Macmillan Audio ALC
I always think that Sally Hepworth can't outdo her last book, and then I read her newest and always leave with a new favorite. This one gets a bit darker than some of her others - it deals with foster children being abused while in the system, but there is so much more here. I liked how distinct Alicia, Jessica, and Norah were. This book alternates between their past and present when bones are found at their old foster home. As the story progressed, so did my intrigue and guessing. She surprised me quite a bit in this one, and just when I thought I had something figured out, it turned out that I was wrong. And that ending, it was so well done. I suggest going into this one without reading the synopsis and let the story sweep you away. Easily bingeable and so well written. Can't wait for her next one!
I also really enjoyed the narrator. She did a great job capturing the characters and their personalities.

This is hands down my favorite Sally Hepworth book so far. I was absolutely addicted to this story and these characters from the very beginning, and by the end, my jaw was on the floor and my heart was slightly broken.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia aren’t biological sisters, but they are sisters in every way that counts. They spent their childhoods together as the foster children of Miss Fairchild, who was the perfect foster parent from the outside looking in, but the reality was quite the opposite of the image painted for the outside world. Now adults, all three sisters are dealing with serious issues when they get a call that a body has been found under the house where they lived with Miss Fairchild. On top of their current issues, they all must face the past to find out what happened.

This was incredibly twisty from start to finish. We get the perspectives of all three sisters both in the past as foster children, and in the present. Where this could have become complicated, it was beautifully woven together into a spectacular thriller. There is also an additional perspective of an unknown person in therapy that just added to the mystery and kept me guessing.

I did not see the ending coming at all. While I had some ideas about what happened, I did not put all of the pieces together and I loved how surprised I was.

This story does touch on a lot of sensitive issues and subjects, but in an incredibly respectful way, so if you can handle the content warnings of this book, you definitely need to read it as soon as it comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily.

4.5⭐️

Darling Girls is an excellent story. As we learn more and more about Jessica, Norah, and Alicia’s lives and their time with Miss Fairchild, we’re left unsure what to think or who to suspect. I could not put this book down- so much so that I abandoned all other plans to finish this in one highly entertaining sitting.

Jessica Clarke did an excellent job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Sally Hepworth, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this one! I was immediately roped in and finished the book in less than 24 hours.

I like the (fostered) sisters' dynamic with their different personalities that their situation amplified. And how they stayed very very close even after they aged out of the system.

Ms. Fairchild... O.M.G.

I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say that I didn't give this the final star because I'd guessed at the ending about halfway through. I need that shock factor!

Great read; definitely recommend!

4.5 stars!
Jessica, Norah and Alicia were all placed in the same foster home growing up where they became inseparable through the trauma they endured at the hands of their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. Years later, they find a child buried on Miss Fairchild’s property. The girls reunite as they realize the police are going to uncover some secrets that they have been trying to keep hidden for many years.

Sally Hepworth is one of my comfort authors. I love how she takes something like a thriller, and then adds in such heartfelt characters that are dealing with such real problems. All of the three women were so likable and my heart just went out to them. I liked the spotlight on the inefficiency of the child welfare system and how Alicia was trying to break the cycle. The alternating timelines added to the intrigue and the suspense and I was surprised by the ending.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!
I was excited to get this because Sally Hepworth is one of my favorite authors, and this did not disappoint. The dual timelines were perfectly placed to maintain the mystery, as well as develop the characters. Lots of twists, and an unexpected last chapter that was crazy! I highly recommend to readers looking for dual timelines, found family, and mystery rolled into one entertaining story.

I enjoyed the audio. I found it hard to follow with it switching from different timelines because it was never really mentioned when it switched a different timeline. And there was so many characters I felt like it was hard to keep up but overall enjoyed the story plot and twists and the ending.

I loved this! The narration was spectacular and some how this author always makes me feel like I know the characters! Great thriller/mystery. ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Alicia, Norah, and Jessica are sisters who spent time on a family estate in Port Agatha with their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. While the three sisters weren’t related by blood, their relationship since their time in foster care has built a bond stronger than blood. Miss Fairchild wasn’t what she seemed to be at first and the three sisters had to fend for themselves during their time at the estate. Later in life, the sisters are summoned back to Port Agatha as part of an investigation of a body that was discovered under the estates home. Who’s body was it? Were the sisters involved in the death or unfortunate witnesses?
This was my first book by Sally Hepworth and I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives of the characters and the characters themselves. The characters were well developed and cohesive. The overall story was realistic and enthralling. I enjoyed the twists that the story had and while I thought I figured out one of the twists, I was wrong. I love it when I think I have it all figured out only to find out that I am wrong, this makes the story that much better for me!
I listened to this story via audiobook. The narrator, Jessica Clarke, provided a fantastic listening experience. She was clear in her reading and her voices for each character was easily differentiated.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC copy early and to provide my honest feedback.

This book was quite possibly the best book I have read. I love complicated family dynamics, this story of foster sisters, their love and them sticking together no matter what was refreshing. I love that there was a little mystery too! Highly recommend!

A very trauma-laden slow-burn mystery about three foster "sisters" and the abusive foster caretaker who inflicted years of horrific abuse on them. A couple of the twists were a bit too out there, but it was engrossing.

Three sisters, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, receive calls by police to come in for questioning regarding some bones that have been found under the foster house where they lived as children. As they mystery of who the bones belonged to is being solved, the stories of the trauma and abuse that the girls suffered at the hands of their foster mother is brought to light.

This is an intense read with short chapters that alternate between the stories of the three sisters, in the past and in the present. It was very well done with a lot of twists and red herrings. I was able to figure things out and was not as surprised as I hoped I would be by the end - thus a 4 star rating versus 5 stars.

I loved the narrator chosen for this audiobook! The story takes place in Australia and her accent fit perfectly. It made it easier to get into the story in the location where it took place.

Thank you to #NetGalley for an eARC of #MyDarlingGirls by #SallyHepworth, narrator #JessicaClarke, in exchange for honest feedback.
-4 stars

OK - this is hands down my favourite Hepworth! I was engaged throughout. The idea of three foster sisters and an evil foster mother felt unique. I loved the twist at the end.

The audio was really well done too!

This was a great audiobook and a pretty quick read. The timelines and the perspectives of each character didn’t get confusing, which is huge because so many authors can’t do that well.
Overall the mystery and twists made for a great read! Highly recommend!

🎧Darling Girls
✍️Sally Hepworth
🎤Jessica Clarke
🗓️23 Apr 2024
📝 Macmillan Audio

I actually really enjoyed this book.
The characters were so diverse and wonderfully written. They all had their demons and traumas, they all became very different people. I loved the sisterly bond the foster girls have developed.

The girls went through so much and it doesn’t paint. Good light in the foster system. At all. But the story gripped me from the beginning, I had to keep on listening even if I should have gotten more sleep!

I did like the narration, a lot actually. I just would have wished for a (stronger) Australian accent. But maybe it got lost because I listened at 2,5 speed?!

She was engaging, emotional and a pleasure to listen to! I think I would not nearly have enjoyed it as much as an ebook. The narration really did it for me.

⭐️Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own, I was under no obligation to review.

I listened to Darling Girls in one day. It was fantastic! I’m a big fan of Sally Hepworth books and this is one of her best. The characters were wonderfully fleshed out and seeing through their different perspectives is a favorite plot tool of mine. Miss Fairchild was especially interesting! I loved the twists in the story and enjoyed not being able to figure it out before the reveal. Overall, the concept was a fresh take and I think this is going to be a really successful book.

Another 5 star book from Sally Hepworth! What a master storyteller! This book is phenomenal and is one of my favorites this year! A suspenseful journey that had me feeling so many emotions. This is one of those books that you will still think about years down the road. Such a dark side to the foster care system, but the love these sisters shared was heartwarming. I loved all three and their very different personalities. The narration was also fantastic. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillon audio for the copy of this audiobook.

Great storyline! It bounces back and forth from different years and people but this was one of the easiest storylines to follow with an audio book! Draws you in right from the beginning and clear to the end. Don’t want to say too much without giving anything away but it was nice to read a story that isn’t similar to any other story I have read! Will be recommending to my patrons when published!

Copied from Goodreads:
“Darling Girls,” Sally Hepworth’s newest thriller, does not disappoint.
A challenging foster placement has bonded three women as sisters for life. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia do their best to support each other and forget their experiences from 25 years ago. Their adult lives are upended, however, when a skeleton is found under their former foster home and they’re forced to head back to Port Agatha to uncover the truth. Any devoted domestic thriller readers will uncover the truth long before the protagonists. This did not diminish the novel for me, though. Told in alternate points of view and moving between “then” and “now,” the story’s fast placed plot is engaging and enjoyable.

TW: child abuse of all kinds; substance abuse; mental health

“Darling Girls” will be released in the US on April 23, 2024. Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this audio ARC given in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for the listening copy to review.

I already read an e-ARC and I loved this book, so I jumped at the opportunity to listen to the audio as well. The narration by Jessica Clarke was very good. I really like her accent and thought her delivery was engaging, emotional, and entertaining. She was able to bring life and feeling into the characters, which I really appreciated!

The book overall was a huge page turner, a psychological mystery and suspense following three foster sisters Jessica, Norah and Alicia. The women are contacted by detectives investigating remains found at Wild Meadows Farm where they lived in the 90s with Miss Fairchild, their foster mother. We hear recollections of abuse from each woman with alternating timeline chapters, showing their life at home and the mysterious event that finally saw them out of the home.

I was wholly invested in these characters, this played very well into my empathy and I literally couldn’t put it down. Showcasing very dark themes of child abuse, neglect, and subsequent trauma the girls were subjected to, now dealing with the aftermath in adulthood. I loved the contrast of the sisters, despite the odds they had each other, I liked each of their personalities and the journey they took to heal in the end.

It was a rollercoaster of emotions and I enjoyed it quite a bit despite the disturbing undertones. Darling Girls highlights the exploitation of the foster care system with strong female characters and twisty reveals.