Wow. What a ride. This book was phenomenal. I was instantly drawn in from the very first page. Every chapter of the book added value and built up the plot and each of the characters. Sally did a great job at really digging in deep without boring the reading. There was a constant need to want to know more. So good!

The story live has multiple POVs which I always adore. It’s like VIP/front row seats into the characters minds. It’s always a treat to get to really REALLY know a character. Then it also has a dual timeline; past and present day which makes the build up even more amazing. The story is so easy to follow, though, which is great. You can pick it up at any time and put it down (although hard to do because you want to keep reading!!) Seamlessly written.

Some of the plot gets a little twisted so some trigger warning may necessary for some. But I truly think the author did an exceptional job portraying depths of abuse/sharing the harsh reality of the matter but with consideration/sensitivity to readers.

My favorite part about the book would have to be how multidimensional it is, there were so many layers and I loved peeling back each and every one. Bits of the story were somewhat predictable but not in a bad way at all. Even the parts you *think* you know, go deeper than the average human dares to think. Twists upon twists upon twists! I definitely guessed a few but not fully! Incredibly done. This is my favorite book by Sally yet. A solid 4-5 star book but I’m going to give it a 5 because I loved it, would recommend it, and I would even read it again in the future. I can’t wait for it to release next year (April 2024) so I can have a physical copy on my bookshelf. Oh, and the ending?? Perfectly completed the individual story of each character! Could not ask for more from this book!

The "before and present" timelines were both interesting, but I'm tired of dual timelines. I, also, didn't connect with any of the characters. The main twist wasn't a surprise, but it was still an okay read. I enjoy Hepworth's writing and will continue to pick up her books. This one just didn't sparkle.

Sally Hepworth is one of my favorite authors but I felt this was very predictable and I felt the characters weren’t as developed as I would have hoped.

Another excellent thriller from Sally Hepworth! This one explored family dynamics including chosen family and what happens when trauma rears its ugly head. I didn’t find this one as twisty as others but there were still some sweet surprises.

I can't begin to describe how much I loved this book. At first, it took about 10% for me to get into it, but after that I was hooked. I would not consider this book a thriller by my own definition, but it was a crazy experience nonetheless. This book includes both past and present timelines--which I am not usually a fan of-- but I found myself looking forward to each timeline as the story went on. The author also does a wonderful job of distinguishing between each character from the very beginning; I felt like I knew each character personally and I love all of them even with their flaws. Miss Fairchild is truly a sick and twisted villain, and that is all I have to say about her. I look forward to reading more of Sally Hepworth's books very soon, as I thoroughly enjoyed her writing and storytelling.

Thank you so much to Sally Hepworth and St. Martin's Press for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. Darling Girls is expected to be released in April of 2024.

This was my first book from this author and I will definitely be reading more! This was a great book. Not going to lie it was a little rough reading the abuse scenes with the children but it really painted a picture of why the girls ended up the way they did years later. The plot twists weren’t shocking - but what saved this and was the wow factor was they ending. I love endings like this and I hope the ending doesn’t change. The ending is what bumped this from a 3.5 star review to a 4 star review.

The characters were great. I felt their stories were well thought out and I loved their happy endings - especially Norah. I related to each of them in small ways.

Pacing was great. Love chapters with cliff hangers.

Sally Hepworth's Darling Girls wasn't my favorite read by the author. I have read all of her books, and this one was challenging to finish. The foster mother in the book is just awful, so this may have contributed to my opinion of the book. The story centers around human remains that are discovered at the home. As police call back some of the foster kids to question them, it brings up the past for each woman. The story then switches between the past and present and from the perspective of the various characters in the book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Past and present chapters give insight into how three foster girls grew up together at Wild Meadows Farm and formed a unbreakable bond that was based on their survival.

An investigation has been opened, a crime that may have occurred while the girls were living at the foster home. Now, the girls are reliving everything that happened 25 years ago and it may prove to their worst nightmare. This gets DARK.

I felt heartbroken for the girls, Jessica (suffers from OCD and was my favorite), Norah (who tends to react with anger) and Alicia (she became a social worker).

It was hard to read about the abuse, the crimes at the foster home, and the horrible way they were treated by the foster mother, Miss Fairchild. I can't say that I "enjoyed" the backstory. I did like the chapters with Dr. Warren, the therapist. His jaw even dropped at some of the revelations. I was super curious about who he was counseling, although he seemed a bit incompetent!

This is the fourth Sally Hepworth novel I’ve read. They are all very different but what they have in common are surprising twists as the story unwinds and firmly grounded, well developed characters. I’m not usually drawn to this particular kind of book but unlike many others in this genre, Hepworth so fully entrenches you in the lives of the characters, you really want to know what has happened and is going to happen to them.

This is a story about foster care. The underlying question explored is how an abusive childhood rooted in insecurity and the search for love and safety can ever be overcome. The reader is first introduced to the three main characters when they are adults. We can see from the beginning that they are still somewhat damaged. Jessica has a pretty strong case of OCD that has made her successful in her work as a home designer but intrudes significantly in how she constructs her life. Norah has anger issues that have backfired on her and Alicia, a well intentioned social worker, is extremely fragile and insecure. But they have one very positive thing going for them. These three very divergent women consider themselves sisters. Having survived Wild Meadows and Miss Fairchild together, they are a family completely devoted to the love and care of one another.

The girls were taken in by a single woman, Holly Fairchild, who lives on a farm called Wild Meadows. Jessica was the youngest and was alone with her for five years. Norah came after an experience in juvie and Alicia, came needing respite care that turned out to be permanent. Holly is a mix of personality—loving, demanding, cruel, exacting, withholding.

In the present, bones are found under Wild Meadows and the police have called the women back to relive the past in order to solve the mystery of what happened to the unidentified child who was buried there.

The story flips between the past when they were children and the present as they deal with issues in their current life that may derail the fragile stability they’ve struggle to maintain. Reliving life on the farm undermines hard won self confidence. Unfortunately, they also have to interact with Miss Fairchild, whose erratic behavior and cruelty dominated their formative years. Having to relive their foster care experience with the police may wholly undo them.

It is a riveting plot with characters you easily care about. The villain is well drawn. There are few shades of gray but you want to know why. I don’t know about other readers but I didn’t see the ending coming. It was a great resolution for all concerned.

The only reason I did not give it a five-star rating are the sections with the psychiatrist felt inauthentic, confusing, and too long. I think I understand the reason for this but slogging through all the painfully classic tropes of abuse took me out of the story rather than deeper into it. It seemed incongruous with how well the rest of the book moved along.

Highly recommend.

Many thanks to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the opportunity this excellent novel.

Sally Hepworth has done it again! Another hard to put down book that is both thought and emotion evoking. As with her other books, Darling Girls is well written, well thought out, gripping, twist filled, moving and shocking.

I actually ended up not reading this one because of content warnings, which include but are not limited to explicit child abuse, harsh profanity, sexual harassment, and fantasized suicidal ideations. Will not be reading this one.

I would like to thank St Martin Publishers for allowing me to read an early release of Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth.
This book follows Alicia, Jessica and Norah throughout their time in foster care at Wild Meadows with Miss Fairchild and as adults navigating life. It is a duel timeline, so you get to see what has caused them to be the way they are as adults and how they deal with the trials and tribulations of adulthood. You are also there as a mystery unfolds.
I really enjoyed the writing and the story kept me wanting to pick it up to find out what happened next. The last 50% of the book had me on the edge of my seat and antsy to pick it back up.
All in all a great read and would highly recomend.

4.0 stars

I received a complimentary Kindle e-book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to Sally Hepworth, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Sally Hepworth writes mystery thrillers that are "clean" - no blood or gore. All the ugliness takes place away from the book and the reader's consciousness. All of her books are filled with strong characters, storylines, and twists and turns so Darling Girls is right in line with all of her other books. Awesomeness! I am always disappointed when I don't figure out the plotline before the book is finished. Darn, you Sally - you are too good!

DEFINITE RECOMMEND

Oh Sally gets me every time! Another page turner from my favorite author, thank you! Her books always have a very satisfying ending and this was no different. I loved the characters and really hated the villain, so much that it made my stomach hurt at times. I couldn’t put this book down until the very end and it was worth the long night to get to it! Excellent book, definitely recommend! Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

For the first half of the book I felt like I was reading an early Sally Hepworth novel. The ones that deal with family in the heart wrenching emotional kind of way…. And then somewhere past the middle mark, something snapped and the creepiness factor of a thriller entered the pages.

It’s the story about 3 sisters, three foster sisters who bonded to survive against their foster mother Miss Fairchild. Each little girl ended up in the home for different reasons (don’t worry all is revealed at the end) but the story isn’t a happy one.

Jessica, the first “daughter” that ended up on the farm. Her first few years were happy. Until they weren’t. Then Norah arrived with a gut wrenching emotional past that left her angry and combative with anyone around her. Finally there’s Alicia, who had a beautiful upbringing until her beloved Grammy died and she got sent to Miss Fairchild at the farm. All 3 girls believed that cozy little farmhouse would be a new start… they just didn’t know it would be an evil one.

The novel flips back and forth between past and present with the 3 girls viewpoint. It may sound like a lot but it wasn’t, it actually brought the depth to the novel as the reader is able to understand each woman better.

I don’t actually think this book is a thriller. Nor is it “just” contemporary fiction. It’s a chilling genre mash that left me emotionally connected to all three girls. It was bingeable, haunting and bat shit crazy all rolled in the most heartbreaking way.

For me, this is Sally’s best. I loved her early work and enjoyed the domestic thrillers of late, but a combo of both landed a 5 stars from me.

Darling Girls is the first book I've read from the author. I had a hard time putting it down. The ending was a real jaw-dropper that I didn't see coming. My head was spinning ; it was hard to swallow. This book isn't for everyone dealing with the foster care system and the abuse. It may be triggering. So please read all the TW before reading. I enjoyed that the author included an extended denouement that traces Jessica, Nora, and Alicia's lives after the shocking outcome that is bittersweet and realistic. I fell in love with the main characters. They were well-developed, deeply flawed, and relatable. It's a well-paced suspense story that unravels into a compelling page-turner. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are foster care children placed at Wild Meadows, a farmhouse owned and run by Miss Fairchild. The trio form an unbreakable bond, and their story shows the strength of sisterhood and resilience of children. The sisters have done everything possible as adults to forget the atrocities they witnessed firsthand at "Wild Meadows." Still, when a contractor discovers human remains under their old foster home, the girls are pulled back to Wild Meadows; they are not happy about returning to the small country town of Port Agatha at first and have to dredge up their painful past but become eager to uncover the truth about who the bones belong to and who hid them underneath the house. Is one of them hiding a secret?
Darling Girls alternates between multiple points of view from Jessica, Nora and Alicia's and parallel timelines. We learn about the girls' time in foster care while a similar plot line follows the investigation into the mysterious bones. There is also a mysterious character who talks to DR. Warren. I found these chapters fascinating. The character development in this book is unmatched. From the narcissistic and manipulative Miss Fairchild to the neurotic Jessica, an angry and volatile Nora who gets herself in some legal situations and Alicia, an insecure with a vast heart, Hepworth expertly built equally relatable and heart-wrenching profiles. I admire her shining a light on the harsh realities of the failures of the foster care system and how much research the author put into this novel and did it with sensitivity. I highly recommend it!!

I want to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sally Hepworth has done it again. I read this in one sitting. I enjoyed both the mystery, with all of its suspense and twists, but also the depiction of sisterhood. The author’s depiction of the traumas experienced by Jessica, Norah, and Alicia was authentic. I also liked how they still grew and overcame the abuse they experienced, ultimately each finding healthy relationships.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Wow. Sally Hepworth does it again. Such a twisty read!! A trio of women must relive the horrors of their mutual childhood foster home when bones are found under the house. This story will keep you guessing! The characters are well developed and the storyline is intriguing. You’ll binge this one!

A twist I did not see coming!

I'm a big fan of Sally Hepworths books and this one is no exception. This face paced thriller will definitely catch your attention and keep you guessing all the way until the end! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

5⭐️

The Soul Mate was a disappointment, so it was with great pleasure that I devoured the latest from Sally Hepworth, Darling Girls. Engaging and suspenseful with characters that you'd like to be friends with, this twisty read is sure to be a hit with fans of Hepworth.