Darling Girls By Sally Hepworth is a fast paced, twist turning, keep you guessing book. I highly recommend it if you are familiar with her books.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book for my honest opinion

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC of Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth for an honest review. Darling Girls is a typical Sally Hepworth novel. Everyone is flawed, some deeper than others. Some are pure evil. When bones are discovered under the farmhouse of their childhood farmhouse, the 3 foster care girls are called in by the police to tell what they know. I enjoyed the ending of this book more so than others by same author.

DARLING GIRLS follows three sisters--Jessica, Norah, and Alicia--and find out that a body has been found under the home in which they grew up, the home of their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. The young women resultantly get questioned by the police, something that forces them to transport back to their childhood and look back at the dark secrets of their past.

After how much I loved The Soulmate, I thought this wouldn't be up to par, but Sally Hepworth did an amazing job with this thriller! The premise, the plot, and the characters were all crafted so well. The book kept me on the edge of my seat, and I managed to read it all in one day. Sally Hepworth's writing style mesmerizes me.

I really enjoyed the constant shift from past to present, as well as the different POVs. Sometimes, when books have various perspectives, some characters end up feeling one and the same. I felt that Sally Hepworth created a distinct voice for each character in this book, however, and she fleshed out the emotions from the experiences of the three girls. I resonated with the three protagonists, and I appreciated the hopeful ending and the closure they managed to find after everything.

The themes in this book are dark and may be traumatic for some readers. I personally found the child abuse very chilling and disturbing to read. That said, though, I still found the storyline gripping. Definitely recommend this for some fall or Halloween reading!

Thank you St. Martin's Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read by Sally and I am hooked. Darling Girls was a fantastic twisty novel that had me guessing the whole way through. Darling Girls has multiple POVs and bounces back and forth between past and present. Even with the POVs and shifting timelines it was never confusing and had me flipping through the pages to see what was going to happen next. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves a good mystery.

This is the story of three young women who return to the foster home where they met. Evidence of a crime has come to light and they are possible suspects. or it is hoped they can provide information that leads to solving the mystery.
I have to warn readers that, as you might expect in a novel set in the foster care system, child abuse (physical and psychological) is depicted throughout the book. I had a hard time reading about it but stuck with it because I've enjoyed several of Sally Hepworth's books. Not my favorite but I look forward to seeing what she writes next.

📚Review: Darling Girls 👭
Whoa! This book was SO great! I loved it so much!! I am a huge fan of Sally Hepworth and this is her best book yet. (For me anyway)
Wow! It had everything you want in a psychological/domestic thriller. It had suspense, multiple POVs, mind games, twists upon twists, etc. I just absolutely loved it. I can’t recommend this enough. I was fortunate enough to be sent this arc from @netgalley and @stmartinspress, but when this hits shelves in April, you need to run out and buy this book. I know I will be getting my copy.

Very quickly, for those not familiar, this is a book about 3 girls who grow up in a foster home with a woman who runs the place like an institution of sorts with all her strict rules for the girls. The woman is just awful in every sense of the word. However, now the girls are grown up and there’s been a discovery of a body buried under their old foster home. The three women are taking in for questioning. And that’s all I want to say. Just giving you a small taste. But trust me, you will also love this one. You won’t be able to put in down.
Again, RUN to get this book in April when it comes out. It’s on NetGalley now, request it if you don’t want to wait. It’s so good.
This was definitely ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me.
Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress and @sallyhepworth for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed it immensely.
Pub Date: April 23, 2024

Have you read this one yet? Which is your favorite Sally Hepworth book? Mine was The Soulmate until this book.

Dark, twisty book about sisters who grew up in a foster home and a body is found buried beneath 20 years later. A solid mystery that kept me guessing (sometimes I couldn’t keep track of the sisters so I was guessing who was who). I binged this and read it in one day but it was haunting. Be sure to read the content warnings before you dive in. I was surprised by how much child abuse there was - it was very disturbing.

"Darling Girls" by Sally Hepworth is an electrifying rollercoaster of a domestic thriller that had me hooked from the very first page. Hepworth's storytelling prowess shines through once again, making this a must-read for fans of suspenseful fiction.

The trio of complex and flawed characters, Alicia, Jessica, and Norah, are brilliantly brought to life, each with their quirks and secrets that add layers of intrigue to the narrative. As their shared history on Miss Fairchild's farm unravels, you'll find yourself irresistibly drawn into their world, empathizing with their struggles, and eagerly turning the pages to uncover the truth.

Hepworth masterfully weaves a web of mystery and suspense, leaving you on the edge of your seat as you try to unravel the enigma of the buried bones. The plot twists are nothing short of mind-bending, and just when you think you have it all figured out, she throws another curveball that will leave you gasping in disbelief.

But it's not just the plot that shines in "Darling Girls." Hepworth delves into the complexities of human nature, exploring the depths of desperation, the darkness that can lurk within, and the haunting power of the past. Her prose is evocative, painting vivid pictures of both the idyllic and sinister aspects of the characters' lives.

And that ending – oh, what an ending! Prepare to have your socks thoroughly shocked off as Hepworth delivers a jaw-dropping conclusion that will leave you reeling.

In "Darling Girls," Sally Hepworth has crafted a gripping, emotionally charged thriller that is impossible to put down. It's a testament to her talent as a storyteller, and I can't wait to see what dark and captivating tales she weaves next. If you love a thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end, this book is an absolute must-read.

Thank you so much for the ARC of this book. I loved the Soulmate so I had a feeling I would enjoy this too.

Major major TW for this book first and foremost. I’m not gonna lie this book was tough to read at times, dark, jaw dropping, and the ending shook me. TW: foster care, child abuse, sexual abuse, drug overdose.

I loved how this book goes from each perspective past and present amongst the sisters, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia who were all in/ended up in foster care. There is another person who you don’t know right away who is speaking to a therapist but I soon figured out who it was. I did not however expect the ending! Literally my jaw opened!!

Amazing job Sally!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book!

3.5 stars ⭐️
This was my first Sally Hepworth book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This book follows three sisters (Norah, Jessica, and Alicia) through their childhood in a foster home and decades later as adults. When human bones are discovered underneath the foster home, the sisters must return to where they grew up.

This story is full of sisterhood, mystery, and plot twists. This story has you guessing until the very end!

Overall, I would recommend adding this psychological thriller to your TBR! Publish date: 4/23/24.

Well that was a fun ride!
Jessica, Norah & Alicia united and formed an unbreakable bond when they met on the grounds of their foster home— Wild Meadows. Each girl suffered from their own traumatic past and then had to learn to navigate Miss Fairchild’s mercurial twists of temperament. We meet the women in adulthood after they managed to survive her emotional and psychological abuse. However, an excavation at Wild Meadows revealed human bones on the property and everyone’s a suspect and the games resume. This is a compelling psychological mystery that has the reader trying to decipher who is reliable. The twists were unexpected and well developed. This isn’t a thriller so I didn’t feel any anxiety, but I was addicted and had to keep reading! The ending was so satisfying! So many times endings leave you hanging, or they feel rushed or things aren’t tidied up. The ending covered all the bases and left me shaking my head.
Such an entertaining read!


Thank you NetGalley and St Martin Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own

Alicia, Jessica and Norah are sisters in every way that counts. They grew up together in foster care in the same house of horrors with Miss Fairchild at the helm. From the outside everything looked perfect and normal, but inside was a different story. When the girls are all grown up they are summoned back to the place where they grew up to talk to detectives. Bones of a child have been discovered under the house and police want to know what the girls know about it. Memories surge and emotions run high as the girls are forced to relive the trauma they experienced all those years before.

I was super into this book. It was engaging in all the right ways and then I thought it was going to let me down. The great news is that it wrapped up better than I could have imagined…I love an eleventh hour twist that I didn’t see coming! Well done, Sally Hepworth!

4.5 rounded to 5

This book kept me hanging on by the end of each chapter! Full of twists and jaw-dropping moments, I drank this entire story up faster than a glass of wine. The characters were perfectly imperfect. I loved their development and the alternating timelines. While I did figure out which character was “in therapy”, I WAS NOT ready or prepared for that last chapter to break my neck with whiplash.

Sally is a queen & I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this! Thank you so much!

3.5⭐️ rounding up to 4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Hepworth book, and it didn't disappoint, but it didn't blow me away.
This book holds some heavy stuff.... foster care is not a topic I've experienced much in thrillers, and I liked how this one played out for the most part. Definitely not a light read, though.
It started out slow for me. I was not invested until about 30% in. I found all the characters to be lackluster. But then we started diving into the juicy stuff about main characters Jessica, Norah, and Alicia's past, and I couldn't put this book down. I enjoyed the dual timeline and multiple POVs. I liked that we got the first person POV from someone speaking to a psychiatrist, and I loved that the story they were telling tied into what what was playing out with the main characters. When it was revealed whose POV it was, I wasn't shocked but it made sense.
I was not a huge fan of the ending. I liked that we got a "life update" on Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, but at the same time it felt unnecessary to the story as a whole. I really did not like what was revealed at the very end. It sort of ruined the story for me.
Overall, good psychological thriller. It kept me intrigued and everything that happened made sense.

I love books with an entirely different story line, and this was just that and has become my favorite Sally Hepworth so far!

Alicia, Jessica and Norah are sisters with a fierce bond who have returned to the town they lived in as foster children years previously. The body of a child has been found under the house, and there is a new investigation into their adoptive mother, themselves and everyone they had come in contact with. The story toggles back and forth between the past and present and is full of twists and turns Ultimately I did not guess the outcome of the book, which is always a win!

Fans of Sally Hepworth will not be disappointed!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another great book by this author! It did start out a bit slowly for me, but partway in I became hooked and HAD to see how it ended.

True to form, the twists kept coming, which I loved. Some were small and relatively inconsequential, but others were game-changers. And the last chapter?! Never saw it coming.

Ultimately I liked all the characters (except of course Miss Fairchild). I loved the bond between the sisters, their stories and growth, and loved how they each coveted romantic relationships at the end. While there were intense and difficult content points throughout the book (abuse, the foster system, extortion, overdose), it didn’t feel too heavy to read.

Another book of hers that I would recommend!

(There were quite a few spelling and/or grammatical errors throughout, though I understand this is the nature of an ARC.)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You are going to want to preorder this one coming out April 2024.

A very twisty, page turner that kept me guessing until the LAST chapter. Follows three foster care “sisters” now and 25 years ago when they met. Whose dead bones are found under their foster home and did they have anything to do with it? You will never guess! So good! Sally did not disappoint again!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I love being surprised by an author who switches things up. In Darling Girls, Sally Hepworth still delivers her trademark domestic suspense, but this time the “family” is far less traditional, yet no less fascinating!

Twenty-five years ago, unfortunate events brought three girls - Jessica, Norah, and Alicia - one-by-one to an idyllic-looking farmhouse called Wild Meadows and into the foster care of a woman named Miss Fairchild. The biggest irony? This woman was never FAIR to any CHILD, as the three girls continually found out. She may have been Mary Poppins on the outside, but she was far from it underneath!

Now in the present, the three women who have a ‘sister’ bond tighter than most biological ones, have been brought back to Port Agatha and the memories of Wild Meadows when they’re informed by three detectives: Patel, Hando and Tucker that human bones have been discovered buried under the farmhouse.

Who do those bones belong to? Were the girls involved? If not them, then who?

As the lingering effects of the past catch up with Jessica, whose OCD and a secret habit are threatening her career, Norah, who can’t escape her inner rage or the repercussions of a date gone wrong, and Alicia, whose insecurity is blocking a potential new relationship, they find themselves needing one another more than ever.

The story is primarily told through their eyes, in both past and present chapters, with interspersed chapters of an unknown POV who discusses her past with a super creepy psychologist named Dr. Warren. The rotating POVs kept things interesting and allowed me to feel more bonded to each of the three women.

While stories of abuse are always hard and can threaten to go too dark, I thought Hepworth balanced the tone of the book so well by giving us three protagonists who were strong, intelligent, resourceful, kind, funny, and loyal, while also maintaining a realistic vulnerability from their traumatic past. I loved these three! Norah’s fiery temperament and spunk created a lot of LOL moments for me particularly, and dog lovers will enjoy finding out why her dogs are named Converse, Couch and Thong … though you may be able to guess!

The pace is a bit on the slower side, but the ending twists were worth the wait, and if nothing else, I think many readers will enjoy their time with these three kick-ass girls who grew into amazing kick-ass ladies! It’s so refreshing to see female friendship portrayed in a positive, supportive way.

One last recommendation: read the author’s note. It gives special meaning to the whole book!

★★★★ ½

Thought I had it figured out and didn’t see the twist. Enjoyed the dynamic of the sisters and their adult relationship.

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.

Alicia, Jessica, and Norah bonded during their time living in their foster mother, Miss Fairchild's home. All came there under different circumstances and quickly bonded, forming lifelong bonds. They suffered together under the care rule of the highly unpredictable, extremely strict, and often cruel Miss Fairchild.

When they left her home the three of them thought they were free. But she was always there in their memories, their nightmares, and in flashbacks. They have all carried with them what they experienced in Miss Fairchild's home, whether it be low self-esteem, anger issues, anxiety, relationship issues, etc.

The three women are contacted by police when bones are found buried under Miss Fairchild's former home. Sometimes the past refuses to stay buried. Sometimes, you can create physical distance but not emotional distance from troubling events. Sometimes, going back to where it began is the only way to move forward.

This was such a gripping and well thought out book. I felt for Alicia, Jessica, and Norah. I loved that they always had each other's back and had such a tight bond. I felt so much for them during this book. I appreciated how Hepworth showed the strength of their relationships with each other.

I found myself fully invested in this book from the very beginning and found it hard to put this book down. I wanted to know about the bones, how they got there and whose bones were buried under the house.

I found this to be a suspenseful and shocking read. I enjoyed reading the POV chapters and learning more about each character. I also enjoyed the therapy sections and did not know initially who was talking to the therapist. This book does discuss the mistreatment and abuse of children, and it may be a trigger for some, so please be aware of this.

Gripping, well written, shocking, well thought out, and hard to put down!