It’s amazing how childhood shapes you; to become what you have known or to rebel against it with all you’ve got. Whether it’s with your family or in foster care, if love and security are missing, it makes for a messed up situation for sure.
In true Hepworth fashion, Darling Girls delves into the lives of the characters as the plot twists and turns, and although you may think you have it figured out, you truly don’t until the end. I’ve been waiting for a book I can’t put down for awhile or, and this one fit the bill perfectly.

When human remains are found at the site of a former foster home, three sisters are forced to return to the town and revisit their childhoods living with Miss Fairchild.

This was a fun ride as we learn about Jessica, Norah, and Alicia’s experiences with chapters that alternate between their perspectives and past and present. We see how awful Miss Fairchild treated them and how each processed their own traumas. The story keeps you guessing about what really went down at Wild Meadows all those years earlier, and questioning if the sisters are hiding something.

If you like complicated family dynamics, good character development, and some shocking twists, I’d recommend picking this up.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and author Sally Hepworth for the opportunity to review this book. This is the story of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia who as young girls were often told how fortunate they were to be placed in foster care with Miss Fairchild. However, people didn’t know what really happened behind closed doors and things were not as wonderful as everyone thought they were. It finally took the disappearance of a baby for the girls to finally be able to leave. Even though authorities felt the girls made the story up since no sign of the baby was found, they still were removed from Miss Fairchild’s care.
Fast forward to present day, new owners have bought the property the used to live on and in doing reinovations the bones of unidentified person is found. Police have everyone return to the area in order to interview them and try to discover if they might know who the victim might be. The answer is quite surprising to say the least. And I loved that at the end the author was fantastic about letting us, the reader, know how everyone is doing after the fact. I personally appreciate that because I had really enjoyed reading this book and gotten to care about these women. They are very well written and I think this is a great read.

You can never go wrong with a Sally Hepworth novel! I feel everytime I pick up one of her books, I can never predict where she is going to take me! Especially with this wild story, I loved the twists she continued to throw at me.

Ok, interesting book.

Pieces of memories, back and forth with sisters who grew up being abused as children and trying to solve the mystery of bones being found under the barn.

It was confusing. Starting out. Yet it was intriguing where it went. I semi predicted the ending but I have read thrillers for a long time.

It’s worth a fast read. The author is great at keeping it fast paced and it could be a one sit down and read kind of book.

The premise is strong but it can be very triggering story elements.

Thank you netgallery for letting me read this and thank you to the publisher for letting me read a copy and leave a review.

Darling girls is a wild ride with a plot twist I never saw coming! The story follows 3 girls who lived in a foster home and some chapters with an unnamed character talking to a psychiatrist. Each chapter takes place from a different point of view and a different timeline. The chapters are clearly marked so it isn’t confusing.
Darling girls is a mix of a murder mystery, broken families and trauma. There are some triggers for child abuse and addiction.
If you love multiple POVs and timelines with well developed characters who all have their own backstories this one is for you!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This one was just ok for me. I felt like a lot of the details were really forced so that the plot would make sense. And so many parts of it just didn't. Maybe the foster care system and adoption look different where I live but I found a lot of this to be pretty unrealistic. It felt like it was going in so many different directions and nothing was really fully developed.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is out April 23rd & definitely recommend checking this one out if you like dual timelines & multiple POVs.

This story revolves around 3 foster children, Jessica, Norah & Alicia, who become each other’s chosen sisters. They’ve always been told how lucky they are to have Miss Fairchild & live on a countryside estate. What people outside the house don’t know is all of the rules Miss Fairchild has for the girls and how quickly her mood can change.

They leave their hometown and only return together years later when bones are discovered under the house - they want to know who it is but in the meantime start to become suspects.

In true Hepworth style, there’s even more going on than is revealed to the reader and that leads to lots of twists towards the end.

This was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me.

Thank you to @netgalley @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the eARCs in exchange for an honest review.

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This one was very bingable and addicting. Definitely a dark subject matter, but I didn’t want to put it down. The characters fell a little flat (the descriptions were repetitive), but the deep relationship between the three sisters was evident despite how different they each were. I liked the different POVs and the jump from the past/present - the past really helps make it clear why each character is the way they are. The final twist was satisfying (up until the very last chapter I was worried I was going to be disappointed with how it ended). Highly recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

There were quite a few typos with my edition - nothing that completely distracted from the plot, but it needs another round of editing to catch the grammar/spelling mistakes.

Twisted dark binge worthy read! Absolutely worth the time to dive into this book with its secrets and unexpected twists. It takes the reader on a fun journey that they can’t guess where they’ll end up!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. Darling Girls is my favorite book so far by Sally Hepworth. It was a slow burn, but the plot was intriguing enough to keep reading. I didn’t want to put it down. It follows the story of three sisters who all spent time at the same foster home. Twenty-five years later, they are back in the same small town because of a body that was found under their previous foster home. Darling girls does mention child abuse, so it may not be for everyone.

When a body is found under their former foster home, Jessica, Norah and Alicia are brought back to face the darkness they experienced by their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. Miss Fairchild had rules and she was not to be crossed. Although everything looked wonderful from the outside, the girls were prisoners but they had each other. As they travel back to their foster home, each sister is confronted by their past and present struggles.

Sally Hepworth is the Queen of Domestic Thrillers/Suspense. Her writing just flows so well and her stories capture your heart. I will say this was my favorite book so far by Sally Hepworth and I have read almost all of them. I loved everything about this book but most of all the bond of the sisters.

I will admit that it’s been almost half a year since I read this book. I was so excited to read Sally Hepworth’s Darling Girls that I read it months before its publication date. Even though it’s been a while since I read the book, I still remember it clearly.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia were fostered under the care of Miss Fairchild, who was emotionally and physically abusive. The book takes place 25 years later when someone’s remains were found at the foster home. We get to know each of the three women through a series of flashbacks and how their past has shaped their present.

I enjoyed the relationship between the three “Darling Girls.” It was nice to read a story where female friendships are portrayed in a positive manner. Miss Fairchild’s character was also well-written, especially as we learn more about her past. The ending was definitely a shocker, and the book came together in a very satisfying way.

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

Couldn’t wait to read this one and I’m glad I did!! Three sisters form a bond in a foster home with a controlling foster mom. They’ll do anything not to upset her. They finally break free of her. Years later, they are contacted by police because bones are found under the foster house they grew up in. They’ll need their sisterly bond to get through this. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc.

This was the second book I’ve read by Sally Hepworth (although I’ve had a few of hers on my TBR for a while) and I enjoyed it!

Some parts were a little long and I think it could have been about 50 pages shorter, but the story itself was really good and I loved how the narrative was organized. The chapters flash back and forth between the current timeline and flashbacks from the past from all the sisters. It was really easy to follow and added to how the story unfolds.

I also loved the dynamic between the sisters and how they each had their strengths and shortcomings. Their relationship was heartwarming in an otherwise dark story!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Darling Girls
by Sally Hepworth
5/5

Darling Girls kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time!

This book is heartbreaking and captivating, it is a sad and beautiful story about 3 foster girls (Jessica, Norah and Alicia) who carry on their relationship through adulthood. It does a great job of weaving in some thoughtful points about trauma while never missing a beat in the fast paced story. They endured many hardships at the hands of their foster parent Holly Fairchild and are still dealing with some of it into their adult lives!

The author did a lovely job of tying up loose ends at the end and I never saw the ending coming!! Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s press, and Macmillian Audio for the opportunity to read and listen to this book! Jessica Clarke, the narrator of the audiobook, was amazing to listen to! Add this to your TBR, it is out April 23, 2024!

Darling Girls is the sorry of 3 foster sisters raised at Wild Meadows by Mrs. Fairchild. From the outside looking in their lives and home look a fairytale but inside is a much darker reality. Years later the girls must return to their hometown when a body is discovered under the home they grew up in.

I loved the past/present time lines and how the story was told from multiple points of view. I loved seeing a glimpse into the background of each sister, what led them to foster care and how it in turn left them with their individual issues and struggles. I love a thriller and while this was a fast paced and fun read, the thrilling aspect fell a little flat for me- I was hoping for more of a wow factor ending. Not my all time favorite but overall it was a good book that I would recommend.

This is my 3rd Sally Hepworth novel. They always have women with strong and unique personalities and complex relationships. This one was similar, but I didn't care for it much. The relationship between the three foster sisters who were dealing with such different situations as a result of their childhood trauma was interesting, but the plot with remains being found and police investigation seemed contrived. There was the tease of a secret the girls shared, but once revealed it was truly underwhelming. True to Hepworth's other novels, there was a sinister character, but that was revealed from the beginning.

Jessica, Alicia and Norah are 'sisters' as a result of coming into foster care at the home of Miss Fairchild. They are somewhat isolated on a farming estate in Australia, and quickly become aware that their caregiver is cruel and unpredictable. They finally find freedom from her, only to discover as adults that there is a dead body under the home they were raised in. They return to answer questions about what they know and may be suspects themselves. All the while, their own lives have been significantly impacted by the way they were treated in her home and by their emotions around seeing her again.

I knew going in that this book would be an emotional, dark story about foster children who were mistreated in care. It is a difficult read and sensitivity warnings abound for child abuse, sexual assault, violence, depression, addiction, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, mental health disorders and trauma.

I thought the pace was medium - fast and the characters were well developed. I also liked that the setting was a smaller community, but the plot centered around Miss Fairchild and the Darling Girls throughout. It was almost an isolated mystery in certain ways as they rarely left the house as children..

I think the author did a good job of depicting the long lasting implications and effects of child abuse on adult behaviors and mental health. Clearly, she did her research and depicted the impact of child abuse in the characters dialogue and thoughts. I wanted a little more depth to the writing and found the ending somewhat predictable. I did appreciate that the author took great care of these sisters and showed how that bond really created compassionate and loving women. This is my second novel by this author and it won't be the last for sure.

This was like a Freida McFadden page turner with much better writing. I guessed some of the twists but others took me by surprise. Overall an easily digestible book (I read in 48 hours). Trigger warnings abound so look into those if needed. I read The Soulmate last year which was underwhelming but this novel was so much better. I think this one will be all over the place this spring/summer as it is a perfect beach thriller. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.