Book Review✨

Psychological Mystery
5/5⭐️

Pub Date
04-23-24

* Alicia, Jessica and Norah grew up as sisters- sharing an unpredictable & abusive foster mother. They all grow to have their own quirks and struggles from trauma but find a home base within each other. In their adulthood when they are finally freed from the chains of ‘Wild Meadows’ where they grew up, they are contacted by a detective regarding an investigation of human remains found on the property. Who is responsible? Who’s body is it? Who did it? Can they handle reliving their childhood?


SALLY IS MY GIRL! When I say she is phenomenal…wow. This book was amazing. So twisted. So eerie. So messed up. So unpredictable. So damn DARK. The twists were twisting. This story started off with a bang for me, got a little bit slow toward the middle and then picked RIGHT back up. If you love a psychological thriller or a who done it this one’s for you. I’ve never read anything like this, ever. I could not set this down. This should be everyone’s most anticipated read of 2024.

One of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read. I wish there had been trigger warnings ahead of time. As a new mom (and anyone who experienced trauma or abuse) this was so upsetting to read. Love Sally and her work but this one was a struggle due to the constant images of child abuse.

I love Sally Hepworth’s novels, and this was another great one. The characters were all interesting and there were lots of unexpected twists and turns. It was a very engrossing read, and I really enjoyed it.

4.25 stars I really liked this one!

This was a suspenseful twisty story of three sisters who grew up in a foster home together under the watchful eye of Miss Fairchild. Years after they have left Miss Fairchild behind, a body is discovered underneath the home that they grew up in, and the three of them have to return to the foster home together.

Oh my god, this was a crazy ride! I literally tore through this in a day because I was so invested in the story. The characters were so well crafted, and I loved how the timeline switched between now and then because it helped a lot with staying super engaged with the story. There was always a twist that I didn't see coming, and THE ENDING HELLO???? I was so shocked it was actually insane. I can't wait to read more of Sally Hepworth's books because this one was so good!

I am a huge fan of Sally Hepworth’s so I knew I wanted to read her most recent book, Darling Girls. I began it with lots of excitement and interest. The three main “girls” of the ‘Darling Girls’ the book is titled after were easy to like and I enjoyed reading about each of them. The book goes back in forth in time between when they are children and when they are adults. I thought Hepworth did an outstanding job of developing these characters and connecting the two timelines. I wish I could be friends with the three girls in real life!

About a third of the way into the book, it hit a point where it felt a bit too bogged down for me. It felt repetitive and closed in on just a few characters in just one location, repeating similar things. It could have just been my reading mood so I put it aside for a bit and came back to it later. When I returned to and continued reading, the plot moved forward so my interest quickly resumed. I had to know how this book would end!

One thing I love about Hepworth’s writing is how realistic her characters and situations are, and this book is no exception. She does a great job writing different personality types and weaving together probable occurrences. This book has heroes and villains, and I was equally interested in knowing what happened to each. Sometimes you might think you know what’s happening but may still be surprised at the twists and turns on the path to the ending. There were a few supporting characters who were developed enough to fit in the story as well. This book has Hepworth’s unique wit and sense of humor. I laughed out loud a few times and was moved by some of the hard topics she broaches with dark humor and a soft touch. This juxtaposition in the hilarious and the hard makes for some of the best reading and Hepworth does it well in this novel.

I give this book 4.5 stars and I’ll definitely continue reading anything Sally Hepworth writes!

While I have really enjoyed other Sally Hepworth novels, specifically The Soulmate which was released earlier this year, Darling Girls was not my favorite book of hers. I mostly struggled with the content of the novel, reading about these girls struggling as children in foster care was really difficult for me to read. I am always invested in finding out what happened and all the twists that occur along the way, I just struggled with this book more than others. All that said, Hepworth is a master at crafting suspenseful books full of twists and turns. I just think the subject of this one wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of the book.

The first half of this novel was an interesting study of the way three traumatized foster children dealt (or didn't deal with) the pain they experienced as children ... but I naively felt that I knew where the mystery was headed already, and that it was more of a character study. The midway twist absolutely threw me for a loop and kept me riveted! I didn't know what to expect, and Hepworth upended my expectations multiple times.

I was gifted a copy of this book from NetGalley. Sometimes I have a hard time with thrillers but this kept my attention from the very beginning. There was something quite compelling and eerie about this story. A few unexpected twists and turns. Excited to dive into more of this authors writing. I also found it quite an interesting insight into the foster care system and the feelings that come along with that.

I always love Sally Hepworth and Darling Girls didn’t disappoint. Every time I thought I had figured it out another twist came. I couldn’t put it down until I learned the truth. I truly enjoyed this page turner.

This was a great read and kept me interested until the end. I loved how I got to know all main three characters by reading through their past. Sally Hepworth never disappoints me!!
Thank you again for the ARC!! :))

Three women, who are chosen sisters after sharing a heartbreaking, abusive, and traumatizing experience in a foster home called Wild Meadows Farm, are called back <i> home </i> after remains are discovered beneath the farmhouse.

Reeling from their shared trauma and the grisly discovery, the three sisters are wondering who was buried beneath the home? Is their monster foster mother to blame? Could they have done something to prevent the loss of this life?

The story jumps through the sisters' POVs, and from <i> then and now </i> perspectives. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and felt the heartbreak and suffering of each girl. Just when I thought the story was resolved with a neatly tied bow, Sally throws a final, shocking twist to end the story.

3.5 stars. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced readers copy of this book.

This was my first book by Sally Hepworth and I enjoyed it! I finished it in one sitting. The characters were likeable and the plot was great, easy to follow. I will be reading more by Sally Hepworth in the future!

This book was sooooo good! I love all Sally books, and this one is now high on my favorites list! I was hooked right away and really felt connected to the characters. Sally has a way with words that really make you see what she is describing. I would highly recommend this book to my friends and family! So good, and I'm so glad that I got the chance to read an ARC from Netgalley! Thank you!!!

Thanksful to NetGalley for the chance to read this latest upcoming book by Sally Hepworth, an author trusted to always provide a propulsive fun read. Darling Girls tells the story of three women who were all fostered in the same house. Jessica was the first to arrive at Wild Meadows, a manor home located in a rural town, two hours away from Melbourne Australia. The owner of Wild Meadows, Miss Fairchild, young, beautiful, and alone in the huge manor house, was happy to take in a foster. Jessica was joined soon after by Norah and then Alicia. The three foster sisters formed a bond that takes them into adulthood. When the three women find out that Wild Meadows was being torn down and in the process human remains were discovered, they must go back to the small town of their youth at the request of the local police, to answer questions. In flashbacks, we learn what their life was really like the few years the girls spent there and what horrors seemingly charming and kind Miss Fairchild put the girls through. This was a fun suspenseful mystery with several unexpected twists that make Sally Hepworth a favorite of mine. 3.5 stars rounded up!

Norah, Jessica and Alicia are sisters who have come together under the care of their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. Growing up in her home and dealing with the verbal/physical abuse, the 3 girls bonded. When a new baby is brought into their foster home, the girls immediately take a liking to her, but Miss Fairchild refuses to let them help. After leaving for school one more to tell their counselor about the abuse that’s been happening, the police return to Wild Meadows (the foster home) and discover that there haven’t been any traces of a baby at all. What happened to Amy?

Jumping forward to the present time, remains are found under the house where they grew up. The police investigate, throwing the girls back into their childhood and reliving and retelling the abuse that they had endured. Who’s remains were found? We’re they Amy’s? Or were they someone else’s all together? You don’t know who you can trust in this story and something feels off and eerie about some of the characters.

I really enjoyed this and wish I had picked it up sooner!
Thanks so much to NetGalley, St Martins Press and Sally Hepworth for giving me a chance to read Darling Girls before it’s realize in April 2024!

I really enjoyed this story. I've read several of the authors books and have really enjoyed them all. The plot and characters really kept me engaged

This was my first Sally Hepworth book and it did not disappoint!

This story follows three girls from three separate homes, who are all placed in foster care. They end up in the home of Miss Fairchild— it was a farmhouse called Wild Meadows. The girls end up creating an unbreakable bond with each other as they had to lean on each other to survive. Miss Fairchild was not very kind — she was very hard on them, expected way too much from them, and also made them take care of the babies that were being fostered there too. This took a huge toll on the girls. But somehow, they made it out together!

Now adults 25 years later, they are still as close as can be despite how different they are. They are called to help solve a crime — human bones were found under their old foster home of Miss Fairchild and the police needed them to help piece it all together. Who knows? Maybe they’ll find some answers of their own to give them some closure!

Hepworth did a wonderful job keeping the suspense and the story going. I had a hard time putting it down! I thought I knew what was happening but I was wrong 😆 I loved each character and they all had a lot of depth and kept me interested. Overall, this was a great story and I will definitely be reading more from her!

Thanks Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Sally Hepworth for the ARC 🫶🏻

**a huge thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an opportunity to review an ARC of this book**

This is only my second book by Sally Hepworth and she's become one of my autobuy authors!

I have to say I'm surprised at how well the characters were developed through out the story given there is a lot of jumping around with multiple POV (which I normally like, being inside everyone's head!)

This is a pretty dark story about 3 girls who grew up in foster care so I would warn anyone to please check trigger warnings as multiple dark topics unfold in this thriller., this is MULTIPLE shades darker than her last novel The Soulmate, which was also a good read, but did not pack as much of a punch as this one.

four stars!

This book was hard to put down. I was in suspense from start to finish and the ending! What an ending!

The story alternates between past and present and follows three women their trauma and their relationship with one another. I loved the bonds between these characters and the theme of sisterhood.

I loved how the author wrote the three main characters- each one different with different trauma and how they navigated it.

There is child abuse and neglect in the novel so please be aware of the trigger warnings before reading.

An great book that I would recommend!

Great read! I will post my full review when SMP addresses discriminatory language used by their employees.