This is my first @netgalley review and I’m amped to have gotten access to this book so soon! It is Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. I have others by her on my shelf so it caught my eye.

I am such a thriller girl (especially when I’m in a slump) and this one ticked off the boxes for me! It has a timeline jump that kept me invested, I didn’t guess all of the twists and turns, and I was really interested in the MCs and each of their storylines.

I can’t wait to read more from Sally Hepworth when I’m in need of a fast-paced, domestic thriller to keep me on my toes!

3.5 STARS

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!

A 3.5 star rating because I was invested to see how things played out, who was responsible and if justice would be served!

This may just be my favorite book of Hepworth’s! The story immediately piqued my interest & kept it. Always a bonus when I’m hooked right off the bat. There were some parts that drug a bit (mainly where the characters themselves dwelled on things) which kept it from being 5 stars but overall a great plot & surprising twists. I think she did such a good job making the three main characters so different but also conveying their tight bond of sisterhood despite their differences. Her character development was fantastic in my opinion. Norah was my favorite, almost an oxymoron of a character. Beautiful, but absolute trouble, a heart of gold, and also funny. Most the book had me anxious for the girls & what was to come for them & the plot (how everything would come together). I also think the author did a good job making you feel bad for some characters that you didn’t want to sympathize for because they were so awful. I had some ideas on some of the twist & I was on the right track but I was wrong! The ending was the icing on the cake, super unexpected!!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for the advanced copy, always appreciative!

Another good one by Sally Hepworth. Three girls who were fostered in the same home, have stayed close, like 'sisters'. A discovery of bones in that foster home brings back the past and lots of secrets

This was such an emotional read from start to end. Reading the synopsis, I thought it sounded intriguing but I was not prepared to be fully immersed in the book from beginning to end.

There are major trigger warnings in this book so proceed with caution if you are sensitive to child abuse, child abandonment, murder and sexual assault. It is a heavy hearted read and may not be for everyone.

Alicia, Jessica and Norah (with an "H" lol) bonded together as young girls in a foster home. The foster home was run by Miss Fairchild who for lack of a better word is horrible. She treated the girls like garbage. The girls did not want to say anything to anyone for fear they would be separated. It is only when Miss Fairchild starts bringing in babies to care for do the sisters start to worry. When Miss Fairchild one day drops a young baby and does not let them help the baby, they decide they have to do something.

Years later, the girls are reunited because bones have turned up under Miss Fairchild's house. It has been 20 years and Alicia, Jessica and Norah are forced to retell and relive their abusive time in the home. At the same time, detectives are working hard to find out the identity of the young child found under the home.

This book was one of the best books I have read this year. The writing style was captivating, moving and emotional. I did not spend my time trying to think of theories of what was happening like I do in many books, I just wanted to read and see where it took me. I was blindsided by the ending.

Five solid stars. A heavy hearted tragic read but such a good book. I need to read something light and fluffy after this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced digital reader copy of this amazing novel to read and review.

For everyone else, mark your calendars for April 23, 2024 - the anticipated publication date.

Alicia, Jessica, and Norah are sisters bonded by trauma. As adults, Jessica needs control, Norah lashes out in anger and Alicia resists her true self. As children—they lived on a farm with their foster mother Miss Fairchild. Miss Fairchild had rules— and you had best follow them, or else.

Desperate to escape, the girls plotted together until the perfect opportunity arose for them to escape. Years later as adults, they all receive a phone call that bones have been discovered under the farmhouse. The women are forced to go back—to answer questions about their time there—but what chilling secrets await them?

I liked this one! I am usually a fan of Sally Hepworth’s thrillers because they are always solid reads and this one does not disappoint. I like the multiple POV’s and thought the flashbacks into all of the sister’s childhood experiences were necessary to show what they went through and why they were the way they were as adults. I also enjoy it when books have an underlying message, and this one highlights the flaws of foster care, and the impact it can have on the children inside the system.

I loved this book. The character development, plot, flashbacks, and final reveal at the end were all perfection. This is my first book by the author but it definitely won't be my last. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of "Darling Girls" by Sally Hepworth! I read this in exchange for my honest review.

I'm going to start my review by saying-- I love Sally Hepworth's books. I've read a few of her more well known books-- and they're all just fun reads. Darling Girls is special to me because I felt it had this very unique story about foster children in an abusive household. (If you're triggered at child abuse, maybe skip this one) It was a quick, fun read.

I think this will be a best seller once released!

My absolute favorite book I’ve read by Sally Hepworth is The Mother’s Promise. Although Darling Girls isn’t as good, it’s still a solid read. 3.5 stars. The relationship & loyalty of Jessica, Norah, & Alicia made sense in the context of their shared experiences in the foster care setting. It’s easy to root for them. This author seems intrigued by mental illness and weaves in some interesting aspects there. I think my favorite parts were the chapters with the office visits with Dr. Warren the psychiatrist- a secondary story unfolds…
Thank you to the author, publisher, & NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Another thrilling Sally Hepworth book that had me quickly turning the pages. She is a favorite author that never disappoints. Her characters are fully fleshed out with many twists and turns. This is a sad story about the foster care system that needed to be told. However, I am not a fan of the jumping timelines which is often being used these days. 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4 for the changing story and shocking ending. #DarlingGirls #SallyHepworth #NetGalley

Another masterpiece by Sally Hepworth. This book really dove into the lives of children in foster care and how it can go wrong. The POV switched between three main characters, detailing their experiences through a foster home they were in together. Darling Girls dove deep into how sinister life can be behind closed doors, and that you never truly know what life is like for others. I enjoyed that the book went back in time, as well as the present. Overall, I rate this book 4 stars. It kept me intrigued throughout the whole book, and I couldn’t put it down!

I loved this book just like I love all of Sally’s books. I could not put this one down and I read it in 2 days. That might be the fastest I have ever read a book. Sally’s plots are so engaging and interesting and are such page turners. This is her at her finest and I highly recommend to everyone!!

A thrilling book that keeps you turning the pages until the shocking ending. Full of twists and turns and shocks. Brilliant!

Darling Girls focuses on three foster "sisters", who grew up together for a couple of years at Wild Meadows foster home in Port Agatha. They are all grown and living their not so best lives, when they each receive a phone call 25 years later from a detective about the discovery of human bones on the site of Meadows Hill.
All three of the women who are so close they call each other sisters, go back to Meadows Hill to be interviewed by the detectives on the case. Jessica, Alicia, and Norah all have flashbacks from their time at Meadows Hill and with their cruel and abusive foster mother, Miss Fairchild. It's a mystery who the bones could belong to, because as children no one ever believed them and they were gaslit for years.
This book was a very good portrayal on the life-long lasting effects of being raised by an abusive, narcissistic foster parent/ parent. There was also a good character study done on that of Miss Fairchild, and how she was able to manipulate everyone around her.
I highly recommend reading this book, as the twists and turns were plentiful!!

Darling Girls is the story of 3 foster sisters, Jessica, Norah and Alicia, who met while they were being fostered by their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. The beginning of the book starts with each sister in the present, learning that there has been a skeleton unearthed at their former foster home and being requested by the local police to come down to talk to them. The sisters meet and agree to take a trip to their former town. The author then takes the reader through the sisters’ journey to the rural town in which they met, and weaves in their history mixing together the past and present in an easy to read fashion. Intertwined into many of the chapters are excerpts from a present tense interview between the foster mother and a psychiatrist during with the foster mother speaks of her own upbringing. At first, the transitions to Ms. Fairchild’s discussions with the psychiatrist were a bit jarring because they happened in the middle of a chapter, but a pattern is created and as the book goes on, the segues become smoother.

All three sisters have distinct personalities, and their characters are well developed. They are ardent supporters and defenders of each other and have each found ways to cope with their childhood. The latter part of the book is focused on the skeleton that was unearthed at the house. There is an interesting twist at the very end of the book which I was not expecting but which was welcome. A very fast-paced read!

Thank you, NetGalley and Sally Hepworth, for the advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to review this book. All opinions are my own. I love a good family story, and Sally Hepworth wrote one. Three foster sisters are the main characters, the author switches between their childhood and present day. It kept me guessing but some of the part of the book were predictable for me. All the characters were very well developed ,and the author spent a lot of time describing their shared trauma; however their sisterhood bond is amazingly strong. Sally Hepworth's writing style is unique and this book is very well written. I can't wait for the physical copy of the book to come out because I am definitely buying one. I would also recommend this book for a book club discussion.

This book really opened my eyes about the foster system. You always hear about the good stories from fostering a child but never hear the horror stories. Darling girls brings the horror story to real life. Excellent story and pray to God no child has to endure the abuse or neglect like this.

5/5 stars for this read! I seriously looked forward to reading this every day. The plot, characters, and drama/thrill of the story was 10/10. Every page was written with quality and suspense. I was guessing the ending until the last page and still was on the edge of my seat (quite literally).

Darling Girls tells the story of 3 foster sisters who have to relive their past when a body is found at their former home. This was a quick read and it held my attention. I love a good mystery.

I can’t resist a Sally Hepworth book, and this one, like the rest, certainly does not disappoint. Hepworth juggles complex relationships, family drama, and psychological suspense so well. Alternating time periods AND POVs make the story even more compelling. Trigger warnings should abound, however: abuse, addiction, neglect, suicide attempt. Those with an intense foster care experience as either a child or caregiver may struggle, but the story is an important one to tell and to build empathy.