Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an online arc of Darling Girls.

Darling Girls is the second Sally Hepworth book I have read, and I was excited to receive early access since I enjoyed her last book, The Soulmate. While the two stories share family ties as a theme, they could not be more different. I would be remiss if I did not note that this story is messy in a much darker way.

The narrators of Darling Girls, three sisters Norah, Jessica and Alicia and a mysterious fourth voice speaking during therapy sessions, all move the story along its twisty path to an even twistier conclusion. The novel tells the back stories of the three and their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, as their lives intersect again in the present over the mystery of the bones of a child found under their foster home.

I felt so much sympathy for these three women as you learn how their time in foster care affected their preteen and adult lives in major ways. Their heartbreaking narrative moves seamlessly between past and present, giving the reader insight into why this is so. There was also great character building of Holly Fairchild, their foster mother through the narrative and psychiatry sessions. By the time we encounter Miss Fairchild again in the present day, you can’t help but hope she gets her comeuppance for how she treated those in her care. (Her name really irked me as she is never “fair” to any “child” at any point in the story.) By the end of the story, which expands the cast of characters through a police investigation, we learn the fate of a missing child, the identity of the bones under the house, and how the main characters move forward with their lives in the aftermath of the investigation. This one was hard to put down, as I wanted to learn how it wrapped up. While I did see some light for the sisters at the end, the final chapter is a doozy!

Darling Girls goes beyond the edges of a straight psychological thriller with its depictions of a foster care system that sometimes fails those who need protections the most: the children. Make sure that you read the author’s acknowledgments at the end. It will make you think about the word “lucky” in ways you never thought of. 5/5

I am a huge Sally Hepworth fan and I’m so happy to say that this is my favourite book of hers yet!

This was a ride! The first few chapters, I wasn’t really sure how I felt about it and then I got completely sucked in and couldn’t put it down. The story follows three women who were previously in foster care and their younger selves. When a body is found at their previous foster home, their lives begin to unravel and suppressed secrets come to the surface. I felt like the characters were so well done and I fully felt connected to them while reading. Overall, this was heartbreaking, twisty and a really unique thriller. The end went a completely different way than I guessed and I absolutely loved it.

I will say this was really dark and has a lot of subject matter that someone may find triggering so feel free to message me for any trigger warnings!

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐈𝐟…
✨you love multiple timelines
✨you’re craving a good twist
✨you enjoy dark storylines

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🚨Pub Date: April 23, 2024
🫶🏻Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartins for the ARC!

Hepworth is back to showcasing her talent for writing nuanced relationships and I am here for it! I absolutely gobbled up this novel in a two days after being instantly sucked into the lives of the characters. Hepworth shines so brilliantly when she writes about the complex relationships other authors don’t want to touch and for Darling Girls she centers on three foster care “sisters” and their unstable foster parent. Hepworth captures the incredible bond between the girls forged by going through shared trauma but doesn’t neglect the complicated feelings of resentment, guilt, sadness, and hope. She highlights the issues of foster care without lecturing. None of the characters are one note which adds such richness to the novel and I really appreciated the multiple time lines woven within the novel. Hepworth surprise zingers are tucked in Darling Girls too making the entire read engaging and unputdownable. So glad to have this version of Hepworth back again!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced electronic copy. All opinions are my own.

This was my first book from Sally Hepworth and it definitely won't be my last! I enjoyed how the story was told in multiple POVs. Sally Hepworth is definitely a great storyteller.

Sally Hepworth's "Darling Girls" is yet another feather in her cap! From the very first page to the FAST PACED, climactic conclusion, the narrative is a rollercoaster of emotions, earning a solid four-stars from me! The last chapter of this book is CRAZY and I loved every word of it. Truly, if an author can surprise me with an ending, automatic bonus points!

The story centers around three foster sisters who, after 25 years, are brought back together by the discovery of human bones at their former foster home, Wild Meadows. As they face detectives at Meadows Hill, memories resurface, revealing their challenging past under the cruel foster mother, Miss Fairchild.

I enthusiastically recommend "Darling Girls" for its abundant twists and turns. The narrative is so engrossing that I found myself reading late into the night, and the payoff in the final chapters is truly satisfying.

My sincere thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and the author for providing an ARC in exchange for my review. Mark your calendars for the publication date on April 23, 2024 – you won't want to miss this gem!

I read The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth and thoroughly enjoyed it so I was excited to read an ARC copy of Darling Girls. This book is about Jessica, Norah and Alicia who are bonded through their experiences in foster care on a farm. Miss Fairchild is the foster mother and she did not make it easy on these girls. Norah, Alicia and Jessica vowed to look out for each other and became sisters from their experiences. Little did they know that when they became adults this same farm would bring them back because of bones found on the farm and Miss Fairchild may have some secrets they were not even aware of. This is a psychological thriller, fast paced and has a huge plot twist. This book really touches on the dark side of foster care and how it can have an effect on the children even as they get older. I really enjoyed this book and looking forward to more books from Sally Hepworth.

Wow this book truly took me on a journey. I love the dual timelines, so you get a better understand of the character development as well as what the girls experienced. I loved how it kept me on the edge of my seat and had a few small twists throughout the story. The ending (and final twist) was shocking! Absolutely wonderful but be sure to map out some time for this as you will want to read it all in one sitting!!

I received this ARC from NetGalley to read and review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

I have read seven books by Sally Hepworth and enjoyed all of them. Her latest, however, fell flat for me. Additionally, I didn’t care for the child abuse storyline. I’m looking forward to a better book by Sally Hepworth next time. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Darling Girls is a suspenseful journey through the lives of three girls in foster care. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia may not be blood sisters, but they share a unique bond that is reinforced by enduring the torment caused by their foster mother. Not wanting to be separated they keep quiet until an event occurs that is life-threatening. Years later, the police discover a possible murder that occurred at the home bringing the sisters reluctantly back to the place where it all started. The story switches between the past and the present which makes the book so hard to put down. Once you think you know where the story is going, you are shockingly surprised. 
*Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you to NetGalley, publisher and author, for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
My favorite characters in this story were the sisters, Jessica, Nora and Alicia They showed a wonderful sisterly love and relationship. My least favorite character was Miss Fairchild because who could like such a horrible and terrible character? My favorite part of the story was whenever the sisters were together and supporting each other. My least favorite part of the story was whenever Miss Fairchild appeared. She gave me a creepy vibe and was just an unpleasant character.

Amazing! I devoured this book in one sitting and was actually sad when it ended. This book was hard to read in parts due to that abusive situations that the characters endured, but well worth reading. Loved it!

This book was very well written. The author handled the topic of child abuse and drug abuse in a delicate manner. I also enjoyed the character development that happened for the three main characters! However, with that said, this book wasn’t for me. It was too slow of a thriller for me to enjoy. Overall, it was a good book. I would recommend this book if you like domestic thrillers! Thank you NetGalley for the book in exchange for my honest review!

Just finished this book and I'm sad to say goodbye to sisters Jessica, Alicia and Norah, who spent several years together in a difficult (to say the least) foster home. The poor treatment of the girls by their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, bonded them forever, and they remained close after they finally broke free from her control. As adults, the sisters have their share of issues, yet they are loving, resilient and strong-willed individuals. When bones are discovered beneath the foster home they lived in, they are forced to revisit their experiences as foster children and face Ms. Fairchild again, both emotionally and physically.

The mystery surrounds the identity of the person buried beneath the house. As usual, Sally Hepworth does a great job of keeping us guessing as we jump back in forth in time between the sisters' days spent with Ms. Fairchild at the foster home and the present day. As we read about each sister's past, we understand how it has shaped their present day lives. We are introduced to several other characters that contribute to the story, and to the mystery. The twist at the end was very clever and satisfying. I would call this book more of a mystery than a thriller, but overall its a great read with three very spunky survivors.

Holy Moly was this a good one. To be transparent, I’ve read every book Sally Hepworth has written and have enjoyed them all so this was an automatic request for me. I don’t know how she does it, but she happens to tell a story that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. In this book we meet 3 “sisters” who grew up together in the foster home that is Wild Meadows with their foster mother Ms Fairchild. What happens inside Wild Meadows is both horrifying and heartbreaking. Many years later, the sisters find out that Wild Meadows was demolished and during the demolition, bones of a child were found. Now Alicia, Jessica, and Norah return to the place that changed their lives forever. It wouldn’t be a Sally book without twists, turns, and jaw dropping parts and this one has it all. While it is a thriller , it also shows how the power of love, friendship and resilience can conquer all. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the amazing Sally Hepworth for giving me the chance to read this advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this book. ALOT. This book follows three young girls who have been forced into the foster system through tragedy, neglect and abuse only to be placed with a foster parent who is just as abusive. They find strength and a sisterhood that lasts into adulthood where each of them has residual traumas that impacts each of their lives in ways they are ashamed to share with their sisters until they face another tragedy and are brought back to Wild Meadows. This book pulls you in and you will want to stay up late into the night to find out what happens!

Sally Hepworth is a Queen of Domestic Thrillers. Have popcorn ready, dim all the lights and get ready to escape to a farmhouse called Wild Meadows.

Three young women, Alicia, Jessica, and Norah are sisters of the heart. They became friends when they were in foster care, taken in by Miss Fairchild - owner of Wild Meadows. Now they are adults and the cops have questions for them such as whose bones are these buried under the farmhouse?

Hepworth engages several POV, allowing the reader to understand each girl deeply. The girls become very strong individuals and it's great to see. The ending is full of twists, turns and wow moments. Enough to make Linda Blair's head spin. Great book for a dark and stormy night.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this enjoyable read and ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ok, hands down one if the best books I've read this year. Took my about a day & half to read but I do work 2 jobs lol. Looking forward to reading more by this author. Highly recommend

This book was so good! Im still thinking about the characters and the book itself. I love love love!! APRIL 23!! SAVE THE DATE EVERYONE! You won’t regret it!

Darling Girls was such an unexpected surprise! I’ve read two Sally Hepworth novels - The Younger Wife and The Soulmate. Having liked the former and disliked the latter, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from Darling Girls, but I’m so happy I gave it a try.

The premise of this book was a refreshing change from a lot of the other books I’ve read. Though some of the subject matter was difficult to read at times, I still really enjoyed this dark, twisty, and sometimes twisted story. Hepworth does a fantastic job of character building and you really see how Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have suffered, yet grown over time. Miss Fairchild was the perfect antagonist and really succeeded in making me hate her.

If you love thrillers and twisty novels, absolutely pick this one up! Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

✨ I Received this ARC in exchange for my honest review✨

WOW! You know a story is good when you are reading and trying to figure out the mystery the entire time.You think you’ve got it all figured out and the pieces slide into place and then BAM! The end blows your mind. I actually sat there staring at the wall for a good bit. Highly recommend!

⭐️Special thank to @netgalley and @sallyhepworth for this ARC⭐️