I got this audiobook NetGalley widget in my email and decided to give it a shot on a bit of a whim. Sally Hepworth is a new-to-me author but I was feeling in the mood for a bit of a mystery or a thriller. Full disclosure, I've been in a bit of a reading slump and the narration wasn't my favorite, but this story held my attention from beginning to end. I wouldn't say it was particularly fast-paced, and I don't think I would classify it as my usual read, but I the *characters* absolutely hooked me.

The characters are all deeply flawed, and yet somehow I still loved them all. The incredible bond between the three main characters and the history between them had me rooting for them the entire time. The side characters popped, and I even found the villain to be riveting in her slow-burn, sadistic kind of way. While I think this was on the slower side for a thriller (I would call it more of a mystery) the reveals were perfectly paced to keep my attention fully in the world, and made me look forward to my commute.

And despite the darkness of this novel (definitely check the content warnings), I loved the hopeful ending that was just incredibly satisfying. Definitely recommended for anyone looking for a solid character-driven mystery! (4.5/5)

This was my second novel by Sally Hepworth. I'm not a massive fan of thrillers, so this book, which I wouldn't usually pick up, was outside my comfort zone. I'm attending an author luncheon at the end of April, and Sally is one of the authors who will be speaking, so I wanted to read this before hearing her talk. I'm glad I did!

I'm a sucker for alternating timelines and POVs, so this checked that box for me. The character development is strong, and you really get to know and understand the main characters.

If you have specific triggers, check the trigger warnings before reading. There's a lot that could be hard to read.

I listened to the audio of Darling Girls, and the narration is excellent. I highly recommend it in this format.

Sally Hepworth is an auto read author for me, so I was excited to be able to read an early copy of Darling Girls. I went into it without reading the synopsis, which I often do with authors I really love! This book kept me engaged with moving between current and past timelines. Everything came together so well, and I LOVED the twist at the end.
I enjoyed the audio for this book. The narrator did a great job. I will be recommending this to everyone I know for sure!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy of this audiobook.

Three sisters must face their horrific past. This novel was a fantastic read. Kept me guessing the entire time! Couldn’t wait to find out what happened to their “mom”.

The "before and present" timelines were both interesting, but I'm tired of dual timelines. I, also, didn't connect with any of the characters. The main twist wasn't a surprise, but it was still an okay read. I enjoy Hepworth's writing and will continue to pick up her books. This one just didn't sparkle.

Get ready for a dark, psychological thriller from Sally Hepworth. Set in dual timelines (the present and past) Darling Girls tells the story of three sisters, Jessica, Norah and Alicia. This novel covers child abuse and neglect, and how it impacts a life forever.
Jessica, Norah and Alicia grew up in foster care at Wild Meadows and what happened there shapes the girls for the rest of their lives. When they get a call 25 years later that a body is found under their old foster home, the old memories start to come to the forefront of their minds.
This was such a well done story and I found I could not stop listening to see what happened next with our characters. The twist at the end was phenomenal and I did not see coming at all. I felt that while this was a quick read, it packed a big punch. The characters are so well developed and the plot has just the right pace. I really enjoyed this one, even though some parts were hard to listen to. The audiobook narrator was superb and made Jessica, Norah and Alicia come to life! Thank you so much to Netgalley and Audio Macmillan for the advanced copy of this audiobook.

Written by the New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth, Darling Girls delves into the lives of three foster sisters who are thrust into the spotlight when a body is discovered under their childhood home. With twists and turns that will keep you guessing, Darling Girls is a masterfully crafted tale of sisterhood, secrets, love, and murder.

From the very beginning, readers are drawn into the lives of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia - three young girls who were raised by their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on an idyllic farming estate. Despite being told how lucky they were to have been rescued from family tragedies, it becomes clear that their childhood was far from perfect. Miss Fairchild had strict rules and could be unpredictable, leaving a lasting impact on the girls even after they break away from her.

As the story unfolds and a body is discovered under their childhood home, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia find themselves at the center of a murder investigation. The plot thickens as they navigate through twists and turns that challenge their bond as sisters and force them to confront long-buried secrets. While some twists may be predictable for seasoned mystery readers, others will catch you completely off guard.

However, the one criticism we have is that some characters may feel flat or even predictable at times. While this does not detract from the overall enjoyment of the story, it may some of us readers wanting more depth in certain character arcs. Overall, not a big issue.

We listened to the audiobook of Darling Girls and Jessica Clarke's voice brings depth to each character and adds to the overall experience of listening to this audiobook. The pacing is spot-on, keeping listeners engaged from start to finish. Glad we listened to this one.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is a captivating novel that will keep you guessing until the very end. Whether you're listening during your daily commute or relaxing at home, Darling Girls is a compelling story that will immerse you in a world filled with secrets and suspense. Don't miss out this one.

Flew through this! Great, quick read. I loved the before and after timeline(s) and the different POV's of each of the girls as more and more of the mystery comes together. The "twist" wasn't anything crazy, but was still thought out enough I enjoyed it. A book is five stars for me when I become emotionally involved in the story and that is what happened here. Norah, Jessica, and Alicia's stories were all heartbreaking (Alicia's hit me the hardest as someone who was very close to my grandmother), but the sisterly bond they formed felt genuine and equally tugged at my heartstrings. I am a fan of Sally Hepworth's writing and enjoyed The Soulmate last year; however, I connected with the characters in this novel much more.

Three young girls become family during their stay with their foster mother Miss Fairchild. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia depended on each other as Miss Fairchild was often cruel and unpredictable. After a child's bones are discovered under the house they grew up in Jessica, Norah and Alicia go back to and we learn how they survived and conquer their troubled childhood in the end.

Thank you to Sally Hepworth, NetGalley, and Macmillan audio for the advance copy of this amazing book, The narration was flawless, giving each character their own personality. This book is at the top of my favorites from Sally Hepworth, and at the top of my favorite books have read this year.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of Darling Girls. This book is written in a dual timeline format, which I think is always fun. You get to see how the pas influenced current day. This story about three girls who are trapped at a foster home together and, based on their experience there, decide they are sisters in every way that matters. The mystery and intrigue begins immediately in the book when each girl gets a call from the police asking them to come back to the town where they lived in the foster home because something is happened that that may be able to help with. The middle of the story was a little slow, but I understand it was the time to develop the characters and the backstory for the present day mystery. The story twisted in a way I didn’t see coming, which I love. I enjoyed the narrator and her ability to give each character a different voice.

Darling Girls is a must read for anyone who loves a character driven novel. Hepworth masterfully crafts a conclusion that leaves readers stunned and contemplating the intricacies of the human experience. It’s a testament to her storytelling prowess and ensures that ‘The Darling Girls’ will linger in readers’ minds long after they’ve turned the final page.” I found the audiobook to be very enjoyable and really liked the narrator. One of the easiest 5 ⭐️ I have ever given. In my opinion, it’s a book everyone should have on their TBR.

This was such a uniquely gripping story that translated really well via audio!

I was really drawn into the premise of this story -- three women who grew up in the same foster home, are now in the middle of a murder case after human remains are found under their old house. There were definitely moments that had me on the edge of my seat, but for the most part the pacing was on the slower side. And while the twists at the end definitely took me by surprise, they didn't quite have the shoc factor I was hoping for with all of the build up.

But overall, I enjoyed this story and the multiple POV's and dual timelines made the audio a really entertaining listen so I would definitely recommend consuming via audio if you have the chance!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio & NetGalley for the ALC.

I ultimately really liked this book! However, it took a long time to get going and to really assess what direction it was taking. I loved how in depth Hepworth got with Jessica, Nora, and Alicia, it felt like we really got to know them as characters. This is a good mystery with lots of unexpected twists and turns, especially the one at the end! Thank you to Macmillan Audio & NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook!

Reading Between the Wines book review #27/130 for 2024:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: Darling Girls
Author: Sally Hepworth
RELEASES on April 23, 2024!!!

Sipping thoughts: I love Sally Hepworth. The Good Sister is my upmost favorite book of hers and the others are good. But this one just fell really flat to me. The premise seemed so cool, but nothing really happened. Yes, there was a body found. Yes, Miss Fairchild was a horrible foster parent. I was really invested in finding out what happened but the reveal was underwhelming. But there was no real mystery in my opinion. Yet, I am looking forward to Hepworth’s next release.

Cheers and thank you to @MacmillanAudio and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @DarlingGirls.

#DarlingGirls #SallyHepworth #MacmillanAudio #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

I read darling girls about 4 months ago. I had a change to listen to the audio and remembered why I really liked this book. If your looking for a gripping, twisty, can't put down story, you must give this a listen! Dual time lines, family drama and a shocking ending will captivate you.

Sally Hepworth’s Darling Girls was very difficult to put down as this is another thrilling and well-written novel. Hepworth is one of my “go-to” authors and has become a “must read” for me, as I always enjoy her brilliant, skillful and thrilling writing.

Darling Girls is about three women (Nora, Alicia, and Jessica) sisters bound through the Australian foster care system. We switch back and forth between timelines: We learn about their abusive foster mother (Miss Fairchild) and then the book then goes on to 25 years later when bones are discovered under the home. The story takes us through their point of views (and a mysterious one) as we learn more about the sister’s backgrounds and stories.

Although Nora, Alicia and Jessica were all very different characters, there was something so relatable and intriguing about each of them. I loved reading their heartbreaking and thought provoking stories.

I listened to this book so quickly because I HAD to know what was going on. That being said, the narrator of the audio book, Jessica Clarke was also incredible and engaging.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sally Hepworth does it again! She has written another twisty, character-driven story that grips you from beginning to end. This one surrounds three orphans who grew up together in a foster home. Their childhood was not easy. They suffered physical and mental abuse (definitely heed content warnings here) as well as severe gaslighting. They have not returned to the area grew up but, years later, are asked to come for questioning as the police have found a body under the home where they stayed.

The strength in Hepworth's writing is her layered, flawed, real characters. They have fully formed personalities. I enjoyed slowly getting to know each sister, along with the challenges each faced as they dealt with consequences from both their life before the foster home as well as their life in the foster home. I loved the way that they bonded. Women supporting women is always a win for me. The story itself, while truly disturbing at times, is engaging and intriguing. I had several ideas on which way this one would go but was never really sure.

The narration is true to the locale in Australia and very well done. The narrator handles each character well and is able to portray the emotion throughout all the interactions and events of the book. I have been a longtime fan of Hepworth's writing and continue to love what she puts out. I look forward to each and every release.

Sorry, but I’m going to be a bit of an outlier here I’m sure. I have loved many books by this author, but this one was not for me. Yes it was dark and twisty, but it also felt a bit disjointed and angry, Other times I felt it was a lesson in the dark side of the foster care system. I’d say parts of this book will work for those who enjoy dark, twisty mysteries, and other parts will work for those that like big drama - primetime soap opera style. For me it was just ok, but I will definitely continue to read anything this author writes.

Narration: Jessica Clarke’s narration of this book is fantastic and helped me through the sections of this book that I didn’t enjoy as much.

Jessica Clarke does a beautiful job narrating Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. I highly recommend listening to the audio version of this book. She is easy to understand, pleasant to listen to, and makes a clear delineation between characters.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
is an exciting family drama full of thrilling twists and turns. We get to know Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, who grew up in the same foster home, and remain close. The sisters share a close bond, after enduring a childhood of abuse and gaslighting with a foster mother who was just clever enough to never do anything that the girls could prove. Now they're grown, and human remains have been found under the farm house where they grew up. Old wounds will be opened, and decades-old questions will finally be answered. Sally Hepworth does her signature work of fully developing intricate, flawed characters, and getting to the root of what makes people tick.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing my advanced listening copy though NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to netgalley and Macmillan audio for the alc of this book! Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me.

I did really enjoy the audiobook. The narrator was great and the pacing felt right. I will be giving this a neutral rating because I did like the audiobook just not the story itself.

I couldn’t connect with the characters or this story. I feel like the child abuse was just way too much and way too descriptive for me to continue with this book.

I hope others love this one.