I am a huge fan of Sally Hepworth. I have read all her books and eagerly await each new publication. I was thrilled to receive a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was about three women raised in foster care. They experienced a lot of trauma and abuse from their foster mother. This created a bond like no other. I loved reading about these women and their sister like bond. Sally is exceptionally gifted at creating 3 dimensional characters that are both real and flawed. In this book you see the child abuse they suffer and their experience trying to an escape the cycle of abuse. This book is a slow burn. While there is a mystery surrounding bones found under their foster home I would not label the book a “fast paced thriller”. I do recommend this book and can’t wait to read Sally’s next release.

Thank you for the ARC!
This book was amazing. I could not put it down until I was done. I thought I knew how it was going to end but the twist definitely had me surprised. Definitely recommend this book!

My very first ARC was Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. All I can say is WOW. What a wild ride. I was hooked from the very first page and could not stop until I finished. This book deals with extremely heavy topics involving children, so beware before you begin. That being said, it truly made me feel so many emotions throughout the book and had me guessing until the very last page! The story is told in two timelines- past & present. In most past/present storytelling, I tend to prefer or look forward to one over the other. This may have been the first book that I felt equally attached to and excited for both timelines. The characters felt so real, and the setting had an eerie sort of charm to it. Without a doubt, this is a 5 ⭐️ read for me. Make sure to add to your list for April 2024! Thank you to Net Galley & St. Martin’s Press for the early copy!

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were all foster children of Miss Fairchild. At Wild Meadows, they endured the unimaginable. Years later, bones are found buried in what used to be the Wild Meadows yard. The girls return for the first time and begin to confront their childhood memories.

"We're sisters in every way that counts."

Sally Hepworth has a way of creating beautifully flawed characters that you just can't help but root for, and that was the case here. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are not biological sisters, but the trauma they went through as children made them, if possible, closer than some biological pairings. I loved their bond and their loyalty to each other.

This read like suspenseful women's fiction. The mystery of the bones was front and center, but I found myself mostly engaged with the sections of the book that were set in the past, when the girls were under Miss Fairchild's "care." There were times I actually felt so sad and anxious for these girls - that's how good Hepworth is at character building.

This was a great read that explores childhood trauma, foster care, biological vs nonbiological bonds and so much more. With short chapters & a classic Hepworth twist, you will fly through this one.

Alicia, Jessica, and Norah are sisters in every sense of the word. Although not blood relatives, these women endured a childhood that bonded them together for life.

If you are a Sally Hepworth fan like I am, you won't want to miss Darling Girls. If you haven't discovered Sally Hepworth's books, Darling Girls is a great one to get started with. The characters include those you are cheering for, and the one you love to hate. The story will keep you reading late into the night.

I loved, loved, loved Darling Girls. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this excellent book.

Four and a half stars for me, especially with the stellar last chapter. I enjoyed the then and now aspect of the storyline and the banter between the three foster girls.

Any Sally Hepworth book is a good book! This is the story about three sisters who grow up in an abusive house and that trauma that stays because of it. It was a really good book!

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.

Received the ARC from NetGalley. I always like Sally Hepworth books and this one was no exception! Definitely a unique story and I found each character interesting so I was glad we got so many points of view. The ending was such a good way to close the book!!

I could not book this book down!!!! I finished it in 2 days! This book starts slow but it immediately grabbed me. Three foster sisters, one horrible guardian, and one dead body. I don’t want to say anymore than that because it’s best to go in not knowing much. The twist and turns will keep you entertained for days! 4.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Started this about 5 am (I didn't have to be at work till 9). Got 92% into it before work! OMG!! This book is going to be one of the ones to watch for in 2024!! I couldn't race thru the pages fast enough!!

Alicia, Jessica and Norah bonded as foster kids in a bad situation, creating a strong sister like relationship. They must come face to face with their past when a body is discovered under their former foster home.

This book is fast moving and full of surprises, a fun read.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book and am leaving this review on my own accord.

I could not put this book down- I finished it in less than 24 hours! There was a bit of a slow burn and I loved Hepworth's character development. I have read other Hepworth novels, but this one jumped to the top of my list: she remains a must-read author for me, especially when I want to get lost in a book. Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for an eARC of this novel!

Thank you so much for the ARC of this book. It was my second by this author and I enjoyed the story.

It follows 3 “sisters” who grew up in a foster home together. Years later bones are discovered under the foster home they lived in. That last page though 🤯 - just when you think its all over Sally throws one more thing at you. I will read others by this author.

What a ride. Jessica, Alicia, and Norah were such great characters. The three “sisters” are called to return to the town they were fostered in after the house is torn down and bones are found under the house. It is slowly reviewed the horrors of their time with Miss Fairchild. I was hooked instantly and loved the whole thing. And the ending was amazing!

The novel centres around Alicia, Jessica, and Norah, foster sisters. The three women met as children when they were taken in as foster children by Miss Fairchild. The novel switches between the past, at Miss Fairchild's house, and the present, when unknown bones are discovered below Miss Fairchild's house. In the past, we learn about Miss Fairchild's abusive nature towards the girls. This shapes the present mystery and provides background for all our characters.

Once again, Sally Hepworth kills it (pun not intended). I really liked the three sisters - they all had very different personalities and the interaction between them added some humour to this otherwise dark novel. The dual timeline worked well, keeping me on the edge of my seat. The twists and turns were plentiful and exciting. Definitely recommend adding this to your reading list!

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh this was so good!!! Such interesting characters that are forced to relive their childhood experiences. Twisty plot had me devouring this very fast. Couldn’t put it down! Well done.

Thank you St Martins Press & Netgalley for an ebook ARC copy of Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED this book. It was my second Sally Hepworth book (the first was “the younger wife”) and I gotta say this one makes me want to read all her books.

Though I think it shouldn’t be marketed as a “thriller” (I tend to think only books where the characters are actively escaping death should be classified as such) it was a perfect mystery read.

The story follows 3 women Alicia, Norah, and Jessica who grew up in the same abusive foster home. 25 years later, now adults, there are human skeletal remains found under their foster home. They are forever to go back to the place that still haunts their lives. Who is buried under the home? Did the girls have anything to do with it? You gotta see how this all comes together- it’s WILD

3.5 stars rounded up! Sally Hepworth is a favorite of mine, and this isn’t a *bad* book, it just wasn’t my favorite. It follows Alicia, Jessica, and Norah, and their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. On a personal note, foster children have always been a sensitive topic for me, so that could be a reason why it wasn’t a favorite of mine. That, and half of the book documents their abuse. The other half shows where they are today, after they get a call from police that human remains are found under the house. The sisters (not by blood but an unbreakable bond) return to Wild Meadows for questioning, while their own issues and secrets are slowly revealed. It’s not a very fast paced book…that doesn’t mean it’s boring! On the contrary, I enjoyed reading it so much that I could barely put it down. It just isn’t an action-packed thriller with twists and turns, so as long as you don’t go in expecting that, I think you’ll find it an enjoyable afternoon read.

I receive an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for a review and opinions are my own.

Three woman call themselves sisters, but they are actually survivors of a tumultuous time they spent together in a foster home, Wild Meadows. Miss Holly Fairchild raised one girl, Jessica, from toddlerhood. Norah came next and spent several years after bouncing from 7 homes in 9 years. Norah was next after her grandmother passed unexpectedly. The girls couldn't be more different, but become confidants amongst their strict foster mother. Babies would come and go and the girls were their main caregivers.
When human remains are found under Wild Meadows decades later, the woman return to speak with the local authorities. They meet many of the 'babies', now adults and reflect on how they survived those years with Miss Fairchild. Speculations are made as to who could possibly be buried under the house...the babies seem to be documented for and only 1 missing was baby Amy. The straw that broke the foster home open.
The culminating moments had me on the edge of my seat, eagerly awaiting the stunning twist that was delivered with precision. highly recommend!

Darling Girls follows 3 women forced to face their past when a body was discovered under the foster home they spent time in. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia formed a trauma bond being fostered by Miss Fairchild and enduring the psychological abuses she put them through. Now, they have returned to help investigators figure out who may have been found under that house, but after the first line of questioning, the three fear they will not be believed and some think they may be responsible for the death.

Hepworth provides seamless transitions following each character during the current investigation and back to their time with Miss Fairchild. This thriller was fast-paced with good character development. You can feel the bond the characters share and want so badly for them to see the justice they deserve. I was hooked from the very beginning.