I love Sally Hepworth's books! Darling Girls is engaging from the very beginning, and keeps you wondering what's going to happen as you read about the girls and their lives as foster sisters, up through their present as adults. You know it's good when it's wrapping up and you think that it seems like a low-key ending for a SH book and right then she throws another zinger at you! Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital copy!

There’s a lot packed into Darling Girls, but the prime message I received was just how messed up foster care is around the world. How those meant to protect children instead fail them and take advantage of the situation for their own gain. Not all foster parents/case workers, of course, for there are some good ones. Many parents and case workers put in long hard hours and suffer over what they see; they care for the kids in their charge. However, there are others who do it for personal gain and power, for control, and that’s what Darling Girls illuminates.

This is a remarkable, heart-rending story. It takes place in rural Australia, and follows three young girls put into the care of Holly Fairchild. Holly has a need to be the center of attention; she’s also jealous when the girls show any interest in others, even other children their own age. She becomes abusive both psychologically and physically. There are also instances of drug abuse in an effort to deal with childhood trauma, and instances of stepparents abusing their stepchildren. If that’s not heartbreaking enough, there are also cases of wife abuse and teen pregnancy.

This is a book of survival and learning to adapt to what life throws at you, but often that’s not easy, and often you’re forced back into old patterns of behavior. In the end, however, it highlights the idea of choosing your own family, of the power of love and acceptance.

I thought the ending was appropriate. It showed just who and what Miss Fairchild really was, and what her own background did to shape her.

There are many surprises in Darling Girls, good ones and bad. But in the end, it’s a tale of love, of accepting who you are and what you’ve endured, how you’ve risen above.

An excellent if dark read, with many opportunities for hope and believing in the future and the promise it holds.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.

This book was very unusual. It did go back and forth slot but I never gave up on this book because I wanted to know what was going to happen.

It was very interesting and it was slot of oh my gosh moments but very good.

3.5 rounded down to 3
This was my second book by Sally Hepworth and I’m just not sure she is for me. This book was just ok for me. I listened to this one and the narration was fine- Australian accents which added to the story since it took place in Australia. I liked the multiple POVS from Jessica, Norah and Alicia and also the dual timeline to see what had happened to them when they were younger. The ending, while I didn’t expect, was very underwhelming to me.

This is my first novel by this author, but let me tell you, she pulls you right into the story! The multiple character viewpoints, going from past to present time, and the unpredictability of the story had me hooked early on! I enjoyed the focus on the foster care system and how it affects those kids/adolescents into adulthood.

I did not see that last chapter coming! Do yourself a favor and snag this one when it comes out!

Special thanks for St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. Publish day 4/23/2024

I’m a huge Hepworth fan. I’ve read quite a few of her books and she never ever lets me down. But, as I was reading this juicy story, at first glance, I’m thinking this is perhaps a four-star read, that is, until I got to the ending!

Hold on to your seats, Nerds, because this novel is going to give you one straight out of the gate! Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are sisters. They’re not biological sisters, but sisters, nonetheless. They happen to make their family what it was because they were thrown into the foster care system. And, because they were in the system, they were often told how “lucky” they were because someone chose to foster and nurture them into the adults, they’d one day become.

But are foster children lucky? I guess that would depend on who you ask, but as for Jessica, Norah and Alicia luck had absolutely nothing to do with their situations and circumstances. Jessica had the closest relationship with their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. She went to her when she was a toddler. She was the mother that Jessica so desperately wanted to have and needed. Miss Fairchild’s love was like a warm cozy blanket and Jessica relished in wrapping herself within it.

One thing Jessica soon discovered about her mother was whatever you do, never cross her because the sweet and gentle Miss Fairchild had a dark and sinister side. The side that would call Jessica names and play cruel jokes and games with Jessica’s psyche. For a child as young as she, Jessica didn’t know how to handle an adult’s mood swings, let alone her foster mother’s.

So, as “luck” would have it, Norah was sent to Miss Fairchild due to her violent tendencies and constant struggles with authority. The caseworkers figured it would do Norah some good to have the proper upbringing and guidance since she did such an amazing job with Jessica, right?

No sooner had Norah joined the group, along came Alicia. She was sent to the home due to an unfortunate accident with her grandma, who swore she’d be back to get her as soon as she was better, but better days never came. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia made a pact and had a special bond that no one could ever break. They were sisters in every way.

Miss Fairchild, no matter how proper and stern she could be, was a jealous foster mother. She was the God in her household and expected all her children to look upon her as such. Imagine the surprise of the three girls when Miss Fairchild began taking foster babies into her fold to thrust their needy responsibilities onto the three young girls. As time went on and they grew stronger and into teenage years, one little girl was sent to their home who captured their hearts in ways they never thought imaginable.

One day, baby Amy was there. . .and when they returned from school, she was gone. And that’s where our story takes off and soars. Wow! I have to say, this story was quite long, and of course, it’s a huge pet peeve of mine, but reading a Hepworth story is so worth it. I found some of the backstory to be a bit much, but after figuring out how this story was going, I completely understood it.

As I mentioned, I started to give this story four stars until I got to the end. If you’ve never read a Hepworth novel, you’re missing out on something truly masterful. She literally slapped the hell out of me with that ending. I had figured everything out. I was so proud of my sleuthing skills and then she threw a twist that I never saw coming. That’s the Hepworth effect for those of you who don’t know. You’ll be reading along and thinking you know so much and then she throws something out of left field at you and you’re like, wait. . .what? Oh, how I live for those moments!

When a book is able to rattle your emotions so much that you are mad on the last page, then I would consider that an amazing book. This story definitely has some triggering moments including psychological and physical abuse towards children. I really enjoyed the way the author brought to light some of the issues within the foster care system's. I also enjoyed reading from the different POV’s within the past and present.

Thank you again Net Gallery for this ARC!

✨New Mini-Review!✨
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
Publishes 4/23/24

I had an arc on @netgalley and a physical copy from @bookofthemonth for this wicked new thriller. Not only were the chapters short, the psychologically damaged characters and tragedies & secrets from the past and present made this story unputdownable! @sallyhepworth continues to be an auto-buy author! You’ll want to add this to your tbr!
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#netgalley #stmartinspress #darlinggirls #bookofthemonth #botm #salkyhepworth #newnovel #newreleasebook #aprilbook #suspensethriller #5starnovel #bookreview #bookrecommendation

I really liked this book. I'm a sucker for any book that has girls or women banding together to support each other and this book gave me three foster children who bonded through a mutual horrible situation and became "sisters" for life.

This is a suspense novel written in dual timeline. It goes back to when the girls were in foster care and then brings us full circle to the here and now. The girls certainly had some problems in the foster system and the mystery takes place in that time, but the grown women also have problems now. It makes it more interesting.

I do highly recommend this book it you want something that will hold your attention and keep you turning those pages. I will admit that I had it figured out, but definitely wanted to make sure I was right.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

This was my first Sally Hepworth book and OH MY she did not disappoint!!

I really enjoyed the before/after timeline in the book, it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time! The characters are well crafted and the story is so thrilling!

I would definitely recommend this book to all thriller/mystery lovers!

Sally Hepworth is back with another dark tale about domestic issues in Darling Girls. Told from the point of view of four different women, this book takes a difficult look at foster parents and how children in the system are affected by them, both positively and negatively. Norah, Jessica, and Alicia were foster sisters raised by Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows, a home in which they were both taken care of and horribly abused. As the story opens, each young woman is confronted by a phone call about a shocking discovery when the building is torn down. Together they travel back to the place they once called home.

The narrative bounces between “before” and present time. Chapters are told from the point of view of one of the three foster sisters, with interludes that take place in a psychiatrist’s office from a character who is unnamed until midway through the book. If you liked Hepworth’s The Younger Wife, this book is similar but with foster care. Be prepared to encounter all sorts of trauma as the women recall their pasts and attempt to move forward after many disturbing secrets are revealed.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Wowowowow. This book was an insanely wild ride!! This was my first Sally Hepworth and now I am a biiiig fan. Weeeew I can’t even describe the twists in this book - it was so so good.

I absolutely LOVE when thrillers bounce back and forth from past to present and I found myself intrigued by both timelines.

The quick rundown is that three girls in the foster system end up at the same home and discover that outside appearances can be deceiving. What they went through both at the time and in the future kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book!

The ending shook me to my damn core too!! Like WHAT ?!?! Many members of my book club also received advanced access to this book and my text to them when I finished the last chapter was just… “bruh….”

So if you are in the market for an amazing, wild thriller - add this to your TBR and give it a pre-order!

Three women grew up in foster care together and are still friends decades later. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are trying to live their lives, but none of them can completely put their pasts behind them. Even more bad memories come rushing back when they receive a call from a detective that human remains have been found underneath the foster home they had all lived in twenty-five years earlier. The detective must determine if the women are witnesses to a tragedy or suspects.

This book is fast-paced and tense from beginning to end. I enjoyed the theme of found family and getting to know Norah, Alicia, and Jessica. They don't always make the best decisions, but as the book progresses, you start to understand why. Even though the book is engaging, it's not an easy read. Despite outward appearances, life was not good for these girls when they were living at Wild Meadows in Port Agatha, Australia. Descriptions of the things they endured from their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, are very disturbing. When more information is discovered about the bones, everyone involved is shocked. Overall, I enjoyed the book and the way things turn out for most of the characters. This is a book that you can't say too much about without spoiling the story, but I will say keep reading to the very end to make sure you don't miss a single twist and turn. 
I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

My first foray into Sally Hepworth’s body of work, this was a super twisty drama full of psychological suspense. The story focuses on 3 very different girls, brought together in the same foster home in their youth, and their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. Each girl (and the women they become) has her own distinct voice and story to tell. While this was a very dark book (triggers for child abuse and unresolved trauma abound), it was a quick read that I had trouble putting down and a shocking ending. 4 out of 5 stars.

Pub Date: 4/23/24
Review Published: 4/16/24
eARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I love a Sally Hepworth novel! I just feel that the are sometimes marketed wrong - if you go into her books expecting a fast paced thriller, you could be disappointed. Overall, if I had to say the word thriller to describe her books - I would say DOMESTIC thrillers - light on the thrills.

I really enjoyed this one - not my favorite of hers especially after reading and loving The Soulmate last year, but I always get what I expect from a Sally Hepworth book:

Family or Relationship Dynamics
Some sort of mystery or murder or truth that is being uncovered
Well-written characters that are flawed but interesting
A plot that intrigues me and keeps me turning the pages
Some sort of twist or reveal that I don't (or sometimes do but still enjoy) see coming

I especially loved the "sister" dynamics of the three main characters that were raised together in the same foster house. Hepworth does such a great job differentiating the characters and giving them distinct traits that I had such an easy time going from one narrator to the next. This was an interesting story and, as always with Hepworth, definitely worth the read!

Thank you to Netgalley & St Martin's Press for this advanced copy (I tandem read with the audiobook as well so thank you also to Macmillan Audio) in exchange for my honest opinion!

Well-done thriller

When each of 3 former foster sisters receive a telephone call from a detective, who tells them her call is regarding Wild Meadows, time freezes. Each of them is mentally back in that place, and none of the memories are good.

The bulk of the story is told in dual timelines, present and that time at Wild Meadows. Despite their terrible time with Miss Fairchild, their foster mother, each have grown into independent women of some success. On the outside, they are survivors. On the inside, does that kind of abuse ever go away? Whose bones have the detectives found? Who is talking to the psychologist?

I thought this was a deeply dark thriller mystery, with TW for childhood abuse. Maybe not one of the best novels by this author, but solid.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Darling Girls is the newest contemporary thriller from Sally Hepworth. I read The Soulmate last year, and loved it, so I had pretty high expectations for this and I was not disappointed! Told from multiple viewpoints, with one of them being an unreliable narrator, this one is a must-read!

Foster sisters Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been called back to Port Agatha because bones have been found under Wild Meadows Farm, the house they grew up in. None of them want to go back and possibly confront their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, who definitely wasn't Foster Mother of the Year. Jessica was the first one to live with Miss Fairchild at the age of 5, and she became completely bonded to "Mummy." Until Norah showed up and Miss Fairchild pushed her away. Norah already had traumatic stays at foster homes, and at first she thinks she's lucky to be somewhere nice. She soon learns that things aren't as they seem. Then Alicia shows up as a short-term placement while her grandmother recovers in the hospital from a fall. But that's not to be. When babies start showing up in the middle of the night and Miss Fairchild can't them to bond with her, she leaves the girls in charge of them. Until Amy shows up. The girls aren't allowed to play with her, feed her, bathe her, or take care of her in any way...and on the day that they finally decide to tell the police about what happens at Wild Meadows, Amy disappears. So, when a small body is found 25 years later, they know that Miss Fairchild had to have killed her. But is that really what's going on?

This novel jumped right into the story and was fast-paced. The three girls all have their secrets, but they're always there for each other. None of them have any family other than each other, so they're completely loyal to each other. The story immediately drew me in and I could hardly wait to pick it back up every time I had to stop. After the girls reported Miss Fairchild, no one believes them and they get gaslighted to believe that Amy was a doll and they had a group hallucination of her...for 6 months. The writing was just impeccable and grips you until the very end.

There is a trigger warning for abuse and mentions of drinking/alcohol and prescription drug abuse.

All in all, another great read from Sally Hepworth. With twists and secrets, this was a story about found family, loyalty, and murder. Definitely read this is you've read any of her previous books, or if you enjoy Karin Slaughter or Ruth Ware.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @StMartinsPress for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me an early copy of this audiobook & ebook. I actually have never read or listened to a book by this author before. After this one, I definitely want to read more.
The audiobook, I actually really enjoyed. I would give this book a 4⭐️’s. There’s multiple POV’s between them and now. Be advised to check trigger warnings on this book. There are references of child abuse and trauma in this story. This book is emotional, dark, and I really enjoyed the twists that I didn’t see coming. I really liked the ending.

"Darling Girls" by Sally Hepworth promises to be a captivating blend of family drama, suspense, and mystery. Set against the backdrop of an idyllic farming estate and revolving around the lives of foster sisters Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, the novel delves into the complexities of sisterhood, secrets, and the haunting specter of their past.

Hepworth skillfully crafts a narrative that explores the tension between the facade of a happy family life and the hidden truths that lurk beneath the surface. The foster sisters' upbringing under the care of Miss Fairchild adds an intriguing layer of mystery, with hints of a dark and controlling presence that continues to haunt them into adulthood.

The discovery of a body under their childhood home thrusts Jessica, Norah, and Alicia into the spotlight as both witnesses and potentially prime suspects, forcing them to confront long-buried secrets and grapple with the consequences of their actions. As they navigate the twists and turns of the investigation, the bonds of sisterhood are tested, and the true nature of their relationship with Miss Fairchild is brought to light.

With themes of betrayal, loyalty, and redemption, "Darling Girls" promises to be a thrilling page-turner that keeps readers guessing until the very end. Hepworth's masterful storytelling and richly drawn characters are sure to immerse readers in a tale of suspense and intrigue, making this novel a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and family dramas alike.

I consumed this by audio. Originally I declined to review due to a csa plot warning. The book is a solid thriller. I enjoy this author and this book delivers. The pace was perfection and the book keeps you interested. I enjoyed the sisterhood between the girls and the dual timelines.