excuse me THAT ENDING?! it’s giving VERITY vibes… 🫣

🌟 rating: 4.5 — reeeally liked! rounded up to 5
📖 genre: thriller
📄 pages: 359
✍🏼 same author as: THE GOOD SISTER, THE SOULMATE, THE YOUNGER WIFE, and more!
🤓 read if you like: psychological thrillers, slow burn mysteries, wild endings, alternating past/present storyline, multi POV

sheeeesh! what a wild ride this was. i predicted some of the twists, (not all), and that LAST CHAPTERRR?! didn’t see that coming 🫨🫨 this is definitely my fave i’ve read yet from this author. it’s much more of a psychological thriller which is different than her previous books, which are more of domestic thrillers.

although the story was DARK at times, i couldn’t peel my eyes from it! i was invested in all three MCs, both the past/present storylines, and genuinely had no idea how it would end!

highly reco this to the thriller reader who can handle darker subject matter (tw- child abuse). the story is about 3 foster sisters who went through some pretty traumatizing stuff at the hands of their foster mother, Miss Fairchild (CERSEI LANNISTER VIBES YOU GUYS). a couple decades later when the sisters are fully grown, human remains are found under their old foster home. this book isn’t for the faint-hearted but i found it soo addicting.

here’s how i’d rank it next to the other SH books i’ve read:
🥇 DARLING GIRLS - 4.5🌟
🥈 THE MOTHER-IN-LAW - 4🌟
🥉 THE SOULMATE - 4🌟

thank you NetGalley & St. Martins Press for the ARC!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the free ARC via Netgalley in exchange for a review. This one is out now!

Mystery/Physcological Thriller. Jessica, Nora, and Alicia are all foster sisters who were bonded forever when they spent their childhoods at Miss Fairchild’s home. Attractive and sunny looking on the outside, Miss Fairchild was anything but, and the sisters still cope with that trauma as adults. Their world is rocked when human remains are found on the property of Miss Fairchild’s former estate, and brings the sisters back to the scene of their childhoods to find out who was responsible for death, and if there was foul play.

I loved Hepworth’s last novel, The Soulmate, but this one just didn’t draw me in. Each of the sister’s personalities felt a little too over the top for me. The girls missing school for days on end wasn’t a big red flag for the school? They thought 3 girls all shared the same delusion? The twist at the end was decent, but I didn’t love reading Miss Fairchild’s POV. All in all this was an okay read for me.

This is a story of three girls who thanks to the foster system are soon like sisters. Jessica, Norah and Alicia meet which is the only good thing that comes out of their time in foster care At Wild Meadows. Miss Fairchild seems great to start with but it soon becomes obvious that she has issues. The girls become closer to survive and finally are able to get away. Twenty five years later the three of them have to go back and relive the horrible experiences at Wild Meadows. This book hits all the feels! It is creepy at times and heartwarming at other times. I really enjoyed this book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second Sally Hepworth novel I've read, and I loved this one even more than the other! A page-turner told in different perspectives with twists and turns and many surprises. I was in suspense until the very end. Like others have said, the final reveal was a shocker!

Sally Hepworth is one of my top go-to author's for the type of psychological thriller that I crave. She spins a tall that is so engrossing and all consuming that it makes it hard to put down. <i>Darling Girls</i> was certainly one of those. Although this was not my favorite of hers, it was still enjoyable to read.
The content was a bit tough reading gory details of how foster children are treated in their foster homes. How these girls lost their security and loved ones to end up being moved into homes where they are forced to keep a clean house/care of babies for their food and fractured sense of stability, if they even get food, was tough to read. The real story is how these girls persevered and became a family of their own. They are sisters, even if not by blood, and that was really the heartwarming take away from this book.
The POVs and stories developing after a human skeleton was found on the site of their old foster home will keep you guessing on who the remains are from and who put them there.

I received an advanced reader's copy and audiobook from St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Sally Hepworth and this one just wasn't a favorite of mine. It was ok but not great. I will Read every book she puts out always and hope that th next one is another good one.

This book is billed as "SISTERS, SECRETS, LOVE, AND MURDER" - how could I NOT love it?!

"Oh my darling girls." That's how the lovely Miss Fairchild always refers to her foster care charges - Alicia, Jessica and Norah (with an h). But does she really treat them as if they are her darlings? And what are these young, unstable, nervous girls going to do about it? When a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the foster sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses. Or are they prime suspects?

What a fun, fast read. I loved the alternating perspectives and the time jumps, and I thought the characters were well-drawn out and had you rooting for them.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was a great read. The stories of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia sucked me in immediately. The author did a great job of fleshing out each character and showing how the trauma from their childhoods affected them in such different ways.

The story goes back and forth between their childhood with their foster mother and their present lives. There were great twists along the way and I loved the ending. Great read!

My absolute favorite thing about Sally’s books is that they are so 👏 dang 👏 readable! I started this one morning and read it straight through. I almost never read a book in one day, so it’s a true testament to her fabulous writing!
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My favorite parts of the book were the ‘psychiatrist’ sections. They had a level of mystery to them and several things I didn’t catch on to. I also loved the twist/reveal in this section.
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The majority of the book is narrated by the sisters (Jessica, Norah, and Alicia). I liked that they each had their own mini dramas going on, but ultimately I wanted the part involving them and their past to be more twisty. 😆
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I gave this book four stars and think Sally is a top tier domestic thriller author! Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the arc!

Very suspenseful. I loved the characters and the way it told the characters history. I liked that it was a time jumper and the snarky comments. I liked the mystery and I loved the way it ended and that all the ties wrapped up and ended.

Ebook/Mystery: I struggled through this book. I wanted to like this book, but again, the duel unreliable narrators in duel times becomes too confusing, especially if your like me where it may be a few days in-between reading sessions. Did I guess the ending? No, but only because I didn't care. None of the women were relatable to me, but that probably had to do with the time going back and forth on top of multi narrators.
I know this is "the thing" in publishing right now, but I hate it, and The Ruins is my favorite book!

this was almost a little too dark for me at times, and yet i could not stop. having a child almost the same age as the “adopted” baby made it all a bit too real. generally i am not a fan of thrillers with children but this was so good. definitely darker than her previous books!

Thank you Netgalley, publisher, and author to receive this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've been meaning to read a book of Sally Hepworth and I finally got my hands on Darling girls. I have to say, I am in love with her writing. The story was so captivating and well written. It sucks you in from the very beginning. Reading about three "sisters" from different walks of life come together and become a family in the end. Even though I'm not a huge fan of past and present, it was easy to follow. I also loved the different POV's of how all three sisters got treated in foster care.

The ending had my jaw drop. That was a great twist at the end that I never saw coming. I had my guesses and thought I was going to be right, but the last twist got me. I have two other books of hers that I'm going to read next.

I have been a Sally Hepworth fan for YEARS now! Every book is unputdownable!! So I knew this one would follow suit. I will admit this one was a heavy read due to the abuse that the children face. The story follows 3 foster sisters and details what happened to them in while in foster care. However, the storyline was incredible. I’m a huge fan of different POVs and Sally is great at keeping the flow of the story going while changing the POVs. They are never hard to follow. I couldn’t wait to switch to the next POV each one was so intriguing it was such a page turner. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you to SMP for the ARC!

Sally Hepworth is one of my favorite authors, and Darling Girls is another phenomenal book from her! Darling Girls tells the story of Alicia,
Norah, and Jessica, three women who spent part of their childhood in foster care at the home of Miss Fairchild. While everything looked fine on the outside, Miss Fairchild tormented the three women as girls. Even though Jessica, Alicia, and Norah all have issues resulting from their childhood, they have maintained a sisterhood into adulthood. All three characters are very well-developed, and I cared about all of them. This book moves at a fast pace and is hard to put down. Thank you, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press, for the advance reader copy of this fantastic book!

Sally Hepworth is an auto buy author for me. My favorite of her books is The Good Sister. I was so excited when her publisher sent me an advance reader's copy of her latest, Darling Girls! Darling Girls is a thriller, and delves deeply into the lives of three sisters who are products of the foster care system. The subject matter of the book is decidedly heavy, but Hepworth handles difficult topics delicately. Darling Girls was hard to put down. and the ending was satisfying. I did find the text to be confusing at times, jumping across multiple points of view and through decades. The pacing wasn't always best, and I think some plot points could have been tightened up prior to publication. Although I didn't enjoy all aspects of this book, it was still a solid thriller. I'm looking forward to Sally Hepworth's next work!

DISTURBING, BINEGABLE, UNPREDICTABLE

This book was a delightful surprise, with so many elements I love bundled into one unexpected package. The final twist was like a perfect bow on a gift, leaving me stunned and amazed!!

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were raised by their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, after traumatic family events. Despite the appearance of a happy family, Miss Fairchild was strict and unpredictable behind closed doors. The sisters broke away from her control, but the memories remained. When bones are discovered under their childhood home, they become key witnesses, or suspects?

We get to know these well developed characters, each with distinct personalities, through multiple POV and timelines, adding depth and suspense. The story digs into the lives of these women and the lasting emotional impact from their childhood trauma. As the gripping mystery unfolds, it prompts questions about their past and integrity while they strive to uncover the truth. I loved the narration with its Australian accent, plus added humor balances the harsh realities of the what some experience in the foster care system with moments of light heartedness.

Darling Girls | Author: Sally Hepworth
Genres: Mystery Thriller, Psychological, Women’s Fiction| Rating: 5★

“But we’re sisters in every way it counts.”

While we wait for her next book, we can all laugh along on her page @sallyhepworth, she’s hilarious and I could hear her voice in this one 😂

Omg my favorite Sally Hepworth book to date. This was such an amazing book from start the finish. I never knew who to trust and what was going to happen next. I had such an amazing time reading this book! Was one of my favorite reads last month and will be a contender for my top thriller reads of the year. I loved the concept of this book. I truly came to hate their foster mother by the end of this book and also hated everyone around them that believed her BS lol.

This was so good! I was so intrigued by the dynamics between the sisters and their foster mother. Loved the “flashback” scenes of the first mother’s experiences of her own childhood. The ending shocked me!

💀𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬💀

Happy Monday sweet friends! I finished Darling Girls on audio this weekend thanks to @macmillan.audio and the narration was top notch! I devoured it!!

Sisterhood, secrets, and a foster home gone terribly wrong, Darling Girls is a thriller that will without a doubt pull you in immediately!

Synopsis:

“For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. As young girls they were rescued from family tragedies and raised by a loving foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on an idyllic farming estate and given an elusive second chance at a happy family life.

But their childhood wasn’t the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. 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 thought they were free. Even though they never saw her again, she was always somewhere in the shadows of their minds. When a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the foster sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses. Or are they prime suspects?”

I overall loved it but I hated how you have this impending doom/sense of unease the whole time while your reading😂

💀Readers beware: Darling Girls will get under your skin!!💀

Have you read this one yet?! Is it on your TBR?!