Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress for the #gifted copy of this e-arc.

I am always so excited to read a Sally Hepworth book! I felt like this book seemed different to me for some reason although I am having a hard time articulating why. Maybe edgier? It doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it, I certainly did…it just seemed different.

I love the found family of sisters that bonds were created in the foster care system. I absolutely adored how they were all so different and broken in their own unique ways but their bond was unbreakable. It worked so well! They were all pretty kick ass and it warmed my heart to see them stick up for each other. I enjoyed having the alternating timelines and the buildup to watch how they became they way that they were! The ending was definitely shocking and the mystery behind the bones found had my head spinning! I felt this book ran the gambit with my emotions… it was shocking….heartbreaking…frustrating and had me angry throughout which I think is a sign of a good book! Sally is forever an autobuy author for me and once again delivers perfectly!

Very twisty, well wrote book. Overall a solid 4 star book! Loose ends were all tied up in the end. Looking forward to reading more from Sally Hepworth.

Whatever Hepworth writes, I will read. However, this fell a little short for me. It was her traditional twisty thriller, but the characters were not particularly memorable. The last quarter of the book contains a ton of cliffhangers that will keep you reading. If you are a fan of Hepworth, particularly the mother in law, I would still recommend. Ms. Fairchild gave the same infuriating, but captivating energy as Diana.

Thank you to St. Marten's Press and NetGalley for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

Darling Girls focuses on three foster sisters, Jessica, Norah and Alicia. The story is told from all three women's perspective as adults now and from their perspective as kids when they were part of the foster care system and living with their caregiver Miss Fairchild.

It took a bit to get used to the change from past to present but as the story progressed you could totally see how their past, still haunted their lives as an adult. This story definitely gave Mommy Dearest vibes, and it was a little hard for me to read because of that vibe. My mama heart hates reading about child abuse. But overall, it was a pretty good story even though the ending made me want to slap a character. lol

5 star read for me! This book centers on foster sisters, Jessica, Norah and Alicia. All 3 girls were placed in foster care for one reason or another and ended up in Wild Meadows under the care of Mrs. Fairchild. At first, it seems like a dream come true but that dream quickly spirals into a nightmare as they are subjected to near constant mental abuse from Mrs. Fairchild.

Told from today's point of view as well as the past, the characters in this book were so well fleshed out. Jessica with her control issues due to the lack of control from her upbringing. Alicia afraid to love anyone because of her fear of abandonment. And Norah who has severe anger due to the trauma of their past.

Fantastic read! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I needed a day to think about this book before reviewing it. I know that there are very good foster parents. I also know there are terrible ones that do it for the money or some other twisted motive that may leave the children scarred.
Such is the story of Jessica, Alicia, and Norah. We go back and forth between when the girls first arrived at Wild Meadows with Miss Fairchild and what happened at the house. In the present, the sisters are heading to Port Agatha to help police with an investigation of bones found at the home. We also see someone through their appointments with a psychiatrist. This book delves into the worst of the worst with the foster care system, and even though it's set in Australia you can see the same things here in the US. Social workers are burned out or overworked and kids may fall through the cracks. Kids are terrified to say anything. Being in a home that's bad but what if the next one is worse? What happens when you age out and have to be on your own?
This book also does a wonderful job of highlighting the invisible scars like Jessica's obsessive organization to exert control in her life, Alicia's avoidance of love, and Norah's rage against the world. I enjoyed seeing the life of the sisters as much or more than actually finding out the mystery.
Another great book by Hepworth.

Alicia, Jessica & Norah have a bond no one can fully understand. They lived on a farm with their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, who had strict rules and could be unpredictable in her moods. She was never to be crossed and found manipulating ways of punishing the girls. The 3 girls broke away from Miss Fairchild, but she always lived in the shadows of their minds. Bones are discovered under the farmhouse years later and are brought back by police to tell what they know and brought back to Miss Fairchild herself.

Yet another highly entertaining read by Sally Hepworth! I always thoroughly enjoy her books so I was really excited to get an advanced copy of Darling Girls. She does a great job of showing how the girls trauma in their childhoods all manifested in different ways in their adult life. Loved the ending! The twists weren’t ground breaking but I couldn’t put this one down! (4 ⭐️)

✨ Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. Available April 3, 2024 ✨

5 star. Loved it. Read the whole thing on a plane ride. Great twists and turns until the very end. She is an auto read author for me - think I've loved everything I've read!

I loved Sally Hepworth's latest thriller, Darling Girls, so much! A slight twist on a normal family psychological thriller, Darling Girls focuses on three foster sisters, Jessica, Norah and Alicia. The story is told from all three women's perspective now as adults, and also 25ish years ago when they were all part of the foster system and became foster sisters under the care of Miss Fairchild. Miss Fairchild seemed lovely and sweet and lived in a beautiful home, but what went on behind closed doors was sinister. Now the remains of a skeleton have been found under the home and all 3 women return to relive their past and maybe uncover some secrets about their former foster mother and each other. This was the perfect amount of thrill. not too scary, but definitely dark. The twist at the very end I did not see coming but was an excellent touch. This was an extremely well done novel, you won't want to miss!

I received a complimentary copy of this book "Darling Girls" and all opinions expressed are my own. Always love to read books by Sally Hepworth, I put them on the top of my TBR list. This one was interesting and had twists and turns. The characters were great, except the Miss Fairchild, but she had a evil part to play in the story. Overall fast paced and suspenseful.

Not my favorite Hepworth book, but it was okay. I am getting a bit bored with authors doing a juxtaposition between past and present and having to follow two story lines in one book. I understand the "past" does provide a lot of context for the "present." Very solid ending, still unsure how I personally feel... but I think it would be received well by a mass audience.

Another Sally Hepworth book that I thoroughly enjoyed. The only reason for 4 stars rather than 5 is that I got confused midway. That may have just been me though. My confusion was all cleared up in the end, but then I felt the book fell short because of how the ending was kind of just thrown in. That said, I loved the characters, the story and the heartbreaking element of foster care. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Wow!!!

Thank you NetGalley, publisher, and author for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Let me say… wow again!!!
I’ve been on a reading slump and this book got me right out of there. Kept me guessing the whole time and I didn’t even see the end coming. Definitely a good one!

Hepworth does it again! A suspenseful work about the real meaning of family and the secrets they keep, especially when tested.

First though—HUGE content warning for child abuse of all kinds.

Set in rural Australia, three former foster children (now grown), all find out a set of bones has been found under their former foster home. Through their stories, we find out who those bones belonged to. And in true Hepworth style, just when we think things have wrapped up, there’s a twist that’s better than the original ending.

The characters are all deeply flawed. I’m glad they all had their own character arcs so that we could find out how they handled the adversity of these events. The setting was absolutely picturesque…but also, who has a pool and lives next to a horse farm…and doesn’t use either?! Sacrilege…and right on brand.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

I have been looking forward to this read ever since Sally Hepworth announced her next book. She is an amazing writer and never disappoints! Darling Girls follows sisters Alicia, Jessica, and Norah as some news brings them back to the memories of their childhood. Full of twists, this was a fantastic thriller!

This was my first Sally Hepworth book and I now want to read more of her books, because of how much I enjoyed this book.

This book is about 3 different foster girls being brought into the care of Miss Fairchild, little to do know or image what happens to happen under her care. Jessica who has a bit of OCD is the first to come into her care and it all seems perfect and fine, until she takes in her second foster kid Norah who has a some anger issues. The third to come into the house is Alicia who has low self esteem and was placed in foster care because of a family emergency and wasn’t expecting to stay long.

Miss Fairchild changes the more that these girls are under her care and lashes out in all different way to discipline these girls for different reasons according to her. All of these girls feel the need to walk on eggshells and not disappoint or disobey Miss Fairchild in anyway in fear of what could happen.

Now Miss Fairchild never had a good past growing up that you come to find out but that doesn’t take away from how she treats these girls you’d think. She is not someone you want to cross or do wrong by for multiple reasons.

All three of the girls work together and become very close over the years of growing up and becoming adults. They all have their own issues even as adults that they must work through and help each other out. They’ve stuck by each others sides and have gone through a lot during childhood under Miss Fairchilds care all the way up to adulthood.

None of them ever wanted to talk or go back to Wild Meadows, the house they grew up together in until one day there are bones discovered under that same house. Now they must work together with the agents to discover who the bones belong to but also relive that old past of theirs. This brings up a lot of heartbreaking events that they never expected to relive again but have to.

You have to wonder who and how those bones got there in the first place, how long have they been under this house? This is a touching story about finding yourself and a family you’ve always wanted. This was a good mystery thriller that kept you reading and wanting to know what happens and their pasts. I loved the way this book was written and how you got to know each of the girls in their own words about what they went through, as well as Miss Fairchild.

This book does have abuse within the foster care system so a warning for some. This takes place over years from each of the girls perspectives as well as past and present. It’s very easy to read and helps you understand who and why each of these girls are they way they are.

I can’t wait for this book to be released so I can get myself a physical copy and keep it on my shelves.

I want to thank NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and author Sally Hepworth for allowing me to read and review this ARC. This book releases April 23, 2024.

I'm giving Darling Girls 4 stars because the masterful Sally Hepworth spun a tale so tight, it will keep you flipping the pages even when you shouldn't be (like when cooking or trying to give someone your undivided attention)!

*Spoiler Alert*

That being said, I was super divided about my feelings on this one. There should definitely be trigger warnings listed with it since a central thread from beginning to end was littered with child abuse. There should also be an LGBT notation as well for those (like me) who aren't particularly interested in reading about same sex relationships.

Had I known these facts, I would not have read the story.

I was able to finish it because the abuse wasn't graphically detailed and the majority of the time was psychosomatically and psychologically directed instead. I also skipped the pages where it described the characters engaging in any intimate scenes.

That aside, the pacing was superb. There were no boring parts, there was no saggy middle, and there was no unnecessary information. The chapters were clearly labeled with the character and the flashbacks added a rich depth that propelled the novel forward.

The twists at the end weren't predictable and the ending overall was satisfying in that it didn't end in a neat, tidy bow. Each character completed their arc nicely (aside from the villain of course) and I was left with a hope that people might want to start taking a closer look at the foster care system-- in every country-- despite it being a work of fiction.

The author did a wonderful job aligning each character with her coping mechanisms from trauma and didn't give them an easy out when it came time to face their issues, which I appreciated.

So even though it was an emotionally-challenged read for me and not something I would ever read, the author did an outstanding job highlighting very real abuse that's going on right under our noses. I hope it is enough to open up conversations to change the system for the better.

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

YES! This book gave me everything I love... great characters, an unpredictable storyline, and that "keep thinking about it when it's over" feeling. I read a lot of books in this genre, and have ready many by Sally Hepworth, and this is my favorite of her collection. It really felt like you knew the characters, which isn't an easy feat when the narration toggles between many, and I was thoroughly engrossed every step of the way. 10/10, hands down, a must read!

Darling Girls is a wonderful psychological mystery centering on three foster sisters, Alicia, Norah and Jessica. 12year olds Alicia and Norah ended up in the same foster home with Jessica, who has lived there since she was 4 and already has a strong bond with their foster mother--Miss. Fairchild--who she is not too willing to share with the new girls. The three are very serious about their foster sister bond, and consider themselves sisters for life. The book alternates between their past (when they were pre-teens) lives with Miss, Fairchild and also their current lives, careers, families, faults, pressures and current relationships with each other. Miss. Fairchild appears nice to everyone on the outside but in private she mentally and physically tortures her foster children in a variety of cruel ways. The torture they endured pushes them to a breaking point where they act in order to protect another younger foster sister, but sadly they are unable to stop Miss. Fairchild and are sent to different homes after reporting her. In the present day, all three of them receive calls from the police that a child's bones were found underneath Miss. Fairchild's house. This information brings them back to the small town where they used to live and causes them to face the terrible psychological games and on-going physical torture that they were subjected to as young women. Each of them has managed to deal with their past or also ignore it in different ways with different effects on their adult lives. I read this book really quickly because the story drew me in and as I read, I tried to solve the mystery of the long buried bones along with the characters. Definitely worth reading this book! The culmination of the story was very involved and interesting! I loved it and definitely recommend it to others to read, too.

Darling Girls pulled me in immediately and I was engrossing by the wild storyline. I was interested in the backstory of the three foster girls. How did they end up in a foster home? Why didn’t they run away?

The present story about what they were currently doing in life was interesting but because the past and present were alternating chapters I found myself wanting to skip the present to learn the past.

The way Sally Hepworth created the characters as adults was interesting. I could see how their treatment as children formed their adult personalities. It’s a very sad story.

Without revealing too much, the end was absolutely crazy. I felt like I could rationalize the sad ending because of what happened but the twist made it over the top for me. I just can’t fathom anyone being so evil!!!

I gave the story 3 stars because it enticed me to keep reading but by the end it was too “ over the top”

TW: child abuse, sexual innuendos, rape, pedophilia, violence and murder. However, the rape and pedophilia are not detailed, only alluded to.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the arc via NetGalley.