A fun read flipping between multiple narrators and multiple times. The mystery has great twists and surprises and was not predictable, but still fit together perfectly. Really enjoyed listening to this one!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ARC.

I didn’t know what to expect from this book at first..but I was HOOKED. The ending had my mouth wide open!! I need more of these sisters in my life. Thanks Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the free audio book ARC!

Darling Girls was my first Sally Hepworth book & I am hooked. This audiobook definitely held my attention, right up to the twist at the very end. While there are some hard subject matters in this one (i.e., child neglect/abuse), I still wanted to finish to find out what happened. Nice dual POV- which I love & plenty of unexpected twists & turns. Excellent narrator for this audio - a must for me to hold my attention. Some books just feel more appropriate for certain seasons & I found this one to be a great summer thriller.

Thank you to #nNetGalley #MacmillanAudio & Sally Hepworth for a free copy of #DarlingGirls

I loved the twists at the end. Sally Hepworth can do no wrong! This audiobook easily held my attention through the whole story.

Definitely darker than her previous books but it was one of those ‘can’t look away’ types of dark. I just had to know how it was all going to wrap up even with the tough subject matter of child neglect/abuse all throughout.

3 girls met while at an abusive foster home and became bonded sisters. The story is present day when they are adults and bones are found under the house they lived in and goes back to when they lived in the house under Ms. Fairchilds care. Who was buried under the house?

I listened to the audiobook and it had me hooked from the beginning. Different points of view, present day and past. You become invested in the “sisters” lives. You feel for them.
I had no idea what direction this book would go. And was surprised where we ended up!

It was somewhat confusing at times with the dual timelines but because easier to understand as the book progressed.

This is my second Sally Hepworth book and now I have to read all of them!

I enjoyed the narrator as well. Easy to listen to.

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to listen to the audiobook.

This book was uncomfortable to read at times, but ultimately gave me one heck of a twist at the end which I didn't see fully coming. Alternating and past and present, you are able to see the three girls, Jessica, Nora and Alecia grow up in a foster home that was less than ideal. Now that they are grown, they all have some sort of issues because of growing up the way they did. When they get a call that bones were buried under the home that they lived in, the girls must go back and face their past to uncover the secrets lurking there. There were so many times that I felt disgusted reading this, but was also happy that these girls got away from the monster they lived with. It made my heart hurt for foster children and them being placed with people who are less than ideal. Twist after twist until the last chapter had me saying out loud.. OMG.
You think there are always explainations for people being psychopaths.. but sometimes they just are and wow that's where we were with this one.
Thanks to Macmillian, Sally Hepworth and Netgalley for an early audio copy.

🎧Song Pairing: Million Reasons - Lady Gaga

💭What I thought would happen:

Maybe a pool drowning and future events circle around this (not close. Like not even at all)

🗯Thoughts/sassy musings:

Sally has a delicate way of bludgeoning me in the back of my head with her endings and this was one no different leaving me mystified 😂 please don’t stop Sal

I don’t have much to say. Enjoyed myself well enough. Great summer thriller. People will fangirl for this one. Kiss kiss darlings!

Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy of this Audiobook coming out April 23, 2024. It was a great Sally Hepworth book and did not disappoint. It was heart wrenching at times (foster care, abuse) but also very heart warming of the bond the 3 girls in her care forms to become sisters. I personally didn't care for the twist ending but overall a great read with great narration.

Another suspenseful novel from Sally Hepworth filled with twists and turns. I have read one of her other novels so I went in knowing a little of what to expect, but there were definitely some surprises. My heart went out to the girls, when all they wanted when they found themselves in foster care (and still want) was a familial connection with someone and a place of belonging.

There are times in this book where your heart will break for the characters, and their situations- just stick with it, and let the story continue to unfold! I couldn’t stop wondering what was coming next, and didn’t want to put it down.

The narrator of this audiobook was excellent - she told the story with enough emotion, but not too much that it was distracting.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley; all opinions are my own.

I've seen Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth described as a thrilling page-turner, and that is absolutely not how I would describe it. If you go in expecting a fast-paced thriller, you will likely be disappointed. However if you are looking for a psychological thriller, this might be for you. I typically prefer plot-driven books, and this one leans heavily on the characters. However, I was hooked from the start. I have not read Sally Hepworth before, but in this case, she wrote characters who drew me in. I wanted to know more about them and cared what happened. I won't say anything specific about the plot, as I think it's best not to know too much going in. If you like stories that look at the human experience, familial bonds, shifting loyalites and uncertain circumstances, give it a try!

The narration was good as well.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for a free copy of #DarlingGirls by Sally Hepworth. All opinions are my own.

This story was intriguing with no plot holes. The characters were thoroughly fleshed out. The plot twists were perfect. And I was left with no unanswered questions. This is everything that makes a book perfection for me! Narration was engaging and the tone and pacing were perfect to keep me invested throughout the story.

I have had quite a few Sally Hepworth books on my TBR for a long time but Darling Girls was the first that I have gotten to and now I am hooked--upon finishing I immediately downloaded a few more to binge.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is a great psychological thrill. When three foster sisters must face their past after something is discovered at their old foster home the reader is taken on a wild adventure.
I loved the multiple points of view and all three of the main characters.
The past to present was a little confusing at times when listening and I found sometimes I had to listen extra hard to figure out whose point of view was being told and if it was the past or the present, but I loved the thrill of this book and the mystery.

This is an absolute must read!
- Foster Care (lots of triggers)
- Past and Present
- Multiple POV
- Nature vs Nurture vs Monster
- Crime Scene
- Mind Blowing Ending
Similar Vibes:
- Verity
- The Next Mrs Parrish
- The Inmate

Thank you @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio for a copy of this book. Before you read this, be aware that there's depiction of child neglect and abuse that is heartbreaking. This story is told in 3 POV of the "sisters" that grew up in a foster home together. It's told in past and present and gives you a good backstory of each of these ladies. The story is interesting and I think the author did a good job depicting that not all foster homes were safe. I got a little muddled in parts of the story with so many POV in audio. The narrator did a foot job and the last 1/3 of the book really picked up and tied the story together.

3.5 stars

I'm a huge fan of this author, I was so excited to see she has another book out.

I loved the multiple POV/timelines. The plot kept me intrigued and wondering where it was all heading and how it was going to come together.

It took me a bit to get into listening to the audiobook and I think it has to do with the fact that one of the main characters has the same 1st name as me and I felt like that name was said A LOT. But other than that I did enjoy the book and definitely will be recommending to others!

I listened to this as an audiobook, which was amazing! As it’s set in Australia, the narrator is also Australian, which was super fun to listen to! The narrator did a great job differentiating between characters enough to build their personalities and differences, too, on the audiobook. It was hard to pause the book!

It follows three women who have chosen each other as family after having been raised together as foster children in a terrible home. Having survived a monstrous woman, the story shows what life was like as kids as well as the consequences they live with as adults, for better or worse. As adults, they’re brought back to their foster home when a baby’s body is found buried under the house, looking for answers and possibly sharing secrets to uncover the truth behind the baby’s death. The plot is twisty and keeps you guessing until the end!

5 stars...obviously.

I can't get enough of Sally Hepworth, and it's no surprise that I couldn't restrain myself from reading this one way sooner than my spreadsheet should have allowed. No regrets, though. This is the best one yet.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are sisters who share perspectives throughout the course of this gripping novel. Hepworth moves seamlessly between each woman's story not only in the present but also in the distant past, and the organizational fortitude is exceptional, not to mention the well-timed revelations that unfold throughout these coexisting timelines. These women arrive at their sisterly bonds in a somewhat untraditional manner: as foster children under the charge of the fiercely memorable, deeply disturbing, and ironically named Ms. Fairchild. Ms. Fairchild's brand of torture is creative and sinister, and the impacts are obvious not only on the girls who face it directly but also on the women they become.

While all of the characters are well drawn and memorable, Norah is a highlight. Even the way she names her dogs is awesome. It's impossible not to root for all of the sisters, but the variations in their presentation make them especially appealing to different audiences, and this is another wise move on Hepworth's part.

My goal is always to know as little as possible about the books I'm reading, especially when they're penned by someone whose work I adore, and that was the correct approach with this one. The reveals are part of what makes this novel a real standout among an already stellar collection of Hepworth's works. I recommend this one highly, though folks sensitive to child abuse in any form should be mindful of the content. The primary focus is a combo of psychological and emotional child abuse, but there are also descriptions of physical abuse and mentions of sexual assault and rape.

*Formatting note: I had the opportunity to read an ebook and listen to the audio and highly recommend the audiobook, when and where available. The narration adds so much to this already excellent narrative!

Darling Girls is the story of 3 young girls that were brought together in the foster home run by Miss Fairchild. Though each girl has come from different family backgrounds, they form a sisterhood that no one could break. Miss Fairchild starts out loving and kind as Jesssica is first brought into the home and we see Miss Fairchild as a loving foster care mom, but something seemed off to me as she was too nice. The story adds a twist as someone is being interviewed by a psychiatrist Dr. Warren. We hear of the cruel treat she had to endure from an abusive stepfather and a mother that looked the other way. Then we go back to the foster home as Norah enters the scene. We start to see another side of Miss Fairchild, and it get worse as Alicia is brought in. The case worker is just as bad, dropping off more and more babies and the three older girls are left in charge of caring for them. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia finally have enough and try to go to the police about the abuse, but their plan fails. Years later when all three are call back to the town because a body is found on the grounds, more twists and adopted children come forward.
I have to say this book kept me reading to see who was talking Dr. Warren, who was bones they found and who killed this person. The abuse and bad light shed on the foster care system is a bit disturbing. What helped was the way the girls formed their bond as we get to see them as young, mistreated girls and then as adults struggling to move on from their past. I gave this a 4-star review. A thriller with many twists that I didn't see coming.
Thank you NetGalley for this copy.

I have read or listened to many psychological thrillers and I would place this one at the top of my list. This story kept me guessing all the way with a twist I did not expect at the very end. The plot was intriguing yet devastating at the same time. I found myself feeling sad and anxious as the novel progressed but I could not stop listening! The author wrote in such a way that I felt I was directly present within the story. I recommend this novel 100%.