Thank you so much @netgalley for the Advanced Readers Copy. Three girls grow up in foster care and become as close as sisters. The situation is terrible, and they draw together for strength. They grow up and get out, but are called back when human bones are found under the farmhouse. The diabolical Miss Fairchild is still around, and it brings back all the old feelings. Whose bones are these, who has died, and who is the murderer? The story goes back and forth between present day and their teenage years. We learn a lot of secrets, and some of them go back much further than expected. It’s a good psychological thriller, kept me reading and interested. #darlinggirls #sallyhepworth #fostercare #humanremains #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday #netgalley #advancedreadercopy #prepublication

Sally Hepworth has delivered another 5 star - must-devour-immediately-then-talk-about-it-with-all-of-my-friends read!

Darling Girls is a dark and twisty tale of three girls who bonded over the trauma they shared during their time with Miss Fairchild while in foster care.

Jessica has always been the organizer and the one who craved the attention of a mother figure. Norah is combative and rebellious finding little reason to like, let alone love, anyone. And Alicia is able to find the good in everyone but herself.

The three girls, now women, forged a sisterhood that is stronger than blood and that strength is needed when bones are found under the porch of their former foster home. Each are contacted by police and questioned about their time with Miss Fairchild. While all three would love to leave the events of 25 years ago behind them, they know they owe it to someone from their past to find answers.

The story teeters from the past to the present and is told from the perspective of each woman. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are each wholly different yet share a love for one another that neither time nor tragedy can break.

I am so appreciative of the opportunity provided by NetGalley, Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin’s Press to devour and review this novel ahead of its anticipated release in April of 2024 in exchange for an honest review.

Really loved this book! Sally hardly disappoints me! I was super stoked to receive this ARC. I’ve been lucky in the past to get a few of them so it was awesome.

Such a good one! I can’t wait until pub day so everyone can get their hands on it!

Oh Sally Hepworth.. you never disappoint. This book was amazing. Crazy and amazing! Definitely one of my favourites of their books. I HIGHLY recommend this.

Girls are sent to ne fostered b y Mrs Fairchild.. She is a mentally ill abusive foster mother. Secrets unfold and the foster girls are brought back together. Likeable characters and an interesting Australian setting. Howecer, the plot didn't really draw me.in.

Darling Girls is amazing! I couldn't put this book down. I am not surprised as Sally Hepworth never disappoints! The story about Jessica, Alicia, Norah is one that keeps you guessing and puts the spotlight on childhood abuse for foster children. Hepworth focuses on these women overcoming obstacles and being heroes meanwhile their bond gets stronger with whatever comes their way.

3.5 stars to Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth.

Many thanks first and foremost to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, Sally Hepworth for sending this ARC!

I think it should be said before continuing that this book has BIG trigger warnings. It should be noted that the entire book discusses child abuse (both physical and sexual), discussing the suspected murder of a young child, how said child was murdered, and also sprinkles in some mention of human trafficking.

While the book certainly brings awareness to child abuse happening in foster homes, I just think it is a tough read. I would say I was not the best audience for this book with a young child myself. There were times I was nearly in tears.

Darling Girls follows the story line of 3 main characters - Jessica Lovat, Norah Anderson, and Alicia Connelly. The story also includes inserts of "The Office of Dr. Warren, Psychiatrist" and his patient who remains unknown for a portion of the book. In addition, there are two timelines being discussed in the book (three if you want to include the patient and psychiatrist's sessions). Despite this, it was not confusing at all. The short chapters help to propel the book forward and I never felt a lull in the storyline.

In keeping this review spoiler free, I will just say what a HECK of an ending. Just when you think the book is done and all is resolved, BAM. One more chapter. I was able to guess who the mystery patient was, but not able to guess the circumstances of what brought about the sessions. I definitely did not guess the ending, which came at a big surprise.

I think overall this is a really good thriller and I would probably recommend it to others, I would just heavily caution about looking into the trigger warnings first before reading Darling Girls.

Stories about haunted childhoods always appeal to me, especially when they involve locations like the one in this book. It’s a foster home that was torn down revealing a gruesome discovery of bones buried beneath it. But unfortunately, the story wasn’t nearly as dark and macabre as I was expecting. Sure, the young girls were treated terribly when they lived there, but really, it could have been so much worse. Especially given the backstory of the owner, Miss Fairchild. The girls (Alicia, Jessica, and Norah) are now grown and have been contacted by the local police department where the foster home was located. None of the three want to return to that place, but they also can’t ignore the pull they feel to go back and finally put the past to rest.

The women are typically scarred by their early traumas – Alicia constantly puts herself down to prevent getting close enough to anyone else. Jessica is obsessed with organization and the need to please. Norah annoyed me the most, although I believe we’re supposed to empathize with her violent tendencies and use of sex as a bargaining tool. But she just comes across as a conceited jerk. The story is told in the present timeframe and in the past as the girls move to Miss Fairchild’s home one by one. When they escape, it’s abrupt and that’s it, that’s the end of the narrative in the past.

I think the very end is supposed to be surprising, but I would have been more surprised if that final twist hadn’t been revealed. But then it’s a bit illogical when comparing the girls’ pretty tame lives in foster care to how it could have been and should have been, with the ending taken into consideration. That sounds so confusing but should make sense if you’ve read the story.

So anyway, it’s a good book that could have been great if it was as horrific and lurid as you expect it to be. More mystery and thrills, less mildly unpleasant memories.

If psychological thrillers are your genre, then RUN, don’t walk to get this newest book from Sally Hepworth. Underscoring how damage done to children remains the baggage they carry into adulthood, while exposing the problems with the foster system, Darling Girls will haunt you long after you have turned the last page.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia are sisters, not bound by DNA but rather the rigors of their upbringing by their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. Years after leaving her care and aging out of the foster system, they are once again jolted back to their childhood when human bones are discovered under the farmhouse where they lived. The investigation leads into a surprise you won’t see coming.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an uncorrected digital copy.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I have been really looking forward to reading a book by Sally Hepworth and had several on my tbr pile, so I was super excited to get the opportunity to read one of her upcoming books. I was not disappointed. "Darling Girls" is about three very tight-knit adopted siblings who are called back to their childhood town because skeletal remains are found buried in their old foster home. They are then forced to confront their traumas and relive their childhood memories with the very irractic and unpredictable Miss Fairchild. I rated this read at 3.75 stars. I loved the way the story unfolded and found the character easy to invest in. I would categorize this as a slower paced psychological mystery. I would have rated this higher, but I felt that the ending and twist were too predictable, and where it seemed I should be shocked, I wasn't. However, that did not take away from the investment and attachments I had to the characters and their stories. Overall, I would recommend this book, but I would describe it as a cozy physiological read.

Sally Hepworth does it again! She weaves an amazing story but the very end was a gut punch. I did NOT see that coming!

Darling Girls ✨

Another great book from Sally Hepworth!! I really enjoyed the Soulmate earlier this year so I was super excited to pick this up!

I was a little wary at first because I don’t always love books with more than two POVs but I think this is an example of multiple POVs being done really well. The characters are all so distinct so it’s easy to quickly be able to differentiate between them. It was such a unique plot line and I really appreciated reading about all the varying experiences of kids being raised in foster care. I also appreciate the gray morality with most (if not all) of the characters.

The chapters were quick and there were so many cliffhangers that I just had to keep reading and couldn’t put it down 😂 For most of the book I thought this was going to be a 4 star read but the ending gave me CHILLS and turned it into a 5 star read.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!!

Book: Darling Girls
Author: Sally Hepworth
Genre: Domestic thriller
Publication date: April 23, 2024
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my first Sally Hepworth book and it will not be my last! I was invested from the get go. I loved learning about Alicia, Jessica and Norah and how they ended up at Wild Meadows. There was the perfect build up, the right amount of twists that kept me needing to read more and more. I had no idea where the story was going and was completely shocked with the ending! There was a perfect mix of then and now and the characters story's were wrapped up perfectly at the end. I would highly recommend Darling Girls and cannot wait to read more by Sally Hepworth.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin Press for the ARC!
Darling Girls comes out on April 23rd, 2024 and I highly recommend picking up a copy!

Trigger Warning: sexual assault, child abuse, drug abuse

Sally…. You outdid yourself! Sally Hepworth has been an auto read of mine for a while now so imagine my excitement getting my hands on an ARC.

However, this one is dark. Dark like The Push. So if anything in those trigger warnings makes you a little uncomfy I wouldn’t recommend. This is an amazing thriller that, for the most part, kept me guessing. I slowly figured out where it was going but never had it truly figured out.

Strong ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
I adore Sally Hepworth’s novels- she is an amazing writer and the character personalities she creates as well at the plots she weaves are honestly incredible.

This book was hard to read at parts (trigger warning: child abuse) but though it was hard is was necessary to help you “know” certain people in the story. It also helped to make certain aspects of the plot more satisfying in the end.

Jessica, Norah, and Alice work through their past as foster children at Wild Meadows. They’re forced to confront what they went through when the body of a child is found under the home while it’s being demolished. As they grapple with their past and present issues they find out things aren’t always as they seemed.

I didn’t want to put this down once I started and I highly recommend this book just like I have all her others.

Thank you to NetGalley for this free uncorrected digital copy.

Very interesting story that I feel is a lot like another book that I read a few months ago, which kept popping into my head the whole time. Girls from an orphanage are called back to town for questioning when the house is demolished and a body is found.
The mystery of whose body it is and the final reveal surprised me. The relationship between the girls was well written as was each sisters personality.

I really enjoyed this! It was suspenseful and full of twists that I did not expect. It has alternating timelines and multiple POV’s, despite this, it was not hard to follow and only captivated me more.

I was rooting so hard for the three sisters and for anything good to happen to them. Reading about their backstory was a little painful and hard to take at times. But this was a great mystery with really creating twists!

I absolutely loved this book! I am a huge Sally Hepworth fan & was so happy to read this early! The storyline, characters, short chapters-I couldn’t put this one down. Definitely recommend!

“Darling Girls” is Sally Hepworth’s latest effort and lovers of both her work and domestic thrillers in general will not be disappointed.

I have been a fan of Sally Hepworth since her very first novel, and honestly, there were parts of this novel where I could not stop shivering--with horror or anticipation, I am not sure! The focus of the novel is on three women that grew up in the foster system under the harsh treatment of their foster mother. Years later, they return when they are contacted by a detective. Bones had been discovered under the foster house where the women had received such heinous treatment.

The reader learns each of the women’s stories—from both past and present. I found that each of the woman had her own unique voice and the shifting of timelines and POVs was not at all confusing. I did find this story exceptionally darker than Hepworth’s last work. The ending a bit twisted, but overall, if you want to be kept guessing, you will enjoy this book.

Four out of five stars.

Thank you the Sally Hepworth, NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel.

5⭐️

Alicia, Jessica and Norah has worked hard to leave what happened at Wild Meadows behind them. They’ve tried to come across as normal, well adjusted women who had a normal childhood. But they all know their childhood was far from normal. The three girls grew up in a foster home owned by Miss Fairchild.

Miss Fairchild had strict rules and a temperament that could change at the drop of a hat. In a moment of bravery, the three girls went to authorities and got away from Miss Fairchild and they thought they’d never have to think about Wild Meadows again. But then the property was sold and when the house was torn down, human remains were found. And Alicia, Jessica and Norah are forced to talk about what happened behind those closed doors.

Sally Hepworth has became a go-to author for me so when I got the chance to read this early I was beyond ecstatic! And she didn’t disappoint! This is the second release in a row that’s a five star for me.


I appreciate how much research and sensitivity she puts into each book. Darling Girls primarily focuses on the foster care system and the lasting effects of being raised by a narcissist. I feel like this did a good job of capturing a lot of experiences of foster care-the good and the bad. The three girls personalities as adults perfectly captured how much a person’s childhood effects that.

I also really liked the therapy sessions scattered throughout the book and I liked trying to figure out who was actually attending the session.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC to me!