Well that was underwhelming. I tend to love Hepworths books, but unfortunately this one fell short for me. There was no real suspense and it was such a slow burn. The child abuse was so sad to read about. Honestly. My least favorite by Hepworth

A big thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy to read and review.

This novel was such a twisty psychological mystery that had me quickly captivated. While I could quickly figured out one piece to the puzzle, I was guessing on some parts to the very end. A great, solid read and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Three young girls - Jessica, Norah and Alicia - are placed in foster care. They all end up at Wild Meadows and their foster mother is Miss Fairchild. The girls grow close and consider themselves sisters. To the outside world, it looks like the perfect set up, but looks can really be deceiving.

Miss Fairchild is anything but a loving mother. She believes in tough discipline and the girls try desperately to survive each day. When the situation gets out of control, the three are able to get away from her and never look back. They stay closer than any biological sisters could ever be, but the memory of Miss Fairchild’s abuse always hangs over their heads.

The girls are now adults when the unthinkable happens. The police find a body buried under Wild Meadows. Not only do they want to find out the identity of the body, but they think the three women know more than they are saying or possibly even be responsible for the dead body.

Talk about a page-turner! There were so many twists and turns throughout the book. I couldn’t figure out what was going on until the end. I was engrossed until the late hours of the night. The story alternates between the past and the present. It’s so well written and the characters are well-developed.

I’ve only read a couple of Sally Hepworth’s books, but I’ve loved each one. She always manages to hook me in from page one.

Hepworth has become an “auto buy” author for me.





FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Quick and Dirty
-domestic thriller
-contemporary setting with flashbacks
-multi-POV
-sister story
-reads like an Annie retelling

Swipe for the full synopsis!

What Worked
I’ve read and enjoyed Hepworth novels before, so I had no doubt that this book would work for me. She has a knack for creating a suspenseful story with compelling characters that are not too gory or scary (which I prefer). And Darling Girls was no different. The sister storyline was really well done, and their current-day relationship felt authentic and lived-in. Miss Fairchild was a perfect villain, hot then cold and always keeping the girls on their toes much like Miss Hannigan (IYKYK). I found myself easily drawn into the drama and guessing at plot twists the entire listen. And though there were multiple PoVs, I never found it confusing to switch between character narratives. There were MANY things about these character stories that I found FASCINATING from a social worker’s perspective, so anyone with a clinical background will likely enjoy this one. I wanted to be everyone’s therapist. 😂 I found the ending super satisfying, especially the twist on the final pages (no more spoilers I swear).

What Didn’t Work
If I’m being honest, my only issue with this book is super nitpicky. There were several occasions during the flashbacks we are led to believe that a very young child has the reasoning and judgment skills of an adult. As a clinician, this was really hard for me, and I found myself momentarily distracted from the plot. Again, this is very clinical of me, but I struggled with this aspect of the narrative. Other than that, this one worked well for me. It did exactly what a domestic thriller should do!

Darling Girls is a captivating read, with alternate timelines and 3 POVs for our sisters that met in foster care the story sucked me in and wouldn't let me go until I turned the last page. While the tale of how our characters met is sad and horrifying I loved the bonds they built with each other that lasted the test of time. I don't want to say too much about this as I think going in blind will give you the best reading experience. But I will say I loved how the relationships between the sisters, the tension that built when they had to return "home", and all the twists and turns that had me glued to the page. Sally Hepworth has done it again in delivering a compulsively readable story and I can't wait to see what she's going to come out with next!

This book was truly amazing, another page turner from this author. Thrilling, character-driven, twisty, full of secrets and impossible to put down.

Thank you St. Martin's Press Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this gifted copy.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

This book has a compelling mystery that surrounds three sisters. As the tale unfolds we get glimpses into their experiences as foster children and why their bond is so strong. This storyline centers on a hard look into the dark side of the foster care system. All three characters were well developed and I found myself eager to pick up the story to find out what would happen next.

Ah yes. Sally Hepworth has done it again. This was a cleverly written domestic suspense novel. It had a different feel as the primary characters met in a foster home and that lent to the development of the overall storyline.

The book is told in alternating timelines and also from alternating perspectives. All of this helps to give the reader tid bits of information that they otherwise wouldn't have. It all helps to build the case for what the story is in the present day. Yet, there are some nice twists along the way as well.

I hesitate in saying too much in this review because I strongly believe this book should be enjoyed without too much advance knowledge. I will say it was a fun read and kept me entranced.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The narration was perfect for this book. The voices truly captured the characters and were different enough to help follow the change in characters during the story. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the audiobook and ebook.

I really enjoyed this book! I thought that the pacing was really nice and the entries from the psychiatrist aligned really well towards the end as everything was coming together.

I was a little bummed at the end thinking really? That’s it? But omg the last chapter changed those thoughts completely!

I also really liked how we got the point of view of each sister but also that we were left guessing the twists and turns till the very end!

Overall I loved this book and I’m so glad that I got to read it.

"Darling Girls" is a captivating story that explores the complexities of sisterhood, the shadows of foster care, and the haunting nature of long-buried secrets. Sally Hepworth expertly weaves a narrative that spans both past and present, revealing the intricate lives of three women who are bound by their shared childhood experiences. Hepworth's narrative is a maze of twists and turns, with each revelation more surprising than the last. The characters are well-developed, with unique personalities and believable relationships forged in adversity. The dual timelines are skillfully handled, maintaining suspense and intrigue throughout the novel.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sally Hepworth is another go to author that hardly disappoints me.

This story is about three girls, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, who are sent to a foster home. Miss Fairchild was their foster mother and they lived on an idyllic farm. Jessica was the first of the girls to arrive and was eager to make Miss Fairchild happy and they quickly formed a bond until the next girl came. Miss Fairchild quickly manipulated the girls against each other and employed evil tactics to make sure she kept them in line. The girls still formed a close and unique bond over the years and tried to put the past behind them. Until one day they get call informing them that the remains of a body have been found at the foster home they grew up in. They’re asked to go back and answer questions and they have to relive and uncover all the years of abuse they endured while at that house. Each sister is dealing with their own personal issues as they try and figure out who this body is. Could it have been one of them? That’s what I quickly wanted to learn. Told in alternate POVs and timelines, the story quickly unfolds.

I found it gripping, fast paced, easy to follow, and full of mystery. I loved the bond the three sisters formed out of a traumatic childhood. I loved the psychological thrills in this story that kept the compelling storyline feeling even more heartfelt for the girls. If you love this author’s other books, I think you’ll enjoy this one too.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the opportunity to read this book in advance in exchange for my own opinions.

This book was so good I managed to finish it within three days 🙈 I found myself so engaged that it was hard to put down ! This one is definitely my favorite Sally Hepworth novel. I’m not usually a fan of domestic thrillers but I really loved this one. I really enjoyed this one all the way through but the ending really caught me by surprise !

Hepworth is exceptional at taking very different characters and weaving their stories together in such a way that just feels dare I say, perfect. This story is no different. Jessica, Norah (with an H) and Alicia could not be anymore different but they all find themselves in the foster care of one, Miss Fairchild. We witness these three strangers whether through trauma and turmoil to forge a bond of sisterhood that would last them in to adulthood. Beautiful and thrilling who done it. Just and all around good and easy read. I enjoyed it so much, I even bought the audiobook when it came available🫣

i had well and truly written off this book as i pieced at all together it was obvious, and i felt that way up until the last 1 pages. WHAT!!! this book had me entertained but it felt predictable and like something was falling short or not adding up. but then there it is as the finale! alicia, jessica, and norah are forced to return to their foster home when bones are found under the house 15 years later. they all had different but terrible experiences there that impacted how they grew up, and returning unleashes all those feelings again.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been told by their social workers that they’re lucky to be in the care of Miss Fairchild at the Wild Meadows foster home, but they soon find out that it was a lie when their foster mother turned into an abusive monster.

Now twenty five years later, they’re all summoned back to Wild Meadows because a body was found underneath the home and homicide detectives want to hear their story. Bringing those traumatic memories back to the surface gives readers a glimpse back in time from each of the women and shows how the girls went from strangers, to bonding for safety, and finally becoming sisters.

I’ve only read one other book by Sally Hempworth, but this one felt genuinely dark and twisty. The layers of suspense kept me reading, the rotation of memories kept me guessing, and the ending was breathtaking. This book is one of the best that I’ve read all year!

This was such a great thriller. While the suspense was a slow burn, I was still glued to the pages to find out what was going on. The characters were well developed, and I enjoyed their sisterly bond. This book does have some darker themes, and shows you the awful, and unfortunate realities that can occur in the foster care system. I thought that the end of the book was done well, and I enjoyed the twist. I would definitely recommend this one!

Read if you enjoy:
✔️Multiple POVs
✔️Nonlinear timelines
✔️Secrets
✔️Slow burn suspense

Thank you @Netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC!

📱 Darling Girls 📱⁣
⁣⁣
⁣Genre- Thriller. ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣Length- 368 pages. ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣My thoughts- If I had to sum up Darling Girls in two words it would be dark and twisted! Three sisters each receive a call from the police after a body is found buried at their former foster home. This story is told in a series of flash backs intermingling with the present day story line and I was completely addicted! ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣This book depicts a lot of child abuse. Sally did a good job balancing this with the present day characters- strong, smart, women who are dealing with their horrific pasts in their own ways. They aren’t perfect, but I really enjoyed each of the sisters! ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣Darling Girls was a good book and a wild ride! Four stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
⁣⁣
⁣Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of Darling Girls in return for my honest review. It publishes today!

Wow. Just wow. This was something.
Nobody does a psychological slow burn novel like Sally Hepworth. With the first line of the synopsis as … Sisters, Secrets, Love and Murder you know it is going to be good.

Darling Girls checked all the boxes for a very unputdownable novel. It had multiple POV (which I loved). Dual timelines (then and now), which is so great for peeling back the story like layers. Plus a handful therapy interview segments mixed in.

With the handful of characters I was worried at the beginning I wouldn’t be able to keep the straight but after just a few chapters I had no issues.

Thank you St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this early eARC copy to read and review! Darling Girls is out now.

Wow. Just wow. This was something.
Nobody does a psychological slow burn novel like Sally Hepworth. With the first line of the synopsis as … Sisters, Secrets, Love and Murder you know it is going to be good.

Darling Girls checked all the boxes for a very unputdownable novel. It had multiple POV (which I loved). Dual timelines (then and now), which is so great for peeling back the story like layers. Plus a handful therapy interview segments mixed in.

With the handful of characters I was worried at the beginning I wouldn’t be able to keep the straight but after just a few chapters I had no issues.

Thank you St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this early eARC copy to read and review! Darling Girls is out now.

I have loved this authors previous works before. This one was just okay. Nothing to write home about though.