Darling Girls (out this Tuesday, 4/23/24!)

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Sally Hepworth is an auto-read for me since “The Mother-in-Law” and “The Good Sister” a few years back, and so I always look forward to her newest releases.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are sisters in all but blood, growing up together in the foster care system under the care of Miss Fairchild. While all seemed perfect on the surface, Miss Fairchild was unpredictable (to say the least), and each girl had their own issues to overcome. When a body is found underneath their foster home decades later, the sisters are thrust back into the past. Are they the key witnesses or are they the suspects?

In true Hepworth style, readers get short multiple POV chapters that keep you wanting to turn the page, several unexpected twists, and a wild-til-the-last-page-ending. These are the reasons I’ll keep picking up her books each year!

The one piece of this book that I couldn’t quite get over though was how laissez-faire the ancillary adults in past chapters were; no spoilers here, but I found it hard to believe some of the behavior in the house was left unchecked for so long. I found this continued into present day with the police (why are all the suspects hanging out in a bar during the middle of an intense investigation?). These things left me scratching my head the entiiiire time I was reading.

Gripes aside, I really liked the stylistic element of a first-person unknown narrator talking to their therapist in between POVs. Trying to guess who this person was kept me on my toes, and per usual, I sped through this book. It is probably #4 on my list of her books after MIL, GS, & “The Soulmate”, but I do recommend this if you’ve been a fan of her in the past!! Thank you to @netgalley for the early copy to review 🩵

Sally coming in clutch with another banger thriller. I was so enthralled with the book the whole way through. I enjoyed the past and present timelines as well as the storylines for each of the three main characters. There are definitely tough topics/visuals taking place that ultimately added to the story. This was an all around great thriller and so interesting reading from a social workers perspective (myself). There are really stories or manipulation and abuse like this everyday is I’m glad this book brought light to that in a round about way.

OMG this is a crazy, addictive, insanely amazing book!!!!!!! Wow I started reading this book & 3 hrs later am in shock by what I read. This book pulls you in from the first page and next thing you know you've spent hrs reading this book and you loved every second of it!!!

Sally Hepworth presents another extremely well crafted mystery, with intricately plotted reveals and an engaging story. There was nothing gasp-enducing, no shocking twist that catches readers offguard, but there is certainly enough to keep up a desire to turn pages.

The multiple POVs work very well to carry the story forward and, more importantly, are necessary to illustrate the difference between the three sisters, particularly in how they process trauma. The fourth POV, Holly Fairchild, their abusive foster mother, supplies her own narrative of childhood abuse. The POVs are tied together across the past and present, culminating in a reveal that is satisfying, if not explosive.

Readers who are sensitive to depictions of child abuse (including CSA) should exercise caution.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

From the first page to the last, this book had me shook! And may I just take a moment of appreciation for that last chapter?! 👀

Since getting back into reading, I’ve learned a lot about my tastes and preferences when it comes to subgenres. I tend to have a tougher time staying invested in domestic or suburban thrillers because frankly, I often don’t find them all that… well… thrilling 😬 I’ve finally read a few this year that I have loved, and this one makes another phenomenal addition to the list!

Hepworth’s writing style sucked me right in. Between the multiple timelines and points of view, there was always something new tugging at me for attention and keeping me on the edge of my seat. I was equally invested in all the POVs.

The three foster care sisters are bonded by their traumatic and abusive pasts with their foster monster Miss Fairchild 😤 As adults, those lingering trauma responses have manifested in different ways. Jessica is a people-pleaser with a pill popping problem, Norah has rage and anger management issues, and Alicia has a really hard time accepting love and expressing emotions. I felt for them all in different ways, especially as more details from their pasts are revealed.

The themes of found family and sisterhood amidst everything they endured were a highlight for me beyond the shocking twists in this thriller. And while there are a fair amount of big surprises, it takes awhile to get there. The pacing worked well for me right up until the last 10% where it felt a little thrown together in anticipation of a larger finale. But wow. What a finale it was 🤯 I saw it coming and it still took me by surprise!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, I received this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review, but I am absolutely going to have to pick up a physical copy for my library! If you’re looking for a summer thriller to add to your TBR, highly recommend giving this one a read. 4.5 Stars

Sally Hepworth is a must read author for me. I found this story so compelling and couldn’t want to keep reading to see what happened. I loved the bond between the sisters and felt so anxious when I was reading what happened to them as children. Great ending and twist.

What a great read. I figured out the twists pretty early which usually makes me enjoy a book less, but I still loved this one. The characters are all so different and even though there are a lot of characters, they were easy to keep track of even with the flash backs. This book broke my heart in ways and there are several trigger warnings to be aware of. Overall, one of my fav reads so far this year. 4.5 stars

I've read many books by this author, and while I enjoyed the others, this one left me disappointed. Despite being enthralled by the story and main characters, I couldn't love it as much as others have.

The alternating "now and then" chapters and multiple points of view were a highlight, particularly delving into the characters' younger years. Their bond through adversity carries into adulthood.

While I understand fostering can be unpredictable, the portrayal of evil felt overdone. The ending, seemingly added for shock value, felt contrived and detracted from the story's emotional depth.

Hepworth crafts a compelling plot, but the final twist fell flat for me. Despite redeeming qualities, such as the characters' emotional journey, the over-the-top elements and gratuitous shock factor left me underwhelmed.

Darling Girls follows 3 girls who grew up together in a foster home. Years later, after their foster home was sold and torn down bones were found under the house. They are brought back to their old town so the police can question them. The book is told in the girls perspectives in the past and present as well as a mysterious fourth POV which you will need to read to find out who.
The book is fast pace twisty and keeps you guessing throughout. It will have you hooked from the first chapter. There are a lot of triggers in the book so if you are sensitive definitely worth check the warnings out before reading.
Can't wait to read more from Sally Hepworth.
Thank you to St-Martin's Press, NetGalley and Sally Hepworth for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This one comes out April 23rd and you won't want to miss it!

“Darling Girls” is very readable and does a good, important job of exploring the deeply flawed foster care system in Australia and how children from the system remain impacted throughout their adult lives. For these reasons, I ultimately recommend the book.

However, the book includes disturbing topics: child abuse, SA, kidnapping, etc. While the plot was interesting enough to motivate me to keep reading, the distressing scenes just kept coming and coming. It was a little over the top and I felt somewhat desensitized by the end.

This was also an eARC that was full of typos. More than I’d ever seen in an ARC. I understand that comes with the territory of receiving uncorrected proofs, but it was distracting.

Thank you to the author and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Another masterful creation by author Sally Hepworth. She is so talented in creating atmospheric thrillers that suck you in and keep you guessing until the end. This newest novel was no different, though I will say it should come with trigger warnings of child abuse, so read at your own risk.

The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Jessica, Norah and Alicia in both their past and present lives. We are let in on their journey as they travel back to their childhood home, where a body has been discovered under the house. Through glimpses back into their past, we learn they endured both psychological and physical abuse from their foster parent. We also get chapters of a mystery character- glimpses into the life of a girl, but it is not clear who the girl is.

This novel is heart-wrenching and chilling. It shows just how deep the love between sisters can go, even when the sisters aren't blood related. It also tells of how a person's past can cut deep and shape the future no matter how hard they try to forget and run from it.

"Darling Girls" is set to be released here in the U.S. on April 23, 2024 so pre-order now because this is a 4 star must-read!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced ecopy to read and give my honest review.

Happy Reading!

4.5 stars
It's official - Darling Girls is my new favourite Sally.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my eARC for review!
Darling Girls is told from the perspectives of sisters Jessica, Norah, and Alicia. They met as foster children at the idyllic Wild Meadows acreage under the care of Miss Fairchild.
A recent discovery of human remains at the property takes the women back to their childhoods and the secrets they carried with them into adulthood.
This is a domestic suspense, but at many points reads as a thriller. These are damaged, often unlikeable characters, and their stories are heartbreaking and enthralling.
I whipped through this in two days, and the twists and reveals go right to the end.
Many trigger warnings here, but absolutely recommended.
For release on April 23.

Wow. This book was amazing. Sally does such a great job at creating characters that you feel strongly about and want to learn more about them. As I learned more about each character as the story went on, I could sympathize with them even more. I couldn't put this book down because I was eager to find out what was actually going on. The end of this book left me rattled because just when I thought I had it all figured out, I couldn't have been more wrong.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars

[ thank you @stmartinspress for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own! ]

THOUGHTS:

Another classic & great Sally Hepworth novel!

This one kept me on my toes the entire time and was super bingeable. With the short chapters, I flew through this book.

The dual timeline was great, the foster sisters and their lives/stories kept me wanting to read more. And there was this mystery pov in a psychiatrist office that had me intrigued.

This was just what I needed in a twisty and suspenseful novel. I think if you liked Sally’s works in the past, you’ll also like this one!

Check the trigger warnings on this one. I really liked it, but it was dark and having to do with children. I love the setting in Australia and the adult characters in this. Seeing what they went through as children and how it affected them as adults was haunting. Definitely will read the author’s next book!

Really enjoyed Darling Girls!
Beware to check trigger warnings for child abuse.
Overall the pace was good, it didn't feel like it had many lulls. I liked all of the different POVs and the jumping timeline. That really helps get the book going. The twist at the end was good and I didn't see it coming!

Sisters Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were raised by their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. But long after they left her home, secrets begin to emerge and the girls must band together to face the past - and Miss Fairchild.

Another winner from Sally Hepworth. Once the background is established, this book flew by. In turn, heartbreaking and hopeful, the story of these three sisters, and the aftermath, kept me reading and reading. Hepworth has quickly become a "must read" author for me and Darling Girls reinforced that. I thought the characters were well written and the dual timeline gave me enough background to understand where everyone was coming from. I can't recommend this one enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Available April 23, 2024.

4 stars!
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of Sally Hepworth’s latest, Darling Girls!

Told in three different POVs and a dual timeline, Darling Girls follows Norah, Jessica, and Alicia, who grew up in Miss Fairchild’s foster home. Their childhoods were rough, and they managed to escape Miss Fairchild’s abusive nature, until a body is found underneath their former home. Who is the body, and who is responsible for it being there? This book flowed nicely and was fairly fast-paced. Another strong showing for Hepworth, with a little unexpected twist at the end. I’d certainly recommend for anyone who’s previously enjoyed this author.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are in the foster care system and are being raised by Miss Fairchild on a farm in the country. As children, the girls faced an unpredictable Miss Fairchild. They never knew who they would wake up to each day or return from school to. After years of being at the Wild Meadows farm, the girls escape and never see or speak to Miss Fairchild again. As adults, they are haunted by their foster care experience and everything they endured. One day, they get a phone call from a detective. A body has been discovered under the Wild Meadows house. And all fingers are being pointed at Jessica, Norah, and Alicia.
Review:
3.75 stars rounded up to 4 for Goodreads.
First, I really enjoyed how this book was written in all of the girls POVs both during foster care and now as adults. While reading, it always felt like something was happening whether with the case, while in foster care, or in their personal lives as adults. It made me want to keep picking up the book to know what happened next. I loved the short chapters especially after my last couple of reads! At times it felt as though the pacing was off. At one point, a bombshell was revealed and then the next sentence went on to something totally unrelated. I had to read it back to make sure I didn't miss anything. It felt like there should have been a break there. I also felt that there were a lot of spelling/grammar mistakes (more so than I usually see in ARCs) which pulled me out of the story at times.
The ending was a huge twist that I did not see coming and I really enjoyed it!!!
Overall, I would recommend picking up Darling Girls, I really enjoyed my time reading this one and can't wait to see what Sally Hepworth comes up with next!! This pubs on 4/23.
Thank you to NetGalley, Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin's Press for this ARC of Darling Girls in exchange for an honest review.

Sally Hepworth has done it again. I cannot believe how good this book was. The good sister is still my all-time favorite, but this book rivaled it. The twist I did NOT see coming. I loved the whole premise, being that three sisters are forced to remember everything that happened when they were foster kids in order to figure out why there is a dead body under the house they grew up in. I was enthralled from start to finish. This was such a great read!! I gave this book 4.5 stars!!! Thank you so much for giving me a chance to review this!!