This book was published by St. Martin's Press, which is unfortunately being boycotted. If the boycott reaches a resolution, I hope to come back and review this book.

My first Sally Hepworth suspense book and really enjoyed it!

Darling Girls is a suspense novel about the childhood trauma of foster care for three preteen girls. Soon needing to rely on each other for shared survival, the girls ban together to face their unfortunate everyday evils. How much can you endure before you finally snap?

The author does a great job of keeping the audience engaged with delivering pieces of the unfolding puzzle throughout the book. Flashbacks and realtime moments of what these girl endure tell us how much childhood development really does affect us well into our adult years.

Be aware of some trigger warnings for child and neglect ‼️

If there is one thing that is super frustrating for me in a suspense/mystery novel is when all the information just gets drops on your the last 40 pages, but Hepworth paces this book like a pro! 🙌🏽
With a more even paced read, I was super engaged with the story and didn’t have to wait till the end of the book to keep my attention.

✨𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙶𝚒𝚛𝚕𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝙰𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚕 𝟸𝟹, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺

4.5⭐


Darling Girls is a book about 3 foster girls that were placed at Wild Meadows. After 25 years, they are thrust.back to where they hoped never to return. Wild Meadows has been sold and a body has been found. The police want to know what the girls know.

Jessica, Alicia and Norah all came to Wild Meadows under different circumstances and at different times, but they grew a bond that made them sisters. They learned to protect their selves from Mrs. Fairchild, their foster mother.

Hepworth looked at the Australian Foster System with this book, actually it could have been any countries foster system. At times it was a hard book to read bc of the abuse the girls suffered. At other times, I was racing through the book wanting to know what was going to happen next. Hepworth always writes a good psychological thriller and this time was no different.

Tentative Publishing Date April 23, 2024! Go get this book when it hits the stands.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Sally Hepworth for the E-ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

😊 Happy Reading 😊

#netgalley #stmartinspress #sallyhepworth #darlinggirls

Sally Hepworth’s “Darling Girls” blends psychological mystery with women’s fiction. The bond between the sisters is unbreakable, forged in the shadow of their traumatic past. The twists keep you guessing, and the characters linger long after the final page. If you crave suspense with emotional depth, this novel delivers.

Wow! This was a great read that hooked me from the start. Jessica, Alicia, and Norah are foster children in the same home. The women survive their traumatic childhoods only to find themselves thrust back into things many years later due to bones being found under the home where they met. I enjoyed how the story alternated points of view as well as alternating between past and present. I always enjoy Sally Hepworth’s writing!

Sally Hepworth knows how to write a psychological thriller. Every time I pick up one of her books I finish it in a day or two. I want to get to the end, but don’t actually want it to end!

There were many things I liked about this book. The sisters bond…I love how they all had each other in their difficult upbringing. The evil villain…Ms. Fairchild. You can’t help but truly hate this woman. And just the story itself. Unfortunately for many foster children, they experience similar things to the 3 children in this book. I like how the author kept the story believable. And the best part, in my opinion, was the ending. It solidified my opinion on one of the main characters and really shocked, I definitely didn’t see that ending and it was perfect for this book.

***Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC copy in return for an honest review***

This was my second book by this author, and I loved it almost as much as the first! This was a definite winner for me, and I was truly shocked by the twist at the very end.

The pacing was great, and it kept me engaged throughout the entire book. I enjoyed the differences in the 3 main girls/women, and I really enjoyed watching them handle their own traumas throughout the book and into adulthood.

I will definitely continue reading this author!

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for my free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Sally Hepworth, in “Darling Girls” weaves a suspenseful tail that will keep you turning the pages. I recommend setting aside a huge chunk of time before starting this book, because once you start, you won’t be getting much else done until you reach the end.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are all troubled adults, trying to overcome the difficulties they had had when they were fostered by Miss Fairchild on a charming rural farm near a quaint Australian town. Because of their difficult circumstances, they became closer than if they had been blood-related sisters. Instead of being able to put all that behind them, however, a phone call from the police saying a child’s body had been found on the grounds of Miss Fairchild’s land, forces them to face the past. But the police didn’t believe them then, so why should they now?

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this great book. My opinion is my own.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
OMG what a ride. I flew through this one as I could not put it down!! As usual, another amazing book by Sally Hepworth. I have loved every single one of her books and this one for sure is right up there along with all the others. Excellent story and you can tell that the author conducted research about the foster system!
The characters are well described and built up with the back and forth in the 2 different times. I felt like I was there in the story with them and could picture everything in front of me. Great character selection for all of them. I especially loved the ending as no stone was left unturned and the reader didn't have to wonder about what happened to any of them. And of course those twists and turns. Fascinating and totally unexpected! Excellent book, 5 🌟

WOW I had no idea where this one was headed but I was so glad to be along for the ride!!!

I loved the sisters and their devotion to one another. I thought that was a very nice touch from Sally, because there are so many foster kids without allies.

I thought I had the ending figured out and then there were a few twists that gave me total whiplash!!!! I enjoyed this one, but it isn't my fave from Hepworth.

I did like this book throughout and was interested in the storyline but I was really let down by the ending. I have loved this author's other books, but this just seemed to lack the suspense and the depth of characters the other books had.

TW: Language, sexual assault, anxiety, depression, abuse, gaslighting, drug addiction, child sexual abuse, violence, death of child, rape, unwanted pregnancy, sexual blackmail, domestic abuse

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
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?
Release Date: April 23rd, 2024
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 368
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Liked the characters are sisterlike and their bond
2. Hooked on the story
3. Author does a great job describing the pain and sadness of being a foster child

What I Didn't Like:
1. I hate Norah
2. Narrator licking their lips on the audiobook
3. Ending rambled on too long
4. Some parts feel repetitive

Overall Thoughts:
The countless interruptions while the police were trying to tell Norah what they found.

This book touches on a lot of sexual assault for Norah, but author does a great job at skirting the subject without going into too much detail.

When they were older I loved how they made fun of one another. Absolutely sisterlike.

Holy crap my mouth dropped when Mrs. Fairchild said she threw the baby against the wall. I didn't expect that. She made that whole story up.

Final Thoughts:
This book was insane. Just when I thought I had it figured it out it pulled the rug from under me and then pulled another rug from under me.

Mrs. Fairchild was absolutely horrible. The whole time you keep thinking how could such a bad person exists for the sake of it, but here she is. The way she treated the kids though - gross.

I didn't care too much for the ending because it felt like this huge build up to something but the ending felt rushed. You knew Mrs. Fairchild was behind it too. Then Mrs. Fairchild says it was she child she was forced to have with her stepfather when she was a minor, but is that as far as the investigation would go when a baby is found? Wouldn't they give her an exam to see if she even gave birth, so they know if she's telling the truth? Plus if she killed her sibling why was she so sweet with the other babies for a little bit even none of that happened? I don't like when authors hinge a whole character development on one detail and at the ending we find out that wasn't even apart of their personality.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martins Press for the ebook, and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook. All thoughts are my own.

This is an excellent addition to Sally Hepworth's canon. I really enjoyed the story and pacing of this one. The characters were interesting and complex. The structure of the story really kept it moving and the twists and turns were great! Highly recommend this one if you like mysterty.

Jessica, Alicia, and Norah are sisters bound not by blood but by their harrowing experiences at the Wild Meadows foster home. The matriarch of this home, Miss Fairchild, is a character you will love to despise. Portrayed a caregiver, her true motives are driven by greed, leading her to subject her charges to bizarre punishments, starvation, and relentless chores, painting a stark picture of neglect and abuse.The story takes a gripping turn 25 years later when the discovery of bones at Wild Meadows forces the sisters, along with other former foster children, to confront their traumatic past. The narrative masterfully intertwines with another, more mysterious thread - that of an individual recounting a harrowing childhood marked by sexual assault and the resultant pregnancy during sessions with a psychiatrist. This parallel story adds suspense. Who is the individual talking? The revelation at the end is a shocking twist! So well done 👏 👏 👏

One of my top anticipated thrillers of the year and it did not disappoint! Right from the beginning I was pulled in and there were plenty of "woah" moments and twists that kept me hooked until the end.

This was told in dual timelines from the perspectives of each of the three "darling girls". Although this might seem confusing it was actually quite easy to follow. The past timeline (Before) was admittedly my favorite, as I found the pace and storyline of the past to be the most intriguing. Present day timeline seemed to move a bit slower and have pieces of information not quite relevant to the mystery, but I appreciated how it all tied together in at the end. You end up not only wanting to solve the mystery and learn the truth about what happened at Wild Meadows, but also rooting for these girls who have been through so much already.

So many twists and jaw dropping moments, I was impressed. Each time I thought I had it figured out I was pleasantly proven wrong, and I ended up staying up way past my bedtime because I NEEDED to know. It was worth it.

Definitely recommend this one when it hits shelves in April! Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my ARC, all thoughts are my own.

Jessica, Norah, and Allie are sisters in every way, but by blood. The 3 girls are foster-children growing up an idyllic country estate. All starts out well as each girl is taken in by Miss Fairchild, but things quickly change for them as Miss Fairchild grows tired of each girl. The girls have to learn to keep their heads up and help each other. Years later, when a body is found under the estate, the girls must return to the scene of the crime and explore their past.

I have enjoyed Hepworth's previous novels and was looking forward to this one. While it was bingeable and keep me turning the pages, it was cringe-worthy at the same time. There is a lot of child abuse and neglect, which was very difficult to read. I also found it incredibly predictable and I had figured out what had happened almost from the beginning. The only part that was a twist for me came at the very end. I think Hepworth added the last chapter for shock value, but I think it just made the whole story seem so far fetched.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and the quickness of it, but it wasn't my favorite of Hepworth's by any means.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth in exchange for an honest review.

Sally Hepworth is one of my favourite authors and I had very high hopes for this book but it didn't do it for me. The characters were insufferable and the story really dragged. I ended up skim reading the last third of the book. I was very disappointed in the reveal, if you can even call it that. There were a lot of formatting issues with the e-ARC that I hope get fixed before the final copy is released. Despite this blip in her catalogue I am very much looking forward to reading what she comes up with in the future.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are three girls who grew up in the foster care system at Wild Meadows. They were so lucky, they've been told. But all wasn't as it seemed, and they finally broke free until bones were discovered under the house. Who was involved? What happened?

I enjoyed this story, but it was DARK. Please look up triggers before you go into this profoundly sad story.

W O W! Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this early!! Everyone run don’t walk to grab this off the shelf when it comes out. I was completely captivated from the beginning and I thought I had figured out the plot twist but at the very end had my jaw on the ground!

This is hands down my favorite Sally Hepworth book so far. I was absolutely addicted to this story and these characters from the very beginning, and by the end, my jaw was on the floor and my heart was slightly broken.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia aren’t biological sisters, but they are sisters in every way that counts. They spent their childhoods together as the foster children of Miss Fairchild, who was the perfect foster parent from the outside looking in, but the reality was quite the opposite of the image painted for the outside world. Now adults, all three sisters are dealing with serious issues when they get a call that a body has been found under the house where they lived with Miss Fairchild. On top of their current issues, they all must face the past to find out what happened.

This was incredibly twisty from start to finish. We get the perspectives of all three sisters both in the past as foster children, and in the present. Where this could have become complicated, it was beautifully woven together into a spectacular thriller. There is also an additional perspective of an unknown person in therapy that just added to the mystery and kept me guessing.

I did not see the ending coming at all. While I had some ideas about what happened, I did not put all of the pieces together and I loved how surprised I was.

This story does touch on a lot of sensitive issues and subjects, but in an incredibly respectful way, so if you can handle the content warnings of this book, you definitely need to read it as soon as it comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily.