This was such a great book! It follows the lives of Alicia, Norah and Jessica who were all children sent to a home. Miss Fairchild is quite a character and you grow to dislike her very much. You feel the emotions of each girl greatly and while this book is very heartbreaking at times, I couldn't put it down. I was absolutely shocked at the ending where everything finally was explained. I'd like to read more by this author.

Darling Girls is about 3 ‘sisters’, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia. All three were foster children placed in the care of Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows a home that, that from the outside, appeared loving but, in reality, was anything but. All 3 girls have worked to outrun their past but, when a body is found under Wild Meadows decades later, their past catches up to them. Darling Girls was equal parts disturbing and heartbreaking and I loved every twisted word! From the way she characterized each of the sisters and Miss Fairchild to the way she doled out information at just the right time to the many twists and turns, this book was an absolute page turner and once I started reading I couldn’t put it down! I’ll definitely be purchasing this book when it’s released to add it to my permanent collection because it’s one I’ll want to read over and over again!

𝐁 𝐎 𝐎 𝐊 𝐑 𝐄 𝐕 𝐈 𝐄 𝐖


4.8/5⭐️ Darling Girls- Sally Hepworth


𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒


From the outside, Alicia, Jessica and Norah might seem like ordinary women you'd meet on the street any day of the week. Sure, Jessica has a little OCD and Norah has some anger issues. And Alicia has low self-esteem that manifests itself in surprising ways. But these three have a bond that no one can fully understand. It's a bond that takes them back decades, to when they were girls, and they lived on a farm with a foster mother named Miss Fairchild. Miss Fairchild had rules. Miss Fairchild could be unpredictable. And Miss Fairchild was never, ever to be crossed.


In a moment of desperation, the three broke away from Miss Fairchild, and they thought they were free. But the reach of someone with such power is long, and even though they never saw her again, she was always somewhere in the shadows of their minds.


When bones are discovered buried under the farmhouse of their childhood, they are called in by the police to tell what they know. Against their will, they are brought back to the past, and to Miss Fairchild herself.




𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒:


WOW. What a page turner- I definitely couldn’t put down this book and just was invested the entire time by this well-told story. The 3 girls having each their own issues, storylines, and perspectives made the book feel fast moving and I binged it.


This is my 2nd Sally Hepworth book and I feel like this one really hit for me (the soulmate was good, but a bit more slow burn-ey)- after this one I looked forward to reading more by her.




Hepworth definitely has crafted a top notch psychological mystery (not so much a thriller) revolving around three kindred spirits who form an unbreakable bond under the roof of the same foster care home and a mystery that has followed them years into the future. And the twist at the end- jaw drop!


THANK YOU to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital reviewer's copy of this awesome book. Keep your eye out for this one- publish date April 23, 2024!




#bookworm #bookish #bookblogger #bookgram #instareads #readmorebooks #bookstagrammers #goodreads #bookstagram #thriller #psychologicalmystery #arc #netgalley

I read Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth over the holidays and finished last week. The book was immensely good, and I enjoyed delving into the lives of the characters - Norah, Jessica, Alicia who were knee deep involved in a murder investigation at the Wild Meadows foster home where the sisters grew up when the police in Port Agatha discovered an old corpse buried underneath the home. The storyline kept me riveted throughout and I found myself on the side of the three sisters who were each abused by Ms. Fairchild, the foster mother who ran the home and I was hoping for them to get through their individual conflicts with a happy ending. The three sisters all had their issues with Ms. Fairchild and how they faced them and resolved their situations were agreeably noteworthy and commendable. The author provided a surprising ending to the story with a twist that I did not anticipate and although, it appeared that the evil character, Ms. Fairchild was also a victim of her own childhood circumstances, in the end she got what she deserved. I loved the writing of this book, and I especially liked the back-and-forth narration of the storyline from the time when the sisters were under the wing of Ms. Fairchild as foster children to the present time. I applaud Ms. Hepworth and cannot wait to read more of her books.

Sally Hepworth does it again. What a great read. Darling Girls keeps you guessing, twisting and turning until the last page. I really enjoyed this book. It was told in many perspectives, which could be hard for some to follow, but overall a great read I would definitely recommend.

This was a captivating slow reveal with one final twist. The dual timelines and multiple character perspectives made the way for strong character development. I felt like I really got to know each sister and understand her trauma. At times frustrating, heartbreaking, and also beautiful, this book will have you on the edge of your seat.

Thank you to Sally Hepworth, St Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

My Review:Sally Hepworth writes a gripping, suspenseful tale. Those poor girls!!!

The plot was fast-paced and suspenseful, and it kept me guessing right up until the very end. And that last chapter? The twist at the end...wow and to say that one of the characters is unreliable would be an understatement. She's pure evil

Thanks Netgalley and publisher

All thoughts and opinions are my own and aren't influenced by anyone else

I received this book arc in exchange for my review.
I love Sally Hepworth and have enjoyed some of her books in the past.
So I was disappointed when i just didn’t love this one. Sadly it just didn’t keep my attention, I felt it was slow. I didn’t feel connected to the characters and I was very disappointed in the ending.
I wish I felt differently.

Absolutely loved "Darling Girls" by Sally Hepworth. I loved reading about the tight knit group of odd-ball sisters that were brought together through unfortunate circumstances but were definitely meant to be together. The thrilling part of the book was the mystery in regards to the bones found on the property and it kept me guessing until the very end. Just when you thought you had all the puzzle pieces, you were wrong. Highly recommend to give this book a try.

Shocked to say that this is my very first Sally Hepworth book, but certainly will be added to my list of must-read authors. Darling Girls is more than just a "thriller". This is a book about the unbreakable bond of three girls who form a life-long sisterhood while growing up together in an abusive foster home.

Jessica, Norah (without a T) and Alicia grew up in a foster home named Wild Meadows under the abusive care of Miss Fairchild. They spent their days being manipulated and psychologically tormented by their caregiver. Realizing all they had to get through the days was each other, they formed an inseparable bond that would carry them into adulthood. Well into their 30's and still coping with the trauma they faced as children; they receive a phone call from a detective in their hometown of Port Agatha informing them there were human remains found underneath Wild Meadows and they needed to come back to aid in the investigation. They aren't ready to go back there and face their horrific past, but doing so will uncover secrets and ultimately bring them the closure they need to move on..

While this book didn't have crazy twists and turns (except for the ending!), the storyline was so well told it sucks you right in from the very beginning. The characters, while all flawed, are very likeable and I enjoyed getting to know them and watching them grow throughout the book. Highly recommend for anyone that likes thriller/fiction!

Ahhhh Sally does it again!!!!! I really enjoyed Darling Girls! The story is told from the POV of three different women, Alicia, Norah and Jessica. There’s also therapy sessions from an unknown POV throughout the book. The story is told in a past and present timeline and follows the three ladies and their time in and after being in foster care. I really enjoyed all of the characters and they were well developed, flawed and very relatable. I loved the relationship the three women had and how they always stuck together. The book does have quite a bit of abuse, mistreatment of children and the impact it has on people later in life (definitely check the trigger warnings). There were many twists and turns that I didn’t expect and I could turn the pages fast enough to see what happened next. The ending was so good!!

Read if you like:
💦 Multiple POVs
💦Strong female friendships
💦Slow burn suspenseful thriller
💦Short chapters

I love anything Sally Hepworth, and this did not disappoint. I was intrigued from the beginning and loved the back and forth timeline giving the views of the main characters from childhood to present. The subject matter could be a little difficult to read at times but was worth it in the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press

"Darling Girls" was a great read. Lots of twists and unexpected turns and an ending you will not expect. Worth the read.

Sally Hepworth certainly knows how to write a twisty plot. I loved the books in her back catalog that I've read, so her new titles automatically go on my to-be-read list. "Darling Girls" didn't disappoint.

Norah, Jessica, and Alicia are the kinds of women who normally wouldn't be friends. They don't have much in common in terms of hobbies, habits, etc. But they share a past... a dark past. The three women grew up with the same foster mother. The beautiful Miss Fairchild wasn't exactly nice to them. The girls hatched a plan to escape and never went back to the farm where they were raised.

That is, until the police contact them. A child's skeleton has been found underneath their childhood home, and the police want to know what they might know about it. Whose body is it? And one of these three girls had explosive anger issues. Could she have done something awful? Was Miss Fairchild hiding a secret even from them?

My heart ached for the foster children in this novel. Unfortunately, situations like this do exist in real life and this felt very realistic of some awful situations I've heard about in the news. Told through alternating timelines, the twists in the plot were shocking. I highly recommend this novel.

This wasn't my favorite Sally Hepworth book, but it was decently entertaining. Three foster siblings are thrust together again as adults when a body is found buried underneath their foster mother's house. What initially seems like a case of wicked foster mom murders one of her kids turns into an entangled mess of an investigation. There were some red herrings and twists, but nothing that blew me away. Hepworth's books tend to learn more towards domestic suspense and I felt this one dabbled a bit with being a thriller, especially when she went into the back story of their childhoods. Overall, it was decently entertaining but nothing that blew me away.

Another amazing Sally Hepworth. I absolutely loved the Soulmate and this follow up was also incredible.I enjoyed the mystery and how the story came together. I highly recommend to mystery and thriller lovers.

This was a really slow start for me but start to get much better about 30% in. It kept me guessing until the end. And then the end was NOT what I expected. Overall 4 starts because of the slow start but ended up being pretty good!

I really enjoyed The Soulmate and reading the plot of Darling Girls I felt I'd have a similar experience.
By now you know I love a good dual timeline. I really enjoyed how this one hopped between showing the present and the past of Alicia, Norah and Jessica - girls who had been placed into a foster home together - as well as glimpses into the past of their caretaker, Ms. Fairchild. It definitely gave some context as to why the characters reacted or did things a certain way.
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Overall the story was intriguing, driving me to want to get to the bottom of whose bones were found under the house. It was just missing that something that made The Soulmate so captivating. Perhaps it was the additional layer of details around the girls relationships that I just didn't care for as it detracted a bit from uncovering the mystery. Regardless, a solid book and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Reading challenge – Booklist Queen 2023: A mother-daughter story

Thanks to #NetGalley and the author for the ARC ebook of this work.

I categorized this as a non-traditional mother-daughter story for my reading challenge. After reading a selection of Sally Hepworth’s work, I am glad that this one did not disappoint!

25 years ago, three girls (Jessica, Norah, and Alicia) were placed in a foster home called “Wild Meadows” in Port Agatha with an idyllic-looking farmhouse and an idyllic-looking foster mother, Miss Fairchild. Twenty-five years ago, unfortunate events brought three girls - Jessica, Norah, and Alicia - one-by-one to an idyllic-looking farmhouse called Wild Meadows and into the foster care of a woman named Miss Fairchild. Looks can be deceiving. The story is told through dual timelines – 25 years ago and the present.

In the present, the three sisters return to Port Agatha after a detective calls them regarding bones found under the house. Jessica, an organizational guru (think: Marie Kondo) who struggles with OCD and a secret addiction, is hesitant to return to the house she lived in for almost ten years. Norah, a self-employed job interview test-taker with unmitigated rage and 3 huge dogs, has legal issues and can’t stop hitting people finds this as a decent escape from her current situation. And Alicia, a social worker/case worker who cares too much but stays withdrawn so she can’t get hurt again, pushes her sisters to go, but with legal counsel.

In addition to the dual timelines, an unknown timeline and character is having therapy sessions with a Dr. Warren that are transcribed and inserted throughout the novel – with this storyline becoming clearer towards the end of the book.

Hepworth was able to keep me engaged and hold my attention for the duration of the book. There were a few things that felt like last minute additions and/or made me roll my eyes as tropes (hence 4/5 stars instead of 5). The women felt like real, well-rounded humans, and not just archetypes. The navigation through psychological abuse also felt organic. Hepworth’s acknowledgments at the end shouldn’t be skipped – I truly appreciate her describing the many definitions of what it means to be “lucky.”

This is a riveting exploration of trauma, family bonds, and the lasting impact of a troubled past. The author's command of suspense keeps readers on the edge of their seats, eager to uncover the mysteries that lurk within the shadows. If you enjoy psychological thrillers that delve into the complexities of family relationships and the blurred lines between victim and perpetrator, this novel is a must-read, a true haunting and atmospheric tale.

I just reviewed Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. #NetGalley