Sally Hepworth's "Darling Girls" is a gripping thriller that delves into the lives of three “sisters by choice” who shared tumultuous upbringings in the foster system. From the very beginning, the presence of their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, looms ominously, casting a shadow over the sisters' past and present. Her abusive and intimidating nature adds a palpable sense of fear and tension, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as they navigate the complexities of their shared history. Who is to blame for the bones found buried underneath the foster home? Who can we trust?

The story kept me guessing, with quick chapters alternating between POVs and from past and present, unraveling secrets long buried and forcing the sisters to confront painful truths about their past. As the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place, the tension mounts, leaving readers guessing until the very end.

And what an ending it was! Hepworth masterfully crafts a twist that will leave your jaw on the floor.

Check for trigger warnings here, as this book tackles some dark and sensitive themes, including abuse and trauma.

Overall, "Darling Girls" is a captivating thriller that seamlessly weaves together the themes of family, mystery, and resilience. I loved it! The audio was fantastic (loved the Australian accent!!)

Another great read by Sally Hepworth! I enjoyed this book the whole way through, but the ending twist is what I was there for and it didn't disappoint! I
The abuse that the girls endured was awful.. It's interesting how our childhood traumas groom who we are as adults and Hepworth covered that perfectly! The conversations with Dr. Warren, the therapist, concerned me. Am I the only one that thought he was getting turned on by her abuse?? It drove me crazy not knowing who he was counseling , lol
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and the Hepworth for an Arc of this book. I got the audio version and enjoyed both the book and the narrator.

I was utterly captivated by the audio and I owe my enchanting experience to my dear friend Marie, who shared this literary journey with me. The characters became my companions, their essence so palpable that I felt their every emotion. Just when I thought I had the plot figured out, the author masterfully deceived me, leaving me in awe and earning the story an imaginary Oscar in my heart.

The ending was a whirlwind of emotions, a perfect blend of surprise and satisfaction. I found myself both saddened and overjoyed as the main characters discovered each other and forged a remarkable friendship. Their bond was so genuine that even in the face of adversity, they stood together, proving that solidarity in tough times is the most profound testament to friendship.

Throughout the book, I was moved to tears and laughter, my heart swelling with a myriad of emotions. Sally Hepworth's storytelling prowess is commendable, weaving a tale so poignant and heartwarming that it left me profoundly grateful for the experience. Thank you, Sally Hepworth, for crafting a narrative that touched the depths of my soul and left me with a heart full of emotions and a mind brimming with admiration.

Holy cow, what a book! I went into this one blind so I had no clue what to expect. I didn't know I was going to read such a dark and twisty story. The story is told in 4 POVs, each foster girl and a therapist and patient interaction, and in the present and the past. The past POVs were hard to stomach at times, some of it was hard to stomach. The girls go back to the town when a body is discovered after their former foster home was demolished. Did Miss Fairchild have more victims of abuse? Is there something the girls are hiding? The last chapter threw me through a loop, I thought everything was all figured out and then boom...more revelations. I've read most of her books but this may be my favorite by the author! The narrator did a great job keeping me engaged and the story and characters didn't get confusing, as is common with multiple POV audiobooks. If you're looking for a popcorn thriller that sucks you in immediately and is full of twists you won't see coming, you have to read this one! Definitely make sure you're okay with the triggers and child abuse though, it does get rough at times.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5802103888?book_show_action=false

Sally Hepworth is one of my favorite authors because she writes immersive thrillers with well-developed characters and family drama elements. Darling Girls is no exception.

The characters in Darling Girls are complex, flawed, and memorable. The story is told in a dual timeline with flashbacks and multi-POV. The narrative revolves around the relationships between a foster mother and the three girls in her "care." Despite the nightmare of their foster home, these foster sisters forge a strong bond that sustains them. Years later, when the childhood foster home is sold, a body is found on the property, and the three are forced to confront their traumatic past. I was drawn to the three MCs, felt for them, rooted for them, and was touched by their bond and bravery. Hepworth examines several issues in the book and does so with sensitivity.

The dual timeline structure works well to deliver the mystery and give insight into the characters' lives. There is a fair amount of suspense as secrets come out and the MCs go from witnesses to potential suspects. Hepworth is a fantastic storyteller who deftly weaves the timelines and POVs together and delivers some unexpected twists.

I was fortunate to have both an eARC and an ALC and transitioned between the two formats, which was great because I was hooked and did not want to put this down. The audiobook performance is excellent. Jessica Clarke narrated and slipped into the different characters with changes in intonation, speech patterns, and more, making distinguishing among the characters effortless for the listener. Clarke nails the emotion as much as the suspense and really brings this story and its characters to life. A very entertaining and well done audiobook!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook

4.5 rounded up

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the ALC.

Synopsis: Jessica, Norah, and Alisha grew up in the same home as foster children and their experiences brought them even closer than blood. From outside looking in, people thought they were lucky to be taken in by the loving and selfless Miss Fairchild. But, behind closed doors, the girls experienced harsh living conditions. Years later, they are still coping with their childhood trauma and a phone call sends them spiraling. A body has been found under the house. Will the police finally believe them or are they the suspects?

My thoughts: My first Sally Hepworth and NOT my last - I’ll definitely be prioritizing getting to the one I already have on my shelf soon because I LOVED Darling Girls. I did the audiobook and was so impressed with the narrator so if you like reading in that format, I highly recommend! Well developed characters, lot’s of suspense, and many twists and turns had me binging this one in just a couple days. I love a multi-POV thriller but typically find myself enjoying one narrative far more than the others. That wasn’t the case with Darling Girls. I found every page of this book completely captivating. And the end…well I didn’t see if going that way. My jaw was on the floor. 😱🤯

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced reading copy of Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth.

This is worth going into blind and not reading into. Without giving away too much. This novel gives past and present perspectives from Jessica, Norah, and Alicia who all have been Miss Fairchild’s darling girls. These foster children were told how lucky they were to have Miss Fairchild and her large farming estate where horses are border and there is a swimming pool. What everyone around them doesn’t realize is how unlucky they believe they are. But who is telling the truth? Three troubled girls? Or a kind woman dedicating her life to helping others? Not everything is as it seems.

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

This was another excellent book by Sally Hepworth. It’s a domestic thriller with multiple POV and a dual timeline that sucks you in right from the beginning.

The dynamics between Jessica, Alicia, and Norah were so well woven and I loved how Sally trickled the information you needed in piece by piece from the past POVs of each girl.

I listened to this one on audio, though I also had the e-arc and the audio was fantastic. I adored the narrator!

There was a lot going on and even when things started to feel a little predictable as things wrapped up, there were more twists in store. I really loved it. Such a great thriller and one that definitely locks Sally in as an auto-read author for me!

THIS BOOK WAS FANTASTIC! I posted my full review on bookstagram; but just holy crap I couldn’t stop reading!

This was an intriguing psychological thriller set in Australia, featuring three women who grew up together in the same foster home. They faced awful conditions in terms of food withholding, isolation, and psychological/emotional abuse committed by their foster mother. They developed a strong bond to help them cope and survive the circumstances.

As adults, they each receive a phone call letting them know that bones have been unearthed on the property of their old foster home, which brings back painful memories. They travel together to the town and participate (only somewhat willingly) in the investigation. Each of the women has unique struggles in their current lives that stem from their difficult childhoods, and we see how these issues play out within the narrative.

The novel is more revealing character study than fast-paced thriller, but still compelling, and with a twist at the end that I did not see coming. I listened to the audio, and while definitely well-done enough for me to immerse myself in the story, the one element lacking was enough vocal diversity to distinguish more easily between characters. This only detracted slightly from my enjoyment, and mostly at the beginning when the characters were still being introduced and I was learning their individual backstories.

Definitely recommended for those who like character-driven psychological dramas.

This book had me from page 1 right until the end. Add this to your TBR today!

Jessica, Norah and Alicia are not sisters by blood, but their bond could not be stronger. They all ended up at Wild Meadows one way or another and became foster girls to Miss Fairchild (the irony of how she was not FAIR to any CHILD was not lost on me!)

The book goes back and forth in time through points of view of each of the sisters. I love this writing style and it was done very well! We learn throughout the story about how the girls were treated at Wild Meadows and how those experiences have shaped who they are today - Jessica, with her OCD people-pleasing tendencies, Norah with her sarcastic aggression and Alicia with her insecurities and fear of letting people in. When human bones are found under Wild Meadows, detectives reach out to the sisters to find out what they might know and how they could be involved.

While the pace of the story is a bit on the slow side when it comes to thrillers, I was completely captivated by it and had to keep going. Hepworth did a fantastic job balancing the heavy subject of child abuse with the strong characters who are intelligent, kind, funny and relatable.

And the twists! There were multiple revelations that had my jaw drop and a gasp escape my mouth.

This was such an incredible read and I'll say it again, add it to your TBR list today!

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Sally Hepworth for an advance copy of this amazing book!

I had recieved the advanced copy for this book but I just hadn’t gotten around to reading it. So when I was gifted with the audio version I started listening the same day. The narrator did a great job. There was lots of mystery and a few twists and turns, it kept me interested. It was interesting to see inside each sisters head and their perceptions of being raised in the same foster home. Thank you betgalley for this free advanced listen for my honest opinions.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. Sally never disappoints BUT I think this is one of my favorite Sally books to date! This book had it all, all of the emotions, loveable characters and characters you hated. Shocking moments. I really enjoyed this book!

this book kept me hooked the entire journey! there are a few characters you need to follow but as the story goes along it’s easy to keep track of them. i thought it was so enjoyable the entire time!

Another domestic, family-drama filled thriller from Hepworth. I really enjoyed the POVs of the three “sisters” as they recount their time under in foster care. I had a feeling where it was headed but enjoyed it nonetheless!

Sally Hepworth has become an auto read author for me, so it was a no brainer to request this audio arc from Netgalley. This one has multiple pov's and characters, and past and present storylines, so the fact the narrator successfully sold the story to me without me having to put in any effort as a listener, is a win.

Childhood trauma, and trauma bonding, can be a trigger, so go into this one with eyes wide open. My caveat on this one is - it was difficult for me because I deal with my own childhood trauma and my therapist has warned me about the material I put into my brain. I recommend Darling Girls, but, for me, it's a one time deal and I would not re-read it.

As a huge Sally Hepworth fan, I was very much looking forward to diving into this book. And, while I enjoyed Darling Girls, in my opinion it wasn't at the same level of awesome as were The Mother-In-Law, The Younger Wife, or The Good Sister - but I'm a total sucker for a domestic thriller and I'm not sure I would classify this one as that, so that could have something to do with my opinion.

The story was very well-developed and kept my attention. With alternating past and present timelines and viewpoints from all three main characters, it was still easy to follow and, at times shocking. The twist at the end really got me, as I thought I had it all figured out until the very last minute... Crazy - literally!

Overall, this was a great audiobook experience - excellent narration and an overall solid and enjoyable story. Maybe not a 5-star read for me, but definitely not one to pass on either!

Sally Hepworth is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and I gave this a 4.5⭐️.
Darling Girls was a well written emotional mystery-suspense that made me care. The situation these darling girls were in just broke my heart. I was anxious and nervous through most of the story. I did listen to some of the novel on an audiobook that was narrated by Jessica Clarke. She was a perfect voice for the book and she did an excellent job.
Thanks St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

Sally Hepworth is a genius at writing thrillers, in my opinion. I am a huge thriller reader, and like many others, I try to figure out the twist, the ah-ha moment, and how it all fits together. This book literally had me until the last page!

Norah, Jessica, and Alicia are sisters by happenstance. They were foster children in a home of horrors, and their experiences together bonded them for life.

They all continue to have issues with love, trust, and relationships (with others - not between each other) but have tried to move on in life. But their past comes back to haunt them. Human remains are found underneath their childhood foster home, and they must return to Port Agatha to find some answers. But are these girls involved in the death of the person whose bones were found? Sally Hepworth kept you guessing!

The book is told from multiple points of view, which I love, especially when so much is happening. It has present and past points of view.

This book had me on page one and kept me guessing until the very end.

Psychological thriller at its best. I listened to the audible, and the narrator did a fantastic job differentiating each character's voices.

I am a huge fan of Sally Hempworth. She has a way of making you feel like a part of her stories!! I felt like Jessica, Norah and Alicia were friends I would have known from school. Darling Girls tells us the story of these 3 main characters as they were placed and raised in Ms. Fairchilds foster home and later as adults living with the effects of growing up in that environment. While I did figure out one clue as the story’s climax began I did mot figure out the additional twists that Ms. Hempworth wove into the ending!
Thank you Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to get an early copy of this audiobook!