Sally Hepworth does it again! This is my 7th book by my author and I will not ever pass up one of Sally Hepworth’s book, she has yet to disappoint me. I devoured, Darling Girls. The book takes place between present and then 25 years ago. The characters were all well developed and likable. I liked the twists and looked forward to finding out what was going on in the foster home of Ms. Fairchild.

Big thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for inviting me to read, Darling Girls, in exchange for my honest review.

The most fascinating part about Darling Girls to me is not necessarily the story itself, but moreso how Sally Hepworth utilizes her writing not as a way to tell a story, but instead as a tool for leading the reader in a direct direction of her own creation. The reader is given information in which they can draw a conclusion of their own, but that conclusion is constantly undermined by brand new information almost as soon as their conclusion is drawn. In her particular style of writing, it fully feels as though the reader cannot trust themselves or the information given, and that heightens the experience of reading through Darling Girls.

In this way, Sally Hepworth's story is not just one about weaving together a tale for the reader to enjoy, but we are actively put within the investigative role, and behind the scenes, we know even less than we thought was the case. Much like how in art, an artist will utilize leading lines and negative space that gives the viewer a forced, cramped perspective and leads us in a specific direction, Sally's own writing does the very same: in Darling Girls, forced perspective is combined with unreliable narrators centering the mystery right through to the very end with a surprising, demented, and disturbing twist ending within the very last pages.

An absolutely delightful read the entire way through with distressing situations that made me cringe in horror.

Thank you Netgalley, Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin's Press for this arc!

My further thoughts can be read on my blogspot! https://booksifixion.blogspot.com/

Wow! Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth was so good! It was a dual POV by Alicia, Norah, and Jessica. You go from current time to them growing up in the foster home. A body is found under their foster home so everyone is heading back to Port Agatha to find out who it is. We see why the girls are the way they are based on growing up. There is a thought on who the body was, does it end up being their sister?
Thank you to NetGallery for allowing me to read this book.

Three sisters who grew up in foster care get questioned about a body that was found under their home they grew up in. This book was interesting. I wasn’t attached to any of the characters but wanted to keep reading to see where it would lead. The twists were good and sound it entertaining.

Thanks to Netgalley and St.Martin’s Press for my arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publish date: April 23, 2024

I've read Sally Hepworth's other books so was very excited to see this new one become available. This is a thriller that immediately draws you in, keeps you guessing, and takes you on a ride. I liked the character development and the alternating points of view. A great book!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this ARC.

Solid thriller! Definitely kept me guessing until the very end. Told through multiple POV & flash backs, it was easy to connect with the 3 sisters & feel their pain growing up as foster kids. The author did a great job keeping me on my toes. Will definitely recommend!

I appreciate this author not just for our shared Aussie connection (a comforting piece of home while living abroad) but also for her exceptional way with words. "Darling Girls" marks my fourth enjoyed novel by Sally Hepworth.

In this tale, secrets, love, and murder weave through the lives of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia—three sisters bound together by the ties of foster care.

Rescued from family tragedies, their refuge with foster mother Miss Fairchild on an idyllic farm offers a second chance at familial joy.

The story adeptly delves into the lasting effects of growing up under the influence of an abusive, narcissistic foster parent, offering a compelling analysis of Miss Fairchild's manipulative skills.

I felt the alternating now and then chapters, revealing each sister's viewpoint, held my attention. Notably, the past chapters enriched my comprehension of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, highlighting their steadfast unity in the face of adversity.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book for its engaging twists that kept me captivated into the late hours, concluding with a fulfilling ending.

I deeply appreciate receiving this novel from St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Sally Hepworth, especially coming from one of my favourite authors!

Sally does it again!

She had me turning pages late into the night and second guessing everyone. Just when I thought I knew what happened, I was proven wrong.

Smartly written and keeps you intrigued. Loved the complex characters and the storyline.

If you have read Sally Hepworth previously put this one on your list. If you haven’t had the pleasure yet, this would be a great introduction to her writing.

Sally Hepworth's latest novel proves to be a page-turner from start to finish. The spotlight shines on the compelling dynamics among the three sisters, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, who are the narrative's heartbeat. As the tale unfolds, their individual personas emerge as a driving force, adding depth and relatability to the story. The character development is a standout feature of the book. Each sister possesses a distinct personality that is both authentic and relatable.

What sets this novel apart is Hepworth's departure from her usual narrative style. This story delves into darker themes. The character of Ms. Fairchild, cast as the antagonist, adds a layer of complexity to the plot. Despite her role, I felt an unexpected sympathy towards her.

One of the most commendable aspects of the book is Hepworth's skillful incorporation of a fantastic twist towards the end. Even I couldn't have guessed it. For Sally Hepworth enthusiasts, this story is a must-read that showcases the author's versatility. If you're a fan of psychological thrillers, this novel should be at the top of your reading list.

I would like to express my gratitude to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book! Wow! Amazing! I didn’t see the ending coming until it hit me in the face. Once again Sally does it again. This book kept me guessing. I loved this ride

This is my fifth Sally Hepworth book and I really enjoyed it! Darling Girls was an addicting read about three “sisters”, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, who grew up in the same foster home. Their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, started out volatile and unpredictable, and soon turned manipulative and abusive. She brought in a fourth child, a toddler named Amy, who quickly became the responsibility of the 3 sisters. It became their sole focus to protect Amy from Miss Fairchild, until one day, Amy was gone and there was no indication that she had ever been there in the first place…

Jessica, Norah and Alicia are thrown back into the horror of their childhood when human remains are discovered under Miss Fairchild’s home and they suddenly find themselves embroiled in the investigation.

I raced through this one in two days, I was so eager to find out what had happened. I loved the dual timelines and the different character perspectives, and there were a couple of great twists that I didn’t expect!

I still have yet to find a Sally Hepworth book that I didn’t love, and I was just thrilled at the opportunity to read this arc. Thank you so much @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced copy; Darling Girls comes out on April 23!

Three women who grew up in foster care, were all brought to the same home, Wild Meadows. The fear and abuse they survived under Ms. Fairchild bonded them as sisters. When we meet them in present day, they each have their own issues but who doesn’t. They maintain their close bond and appear as successful, beautiful, capable adults. This Story is told from the point of view of each woman. It goes back to their childhood, before foster care, and during their stay at other homes. It is impressed upon you that they are indeed lucky to be with Ms. Fairchild.

Sally Hepworth does an incredible job with each woman's story. She brings them back to the scene of their nightmares to be questioned about a recent investigation at Wild Meadows. As their story is revealed through the investigation there is another interview going on in the book from an unknown woman and her psychiatrist. I love to read in multiple point of view. The hidden thoughts that get uncovered through each mind, slowly revealing more clues, like you are being let in on a secret. Hepworth did an excellent job of letting you watch each person silently unravel. You see the effects of the trauma on each woman. How it shaped their relationships with their partners and their careers. When they eventually break, each of the sisters is there to hold the others up, just like they always promised.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have always been told how lucky they were to be taken in by Miss Fairchild as children. Nobody seems to understand that the childhood others thought they had was far from the truth. It’s been years since they left, but when the body of a child is found under the home, the three are called back to the scene…they couldn’t possibly be suspects though right? Miss Fairchild always did seem to have a way of turning the truth in her favor…

Love, love, love me some Sally Hepworth and this one was no different! Whew these poor little girls. The way Miss Fairchild treated them made my skin crawl and infuriated me. I loved that the three girls grew to love each other and eventually become sisters, even with the crazy home they were being raised in. I saw some of the twists, but I didn’t see them all coming, but damn! Such a wild ride of a story that is exactly what I have come to expect from Hepworth!

Freaky Friday Review 🩵

4.5 ⭐️
USA Pub Day: 4/23/24

“Aren’t you a darling girl?”

Thoughts 💭:
In Hepworth’s newest page-turner The Darling Girls, three foster sisters reunite when human remains are uncovered under the home of their former, not so wonderful foster parent, Mrs. Fairchild. Hepworth excels at character development, crafting complex histories and inner lives for Noah, Jessica and Alicia. Though the sisters endured traumatic childhoods they formed an unbreakable bond during their early years together.

Now adults, and when construction on Mrs. Fairchild’s old property brings about 🦴 of a body the three are closer than ever. The intriguing cold case brings drama, secrets, and the sisters’ touching solidarity back to the forefront. The story has flashbacks to their foster care experiences, The Darling Girls explores the lasting effects of abuse and the resilience of sibling-like connections.

With great written prose, suspenseful pacing, and a clever balance of warmth and tragedy, The Darling Girls was a great read.

Animal lovers (ME IT WAS ME) will also enjoy the presence of Noah’s three service dogs 🐕‍🦺.

For fans of emotionally gripping character studies interwoven with some crime drama, Hepworth delivers a compelling tale of trauma and the POWER of sisterhood.

This was so good! I couldnt stop thinking about it and finished it within 24 hours. Fast paced, great characters and gripping story. Sally Hepworth did a great job addressing tough subjects like abuse in the system, while also keeping us on our toes with the mystery.

This is all about 3 sisters - Jessica, Norah and Alicia. We go back and forth between their time when they met in fostercare and the current time, after a dead body was found underneath their older fosterhome. We learn about the abuse they endured and how it affected each girl differently, while trying to figure out what happened. Who is the body? Where the girls involved? What actually happened when they were children?

Big thanks to St. Martins press for sending an advanced reader copy.

I usually enjoy Sally Hepworth thrillers, so I was excited to dive into this one.

Unfortunately, this was an absolute chiller. It was so long and slow and built absolutely no tension. There was a lot of commentary about how abusive the foster mother was and it became repetitive without any real substance to the text. I read the first 70% closely and skimmed the last 30% just to get through to the big reveal. This was a 2 star book for me, unfortunately!

A masterfully crafted psychological thriller within women’s literature, with a litany of characters, all of whom Hepworth has crafted in rich detail. Multiple POVs and alternate timelines tell the tale of three foster sisters, now grown, and the abuse they experienced within their picturesque foster home.

It was a heart wrenching narrative with a twist I truly, truly did NOT see coming. You think you’ll know, but you will not. As a big fan of Ms Hepworth’s, this may be her best yet.

Darling Girls is a suspenseful domestic drama that tells the story of 3 foster sisters bonded together after surviving an abusive home. Alternating between present and past timelines allowed the author to really showcase who these girls were and why they are the way they are.

All 3 held childhood scars that never fully healed, and when bones are discovered buried underneath their old foster home, these wounds are reopened as the sisters are thrust back into reliving their past to discover the truth. Whose bones are buried? Is the sisters bond held together by murder?

Once again, Sally Hepworth handled tough subject matter with delicate grace. You can’t help but fall in love with these girls and their journeys. The way the author seamlessly transitioned from heartbreaking tales of the sisters recounting their difficult home lives to the comic relief of Norah’s dialogues about her views on dating and her “service dogs” was nothing short of epic! It allowed my anxiety to dissipate and laughter to extinguish any remaining tension as I allowed the story to fully engulf me.

The true testament of a great book is when you lose track of time reading it. I had to FORCE myself to stop reading and go to bed. This book read so effortlessly that it was impossible not to finish it in less than 24 hours. With every Sally Hepworth novel I read, I fall more in love with her writing. This is her best yet and a MUST READ!

Publication date: April 23, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

I quickly fell into caring what happened to the main 3 characters. I strongly hated Miss Fairchild from the start. Some of the neglect and abuse mentioned was hard to read, but thankfully nothing super violent was included. Like all of Sally’s books, I was hooked!

This was a great book to read. I really enjoyed all the characters in this book. I liked reading about each sisters’ backstories on how they arrived to Mrs Fairchild’s home and how they really had to rely on each other to survive. Mrs. Fairchild is a trip! She scared me! I like the twists at the end and I wasn’t expecting it at all.