Loved this book! This was a quick read with great characters. I also enjoyed the different narrators. Definitely would recommend!

Sally Hepworth has become an automatic read author for me so when I was able to read an ARC of “Darling Girls” I was so excited! And this book did not disappoint. This is definitely one of Hepworth’s darkest novels to date, but I thoroughly enjoyed her signature combination of family drama and criminal investigation.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are three former foster children who grew up in the idyllic farmhouse Wild Meadows surrounded by rolling hills, a sparkling pool, and a stable with beautiful horses. But as we all know, you should never trust a book by its cover. Each of the girls carries scars from their time at Wild Meadows and, when a body is found buried under the home, they have to dig into their painful past to assist the police.

In Darling Girls, Hepworth developed complex and realistic characters. Each of the women had their flaws but they were also so strong and raw. She also did an excellent job of balancing unreliable retellings of the past with the truth as the plot progressed. I hate when I get to the end of a thriller and the author says “just kidding, everything I told you is a lie.” It feels like a cop out. But Hepworth avoids this pitfall and skillfully gives you just enough of the truth that you can begin to pick apart the mystery and identify some of the lies yourself.


Sexual Content: mild 👀: mentions of nude photos/videos, mentions of pornography, fade to black sex scene

Tropes: Found family, multiple viewpoints, multiple timelines, unreliable narrator

Triggers below to avoid any spoilers









gaslighting/victim blaming, child abuse, infant/child death, foster care, sexual abuse

I absolutely love Sally Hepworth. When I first read one of her books, I binged read her entire back list within a week. These books are easy to read and they hook you! Darling Girls is no different. I absolutely loved this one as well and can't wait to read more of her books!

* Thank you for this ARC! *

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It got me really hooked from the first pages.
And the twist... damn! I loved it.
The character development is great. We learn some things about the protagonists, without going into extended useless descriptions.
The story is original, very well written.
Can't wait to read more from Sally Hepworth!

Jessica, Norah and Alicia, who were in the foster system living under the care of Miss Fairchild, are now adults facing their childhood demons. Their lives are interrupted when they receive a call from detectives explaining that a body was found underneath the house they spent years of their childhood in.
Will they be able keep their stress under control while reliving traumatic memories? More importantly… will the police believe them this time?
•••
I received Darling Girls as an advanced copy from NetGalley and I sure am happy I did. Although parts were tough to read, (child and spousal abuse, rape, childhood trauma, drug use, etc) it was a VERY well thought out and well written story. There were characters you could root for, characters you loved and definitely characters you hated. If you’re searching for a thriller that you won’t want to put down… be sure to buy Darling Girls on April 23rd, 2024!

1- Characters: 10
2- Atmosphere/Setting: 10
3- Writing Style: 10
4- Plot: 9
5- Intrigue: 10
6- Logic/Relationships: 9
7- Enjoyment: 9

Total Score: 66
67/7 = 9.57
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Sally Hepworth has fully cemented her place in my auto buy author category with her latest, Darling Girls! From the very first page I was hooked.

It follows three foster sisters and alternates between present day when remains are found on the site of their foster home and the past when they were in the foster home together.

This book kept me guessing right up until the last chapter! It felt really different than a lot of thrillers but it had the pacing and I found myself sneaking little bits of the book during my workday and whenever I could. I did not want to stop reading. It is a very quick read and very engaging! The alternating timelines as well as alternating POV makes this one fly by. And the ending was a complete shock that I didn’t see coming .

I’d definitely recommend this book even though it does have some tough subject matter (child abuse). Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

Whoa! Somebody get me a neck brace because I think I have whiplash from this book. This was my second book by Sally & she did not disappoint. This book gave me Flowers in the Attic vibes. I loved how easy this was to read-I finished it in 2 days. The ending….W O W. Bravo! The only reason why I didn’t give this 5 stars is because I just felt something was missing. I can’t put my finger on it. But if I could give it 4.5 stars-I would. Very good thriller with a mind blowing twist. Highly recommend this one.

D A R L I N G G I R L S
By Sally Hepworth
Release Date 04/23/2024


1. What was your favorite part of the book? * I’m trying to figure out a way to say it without spoiling it. When Jess stands up at the end and shocks someone at a table. Thats my favorite part ❤️

2. How quickly did you guess the twist? * I did not. Even the last chapter had me going HELLLLLL NAAAAAA😵

3. Discuss the point of view and whether it worked for this book. * alternating POV, past and present. I think it worked, as it was the only way to tell this story.

4. Which characters in the book did you like best? * Norah. All Day! She loved dogs more than people, she’s fiercely loyal to who she loves. And she’s got a temper to boot, she doesn’t take any shit from anyone. I loved her.

5. Did you find the author’s writing style easy to read or hard to read? Why? How long did it take you to get into the book? * Sally’s books are always page-turners. Her chapters are usually told in past or present - and told by different pov. It’s so easy to get into them - usually, I read them in one sitting - this one I did as well.
5 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️S̤̈T̤̈Ä̤R̤̈S̤̈

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Talk about an original story! This was such a refreshing read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I was getting tired of the “return to hometown, solve an old mystery” vibe, but this one was so unique.

Jessica, Alicia, and Norah grew up as foster sisters under the care of Ms. Fairchild. Now adults, a body has been found under their childhood home. Who could this be? Who was involved? Was their foster mother even more evil than they thought?

I would recommend this read for fans of family thrillers/time jumps/and multiple storylines to keep track of.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC!

I've read just about every Sally Hepworth book and this one goes down as my very favorite. I just couldn't stop reading.
Jessica, Norah, and Alicia grew up together in the same foster home, under the care of Miss Fairchild. Life with Miss Fairchild is tough, unfair, and cruel. Cleaning, punishment, and the emotional manipulation she plays among the girls is disturbing. Now years later and all grown up, the girls are contacted by a detective because human bone remains have been found on the property. Now they must go back to the place they grew up, resurfacing all the bad memories and abuse they endored during their time at Wild Meadows.
The book alternates between past and present, and the point of view of each girl. I loved reading the back story of their childhoods, leading up to present day, and trying to figure out whose bones were buried on the property..and O.M.G...what an ending!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
An excellent read! I LOVED this one!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book! I really enjoyed the way the character’s backgrounds were written. The time transitions were easy to follow. The girls are so lovable. Miss Fairchild reminded me of Professor Umbridge (ugh…Harry Potter reference for those who don’t know!). LOL. Really good book all the way through!!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an eARC of this book via NetGalley and St. Martins Press . All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 5/5 Stars
Publishing: April 23, 2024

Sally Hepworth never fails to provide a thriller in her stories. Darling Girls was a very good read and I enjoyed this story very much. Kept me on my seat and was a nice read while on travel. Not a fan of psychological thrillers, but this author proves me wrong every time I read her stories.

“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.”

This book was an amazing psychological thriller. It takes you on a wild ride through 4 points of view and 1 is a mystery. Each character sticks with you and has their own unique quirks. I especially love their sister bond. It also beautifully intertwines the past and present and has you racing to the end so you can get the whole story. The twists in this book had me screaming at points. I’m a sucker for a epilogue and this one freaking ✨delivers✨ I definitely suggest picking this one up

I fell in love with the characters. The writing style was such that I could see what was happening throughout the book. The storyline was easy to follow and flowed well.

Sally Hepworth quickly became my favorite author early on in her writing career. Her books keep getting better and better, this one is no exception. This one surprised me with the subject matter and I ended up loving it. Gave me "Tennessee Children's Home" vibes. I loved the ending.

This was such an interesting psychological thriller that kept me invested the whole book. We have Norah,Jessica and Alice who are like sisters and grew up in a foster home together. In past and present timelines we get to see their characters and how being together in the same home and their foster mom affected them. They come together in the present day timeline because bones were found in their childhood foster home and there’s now an investigation. This story was twisty, fast paced and also sad when you think about some stuff that the kids had to go through. There is a lot about the dark aspects of foster care, manipulation and child abuse so be warned. The ending and final twist was a nice conclusion to the book. Overall a good thriller read for me. 4.5/5
Thank you SMP and Netgalley for this arc for an honest review.

Ive enjoyed all of the Sally Hepworth books I've read and this is no exception. It was fun and twisty, and kept me turning the pages. I would recommend this to my audience and can't wait to pick up more of Sally's books in the future.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia may not be related by blood but they are sisters in the truest sense of the world. Now adults, they were fostered together as children and lived through some truly disturbing years with their foster mother Holly.

Darling Girls is told in both the present, as the girls are involved in an investigation when remains are found beneath their childhood home and the past, where we learn of the trauma they endured as kids.

Another gripping thriller from Sally Hepworth! Darling Girls could certainly be triggering for some as it delves into child abuse and the ending is very dark. I found the book intriguing and poignant.

4 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced copy of Darling Girls

For fans of Sally Hepworth, you will truly get lost in her latest, Darling Girls. Past and present chapters with multiple points of view drive the forward push of this psychological thriller. Norah, Jessica, and Alice are friends through literal thick and thin from youngsters to their adult lives. There is a lot of dark subject matter in this one, including child abuse, foster care, mental anguish and abuse, and violence. The three girls have endured abuse that is unimaginable, but fast forward twenty-five years and we find out how their lives have played out. We also have a point of view from Holly, the manipulative and monstrous foster mother. This was gut-wrenching and unputdownable. Make sure you read the author's notes!

Absolutely loved this ARC from Netgalley. So grateful for the chance to read it.

This is my second Sally Hepworth book, but my first five star SH book.

I absolutely tore through this. The character development between the sisters was outstanding. The plot moved quickly and was engrossing. I would recommend to anyone who likes a solid thriller. I had to know how it was going to end, but unlike most thrillers I was more invested in the story and the journey than the outcome at the end.