Amazing. I loved it. The characters emotions poured off the pages. I didn’t see the ending coming. I loved it

Darling Girls is so much more than just a thrilling, edge of your seat psychological thriller! At its core, this is the story of three sisters of the heart, Jessica, Norah and Alicia, their struggle to survive their frightening past in a foster home, and the love and caring each has for the other. Sally Hepworth skillfully alternates timelines as she reveals the harrowing past of these three foster children, all placed in the care of the erratic, diabolical Miss Fairchild, as well as the effects of their years of abuse on their adult lives. The book is a sobering look at the children caught in the system. (The author notes are definitely worth reading.) When the home they lived in was demolished, and bones were discovered underneath, the three women and Miss Fairchild are summoned by police as part of the investigation. The plot twists are like a roller coaster ride through a dark tunnel as the real truth and the identity of the bones are discovered. It is an amazing book and I loved it! Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advanced copy. The opinions of the review are my own.

A beautiful story about three foster children who aren't biologically related but become the closest of sisters through the horrible foster home they're placed in. Told from each girl's POV along with a therapist's session. You don't know who the therapist is talking to until later in the book. The twist at the end was totally unexpected ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley for my ARC!

Another amazing book from Sally Hepworth!! All the twists and turns, keep you guessing! Wow! It's very twisted but I couldn't put it down!! High praise! This is a must read book!!

OKAY WOOOOWWW Hepworth has me in a small chokehold (with this one but also with multiple of her books).

This story was everything I love in a domestic suspense/murder mystery
- follows a few POVS (one being a mystery) in the third person.
- Goes back and fourth between past and present FLAWLESSLY.
- Leaves you on constant cliff-hangers (not thrilling wise; more like “I NEED TO KNOW” hangers).
- Has twists that don’t punch you right in the gut but lead up with a medium-paced burn.
- Discusses relationships that make you want to potentially commit a crime but also ones that warm your damn heart.
- Great psychological aspect
- Has an ending that hits you with the 😱😱😱😱
- no predictability, only clues to help you slowly figure out what’s going down on your own (but you probably won’t with that ending LOL)

100000000% recommend this one. If “The Soulmate” was your first Hepworth book and it wasn’t your vibe, don’t stress; this one is completely different and really shows off the authors writing skills! It will captivate you from the start!
It gives “The Whispers” vibes but with a lot more energy!!

DNF-- I expected to like this far more, given the premise and author, but I didn't connect with the characters and found their back stories to be difficult to read. While I don't usually have issues reading trauma in a character's back story, I need to feel invested in the character in order to go through it.

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read and review this digital arc! All opinions and thoughts are my own!

3/5 stars

The story of "Darling Girls" embarked on a slow and intricate journey. It involved the intertwining of past and present timelines and presented three distinct points of view, all aimed at constructing the complex history and relationships of the foster girls and their foster mother. While the historical context occasionally made for a challenging read, particularly when it delved into the foster mother's abusive behavior and the dire circumstances of each girl, the narrative did shine when it focused on the bonds formed between the girls, infusing the story with depth and heartfelt emotion.

I found the pacing at times very slow, and I noticed a disconnect between the stories of the characters as young girls and the women they had become in the present day. This discrepancy made it challenging for me to reconcile their youthful experiences with the dysfunctional adults they had evolved into. It felt like they were entirely different individuals.

With that said the unexpected twists towards the end added a satisfying layer to the narrative and justified the time invested in reading it. While the book had its shortcomings, I still found it to be an interesting read. Not what I was expecting but not bad either. I'll definitely check out Sally's other works!

Darling Girls was such a great read. I loved how the POV changed and reveled about each of the sisters stories and how they all came to be. Hearing some of their stories of growing up in the system is heartbreaking, although nothing is graphic or to detail. The mystery POV adds great depth behind the story.

Thank you NetGalley, Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date for Darling Girls is April 23, 2024

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! I am a huge fan of this author, but this one fell a little flat. It felt incredibly predictable and drawn out for no real reason. Some things felt glossed over while others dragged on. Overall, I enjoyed the story itself and the writing was great as always. It just was a “meh” for me in the characters and storyline.

I thoroughly enjoyed Sally Hepworth’s newest novel, Darling Girls. I flew through it, and found myself thinking about it any time I wasn’t reading.

The story follows 3 sisters and their journey to uncover the secrets of their childhood. They grew up in the care of Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows, an experience that would go on to shape their entire lives and leave them questioning everything they thought they knew.

The twists were jaw-dropping and unpredictable, while the story itself was emotional and profound. I especially enjoyed the deep, untouchable bond between the sisters.

This was quite the read! I loved all 3 of the main girls & really enjoyed all the twists! Everytime I had to put the book down, I thought about it until I could pick it back up. I think this might be my fav read from Sally Hepworth so far!

Foster care is never easy, and you are never "lucky" to be placed somewhere. For Jessica, Norah and Alicia - they learned the hard way. Each girl was delivered to their new foster mother at a difficult time in their lives and each learned to deal with it in their own way. Years later, each girl gets a call that bones were found under their old home. Now people of interest - it's time for these sisters to confront the memories of their past, and even worse - their former foster mother Ms. Fairchild.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it! I felt like I never knew what was coming next and I even found myself falling for every single lie and trap that was set up in the book to garner sympathy for the villain. My favorite part about this book is how each character handles their feelings differently and by getting to hear from each one of them in flashbacks and present day made the entire reading experience more enjoyable. I loved this book and feel as though I'm already ready for a re-read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sally Hepworth for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to start by saying I love every book I have read by Sally Hepworth. She is one of my favorite authors and I was thrilled that NetGalley sent me the book to review. Darling Girls doesn't disappoint! In this book you have three foster girls who become sisters - they are Jessica, Norah and Alicia. Jessica was the first to be taken in by Miss Fairchild and later to be followed by Norah and then Jessica. Miss Fairchild comes across as a Mary Poppins type of individual to others but is sadistic in her mind games and punishment of the girls. Sally Hepworth really dives into the foster care system and brings to light the things that some foster parents do out of so called love. The story of Jessica, Norah and Alicia has them remembering the past and their individual stories and how what they experienced with Miss Fairchild brought them to where they are today.

I was so excited to get this ARC! I love everything Sally Hepworth has written. But readers should be aware this book is very different from her other novels! I fell in love with Hepworth's domestic thrillers, and I usually can't get enough of familial drama. This thriller focuses on an abusive foster home situation though, which is quite different. It was certainly thrilling, and just like all of Hepworth's other books I found myself compulsively reading to get to the end. But the subject matter definitely won't be a good fit for all readers.

Characters were well developed, the plot is quick and engaging, and I appreciate when an author gets the length of a book just right.

There is no doubt Sally Hepworth can write. Her words flow off the page effortlessly which makes for an enjoyable time. Her dark humor I think kind of shines through in this book, it kinda catches you off guard just at the right time. For instance one of the sisters dates guys so he will buy her nice dinners and do handiwork around the house for free (Note to self to try this tactic next time I have a plumbing issue, that will save me the upfront minimum $125 they charge)

The book kicks off with some major creepy vibes, bones are found buried in an abandoned foster home where Norah, Jessica and Alicia were raised. The "sisters" return and Hepworth begins to unfold the tragedies that occurred in the home under the "care" of Miss Fairchild. (Y'all in my mind Miss Fairchild looked like Mrs. Trunchbull from the movie Matilda--she is what we would call a handsome woman) It is told from multiple perspectives and dual timelines to add to the suspense of the novel. Just when you get settled into the time/character you are left with a bit of a dangling carrot (piece of chocolate, French fry, you pick your vice) to keep you wanting more. Like I said this book was effortless.

Okay, now, here is where I was left a bit "perturbed" . Along the way I made several conjectures ( don't I sound smart when I use that word? Please envision me with a monocle when I say that as well) that turned up wrong-thats all fine and dandy-I even liked the final final twist. The part that left my knickers in a wad, was I felt a little lied to. In fact I aggressively pressed the home button on my kindle out of anger (not nearly as satisfying as slamming a book closed, but much better economically that slamming my kindle down FYI) It was enough for me to mark it down 1 star. I was also a bit taken back by the woman on woman action Sally had in this book....not her usual style, a little too much info for me.
PS I loved Phil!

I enjoyed this book far more than her previous book, The Soul Mate. I think if you are a mystery/thriller reader you will without a doubt enjoy this book! Do yourself a favor and read this one when it publishes on April 23, 2024

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this advanced copy read of Darling Girls. I was not influenced or paid for this honest review.

Winner winner chicken dinner! I absolutely loved this book and cannot thank Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press enough for providing me an advanced copy. This story highlights
the lives of three women who grew up together in foster care under an abusive and narcissistic foster parent. It is told in both past and present tense, flowing nicely between the two. It was absolutely riveting from the start and sucked me in through the very last page. The book had so much depth and was absolutely addicting. The ending was spectacular and finished off with an unexpected twist that left me speechless.

*Trigger warning regarding foster care and abusive parenting.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia are sisters, not by blood but shared circumstances. All of them grew up as foster children at Wild Meadows under Ms. Fairchild, a mercurial and sinister woman. They survived their childhood and decades later, the women still share a strong bond despite their contrasting lives. Jessica is a successful businesswoman with a home organization business. Norah has frequent run-ins with police because of violent behaviour. And Alicia works as a social worker, helping children through the foster system

However, their present is jarred when the police call them to revisit Wild Meadows after human remains were uncovered under the farm. Now, the women must face their inner turmoil by revisiting a pivotal incident from their past.

I was surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. While the child abuse scenes were horrifying, the main characters were compelling and offered hope. I was inspired by their resilience and strong bond, and it was interesting to see how they tried to cope with their horrible childhood in different way. The novel struck a great balance by providing plot twists and developing well-rounded characters.

Overall, this book won’t disappoint Sally Hepburn fans and is a great one to try for those who aren’t familiar with her work. Hepburn has undoubtedly mastered the domestic suspense genre.

What a whirlwind!

I loved the dual timelines and the addition of the psychology office meetings as well. You get to truly understand and learn all of the characters from every point of view.

Also...you think you know where it is going and you are wrong. I am rarely surprised by thrillers just because I have read so many but, let me tell you...you don't know the end.

loved this book. I think it might be my new favorite of Sally Hepworth’s…though I have a habit of saying that with each new book! I can’t help it as I just love her books. I loved how the author not only delved into the plot but also explored into the psyche of these characters, peeling it layer by layer; which I found really interesting! Overall, this was chefs kiss good for real!

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is such a fun thriller to read. The author has a unique voice, and her characters are pure entertainment. Alicia, Jessica, and Norah are foster sisters bonded by the trauma endured during their time with a horrific foster mother. The novel flips back and for between past and present, and the mystery unravels slowly and then all at once- and then the twist hits you in the face. Highly recommend!!