Darling Girls is another edge of your seat thriller by Sally Hepworth.
It has twists and turns and it’s definitely best to go into this one without knowing too much!
A fast paced read that will keep you guessing!

Huge thanks to MacMillan Audio for the ARC of "The Darling Girls." This book had me hooked from the start with its multiple viewpoints and rich backstories that breathed life into the characters. As a social worker and mental health professional, I was blown away by Sally's precise portrayal of behaviors and interactions, particularly with the foster parents—it felt so authentic. Sally's writing had me rooting for the girls and feeling deep empathy for their struggles. However, that foster mom? Utterly despicable.

Now, let's talk about that ending. While the journey was a slow burn to get to the mind-bending plot twist, the payoff was worth every moment. The audiobook was a fantastic companion—I couldn't hit pause because I needed to uncover the mystery. Although the ending felt a tad rushed and far-fetched, overall, "The Darling Girls" is a brilliantly written book that kept me engaged and enthralled.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is a gripping tale set in Australia, centering on three foster sisters—Jessica, Norah, and Alicia—and their haunting past at Wild Meadows under the care of their abusive foster mother, Holly Fairchild. The narrative takes a thrilling turn when human bones are unearthed beneath the farmhouse, reigniting memories of their traumatic upbringing.

Hepworth masterfully navigates the delicate balance between darkness and light, presenting protagonists who are resilient, intelligent, and fiercely loyal despite their harrowing experiences. Through their strength and vulnerability, the author crafts characters who feel incredibly real and relatable.

The plot is expertly crafted, with tight pacing and plenty of twists that keep readers on the edge of their seats. Moments of humor, particularly Alicia's childhood jokes, provide a poignant contrast to the darkness of their situation, evoking empathy and enhancing the emotional depth of the story.

In Darling Girls, Hepworth delivers a compelling narrative that explores themes of resilience, sisterhood, and the enduring impact of trauma. With its captivating plot and well-developed characters, this novel is sure to resonate with readers long after the final page.

Sally Hepworth is one of my top go-to author's for the type of psychological thriller that I crave. She spins a tall that is so engrossing and all consuming that it makes it hard to put down. Darling Girls was certainly one of those. Although this was not my favorite of hers, it was still enjoyable to read.
The content was a bit tough reading gory details of how foster children are treated in their foster homes. How these girls lost their security and loved ones to end up being moved into homes where they are forced to keep a clean house/care of babies for their food and fractured sense of stability, if they even get food, was tough to read. The real story is how these girls persevered and became a family of their own. They are sisters, even if not by blood, and that was really the heartwarming take away from this book.
The POVs and stories developing after a human skeleton was found on the site of their old foster home will keep you guessing on who the remains are from and who put them there.

I received an advanced reader's copy and audiobook from St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sally HEPWORTH is an automatic read for me but this wasn't her best work. I did Enjoy the narration and would listen to more of her books over reading them, this book was ok but wasn't my favorite.

The way that this book kept me on the edge of my seat for its entirety was absolutely incredible. I was living for the twists within this book. As soon as I thought I had something figured out, I found out quick that I didn't. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a mysterious and thrilling ride.

A special thank you to NetGalley, Sally Hepworth, and Macmillan Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Very suspenseful. I loved the characters and the way it told the characters history. I liked that it was a time jumper and the snarky comments. I liked the mystery and I loved the way it ended and that all the ties wrapped up and ended.

The story is about three sisters (not biologically, but ones that went through trauma together) who spent a few years together in the foster home called Wild Meadows run by Miss Fairchild who was anything but fair to children. They are forced to relive their trauma as old human remains have been found under the foster home 25 years later. The three women have to confront their past, their fears, and their trauma, as they find themselves both witnesses and suspects in the new investigation. There were some serious topics in the story, like child abuse and the disfunction of the foster care system. I liked that the three sisters had very distinct unique personalities and each handled their trauma differently. Overall, the story is fast-paced, with a few twists and characters that will have you investing in either their triumph or their demise. As typical with Hepworth's books the last chapter leaves you shocked and fully satisfied. It had elements of another book I enjoyed, The Push by Ashley Audrain. I highly recommend this book as well!

I wasn't sure if I was going to read this book, but then I had an email from MacMillan Audio and took it as a sign! I loved the different perspectives from all the sisters. The narrator did a wonderful job with their different personalities. There was just enough mystery and unanswered questions to lead me along and the ending really threw me!

3.5 out of 5 Stars

It was a fun time and very entertaining but at the same time was a little bit bluh and I kept forgetting I was reading it.

You can never go wrong with Macmillan audiobooks! They pick the best narrators for each of their books which really make the stories come to life! This book hooked me in from the start and I grew to love the bond between the three sisters-Jessica, Alicia, and Norah.

Sally Hepworth wrote an intriguing story with two timelines- one 25 years past & one in the present tense. The stories of the three sisters now and before helped the full story come to life. It had a wonderful flow that kept me wanting more. I read the last half quickly to know what happened.

The ending was shocking yet satisfying. My heart aches and cheers for those not so lucky in foster care and those who grow stronger due to their experiences. TW child abuse, foster care, childhood trauma, domestic violence.

I'd recommend this book to those who love an exhilarating read from multiple POVs and timelines. It keeps you guessing and wanting to know the fate of the three sisters and dare I say Miss Fairchild too.

I really enjoyed this book! It was my first Sally Hepworth novel. I enjoyed the slow burn mystery. I would definitely recommend and will be reading more of hers

This was my first Sally Hepworth read and it won’t be my last. All three main characters were compelling and the way they dealt with childhood trauma was plausible without being too cliche over overdone. Haworth did a good job of leading you to assume one thing only to prove you wrong. The audio narrator had a great voice and kept me listening.

A very compelling novel taut with suspicions, secrets, and sisterly bonds. I was hooked by the characters and the relationship between the sisters from the opening. The plot was full of twists and red herrings and new discoveries that kept me guessing throughout. Excellent read from a great author!

This is my first book by this author. After a body is found on the property of Miss Fairchild, 3 former foster girls return to their hometown to give their statements, each reliving their time living in the home. As the story unfolds it becomes apparent the affect their early childhood had on their adult lives and relationships. The women must come to terms with their past so they can move forward with their lives. I listened to the audiobook and found the psychological aspects of the story particularly intriguing. There were a couple of plot twists that I didn't see coming. Overall I enjoyed the book and I'll be looking for more from Sally Hepworth.

Darling Girls is the newest book from Sally Hepworth set in Australia. This is an interesting thriller told from the point of view of three young women, who were foster sisters living at Wild Meadows in Port Agatha. Their foster mother, Holly Fairchild, had two personas; the one the public saw as a loving women who took in young orphaned girls, and the other that was mean, emotionally abusive and more to her foster daughters. Jessica is the first foster child, 5 years old and will do anything to get Miss Fairchild's love and approval, Nora an 11 year old who has lived in several foster homes and learned how to protect herself, and Alicia who is 12 and moved in temporarily while her granny was in the hospital. When granny dies, she becomes a permanent foster child and struggles to adapt after her loving home. It is 25 years later and the girls are now adults, and don't think much about their time at Wildwood Meadows, but they all get calls from the police. Bones have been found on the property, can they come meet with the police.

Darling Girls is told in a dual timeline. We meet the girls when they are living with Miss Fairchild and what their lives were like. We also see them in the present, twenty-five years later, what they are doing, how their lives have turned out and what effect their lives as foster children had on them. They are close, calling themselves sisters and will do whatever they need to in order to help, support and protect one another. There is another POV that pops up throughout the story, that of a young woman speaking with a therapist. She didn't have a very good life and I was intrigued, yet saddened by her story. This isn't what I would call a thriller, but a suspenseful story with some surprising reveals/twists. The effects of trauma on a child, coupled with abuse (verbal, emotional, lack of food etc.) and how that affects a child plays out in various ways. The book has a slow plot, with the build up of the girls' story, then the mystery of who the bones belong to. I didn't know if I liked Norah, Jessica or Alicia very much, but based on what they went through and how it affected their lives, I sure felt for them. I was pulled into the story right from the first page and when that reveal came at the end, it all made sense to me. Besides the slow pace, and some repetition of their early life, I enjoyed this story. It wasn't a difficult read, but it does paint the foster child program in a negative light. Please read the author's notes about her research . I know not all foster parents and homes are like this one, but there are some and even one is too many. I did a read/listen with the audiobook narrated by Jessica Clarke. She does an excellent job with her performance. Her voices, expression and tone were perfect for this book and moved the narration at the right pace for me. Her narration added much to my listening experience.

Darling Girls
by Sally Hepworth
Narrated by Jessica Clarke

Rating: 3.4/5.0 Stars

Darling Girls was a decent enough story. The characters were a bit underdeveloped for my liking, but the story revolves around three sisters, who found each other in the foster system while they were at Miss Fairchild's. While their time there wasn't the most pleasant, they are all called back to their former home when it's discovered that a dead body was buried under the house that they all lived in. What really happened at Miss Fairchild's? Who is the child buried under the house?

For a story revolving so much around the three main characters, I still felt like I didn't really get to know them or care about them. The story was mildly interesting, though pretty darn predictable. The saving grace came from the twist at the end of the story. Overall, it's a decent story to listen to, though I'd recommend others before this one.

Thank you #NetGalley, the author and Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen to and review this ARC!

Darling Girls was my first read from Sally Hepworth, and while mostly enjoyable, was much different than I had expected. I went into it assuming it was a thriller. There is an element of mystery in wondering who the bones under the house belong to, but apart from that this is more of a character-driven contemporary fiction.

Darling Girls follows three women, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, in two alternating timelines. We see them in the present as they learn of the discovery at their old foster home, and in the past as they faced horrible abuse at the hands of their foster mother. I much preferred the present timeline to the past. Even though it is not a trigger for me, I just found reading page after page of constant child abuse depressing and overwhelming. My heart ached for the girls, and I was often tempted to skip those parts in search of justice I hoped would come. While it was interesting to see what became of each of the girls, there weren’t many shocks or surprises until the very end.
 
I was grateful to also have an audio copy to follow along with. It was very well narrated and kept me motivated to finish despite the difficult subject matter. I do think it would have benefited from a different narrator for each perspective, but I was still able to follow along without getting lost. Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for my gifted copy!
 
While this book was “just okay” for me, I can see why it has gained so many five-star reviews. For those who enjoy a more dramatic, character-driven novel, this one will be for you! I will definitely be giving some of Sally Hepworth’s other books a try, and I am hopeful one of her others will resonate with me a bit more.

Whoa… what a crazy story. I was shocked with the last chapter how the story she told was a lie and she actually killed her baby sister. I mean she is a psychopath so I shouldn’t have been but I was not anticipating that. Really liked this story. Keeps you in suspense and draws you in.

Another great domestic thriller from Sally Hepworth! I couldn't put it down -- I will definitely be recommending this to fans of Liane Moriarty and Ruth Ware.