Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this audio book. You follow three sisters--bound by their time in foster care--with present and past timeline perspectives. There is also an interwoven section taking place in a psychiatrist's office and you don't know who the patient is. This is my second Hepworth book, and I found it superior to the first one I read. She developed the characters well, creating each persona to feel authentic and real; she did her research, and it shows in how the characters read. The topic of this story is very intense and triggering, so readers should do their due diligence if they are worried about the sensitivity of the plotline. In essence this was a police investigation story and a reckoning of a traumatic childhood experience between the three sisters. There was humor and sarcasm and ultimately this book did not take itself too seriously. It was wild in where it took you and that made it hard to put down.
The Australian narration was pretty solid, although at times it was hard for my American accent to digest. Because of this, I had it at normal speed, though this level was slightly awkward in its cadence and pacing. Nevertheless, the narrator was mostly easy and engaging to listen to, making the audio experience an enjoyable addition to the story itself.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for making this audiobook available. I have always liked Sally Hepworth but the last few titles have seemed so similar. I think that this will be my last go for this author.

I heard Sally Hepworth speak and she was a delight.
Her book was kinda creepy underneath the sparkly exterior.
Fans of gothic suspense and modern psychological thrillers will enjoy this book.

Don't hate me. I absolutely adore Sally Hepworth's books, and I don't believe I've ever given her anything other than a 3.4 or 4 star. I just couldn't get into this and after three attempts and a solid 3h into the book, i finally DNF'd. It's getting such good reviews and i read all of her books, so i'll probably try again, at which time i will update my rating.

Sally Hepworth is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. Her books are so easy to read and keep my attention with the way she weaves mystery with human connection is masterful. Darling Girls was no exception here, I needed to know what happened to these girls and what Ms. Fairchild had going on. Found siblings, tragic childhoods and now a child's body is found where these girls spent their childhood? A recipe for an un-put-downable read!

Thank you, MacMillan Audio, for the audio review copy of this book! The opinions in this review are my own and unbiased.

I went into this book without any expectations. I did read the description, but I didn't have any other information or thoughts. The book turned out to be a great read with a nice little twist. Some of the plot was predictable. However, there was definitely more to the story than met the eye. The characters were multi-dimensional, with some of them being morally gray (which I always like). Overall, a great book!

I was wanting to like this book but it was a DNF for me. I’ve liked other books by Sally Hepworth, but the plot of this story didn’t grab my attention. I was glad I tried it as an audiobook because I was able to make it farther than I probably would have with a physical copy/kindle.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I like how Hepworth writes a psychological thriller but adds some humor to it. The character of Nora with an H was especially amusing. True, her humor came because she was a train wreck.

This story moved a bit slower than some of the author’s other works. I did like the characters and their developments and there was a major twist.

I liked the narrator. She did a good job of giving different voices to different characters and emotes well.

If you liked the author’s other works, you should enjoy this one as well.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth was a near unputdownable book for me.
It is a dual timeline story told through multiple characters. In the beginning it might be a little bit confusing to keep all the characters apart, especially in the audiobook format, but I thought that the author as well as Jessica Clarke, the narrator, did an excellent job giving each character a distinctive voice. The pacing was good, the characters were well developed and the story itself kept my attention. The plot twist might have been a little predictable for those who frequently read the genre, but I thought it was entertaining regardless.
Checking trigger warnings might be advised.

This book grabbed me from the beginning anything having to do with young girls kind of raised in an orphanage or in a different situation is totally up my alley I was intrigued by what these young girls went through. Was there a missing girl was there not a missing girl? Did they imagine that there was someone else really a gripping story Sally Hepworth has done it again great book highly recommend.

The narrator of this audiobook was fantastic! I usually only really enjoy one specific narrator of audiobooks but this one was really great! She really did a good job of acting out the story line. Thank you for this copy!

Creepy foster home!

Miss Fairchild lives on a farm, Wild Meadows in Port Agatha. She fosters children in need. On the outside, she seems like a good person helping out.

The first child to arrive is Jessica. She got there when she was five. Years later, she is joined by Norah who is eleven, and then by Alicia who is twelve. These three girls will endure trauma that will mark them as adults.

Twenty-five years later, all three girls are contacted. The body of a child has been found buried under Wild Meadows' property and they are all called back to talk to the police. The three return to their childhood town where they will relive the worst time of their lives.

The novel is narrated by the three main characters and also by an unknown narrator who is getting therapy sessions. It also alternates between past and present.

The plot was engaging and the girls, because of their flaws, were humanized making the reader empathize with their current situation.

Jessica Clarke did an amazing job narrating Darling Girls. Every time Miss Fairchild said Darling girls it gave me the creeps!

Sally Hepworth has become an auto-request/buy for me.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sally Hepworth shows that although the outside of the house made look Idyllic, it is anything but on the inside:

Jessica, Norah and Alicia are often told how lucky they are. How lucky they are to have been taken in by Miss Fairchild, to save them from some horrible situations in life. How lucky they are to live in such a beautiful home on a beautiful estate. But living with Miss Fairchild did not feel very lucky at all. Miss Fairchild had rules, Miss Fairchild was unpredictable, and Miss Fairchild was never to be crossed or there would be consequences. The girls were able to handle it till one faithful day where they needed to get away. Now 25 years later the home is being destroyed but in the process a body is discovered under the house, and now there are more questions about what happened in that house.

This is the first book by Hepworth and I now need to check out all of her backlist as once you start this book the mystery hits you full force and does not let you go till the end. Hepworth does a great job of keeping this high till the end as you question what is happening in both timelines and what each timeline is going to reveal, this is what makes this book a great domestic suspense book. I think that people need to realize that this is a domestic suspense book and not a straight-out mystery or thriller. For me a domestic suspense book has different parameters than the other two genres, often in domestic suspense things unfold a bit slower and I could see that not being appealing to everyone.

I'm a big fan of books that have the multiple timelines and POV, when i realized that this book was going to have those aspects to it, I knew I was going to love this book. I think that this created a well rounded book and no one was left out. Plus it gave insight as to some of the reason why the girls grew up into the women that they are today and the way that they cope in their everyday lives.

I think Norah (I made sure to have the h there, lol) was my favourite character, i just loved her don’t care attitude about things but made sure that all the girls and women had a voice. She did seem to be the one that was least affected by their time with Miss Fairchild and was often used as the comic relief in the book. In both timelines I could not help but feel sorry for Jessica and what she had endured. But i loved the aspect that the girls became sisters in this book and stuck up for one another and have stuck together even into adulthood, though that is probably a coping mechanism in itself.

The Manipulation factor is on point in this book and the methods that all the characters use in one way or another from subtle to blatant but I was here for both. And the manipulation stems all the way to the end of this book, and the ending is one of my favourites that I have read this year.

Excellent book and one to pick up if you are looking for a domestic suspense book, if you like manipulation as a main aspect in a book and man that ending was on point. Really can’t wait to check out other books that Hepworth has written, which do you recommend?

Enjoy!!!!

This was a really good thriller. Sally Hepworth really makes me feel immediately immersed in the book and really feel like I can't put it down.

This book was just okay for me. I felt that it was very slow and dragged on quite a bit throughout the story.

I did enjoy the perspective of all three of the main characters. I also enjoyed getting past and present perspectives.

Sally Hepworth just never disappoints. I went into this one completely blind and so glad I did. I loved everything about this book, even though at parts it made me so emotional. I love Sally’s style of writing and the way she makes you feel like you’re a part of the story.

I really do just love Sally Hepworth.

This was a great story of sisterhood, abuse, trauma, and unsolved childhood mysteries. If you thought Ruth Ware’s the lying game was lacking depth this is exactly what you are looking for.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

I just finished reading Darling GIrls by Sally Hepworth. Thanks to Net Galley and ST. MArtin's Press for the advanced copy in return for an honesy review. Here are my thoughts.
I can honestly say that Sally Hepworth has done it again...this story is about sisters born from a different womb but connected in such a way that they are each other protectors and best advocates. The story follows these sisters from when they were fostered into the same home owned by the absolutelu awful Miss Fairchild. WHile staying with her, they are horribly mistreated until they find a way to leave.
Years later they are forced to return to the place they hated when a body is found and they need to speak to the police. There is a mystery to solve: Who is buried underneath the home of Miss Fairchile, and how are the sisters connected.
The mystery is slowly unraveled and there are many surprises along the way. What i loved about this book was the bond of the sisters which was inspriring, the imperfection of the sisters. They each harborured their own secrets and trauma, and the storytelling. I am never dissapointed with Sally Hepworth's story telling. Her plot twists and character reveals are always delightfully surprising and this story was no different.
I loved the ending. It was....awesome. I kind of figured it out, but I was stilll surprised by it. I have learned that every character that Sally Hepworth introduces in her stories has a purpose, so I knew that in some way all the characters would have a part in solving the mystery. I also loved how they trauma of the sister's chilhood made them resilient and strong and paved a way to happiness.
While the middle of the book is a little slow, it was worth plugging through to get to the end. I definite must read for lovers of this genre.
Happy Reading.

Hepworth gets me with her twists and turns yet again!

Anytime I see a new book from Hepworth on the horizon, I know it’s a must read for me. Some of course are better than others, but if there’s one thing I can count on, it’s the wild twists and turns you don’t see coming.

I love how this story switches back and forth between present day, the past, and even further into the past. Having these three different storylines really help shape readers to understand why each character acts they way they do in present day.

DARLING GIRLS covers a lot of topics, with the main plot centered around foster care. While I am not an expert in what foster care is like, knowing how delicate of a topic it can be, it really seemed like Hepworth did her research to truly understand the nuances and everything that goes into fostering children.

The characters are well-written, engaging and painted authentically in their own flawed ways. There was never a question in how I felt each character would react to a situation!

I was sort of surprised how dark this story was. There are a ton of trigger warnings so please check out other reviews to see if this story is right for you.

Big thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC/ALC.

Content warnings: child abuse, death, emotional abuse, drug abuse, addiction, kidnapping, sexual assault

I loved The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth when it came out and so I knew I needed this book as well. While I still like The Soulmate more this was still a great book for people that like contemporary thrillers. Give it a try!