WOW!! This was a phenomenal tale told in an interesting way. So many damaging issues with the four main characters. In my opinion, a review is a bit difficult to write. It would be easy to provide spoilers unintentionally. Let me just say that the first reveal is surprising. The second reveal is the biggie - it is not only surprising, but shocking. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and highly recommend it.
Thank you to #SallyHepworth#St.Martin'sPress#NetGalley for an ARC of Darling Girls

“What are we capable of when in a desperate place? How much can we hide the demons inside us? And can the past ever truly be buried?”

Personal review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another unputdownable domestic thriller by Sally Hepworth! This time we are transported to the lives of three women with similar pasts, who grew up with an unpredictable foster mother named Miss Fairchild and grew in closeness over the years to become makeshift sisters because of this time in her home named Wild Woods. The story’s main plot is the remains of a child being found under the house that Miss Fairchild owned decades later, and the girls assistance in solving the crime, or incriminating themselves! Alicia, Jessica and Norah were all easy characters to transition back and forth between, and you could see the deeply rooted issues of being raised in foster care and group homes. Miss Fairchild’s character was chilling and perfectly written, releasing crucial information at just the right moments of impact! This novel was easy to read and enjoy as a domestic thriller.

Synopsis: From the outside, Alicia, Jessica and Norah might seem like ordinary women you'd meet on the street any day of the week. Sure, Jessica has a little OCD and Norah has some anger issues. And Alicia has low self-esteem that manifests itself in surprising ways. But these three have a bond that no one can fully understand. It's a bond that takes them back decades, to when they were girls, and they lived on a farm with a foster mother named Miss Fairchild. Miss Fairchild had rules. Miss Fairchild could be unpredictable. And Miss Fairchild was never, ever to be crossed. In a moment of desperation, the three broke away from Miss Fairchild, and they thought they were free. But the reach of someone with such power is long, and even though they never saw her again, she was always somewhere in the shadows of their minds. When bones are discovered buried under the farmhouse of their childhood, they are called in by the police to tell what they know. Against their will, they are brought back to the past, and to Miss Fairchild herself.

Sally Hepworth is BACK.

After a couple good-but-not-great books, Darling Girls absolutely knocked me off my feet. It was eerie (but not creepy because there's a serious distinction there). I started reading it while I was on a trip for work and wanted to stop working just so I could read it.

Told in two timelines, the "unreliable" narrator comes from each being children in half of the story. It's a novel of gaslighting, essentially.

I can't say much more than that without spoiling something, but do yourself a favor and READ THIS BOOK.

Thank you net galley and publisher for this ARC. I've read every book by Sally Hepworth and this book was great and kept me guessing. I couldn't put it down once I started and there was twists I didn't expect either. I recommend this book!

Sally Hepworth, Queen of Domestic Drama, has done it again! Darling Girls is an exciting family drama full of thrilling twists and turns. We get to know Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, who grew up in the same foster home. The sisters share a close bond, after enduring a childhood of abuse and gaslighting with a foster mother who was just clever enough to never do anything that the girls could prove. Now they're grown, and human remains have been found under the farm house where they grew up. Old wounds will be opened, and decades-old questions will finally be answered. Sally Hepworth does her signature work of fully developing intricate, flawed characters, and getting to the root of what makes people tick.

Darling Girls ~ Sally Hepworth

Jessica Lovat has just finished up with a client when she receives a call she has been dreading for years. A Detective from Port Agatha is on the other end of the line, requesting interviews with Jessica and her foster sisters, Norah & Alicia. A body, just bones remaining, has been found buried at the site of the former Wild Meadows Farm homestead – the foster home of the three girls many years ago, run by a manipulative, abusive, cruel woman named Holly Fairchild. Norah & Alicia have received similar calls, and the girls convene at Jessica’s home to discuss the situation - torn between needing to know what happened at the old homestead, yet dreading return to the place that still haunts their dreams.

As they make the journey together, they soon have a confrontation with their old foster mother, quickly realizing that she still – even now, has an ability to manipulate the girls, provoking behaviors they’ve worked hard to overcome. They also meet some other children (now adults) whom were also cared for in the home, and are equally befuddled as to whom might have died there, and when…but all will be revealed, both truth and lies, in time…

Told in then and now perspectives of each of the sisters, the reader learns of how they came to be placed in Miss Fairchild’s home, the struggles they endured and the unbreakable bond they formed in the face of significant psychological and physical abuse.

This was a great read! As the story evolves, the potential identity of the body found becomes even more of a mystery – every theory I came up with was ultimately wrong – before the unexpected reveal – and even then, there’s a twist or two to go! This is my second novel by the very talented Sappy Hepworth and I eagerly await her next work!!

Available from your favorite bookseller on April 23rd.

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley & Random House Publishing Group in exchange for an objective review. Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!

**Blog will publish on 4/20/24**

Wow that ending! I was completely thrown off on how it ended. This book was so full of twists and turns.

Miss Fairchild is one Foster Mother that no child should have. I don’t want to say too much so I don’t give anything away but if you like psychological thrillers, add this one to your reading list!

No one does domestic suspense better than Sally Hepworth. The perfect balance of family drama mixed with dark and twist plot points.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy.

Yes Sally!! I have been waiting for her to release a novel I loved as much as The Good Sister and it is HERE.

I loved Darling Girls so much. The three sisters different personalities as well as the back and forth with the therapy appointments kept the narrative fresh. The gut punch ending was everything I love about Hepworth's novels and I'll absolutely be recommending my followers pick this one up in the spring.

This story revolves around 3 women who grew up in the same foster care home as children and young teens. Norah, Jessica, and Alicia are lifelong sisters after the trauma and abuse they suffered at the hands of their foster parent, Miss. Fairchild. Now as adults Jessica has a successful home organizing business thanks to her OCD. Alicia is a caseworker for foster care children. And Norah is a little rough around the edges but who isn't afraid to act on her feelings.

One day they receive a call from a detective in Port Agatha, where they grew up, asking them to assist in an investigation. A body has been found under the house they grew up in.

Traveling back to the place they swore they would never return to, they are forced to face their past, and Miss. Fairchild, in ways they never imagined.

Told between "before" and "now" we get to see how they were treated as children, and how they are seeking retribution as adults. Some of this is very hard to read, as most child abuse stories are, but the heart of this book is the three women never giving up on each other. It's heartbreaking, strong-willed, and very twisty! Highly recommend!

📱”Darling Girls” by Sally Hepworth

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
expected publish date: April 23, 2024

Thank you to @netgalley, Erica Martirano from St. Martins Publishing, and of course the author, Sally Hepworth for this early kindle version

Three young girls, in what looks to be a perfect foster home. Alicia, Jessica and Norah are bonded closer than sisters, each bringing their trauma and past into their made family. Miss Fairchild appeared to be a doting foster mother with some excessive cleaning rules, but in reality she was manipulative, mean and often unpredictable. When bones are discovered buried under the farmhouse of their childhood foster home, each of the girls are called in by the police to tell what they know. The past, the secrets and Miss Fairchild all come out. Another don’t miss read from one of my favorite authors… Great character development, fast moving suspense, with a twist at the end… 👏

#givemeallthebooks #books #letsread #bookfriends #homelibrary
#somanybooks #readsomemore #audiobooks #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #readersofinstagram #readmorebooks #booklover #bookishlove #readersgonnaread #bookishaf

This one left my jaw on the floor!! I’ve loved all of Sally Hepworth’s books, but this one might be one of her best.

The story centers around three women who lived in the same foster home and are closer than most biological sisters. They lean on each other for everything and they have been through a lot together.

When they get a call from a detective asking them to go back to their foster home, they are hesitant. They didn’t have the best memories there and want to put it all behind them. But, something happened there that needs to be resolved.

I absolutely loved reading this book. I thought that the excerpts with the mystery person talking to a therapist were most intriguing. I also really liked when the book went back in the past to expand upon the girls’ childhood, even though it was really hard to read.

The author did a fantastic job at wrapping up the story nicely and the ending was so satisfying!

Thank you, @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the eARC in exchange for a review!

Loved loved loved this book.
Wow!!!! A story with stories in-between that story written brilliantly. Totally draws you in and when you think it's already great it gets better!!! Frigging wonderful ending.
Loved loved loved this book!!!!!!!
Gets all the stars and more

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

I'm a big fan of Sally Hepworth and was very excited to get this ARC. It took me a while to get into the story as there's not a lot of action and the narration alternates between main characters. Once I got to know the people the story flowed through present day and flashbacks. I was disappointed that I figured out the ending early until I got to the end and got a giant shock when I was completely wrong. Well played Hepworth, well played.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I very much enjoyed it.

I love everything Sally Hepworth writes. And after reading several Hepworth books, I felt like I knew how her books went. But this one is so different. The main characters are three little girls - left to foster care. So one at a time they meet Miss Fairchild - a Disney princess of a lady who has a beautiful home. But of course things are not as they seem - too good to be true in fact. So they girls create their own little family and learn to survive. The story begins when they are grown and on their own. Miss Fairchild's home - Wild Meadows - has been sold and torn down. A discovery is made that brings back all the events of the girl's horrific time with Miss Fairchild. This book is one wild ride and of course Hepworth throws in those last minute twists that she is famous for.

Sally Hepworth does it again!!

This book does not disappoint. From the start I was intrigued with the storyline. The character development is solid and you immediately feel all the things for these girls and the situation they are in. Throughout the book, I found myself sad, angry and happy. All the feelings.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me this early read. Hands down recommend it to anyone who loves a good twist.

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

Sally Hepworth does it again! Darling Girls was full of twists, the ultimate twist being revealed in the last chapter. Definitely recommend this one to any fan of thrillers, it kept me hooked the entire way.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

A banger!!!!!

3 foster girls under the care of a crazy mean lady with her own troubling past.
Now 15 years later the 3 adult women are called back to their childhood town to drudge up their disturbing pasta when bones are found under their foster home.
The 3 ladies current lives are spiraling along side flash backs from childhood.

I loved every single part of each of the girls current and past stories. It all tied together SO well and the ending twist 🤯 amazing!

I knew the therapist parts were miss Fairchild pretty early on and I loved seeing it unravel along side the girls stories instead of just trying to force feed us all the reasoning why she was the way she was at the end like some books do!
And even if it ended after Alicia’s final chapter it would have been a 5/5 but the Holly Fairchild chapter really sealed the deal and was brilliant without being overkill !

For the editor: A FEW TYPOS MISTAKES
1. Chapter 29: “descendf” location 2319
2. Chapter 13: “ People often referred to refer to Phil as “cute.”” Location 1124
3. Chapter 12: “ in a floral skirt, WHICH blouse and..”
location 1007

Sally Hepworth has delivered one powerful book, involving foster parents and substance abuse. It follows three girls fostered by the wicked Miss Fairchild. To survive, the girls form a strong sisterly bond. Highly recommended! I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to more from this author. I received a complimentary copy of this book and chose to write a voluntary, unbiased review.