Following the lives of three sisters brought together through foster care, Darling Girls kept me on my toes the whole time. When they are called back to their old foster home to face secrets, they all cope in different ways. Going back and forth between present and past, more is revealed about their living conditions and how it shaped who they have all become. This one definitely has some triggers so check those before going into it. But the anonymous POV in the therapist office was my favorite part and thats all I have to say about that! This comes out in April 2024 and I highly recommend it. Sally Hepworth is quickly becoming an auto buy author for me! Overall I rate this book a 4/5 star!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this work in exchange for my honest review!

This author has done it again. I was fully immersed in this book and really enjoyed it. This book is a bit different from the others I have read and I really enjoyed the guessing game with who is seeing the therapist throughout the book. I liked how this book tied in the background to the present and how there is redemption at the end that leaves no loose ends. I will be looking forward to my next read from this author. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

This is my third Sally Hepworth novel, and I think she's reliably become an auto-buy author for me. I've loved everything from her I've read, and I need to prioritize reading her entire backlist. In a world of mediocre, fill-in-the-blank thrillers, Hepworth writes them with characters I actually care about and twists that actually surprise me.

All that being said, this novel fell short of the incredibly high expectations I had, based on The Mother-In-Law and The Good Sister. I felt that the decision to have three major characters readers followed, instead of the two featured in the previous Hepworth novels I read, really impacted how much time and development was given to those characters. I kind of wonder if Hepworth was trying to challenge herself with three main characters instead of two, and if so, I think it's a promising start, but needs some refining. I loved all three women individually as characters, but I think I would have loved them even more if more time had been given to each. As for the twists, I'll admit I did guess most of them, but I still absolutely loved the unravelling of the mystery and the use of dual timelines. Sally Hepworth has always impressed me with her use of dual timelines. I loved Norah the most as a character, but I personally related to Jessica the most. She's been so conditioned to people-please and hide what she considers "messy emotions" that her physical health takes a toll. I loved her character development. Alicia was a well-written character, but definitely the least interesting to me. Miss Fairchild was something of a triggering character to read about, but I also think she was incredibly intriguing and nuanced.

All in all, I loved this book and highly recommend it to lovers of thrillers and dual timelines! Hepworth seems like an author who can do no wrong. If you are able, I recommend the audiobook for the full Australian experience.

Sally’s a fantastic writer and the characters in her books have depth and are interesting. The story keeps you engaged throughout the entire book. I didn’t want it to end.

Years ago, Jessica, Alicia and Norah were foster children at Miss Fairchild's house. Her Darling Girls. But Miss Fairchild ran a strict household and she was not to be messed with. At any costs.
Now adults, the three sisters are convinced the past is behind them, until the cops contact them to discuss new findings at their previous foster house. Sometimes the past isn't burried as deep as you think.

I could not put this book down. This is my new all time favourite by Sally Hepworth. I loved the various povs and I did not see the ending coming.

This was an excellent read. The characters suck you in, and the twists keep coming until the very end.

I’m always excited for a new Sally Hepworth offering! This wasnt my favorite of hers but it was still a solid psychological thriller, this author’s bread and butter! Won’t be turning down reading one of her books any time soon.

Sally! You did it Again! I devour her books and this was yet another I couldn’t get enough of. Just enough suspense with great characters

This was probably one of my favorite reads of 2023. I loved the writing style. I love that it was told from so many perspectives but it was very clear. This book fluctuates between past and present, but I never felt lost. There is a lot to unpack in this book, but it was such a great read!

The story is about a woman named Miss Fairchild, who is a foster mother. Her home is perfect for raising kids. She fosters and ends up adopting Jessica, her first foster. Norah and Alicia quickly follow. Something changes in Ms. Fairchild, she is obsessed with cleaning and not to be crossed. Her punishments are severe. Soon after, Ms. Fairchild starts bringing in babies to increase her income. The girls end up caring for the babies. They are sisters forever and have an unbreakable bond. Fast forward to the future and bones are discovered beneath Ms. Fairchild’s home. An investigation begins and no one knows who to trust!

I really enjoyed this book, can’t wait to read more books by Sally Hepsworth! Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

I was feeling like this book was a little too predictable but oof a horrifying twist at the end. Easy read and entertaining - thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

This book kept me reading tell the end with still being surprised, I also love that it went alternate between the past and present of each of the women And I really enjoyed that!

This story is told in alternating view points from three foster sisters. Each sister shares perspectives of current happenings as adults, and when they were together as tweens in foster care.

The formatting makes it easy to read and the writing is fine. I'm so tired of the evil foster/step mother trope. Sure, sometimes foster parents aren't great. But sometimes we do absolutely everything we can and spend money and time and love the kids as our own. We spend hours with therapists and biological parents and lawyers and doctors. We have little to no help from the professionals who are supposed to be there for us.

The idea of people fostering for money is mostly a joke. We always spent way more on our foster kids than the stipend we received, without taking into account the incredible time and emotional commitment.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I'll buy for my library because this is a popular author.

thanks NetGalley,

I don't even know where to start with this one. This is by far the best novel from Sally Hepworth to date. There were a few WTF moments that literally blew my mind and had to recover before continuing reading. The ending was one of those moments and was utterly stunned. Many say the ending was over the top but I thought it was perfect. I never saw it coming which is why I enjoy this author so much because nobody could have seen it coming.

I loved the friendship/sisterhood the three girls shared and even after everything they went through they continued to support one another. Everyone's childhood is different and this book highlights what childhood can be like for a child in foster care, bouncing from home to home or in the care of someone who mistreats or abuses you, whether it is mental or physical abuse. It also shows how the adults who were suppose to take care of them gaslighted them and made them into unstable adults. Just go read it already!

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.

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. DARLING GIRLS asks the questions: what are we capable of when in a desperate place? How much can we hide the demons inside us? And can the past ever truly be buried?

When you hear foster care, you know it can't be good. The story follows three foster girls who become friends, and remains friends into adulthood. Bones are discovered under their former foster home and they're reunited when the police call them in. Sally Hepworth is an automatic read for me, her storytelling sucks you in! Told in alternating perspectives, this book kept me on my toes (but be aware that this isn't an adrenaline-filled plot but more of a slow-burn). Still highly recommend this one!

A perfectly fine book, but it just didn't work for me and I can't put my finger on why. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

Darling Girls is a story of three foster girls told in chapters that jump between the past and present. The book offers multiple POVs that help you to learn more about each character and their own journeys throughout the story. The three girls, Alicia, Jessica and Norah, are bonded by their time as foster children under the care of Miss. Fairchild. One thing I loved about this story was seeing the tight bond the three women had and how they were always there for one another. Please read the trigger warnings for this book as it showcases horrible truths of the foster system. Although there were a lot of dark parts, this book was full of twists. While the book was very well-thought out and researched, it was too much for me, which is why I gave it 3 stars.

I read this book in a day. I give this book 5 stars. I loved how well I felt like I knew every character personally. I was Invested from the first couple of pages. I’ve recommended this book to a lot of readers I know! I will be reading more by Sally Hepworth.

As a Sally Hepworth fan, I think this book may be her best one yet. It's told through multiple POVs with past and present time jumps which really added a lot to the story. I was captivated from the start and stayed interested right to the very end. It was thrilling and had me guessing what would happen.

This was a great read. It was thought provoking and emotional. I found myself crying and completely immersed in the story. It was gripping, moving and beautifully written. I read this in a day because I could not put it down.

This was another addictive read from Sally Hepworth!

I've read a few of her books and I love them. I couldn't put it down; I finished it in 3 days even with a busy schedule!
The bond between the 3 sisters was really special and it was super interesting to read about the foster care system. I liked that there real consequences for the characters' actions in the book & people didn't just get away with things. This made the story feel more realistic.
The twists & turns were great!! I did guess some of them, but I think that's because I'm more familiar with Hepworth's work now. It certainly didn't detract from the enjoyment of the read.
Really enjoyed overall & would definitely recommend !!!

Thank you to Sally Hepworth and NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!