**4.5-stars rounded up**

Oh my gosh, I read this so quickly. I always find Sally Hepworth's stories incredibly readable. They're addicting. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. All the twists and turns gave me whiplash. Also, I loved the three main characters. Bonus, this left me with the devilish grin that I always enjoy at the end.

But what's it all about?! Let's discuss.

In this story, we follow three sisters: Jessica, Norah and Alicia. While not biologically-related, the girls spent many of their formative years together in a foster home run by Miss Fairchild. Their experiences there bonded them for life. From the outside, it looked like the idyllic place to be a child. Certainly better than the circumstances the girls came from, however, there were secret things happening behind closed doors, as there often are, and Miss Fairchild wasn't necessarily as sweet as she appeared from the outside.

Eventually, the three were able to break free from Miss Fairchild's home, and although they never saw her again, the hurtful memories remained. As adults, they have kept in very close contact, and are all living mostly satisfying lives well away from their traumatic childhood home. Then one day out of the blue, they receive word that a body has been discovered under the home where they used to live with Miss Fairchild. Shocked by the discovery, the three women join up and travel back to that place they left long ago, but are they returning as possible witnesses, or suspects?

I had a blast reading this. It was a super intriguing set-up and I loved learning about all three women. They were each unique and well-developed, and even though they were quite different, their shared history made for very close and believable relationships. This story is expertly-constructed using past and present timelines, both of which I found equally interesting. I think Hepworth did a great job of creating suspense, as well as characters that you could care about. Finding out the truth about the girls' time with Miss Fairchild was fascinating. I never knew what was going to come next. It made me tense, in a good way.

IMO, Hepworth is an incredible, dramatic storyteller. She never fails to draw me in quickly and hold my attention. Although I guessed some things, it made it no less enjoyable, or impactful. In fact, I think I was probably realizing things at the pace in which Hepworth was intending.
The pace picks up closer to the end and I found the conclusion to be fun and satisfying. There were some surprises left in the tank and I walked away a happy girl.

I would recommend the audio format, as the narration was very well done and seemed to fit the overall story nicely. It kept me focused and relaxed. Thank you to the publishers, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I always look forward to the latest from Sally Hepworth, and this definitely did not disappoint.

10-out-of-10 recommend!!

4.5 Shining Stars

Slightly disappointed that this was my first time reading a Sally Hepworth novel because wow! The writing was truly refreshing to have such an immersive experience in a domestic suspense / thriller.

Three sisters who grew up in foster care together under one roof are forced to revisit their childhood home that was less than perfect, despite their foster mother's best attempts at presenting this way.

The way I flew through this audiobook... I was fully prepared to find the same mundane characters/interactions/twists in this book as I have in so many others recently, but I truly enjoyed the backstories and development of these characters. The anticipation in what had happened in their house so many years ago was a slow but steady climb before all is revealed.

Jessica Clarke did a phenomenal job in her narration of these characters, the POVs were clear and easy to follow.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of Darling Girls.

Ouf, these girls have been through a lot!

This is a shocking tale of sisterhood, heart-wrenching trauma, and narcissistic abuse.

I’m not usually a big fan of slow-burns but I feel like this needed to be as we got to know our characters before the twists and turns took over.

This book kept me guessing till the very end and then finished with a bang!

Highly recommend.

I really enjoyed this book. Loved the now and then format and the varying points of view. I found each of the main characters interesting and likable. And I loved the bond between them (even though it seemed unrealistic at times).

There are several major twists toward the end of this book — each more surprising than the next. The final and most shocking reveal made for a satisfying finish.

This book is exciting and well-paced with a great storyline. This was my first Sally Hepworth book. I love her writing style and cant wait to check out her other titles.

4.3 rounded down to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

"Darling Girls" is what Miss Fairchild called Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, the three young girls she fostered. But Miss Fairchild was not such a darling herself. She had rules, many rules. And some of the punishments she implemented when those rules were broken would be considered child abuse. The book opens with one of the girls, now a grown woman, meeting with a psychiatrist. Over the course of the novel, we learn about each of the three "sisters" - what their lives are like now and what they experienced with Miss Fairchild. When bones are found on the estate, the police force the women to confront their shared past. Interesting characters and structure, as the narrative swirls into darker and darker places with a long-buried secret at its core. It's a story of damaged children and how, as adults, some will fare better than others.

Fantastic psychological thriller!

Sally Hepworth once again masters a story of past and present, psychological manipulation, and a dead body. It is the story of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, three foster children at the home of Holly Fairchild. Holly is a classic narcissist that loves psychological manipulation of the three girls. Together they become sisters, not by birth, but by survival. Twenty-five years later they are forced back to where they were raised under the care of Miss Fairchild after human remains are discovered buried on the property. I can’t say more without giving it up, but it is fantastic! Hold the laundry, hold the dishes, because you will get nothing done while reading “Darling Girls.”

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Thank you to #MacmillanAudio and #NetGalley for the audio ARC of #DarlingGirls. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I've enjoyed several of Hepworth's books. They are a good mix of flawed characters with strained family relationships full of secrets and there's usually a murder. Like her other books, Darling Girls focuses on the psychology of mother/daughter relationships, but this story is a little darker in my opinion as it deals with child abuse in a foster care setting. Nothing overly graphic, but if mistreating children is a trigger for you, I'd say skip this one.

Jessica, Alicia and Norah are "sisters", raised in foster care by Miss Fairchild. The trauma of their childhood continues to impact their lives, but they must return to Port Agatha when bones are discovered under the house where they lived. The girls must confront long-buried feelings and secrets.

Told from multiple viewpoints and switching back and forth between childhood & adulthood, this is propulsive read with a satisfying, twist ending.

4.5!
This is one of those books where you just sit there and go: wow. I feel HONOURED to have read an ARC for this and I think it’s an amazing read for anyone who likes mysteries or thrillers.
THE TWISTS! I did not guess most of them, which immediately ranks a book high for me, but even the writing was good! Good characterization and well developed plot all around.

4.5 stars.

This book kept me up too late and left me reeling when I finished it. It's one of her best.

There are a lot of trigger warnings for this book, but my God, it was compelling. It went along at a good pace, the characters were all interesting and most were extremely relatable and familiar as people I have known. The whole story was sad and disturbing, and it makes me wonder how many kids are in abusive homes where no bruises or broken bones occur. Just broken spirits. Far too many. Sad how many people with dangerous personality disorders charm the world into thinking they're great. Probably why when I meet someone who is particularly wonderful I immediately suspect they're hiding dead bodies.

Anyway. Sally Hepworth has a keen knack at dissecting and exposing deep mental illness hidden in people, and the damage they cause to everyone in their orbit. Though this may be fiction, it's the human monster we know all too well exists out there undetected, and that is what makes her books so disturbing.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I love Sally Hepworth and will anything and everything she writes. Darling Girls might be the darkest and most twisted book of hers yet. This story follows 3 girls who grew up in a foster home together with a crazy foster mother.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

Jessica Clarke does a great job narrating this book! I didn’t feel like any additional narrators were needed since all the main characters are female and I always knew who was speaking. The story has lots of twists that will keep you guessing until the last second of the book! I really liked the England countryside setting for the home and the camaraderie between the foster girls who rely on each other as sisters would. I would definitely recommend if you like mysteries and suspense, and don’t have too many triggers regarding psychological child abuse.

I loved the narrator of this book! At times I was bored with the story line and it slowed down but the narrator kept it going for me. Sad and creepy with new twists until the end.

Darling Girls

Wow I was so shocked by the ending. The whole story is a messed up but compelling story. I was so captivated by the girls stories of their childhood in Meadow Farms home. I loved the way we had both the present and past time lines as well as Amy’s mothers past together. It made the story go fast and left me wondering the whole time. Definitely wasn’t expecting the ending but loved that we got that last twist to it. The narrator was fantastic.

I have read quite a few Sally Hepworth books at this point. Her stories are always entertaining and move quickly. This one did just that, as I started and finished it in the same day.
I was given a copy of the audio book for Darling Girls from Net Galley. As her novels do, the story had may twists and turns and although I could see them coming, they entertained all the same. I appreciated the back and forth from the flashbacks and the foster sister dynamic. The audiobook narrator did a great job distinguishing between the various characters and keeping it interesting.
I would give this 3.5 stars. Many thanks to New Galley!

I would describe this book as a literary mystery thriller although it is classified by the publisher as women’s fiction. I both read and listened to it.. The audio performance hit all the right notes and fully brought me into the story.

This author has a true talent in weaving suspense and drama to create a narrative that is both emotional and riveting. The two timelines and multiple perspectives worked very well in this instance. I had no trouble keeping it all straight and bonding with the characters. I enjoyed learning about their histories and present-day challenges. But most of all, I thought the mystery was exceptionally executed. It had me on the edge of my seat towards the end.

The plot involves three women who grew up in foster care together at Wild Meadows Farm. When a body is discovered buried in the backyard of the home in which they lived, it brings them back together and is a reminder of all they went through. The three "sisters" take the opportunity to revisit the past while helping with the police investigation.

Thank you #Netgalley and #MacMillanAudio for an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
#DarlingGirls

This was my first book by the author, and I am definitely interested in reading more from her! This book kept me guessing, right up until the final twist. It was suspenseful and well-written, and had a great conclusion that wasn’t an entirely happy ending.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

𝑴𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔:
Woah. Sally Hepworth does it again with another gripping and shocking character driven story! What I really love about all of her books, is that the reader is truly left guessing right up until the very end. While there were aspects of this particular plot I was able to guess fairly early on (maybe because I’ve been on a psychological thriller/mystery kick lately), the main twist in the story I didn’t pick up on until near the ending of the book. To me, that’s a sign of a great story and a good author. Also, without giving away the veeeery ending - just woah. Of course that twist left me speechless!

When it comes to the actual plot points in this one, it needs to be pointed out that there are quite a few twisted and triggering things which happen to numerous of the characters in the book. While I was really captivated, and kept wanting to stay up way past my bed time to read more, I would definitely recommend others check out the content warnings before reading just to make sure this is the right book for them.

Now on to the characters - I found all of the main characters to be interesting in their own unique ways. They each had qualities which made me really like reading from their POVs, but they all also had moments which infuriated me and left me questioning them a little. Having these three strong women characters and the main POVs, made me more interested in the story line.

In the end, I really enjoyed reading this book and will continue to read more from the author in the future. Anyone who loves a twisted character drive book, will really love reading this one.

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆:
- 🔍 Decade long mysteries
- 👥 Character driven storyline
- 😲 Shocking plots

𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈: Chianti - Ruffino Chianti🍷

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with both an audio ARC and a digital ARC, in return for an honest review.

Sally Hepworth quickly became a favorite of mine when I read The Good Sister in 2021. What I love about Sally Hepworth’s book are the twists that I never see coming, how binge worthy they are & the shocking endings!

Darling Girls was no different! It kept me entertained and that ending truly shocked me 🤯 I truly enjoyed the characters in Darling Girls and loved the humor mixed in. Some parts felt a little slow and the pacing didn’t feel consistent, but overall I would recommend this one to Hepworth fans & think this one would be a fun vacation/summer/weekend read!

4⭐️

This was a difficult one for me to rate. Like all Sally Hepworth books it's well written, the characters are well developed, and the plot moves quickly. I liked the back and forth between past and present chapters and the intrigue of trying to figure out who the bones are as well as who the psychologist was interviewing. That being said, the topic of child abuse was very hard to read/listen to. I normally read all sorts of horrific things from murder to rape, but for some reason child abuse just hit me differently. And the twist at the end really left me disappointed. I know that not all evil people get their comeuppance, but I don't want that in my books, especially in a throwaway chapter at the end. It didn't have me shocked and was just a bad vibe to end the book on. I might recommend it to others but with a heavy HEAVY warning on child abuse being a major plot line.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia supposedly had a childhood straight out of a fairytale. Raised on a farming estate in the country with their foster mother Miss Fairchild, the three girls did what they could to survive. Now each woman is dealing with their own set of issues as adults—one has a prescription drug problem, one serious anger management problems, and one relationship issues. When a body is found under their foster mother’s home, the three women head back to place they never wanted to see again to help with the police investigation. Stepping back into their past triggers all kinds of feelings for the women, but most importantly they need to know exactly whose bones are under the house.

Alternating timelines between the present-day murder case, and the girls’ early days with Miss Fairchild, we learn how Jessica, Norah, and Alicia’s personalities were shaped by their traumatic childhoods. The bond between the three women is unbreakable, and the circumstances that created it is devastating. Watching the three adult women continue to fight for agency over their own lives is heartbreaking to say the least. Though very different, the three foster girls are all interesting, and as it usually goes Miss Fairchild, our resident villain, is the most interesting of all.

Sally Hepworth does an excellent job with pacing with this psychological thriller. There are several plots twists that will certainly keep the reader guessing. One I figured out half way and never saw coming, and another towards the end that provides a perfect ah-ha moment. If psychological thrillers are your jam, definitely pick this one up next month when it is released!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author Sally Hepworth for the advanced copy of the audiobook. Darling Girls is out in audio format on April 23rd. All opinions are my own.