4 Stars

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Sally Hepworth, and St. Martins Press for an #ARC in return for an honest review!

Hepworth has become an auto-read author for me! They are always full of mystery, unsettling characters, and a good plotline that keeps the reader entertained. I really enjoyed the multiple POVS: Jessica, Norah and Alicia who are three unbiological sisters that grew up in a foster home together. They have grown and moved from the terrors of the foster home and Ms.Fairchild. Now 25 years later, they are back together unleashing the traumas that happened to them. And to help identify the bones that were found at their old foster home. The chapters were short and easy to follow. Each character had their own personality and their own space in the story which was nice to see as it all unwrapped. There was lots of emotion as you flipped through the pages. I did not know who to trust and I was suspicious of all occurring. Suspenseful, traumatic, and a bit cozy.

My only iff? I think this got repetitive at times and I wish there were more emphasis on the ending. It felt like it wrapped up too quickly and left some unanswered questions for me.

I think this is a must read this summer! I finished it in one day.

Read if you like:
- Mystery
- Unreliable Narrators
- Multiple POV's
- Dual timelines

It took me a long time to decide what review to give this book... I initially wanted to rate it lower because **trigger warning** child abuse and I really hated the character Ms. Fairchild, but objectively this was a good book. I didn't think it fair to knock it down a star because I had difficulty with the subject matter, and obviously we are meant to hate ms. Fairchild so job well done.

The story follows grown-up foster sisters Jessica, Norah (with an H) and Aleesha as they are contacted by Inspector Patel regarding a body which was found buried underneath their childhood foster home. Through this story, which goes back and forth in time, we learn about their past and the abuses (mostly psychological) given upon them by Ms. Fairchild.

It was an entertaining story and I really felt for the sisters. Their personalities were explained well when we went back in time and saw what their childhood was like.

There were a lot of twists throughout the book, and I definitely did not expect any of them. I would highly recommend this book.!

Thank you to Netgallery for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! This audiobook kept me interested in the story being told. It's well narrated. Sally Hepworth is an amazing author and definitely doesn't disappoint with this book.

I absolutely loved the book and the narration was spot on. The ending left me speechless though, I was like no way.

First off, a huge thank you to @stmartinspress and @macmillianaudio for hooking me up with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sally Hepworth is an auto-read author for me. She’s like a trustworthy and reliable BFF— she consistently shows up and never lets me down. I have thoroughly enjoyed everything of hers that I’ve read; I still have a few from her backlist to read (those with pub dates prior to 2019) but I’m confident I’ll love those as well.

Hepworth knows how to hook the reader from the very beginning. I always feel invested in the characters and their story. I loved Jessica, Norah, and Alicia- very different people who share a deep love for one another. My heart broke for these foster sisters and the childhood they had to endure. I’m a sucker for found family and these three are just so good for each other; I was grateful they could be there to support each other— in both timelines, during their childhood and years later as adults. Their bond was organic and powerful. Miss Fairchild is easy to hate… an atrocious human with zero redeeming qualities. Darling Girls is one of Hepworth’s darkest novels, with a heavy theme of child abuse, but I think she carefully carries the reader through it with tact. In true Hepworth fashion, it’s twisty… some you see coming and others that are most certainly unexpected.

This is a slow burn domestic suspense that teeters on the edge of psychological thriller. I enjoyed reading and listening to it (love a good Australian narrator) so pick up your copy in the format of your choice today!!

Darling Girls is a captivating read, with alternate timelines and 3 POVs for our sisters that met in foster care the story sucked me in and wouldn't let me go until I turned the last page. While the tale of how our characters met is sad and horrifying I loved the bonds they built with each other that lasted the test of time. I don't want to say too much about this as I think going in blind will give you the best reading experience. But I will say I loved how the relationships between the sisters, the tension that built when they had to return "home", and all the twists and turns that had me glued to the page. Sally Hepworth has done it again in delivering a compulsively readable story and I can't wait to see what shes going to come out with next!

Audio review: I loved the narration for this! Jessica Clarke did an amazing job of making each of these sisters have a unique voice, and bringing the story to life!

Ah yes. Sally Hepworth has done it again. This was a cleverly written domestic suspense novel. It had a different feel as the primary characters met in a foster home and that lent to the development of the overall storyline.

The book is told in alternating timelines and also from alternating perspectives. All of this helps to give the reader tid bits of information that they otherwise wouldn't have. It all helps to build the case for what the story is in the present day. Yet, there are some nice twists along the way as well.

I hesitate in saying too much in this review because I strongly believe this book should be enjoyed without too much advance knowledge. I will say it was a fun read and kept me entranced.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The narration was perfect for this book. The voices truly captured the characters and were different enough to help follow the change in characters during the story. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the audiobook and ebook.

Sister bonds really are strong.

This was an interesting read that I found really wrapped up nicely, but wasn't exactly my favorite as I read. It was well written and I enjoyed most of the characters, but the main sister had some issues that (while I recognize are totally real) just bothered me.

But, a great ending will save a rocky ride and, while I didn't love every minute of this book, I found the ending to be satisfying and to wrap things up nicely.

Fans of psychological thrillers would likely enjoy this!

My rating: 3.5*

___
Thanks to NetGalley for this gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

I can always count on Sally Hepworth for a thriller that is compulsively readable! Or on this case, listenable! 🎧

𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴 - out today! - was riveting from the beginning, slowly revealing more as the story went on, with a cast of very engaging characters. Darker than the author’s previous books, this thriller focused on the ways in which the foster care system regularly failed the children in its care. If that triggers you, this is not the book for you.

Hepworth regularly injects dark humor into this story, which certainly helps lighten the mood. Norah, Alicia and Jessica’s backstories were riveting, and I loved the alternating timelines of “Then” and “Now”. Just when I thought I guessed where the plot was going, the author completely blindsided me. I’m so glad I didn’t see any spoilers. I loved this mystery/thriller and highly recommend it!

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for my complimentary audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sally Hepworth's writing style is indeed like Liane Moriarty in the best way. They both have that distinct Aussie humor that shows through even in the darkest of stories and Darling Girls subject matter is indeed dark.

This story is about a few things: three girls growing up in foster care at the home of a cruel, narcissistic foster mother, three women trying to live their complicated lives in the aftermath of their tragic upbringing AND the
question the police are investigating- whose skeleton remains are buried at the house that they were all fostered in?

I love the way the author gives each of these "sisters" Jessica, Norah and Alicia such distinct personalities that are ironically extremely competent and an absolute disaster simultaneously. You don't know whether you want to hug or reprimand each of these woman. They are so clearly adversely affected by the trauma that was their fostering by the evil Miss Fairchild.

The thing that gripped me most was the sisters never ending support for one another. In the midst of their terrible experience at Miss Fairchild's foster home, they found a family in each other and that bond would last into their adult lives - they would definitely need it but the question becomes what does it cost them.

My one big gripe about this book is what some may like the most - the "twist," which isrevealed at the end. Without spoiling it I will say this, I am a big fan of villains receiving their comeuppance by books end otherwise I feel stabby 😂

Enjoy this entertaining very well narrated audiobook with a box of Tim Tams and tea (milk for me) and try not to feel too guilty for laughing out loud from the dark humor.

𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬
𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐩𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐒𝐭. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧’𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝟒.𝟐𝟑.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐻𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑦 𝑃𝑢𝑏 𝐷𝑎𝑦!

I paired my reading with the gifted audiobook from @macmillian.audiobook, and Jessica Clarke’s narration brought out the suspense and drama!

I have always enjoyed Sally Hepworth’s books, and I’m so glad she wrote another one involving sisters. Maybe it's because I’ve always wanted a sister.

Norah, Jessica, and Alice grew up as foster sisters, taken from family tragedies and placed in the care of Miss Fairchild at her beautiful country estate, Wild Meadows. But was it a domestic refuge or a house of horrors?

The book opens with the girls as adults and, having moved on, free of Miss Fairchild and Wild Meadows. But when a detective calls with news that a body has been discovered while Wild Meadows was being demolished, the girls are thrust back into the past.

The story toggles between before and now, and we get a dark picture of the crimes and abuses that went on in the foster system. As much as I was intrigued by the sisters’ incredible bond and personalities, Miss Fairchild stole the show. She was a character I loved to hate - she grated on me with her saccharine-covered verbal assaults and oh-so-proper appearances. Okay, I’ll stop - I don’t want to give too much away, but there are some twists you won’t see coming.

Yes! Another great read by Hepworth! She is an auto-buy author for me! This one was so addicting to read. You just wanted to know what exactly happened at Wild Meadows. Did one of the girls do it? Did Miss Fairchild have a hand in it? You just have to keep reading to find out! The audiobook was so good too!! I love when a story is based somewhere I have never been; this one being Australia. An Australian accent just makes it so much better! Loved the audio!! Highly recommend to read this one soon!!

*Thank you so much partner @stmartinspress and @macmillian.audio for the #gifted egalley and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*

I have read another of Hepworth's books and so I knew I liked her style. While this book got off to a slow start, the tension continued to build. I was surprised how much I loved it. I read at every free moment to find out what would happen next. Very enjoyable story. Well written and fantastic, intentional devices used to prolong the reader's suspense and curiosity.

My appreciation of Sally Hepworth’s work has hovered between average (The Younger Wife) and pretty good (The Soulmate). Darling Girls levels out at pretty good. But I can’t wait to read one that is outstanding.
Jessica, Norah, and Alicia met in foster care under the tenuous and harsh care of Miss Fairchild. Told to be happy that they had been saved from tragedy, the girls toil on an idyllic farming estate. Their trauma keeps them bonded into adulthood and the present day. When the women find out that a body is discovered at the estate, all the pain, secrets, and lies come to light. Who is the dead body? And who killed them?
The story is framed in three timelines. The first is the present when the women find out about the body at the house. The second is the past when the girls stayed there. And, the last, is an unknown talking about her past with her therapist. These threads weave together to tell several stories that affect the story as a whole. The back story takes over the mystery in the beginning, leaving the reader slogging through. When it finally reaches its apex, things start moving quickly.
There isn’t enough time spent on the girls’ relationships now besides the mystery at hand. I would have liked more of that. I wanted to see the tightness and how things were between them. This would have had more emotional impact to something that happens towards the end. But above all this was an enjoyable thriller. I savored each twist and turn Hepworth took me on, as well as seeing who the mystery narrator actually was.
Darling Girls may not be the best psychological thriller, but it is still solid. Also, try this one on audiobook. The narrator does an amazing job with the characters and supplies great beats to twists.

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!!
I just happened to finish this audiobook the day of its release, and I am SO GLAD I had a headstart and did not have to wait to read this book.

I don't think I have read a book this mind-boggling and frustrating to grasp (in the best way) in a very long time. It is really something when the worst of the worst people find ways to use power, manipulation, and lies to make themselves look like the victims - but when someone is on to that person and what they are doing, it compounds how frustrating that can be.

Miss Fairchild (ironically named, IMO), was anything but fair to her foster children in need. Three girls in her care found the strongest bond, even beyond typical sisterhood, when they had to join forces to survive the hell they were thrust into. In between their lives as children, flash forwarding to adults meeting up to meet with police after remains were found under their childhood foster home, you also get glimpses into the upbringing of their foster mother. Perhaps this explains the bizarre method of her parenting style? With twists and surprises, Sally Hepworth did a phenomenal job of keeping the reader speeding through the pages/audio to find out what happens next.

As someone who had grandparents that fostered children from the time my dad was a toddler, I felt very interested in this story. Today is the publication day, and I think every person who likes thrillers needs to get their hands on this book NOW.

Sally has a knack for crafting intricate characters that truly captivate and deeply connect with readers, and this latest one is no exception!

It’s such a character driven story but it also flawlessly blends a plot centric narrative that results in such a haunting and complex page turner!

We experience the perspectives of three sisters navigating survival and grappling with the trauma of foster care, while unsettling revelations continue to surface, leaving us utterly heartbroken and disturbed.

It’s totally bingeable and that ending?! 👀

Don’t sleep on this one!

DARLING GIRLS review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5

🩵Anyone else a Sally Hepworth fanatic?! ✋ I’ve read 8 of her books and they’re all so good in their own way!! Her older work leans toward women’s fiction where as her newer books are more suspense/family drama. DARLING GIRLS had no shortage of family drama and I was immediately invested in the story!

🩵Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were raised by the same foster mother as children. The horrible treatment they suffered bonded them as “sisters” for life. Now a body has been discovered under the house they grew up in and everyone wants to know what really happened at their foster home?!

🩵Holy plot twists! The final ending of this book had me 🤯. I thought I knew where this story was headed (and I was partly right) but the final twist at the end left my head spinning! This book is Hepworth’s darkest yet and definitely check content warnings! I really enjoyed this one overall and Hepworth is absolutely an auto-read author for me!

🩵Thanks @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for my advanced copy! DARLING GIRLS is available now (happy pub day)!!

I couldn't stop listening to this book! What grabbed me first was the three sisters. Each having such a different story but their bond was like no other! I loved that no matter their problems or flaws they supported each other no matter what. What they experienced together in Miss Fairchild's foster home was so sad and so abusive. Thank goodness they had each other to get through it. Miss Fairchild's character was definitely a puzzle and the twist at the end put the cherry on the top for me! This would make for a great book club read! A great one to discuss with others! I would highly recommend this book!!

Thank you to Macmillan audio for the audio arc of the book.

This book was an absolute rollercoaster! I couldn't get enough of this gripping thriller that had me hooked from start to finish. Every spare moment I had, I was diving back into its pages, eager to uncover the next twist and turn. It's rare for a thriller to hit me right in the feels like this one did - I even found myself shedding a tear or two along the way.

Centered around three foster sisters and their haunting past at a foster house in Port Agatha, the story unfolds through their distinct perspectives. The clever narrative structure, with intermittent therapy sessions shrouded in mystery, keeps you guessing until the very end. Flitting between past and present, the storytelling remains seamless, never once losing its momentum. When the sisters return to Port Agatha years later to confront their foster mother and unearth buried secrets, the tension reaches a boiling point.

What I loved most was how each sister brought their own personality to the table, grappling with their trauma in different ways. The raw portrayal of the foster care system's dark realities hit me hard and left me reeling. It's a tough read at times, with potential triggers for some readers, so proceed with caution.

Overall, "Darling Girls" is an absolute gem with its beautifully crafted narration. And the cherry on top? The innovative reading and listening experience that adds a whole new layer of immersion. Count me in for more like this!

This one is well-crafted with a dual timeline, told through the perspectives of the three sisters and an unnamed perspective whose speaker isn’t revealed until closer to the end of the novel. The characterization was so well-developed that, even if the sister had not been named at the beginning of each section, I still would have been able to tell which one was speaking.

Their shared experiences at Wild Meadows bond them and they choose to remain family long after their foster care experience has ended. It was interesting to see how their experiences as children shape who they are as adults, and I think their trajectories mapped out by Hepworth are entirely believable.

The way the story is crafted kept me engaged, but as a parent, there were many parts that were difficult to listen to. While the setting of their upbringing appears idyllic, the reality is far from it.

Jessica Clarke’s narration captures the emotion of the characters as well as the icy and abrupt changes in the foster mother’s demeanor. If you pick it up, I highly recommend listening to this one on audio.

I received an advance copy of the book from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.