Member Reviews
I got an email from NetGalley asking if I wanted to read and review this book, and since I enjoyed The Soulmate by the same author, I figured why not! Plus, after reading the first couple sentences of the synopsis, I knew this book would be right up my alley.
Considering that there were four POVs (three in third person, one in first person) and only one narrator, I found that I was able to keep each perspective in line. I liked how each perspective came together through the use of the dual timeline — I was invested in both the “then” and “now” storylines.
I wouldn’t say I was completely blown away by the ending, but I think that was because the pieces of the puzzle were given to the reader in such a methodical way that we were able to piece things together by the end.
This is my second time reading a novel by Hepworth and it won’t be my last!
My first by the author, and will not be my last. I love the full cast of characters and how on edge I was the whole time.
3.5 rounded up to 4
This is my first Sally Hepworth book and I enjoyed it. It’s a solid thriller that kept me guessing.
I didn’t love the audio narration. The narrator used the same voice for all three POVs and I was constantly confused as to which POV I was listening to. I think I would’ve liked this book better if I physically read it rather than listened to it.
I loved this book so much. The twist at the end was jaw dripping. I felt so bad for the girls feeling gaslit, but it added to the story. Great writing and great characters.
The multiple POVs and dual timelines in this story were great. There was lots of drama and I enjoyed the way the ending came together.
4.5 rating! This book had me hooked from the beginning. You have characters you will either love or hate and not everything is as it seems. I enjoy when a book shows the past and present and slowly reveals why everything happened how it did. There were a few twists in the book and I didn't figure out all of them. The ending gave me goosebumps because just when you thought she couldn't get any crazier she does!!!!
This book could have been really really dark, and - yes - parts were super messed up, but Sally Hepworth did so well to bring in moments of light and levity. I laughed out loud at certain parts. And could not for the life of me call the ending. A wild, quick ride - It kept me guessing the entire time!
Loved the narrator. very neutral voice and easy to listen to.
Sally Hepworth delivers a bone-chilling, heartbreaking story about three foster sisters who are forced to revisit their childhood trauma. Jessica Clarke, narrator, does a fantastic job. She brilliantly delivers the depth and hurt in these characters and it really brought a lot to the novel. I highly recommend for those who are fans of Lisa Jewell and Jennifer McMahon.
If you are sensitive to child abuse/child death, I would recommend checking content warnings before reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Jessica, Norah, and Alice are survivors. They had to survive living in foster care with Ms. Fairchild. Their childhoods weren't the best. They tried leaving it all behind until one day each of them got a call saying they found a body buried underneath the home. Now the three of them must go back to where their story started and figure out just who is buried under the house.
The story is told in past and present in multiple POVs, which I love. It was nice being able to get Jessica, Norah, and Alice's sides of things. You got to feel them grow up and then become adults. Alice was my favorite one! As adults each of them had their own thing going on, their own demons to face, but they were still just as close as when they were kids.
I am one of the few but I didn't LOVE this book. I thought it was good, and I did want to know how the story ended. If you've read Sally Hepworth before, I would totally suggest reading this!! She did a great job.
I listened as I read and the narrator did a good job! It kept me engaged. Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the copies of this book, in exchange for my review.
I always enjoy Sally Hepworth's thrillers and this was not an exception. I was surprised at some of the twists and turns.
The narrator, Jessica Clarke, was excellent. It's hard to believe there was just one narrator. The voices for all of the main characters were very distinct. Never a confusion as to who was talking and when.
Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced audiobook copy. #netgalley #darlinggirls #sallyhepworth
Haven't we all read a book with orphan children and their care takers? That was my first thought as I went through the first few chapters, or so I thought. The writhing is rich in human emotions, it's rich in psychological clues and the back and forth from the present to the past gives a perfect construct of the characters. I enjoyed the bits of information the author gave me with each time progression that allowed me to get a great insight in each of the girls' minds. The plot seems so clear and easy to follow and takes you to an amazing ending! Thank you so much for sharing this book. I absolutely loved it!
Okay, most importantly, I love Norah with an h so much. And dogs being named after the first thing they chew tickles me to no end.
I also really liked the sisterly bonds represented in this book. It added some levity and hope in what would have otherwise been a fairly dark mystery thriller.
The story was challenging. Maybe a little predictable until it wasn't. Definitely invested in seeing what happened and even though I shy away from stories with depictions of child abuse, this wasn't overtly explicit and I was able to tolerate it.
The narrator was very good, but i'd like a strong word with the editor. There was so much loud breathing that should've been edited out.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
Thank you to @stmartinspress, @netgalley, and @sallyhepworth for the opportunity to read this #advancedreadercopy in exchange for my honest review. Darling Girls will be published April 23 on physical, eBook, and audiobook platforms so preorder now! 💙
She’s done it again! This book just became my fave of the year! It’s twisty, it’s thought-provoking, it’s dark, and it’s fresh! This pulled me in immediately, was filled with deeply flawed but lovable characters and took you on a gut-wrenching and nail biting journey. Hepworth is a master of twisted family dynamics and this book is no different, albeit with a non traditional family. I highly recommend for fans of a fast paced mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
TW: loss of a loved one, mental illness, g*slighting, m*nipulation, CA, SA, dr*g add*ction, more
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ - 5.5/5
I was not a huge fan of the other two books I had read from this author but when I was sent an ARC I figured I would give her one more try. I am so glad I did. I really really ended up loving this. I felt attached to the girls almost immediately and things just kept getting juicier and juicier as it went on. The narrator did a very nice job with all the different view points from the characters. I really thought this was just going to be another foster care horror story but this was so so good! I did not see the big twist coming at all. And then the final final twist was even better. This was just the right pace with just the right amount of detail to make me not want to stop listening. Highly recommend!
Thank you MacMillan Audio, Sally Hepworth, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to an ARC!
I have truly enjoyed many books by this author. I listened to the audible, which was told beautifully. The story takes place both past and present day when 3 foster sisters return to their foster home to help solve a mystery of bones being found in the manor where they were placed many years before. And face their abusive foster mother. The book takes you into their lives, both past and present day, where you learn of both their physical and mental abuse at the manner, and how it is affected them in present day. The book has many twist and turns and kept me wanting more throughout the whole narration. It was a pleasure to listen to advance copy of this book..thank you NetGalley and Mcmillion publishing
Hepworth is an instant buy author for me at this rate, and Darling Girls was another slam dunk.
I was obsessed with these characters from the start. This was such a gripping story that had me dying to get through chapters! I couldn't put it down during the day. There were a few surprises for me as I listened, and it was just so well written. I loved the flashes from the past to the present, and I thought that this was a very unique story. Jessica, Alicia, and Norah were so easy to root for, and each had a backstory and present life that was full of nuance. Miss. Fairchild may be in my top list of villains I've encountered this year in thrillers. Her backstory was shocking, and you just never knew what she was going to pull out of her sleeve. Overall, such a satisfying read. Hepworth always does such a great job of writing real, capable heroines which I appreciate in a thriller. 10/10 recommend for people looking for a good read to keep you hooked till the end.
Jessica and Norah and Alicia are sisters with a deep bond and a dark past. I always love Sally Hepworth books and this was no exception. I really enjoyed the dual timeline and found the history of these women and the complex dynamics to be both believable and surprising. This was a good one that I enjoyed start to finish. I do not love her narrator and found the voice less than stellar and and her delivery to be low energy.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review, Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. This review is purely
my thoughts and opinions based on this book.
A novel about three girls who grow up together in a foster home. They’ve been rescued from poor living conditions and come to live with Miss Fairchild who raises them.
Later on, bones are discovered under the house where the girls were raised and they’re all under a microscope. Did they do it, or was it someone else? How many lies are we told throughout the novel and how many are webbed together with perfection? Trust no one!
This is a page-turning thriller, in my opinion and I really enjoyed it. Something with a different pace and it definitely kept me guessing and had me gasping towards the end.
I binged Darling Girls in one day. I know a thriller is working for me when I clean the kitchen just so I can keep listening.
Sally Hepworth gives us three foster sisters: Jessica, Norah, and Alicia. They grew up together as very lucky girls in a foster home that looked perfect from the outside: a beautiful, loving mom, a perfectly tidy house, even a pool.
As adults, the sisters are called back to their hometown when human remains are found under their foster home. As the women are interrogated by local police, they have to reckon with their own pasts.
I’m glad I gave Hepworth a second chance — I read The Soulmate last year and while I liked certain aspects, it was a 3-star read for me. Darling Girls grabbed me completely.
I loved the three women and their found family bond. Each was so different, but believable and flawed. The book goes back and forth between their very troubled childhood and who they became as adults — while revealing bits and pieces of their history and keeping the reader guessing.
I’m not sure that the ending lived up to the first 85% of the novel, but it did resolve the main mysteries and I’m interested in reading more Hepworth in the future.
I listened to this one as an audiobook and loved Jessica Clarke’s narration. She was engaging and gave each of the three sisters their own personality without overacting.
Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for my review copy of this book
Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacMillanAudio for the book #DarlingGirls by #SallyHepworth. This captivating book about three girls who grew up together in a foster home is fantastic! The things they went through shape them into the women they are today. While tearing down the “home”, builders discover a body. Was their foster mother responsible or could one of them had a hand in it? Make sure you read this book!!!