpredictable. At first she seems like a loving kind woman but then everything changes. She obsesses about their schedules, what they eat and keeping the house clean. When she’s crossed she punishes them and is very cold. The three girls make a pact and decide they need to do something. When they finally reach out for help and get away from her they think they’re finally free.

Years later they all receive a call from a detective that turn their worlds upside down. A body has been found under the home they’ve grown up in. The girls are forced to go back and help in the investigation. But are they witnesses or are they being blamed for the crime that’s been committed?

This was my first book by Sally Hepworth and it kept me guessing till the end! This book is told from all three of the girl’s points of view. The characters are well developed and you could feel all of their emotions. Their bond with each other was very genuine and made the story entertaining to read. I thought I had it figured out but I never saw the ending coming! This one is definitely a page turner. I will definitely be reading more of her work!

I really enjoyed this thriller!! Darling Girls follows three sisters, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, all who met through foster care at Wild Meadows. The book starts by the characters discovering that bones have been found buried beneath Wild Meadows, and we spend the rest of the book trying to determine who was murdered and who did it. I really loved this book because of its focus on the foster care system and the traumas many foster kids develop from their experience in the system. I felt like Hepworth did a great job really highlighting the raw, real, awful issues within the foster care system, while also showing the goodness that can come out of it and the people that can come together, I really enjoyed how real each character felt, as if I could feel their pain and their anguish over Wild Meadows and their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. I was horrified by Miss Fairchild and her treatment of these children, and found myself on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what had happened to them and what they witnessed.

This book kept me entertained and hooked the entire way through and while there were a lot of plot points I did guess, the end of the book and the plot twists completely caught me off guard! This was the perfect thriller for me, with a good balance of depth/emotion and not too much horror in the story. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sally Hepworth for providing me with an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review!!

This is a story about systemic trauma.

This was a fascinating book that hit super close to home… I never expect to cry when reading thrillers but this one absolutely left me in tears. The juxtaposition of adult survival with childhood trauma was super well done & I wasn’t sure where it was going! Overall definitely another solid read from a fantastic author.

Thank you so much @netgalley & @sallyhepworth for the eArc!

Always a sally Hepworth fan. Love a thriller from her and this was on par with her other books. I would recommend it.

This was my first experience with Sally Hepworth, and it likely will not be my last! I was hooked from the first chapter. I found myself quickly attached to many of the characters, and the story was fast-paced and easy to follow along with. All signs pointed to an excellent thriller. And in many ways, it was. Unfortunately, there were a couple of things that took away from it, but it was really enjoyable overall.

I loved the characters. That’s not necessarily to say that they were “lovable” as most were pretty flawed, but they were exceptionally well developed and interesting, and their interactions and relationships with each other felt real and intriguing. It’s hard for me to enjoy a thriller when I don’t care about the fates of the characters, and that definitely was not a problem with this book.

I struggled a little with the subject matter, particularly the traumatized foster children and the abuse that they suffered. I know this is a realistic part of the foster care system, and it’s heartbreaking. I’m not faulting the book for it, I actually think it’s an important topic to bring awareness to, but I think it’s worth a warning. It was pretty difficult to get through at times.

The ending was where everything went wrong for me. The final chapter of the book seemed like it was added simply for the sake of a shocking plot twist, and I didn’t think it was done well at all. It felt like a quick, cheap addition. The concept was fine, but I really think it could have been integrated into the story in a way that benefited and lifted up the plot, but it instead fell very, very flat. Without that ending, I likely would have rated this even higher.

Regardless, I really enjoyed my time with this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for an advanced reader copy. All thoughts opinions are my own.

Rounding up to 4.5 stars! Whenever I pick up a Sally Hepworth book I expect a thriller that's heavy on family drama, and I'm never disappointed. This story of three foster sisters toggles back and forth from the sisters' childhood in foster care to their current adult lives, taking you on a journey of intrigue, gaslighting and survival despite very challenging and traumatic circumstances. (Read: adults who do NOT have the girls' best interests at heart.) If you're a fan of Sally Hepworth's work, don't miss this one!

Content warning: Child abuse

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy!

Release date: April 2024 🗓️

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Sally Hepworth for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is without a doubt my favorite of Hepworth’s novels to date. The pacing is great, the mystery had me hooked immediately, and the big reveal was incredibly well done.

There are a few instances of child abuse that were kind of hard to read, so just know that going in!

Fans of Hepworth’s previous novels will undoubtedly be entertained by this one as well. US pub date: 4/23!

Foster children, Jessica, Norah and Alicia aren’t related by blood but are closer than most sisters all the same. Each had ended up by different circumstances at Wild Meadows under the care of Miss Fairchild. This story is set in Australia and is told in past and present alternating between the girls. Miss Fairchild wants a perfect daughter to mould into an ideal family. Her personality doesn’t cope with anything less. The foster system social workers of the era know she needs the income and continues to place the youngest, most vulnerable in her care. She puts on a good front, underneath her perfection lies evil, hurtful secrets. The psychological damage she inflicted results with the adult sisters coping with pills, anger issues, panic attacks, attachment issues and a myriad of other behaviors. One owns a ‘service’ dogs that makes some interesting appearances. When Detective Patel contacts the sisters with questions about the recent discovery of bones at Wild Meadows everything they’ve buried is raw and fresh again.
I’ve read other novels about foster kids, I felt this story had a strong plot full of plausible events and people I connected with. I’ve also read this author before and highly recommend her. I made guesses about the outcome and was surprised to have completely missed the mark. I truly enjoyed the characters and the suspense is palpable. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital galley of “Darling Girls” by Sally Hepworth, published by St. Martin’s Press, expected publication date 04/23/2024. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

After loving Sally's last book, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of her newest one and it did not disappoint! This was a wonderful read - I really enjoyed this book. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

In Darling Girls, 3 women who grew up together in foster care are brought back to their childhood town following the discovery of a body under the foster house where they resided. After spending 25 years trying to forget the abuse they went through, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are forced to relive the trauma of their years at Wild Meadows as the investigation unfolds.

This book was captivating, I couldn't put it down! Each of the three sisters are such well-written characters, and their present lives and personalities are complex and reflect the lifelong effect of their past. The dual timeline and plot twists keeps the reader engaged and on the edge of their seat.

I love Sally Hepworth’s suspense novels and this one was no exception. Her novels usually involve a mystery in a family. This one did too, but the family was a different than her normal because it was three girls who were a foster family. It adds a different element to the story that I really enjoyed. This book was very twisty and often had me at the edge of my seat. It kept me guessing right up until the very end. As a matter of fact, I gasped at the very end of the book! I highly recommend picking this one up.

4/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of this book.

While I wouldn’t say this was an easy read - as it follows 3 girls and their abuse & time in the foster care system - I did find it hard to put down. I liked the different perspectives of the 3 girls and how it switched from present day to when they were children. Their perseverance was heartwarming.

8/10 - Yet another exciting psychological thriller by Sally Hepworth! This book explores the depths of sisterhood and foster care, while including a splash of murder mystery. Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I felt drawn to a few of the characters and really wanted to see how they would grow and evolve throughout the book. You get a look into their childhood, which is a direct reflection of the people they are today. It is a great read about childhood and adult trauma shaping you into who you are today. I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this psychological thriller. The 3 sisters are instantly lovable as characters. The twists of this book keep you on your toes. 5 stars!

Readers will be stunned by the ending of this story. It is a dramatic tale told in the first person present and past in the voice of the three sisters Alicia, Norah, Jessica and one other. The dialogue is at times funny and sometimes gut wrenching. It is a page turning and exciting story that readers will thoroughly enjoy.

I have long loved this author and this book was no exception. Darling Girls is a quick read with a compelling plot and believable characters.

Not my favorite title of the author's but a wonderful book nonetheless.

I loved the sisterhood among the three girls and thought the portrayal of the child abuse was tough to read. I liked the ending but thought it was a little shocking and added as a kind of afterthought for the shock value.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC which I read in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! What a thrill ride of a read! From the beginning you don’t know who to trust or what the “real” story is, but as you get more involved in the book your head starts to spin. So many twists and turns with very little time to piece together what you think you know before the next puzzle piece changes everything! A definite must read for those who love to put the puzzle together. Can you figure this one out??

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Sally Hepworth and St. Martin’s Press for hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner