Wow! From start to finish I struggled to put this one down. I found myself trying to figure out what the twist would be. I was wrong! Really enjoyed this one. Would highly recommend.

The narration was surprisingly easy to follow despite the time hopping and multiple POVs. I enjoy that type of writing style in thrillers.

This book wasn't as gripping as her usual books for me, A lot of time is spent in the past with the characters as kids experiencing trauma in the foster home. I think I expected a bigger twist or more drama. It read more like sad fiction than I was expecting.

Nevertheless I can see how a lot of people will love this . The child abuse / manipulation was not just overwhelming but may be a trigger for some.

I started off at 1.5x and was able to increase to 2.0 once I got used to the accent.

I mean. If Sally Hepworth writes a drama thriller. I’m in. And I’m gonna have a great time and be flummoxed by the end.

This was no different.

Norah, Jessica and Alicia are as close as sisters come. (Heyyy trauma bond…we’ll get to it) when they each get a call to come back to the place they were in foster care because a body has been unburied and the police have some questions for the women. Told in dual timeline with flashbacks to when the girls met and became foster sisters and their experience with Mrs Fairchild.

I loved the sister’s bond and that they did have each other throughout the abuse they suffered in the foster system and throughout their lives. I really just love the way Sally Hepworth writes a novel with feeling like you have it all figured out and then. You really don’t. I loved it. I can’t rank her novels don’t ask me to.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan for an eARC.

"Darling Girls" is a, surprisingly, heartwarming tale with a twist of ominous darkness. In short, it is about three women who grew up as foster sisters with a similar view of their narcissistic, ill-tempered, dissatisfied foster mother. When human remains are found beneath the house they grew up in, the sisters are forced to face their memories of growing up in that house to help uncover the truth.

The book is written from multiple points of view, four at least. I was given an Advanced Readers Copy in audiobook format for review. I listened to this book through the NetGalley App and cruised right through it. I enjoyed the narrator's voice, accent, and flow. Particularly, I appreciated the narrator making slight changes in her voice for each character, in a natural way.

Overall, I would rate this book five stars. I enjoyed the thought-provoking concepts of the foster program (I have little knowledge of this) and the character development was just enough to understand each person, including the foster mother. I actually listened to the ending twice to make sure I understood as it left me with a one-two punch surprise!

Wow! I am so happy I got to listen to an early copy, what an amazing book. I finished it in 2 days and I was totally hooked... Just when i thought I knew where the book was going I was hit with a twist and the ending... wow. Sally Hepworth did it again, new favourite for sure! I highly recommend this book to absolutely everyone.

4.25 ⭐️

*I listened to the audiobook*

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia met at Wild Meadows, under the foster care of Miss. Fairchild. Miss Fairchild was anything but fair. The girls suffered neglect and abuse while living there, but they had each other and that is what mattered most to them. As long as they were together, they could survive Wild Meadows.

25 years later, Wild Meadows has been sold and human remains are found under the house. The three women are called into question. With the women still close, like sisters, they return to the town of Port Agatha and are forced to face the mother of their nightmares once again.

The book switches back and forth from past (the women as children living with Miss. Fairchild) to the present as adults trying to figure out whose remains were found (all told in third person). There is also someone speaking to a psychologist every few chapters, but you are not sure who until the ending. It was a dark and twisty mystery.

Trigger warnings:
- Child abuse & neglect
- Child death
- Child sexual abuse discussed
- Addiction

*My thoughts*

The book held my interest and I wanted to keep listening until the end (I am not a big audiobook fan so that is saying something). The ending of the book was even more deranged (as if Miss. Fairchild wasn't already horrible enough) than I expected and surprised me. What a psychopath. I enjoyed this book and it did make me emotional thinking of the foster care system and all the children who do encounter terrible foster homes (sadly, this is a reality) or even abuse with their biological families.
I found the audiobook easy to follow. The narrator did a good job. The pacing of the book was fine to me. I didn't have trouble with the past and present narrative and the book made it clear what time period each chapter was set in and what character it was following.

I have a couple other books by Sally that I am excited to pull off the shelf and read now!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for access to the ARC audiobook. I greatly appreciate the opportunity!

Thank you NetGalley for an early-release copy of this book!

This book was heavier than I expected, but an interesting story. If you like stories with depth to them and a bit of a mystery, this book might be for you!

Out April 23, 2024!

I LOVED this book. It was a great thriller. There were many times I made a guess of what happened, and then as the story continued I’d change it. By the end I was wrong for the most part every time. I loved the different point of views and the way it came together at the end. Each character was well developed both in childhood and adulthood.
I’d definitely recommend Darling Girls.

I received an advanced copy of Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. Bravo Sally.. you’ve done it again. I could feel every character’s emotion both as young girls and adults. All the.anguish, fear, and disappointment they each felt yet all of that still left room for love. I did not expect the ending which left me speechless. Brilliantly written!

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia face their nightmarish pasts when the childhood home they grew up in as foster children is found to have a body buried on the grounds.

This book was a slow burn but I loved it. The character development was fantastic, and I appreciated that all three sisters had backstories of their own woven in. I love the alternating timelines between the past and present and everything it led up to. While I *thought* I had figured out what was going on about halfway through, it did not make me enjoy reading it any less. It was so satisfying seeing it all play out. Then that last chapter hit and I was mind-blown, and I loved it even more. The plot was unique and entertaining. I have read all of this author's books and I think this is my favorite! I really enjoyed the narrator on the audio version as well!

5/5⭐

I was not disappointed by this book and it’s definitely another winner by Sally Hepworth! I did a mix of audio and ebook and really enjoyed the audiobook!

I loved the relationship between the three sisters. The past and present timeline of the book really helped explain how their actions in adult life were a result of their childhood trauma. I enjoyed the mystery person’s POV and was surprised by the twist at the end. This book was definitely a slow burn but the building suspense throughout and twists kept me reading and needing answers. I thought the ending was great and I appreciated how all the loose ends came together and my questions were answered.

There were a few slow parts in the middle of the book and I thought a few of the twists were predictable. Overall it was still a great thriller filled with suspense and drama.

I definitely recommend this book, especially if you love a suspenseful slow burn thriller.

Good book!
The ending was definitely unexpected!
It started out a bit slow but picked up about halfway through. The narrator was excellent.
Thank you for the chance to read this.

Sally Hepworth has a way of creating dynamic, well-thought out characters that keep you hooked on “what will they do next.” The audio experience was great - but it did take me awhile to keep all 4 POVs separate as the accents were very similar. And the shell-shocking twist at the very very end… made my jaw hit the floor. A thriller well done 👏🏻

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a sucker for a Sally Hepworth book, and Darling Girls did not disappoint! I do not think it's possible for her to write something I will not love.

Three women bonded by their upbringing in a foster home - sisters in all ways but blood. They have overcome the odds having grown up on a farm with their evil foster mom.
Years later, as the farmhouse is being demolished, bones are found buried underneath and they are brought back together as the book alternates between past and present. Their stories of abuse and perseverance throughout a traumatic childhood will bring the reader chills, as the investigation into who the bones belong to brings the past into light.

A creepy domestic thriller that will shock you all the way to the twisted ending!

Narrated by Jessica Clark, who gives life to the story throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced audio in return for my honest review.

Pub Date 23 April 2024

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a copy of this audiobook.

Foster children get a bad rep. Often bounced from house to house, it’s hard for them to form connections. 3 sisters that did just that are living their life when they get a call that takes them back to their childhood trauma. Can they overcome this?

I loved this book. I was instantly hooked and craving to hear more. In true fashion, this was a family drama with a mystery attached. It just worked for me. The ending has my mouth dropping open and had my clutching y imaginary pearls

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is a suspenseful psychological domestic mystery. One that will leave you shocked. Wow! That ending!
The story of 3 foster girls under the care of Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows that includes abuse, lies, secrets, loss, friendship, and the need for love. 25 years later they are called back to Wild Meadows when bones are found under the house.
I definitely recommend reading Darling Girls.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the narration for this novel. The accent kept me hooked the whole time and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what would happen.

Unfortunately after 50%, I realized I cannot finish this book. I am pregnant and the infant remains are a little too much for me at this time. I am very sorry!

I think this will be a great book for those that this isn't currently a trigger warning. But after I miscarriage it's past fall, I'm just not in the spot to read it.

Another great Sally Hepworth read. I really enjoy her writing and the stories she tells. Thank NetGalley for the audio ARC.

I read and listened to this book as I was approved for both.

You know those books that you stay up until the middle of the night reading? This is the one. I felt gaslit, on the edge of my seat, and outraged for 95% of this book. I couldn’t believe what was going on and couldn’t wait to find out what was happening. I don’t stay up until 3am reading books … ever. But with this one I did. I’m still thinking about it days later and am already planning a re-read. What an amazing book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of Sally Hepworth’s audiobook version of Darling Girls. I enjoyed this story of 3 foster sisters who become family. The psychological page turner follows the 3 as they learn shocking news about their shared childhood home. As the story unfolds you learn more about the sisters and their foster mother. Full of unexpected twists, I kept longing to listen to hear what would happen next. Definitely an enjoyable listen