Sally Hepworth, in “Darling Girls” weaves a suspenseful tail that will keep you turning the pages. I recommend setting aside a huge chunk of time before starting this book, because once you start, you won’t be getting much else done until you reach the end.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are all troubled adults, trying to overcome the difficulties they had had when they were fostered by Miss Fairchild on a charming rural farm near a quaint Australian town. Because of their difficult circumstances, they became closer than if they had been blood-related sisters. Instead of being able to put all that behind them, however, a phone call from the police saying a child’s body had been found on the grounds of Miss Fairchild’s land, forces them to face the past. But the police didn’t believe them then, so why should they now?

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this great book. My opinion is my own.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
OMG what a ride. I flew through this one as I could not put it down!! As usual, another amazing book by Sally Hepworth. I have loved every single one of her books and this one for sure is right up there along with all the others. Excellent story and you can tell that the author conducted research about the foster system!
The characters are well described and built up with the back and forth in the 2 different times. I felt like I was there in the story with them and could picture everything in front of me. Great character selection for all of them. I especially loved the ending as no stone was left unturned and the reader didn't have to wonder about what happened to any of them. And of course those twists and turns. Fascinating and totally unexpected! Excellent book, 5 🌟

WOW I had no idea where this one was headed but I was so glad to be along for the ride!!!

I loved the sisters and their devotion to one another. I thought that was a very nice touch from Sally, because there are so many foster kids without allies.

I thought I had the ending figured out and then there were a few twists that gave me total whiplash!!!! I enjoyed this one, but it isn't my fave from Hepworth.

I did like this book throughout and was interested in the storyline but I was really let down by the ending. I have loved this author's other books, but this just seemed to lack the suspense and the depth of characters the other books had.

TW: Language, sexual assault, anxiety, depression, abuse, gaslighting, drug addiction, child sexual abuse, violence, death of child, rape, unwanted pregnancy, sexual blackmail, domestic abuse

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. As young girls they were rescued from family tragedies and raised by a loving foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on an idyllic farming estate and given an elusive second chance at a happy family life.

But their childhood wasn’t the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. Miss Fairchild had rules. Miss Fairchild could be unpredictable. And Miss Fairchild was never, ever to be crossed. In a moment of desperation, the three broke away from Miss Fairchild and thought they were free. Even though they never saw her again, she was always somewhere in the shadows of their minds. When a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the foster sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses. Or are they prime suspects?
Release Date: April 23rd, 2024
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 368
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Liked the characters are sisterlike and their bond
2. Hooked on the story
3. Author does a great job describing the pain and sadness of being a foster child

What I Didn't Like:
1. I hate Norah
2. Narrator licking their lips on the audiobook
3. Ending rambled on too long
4. Some parts feel repetitive

Overall Thoughts:
The countless interruptions while the police were trying to tell Norah what they found.

This book touches on a lot of sexual assault for Norah, but author does a great job at skirting the subject without going into too much detail.

When they were older I loved how they made fun of one another. Absolutely sisterlike.

Holy crap my mouth dropped when Mrs. Fairchild said she threw the baby against the wall. I didn't expect that. She made that whole story up.

Final Thoughts:
This book was insane. Just when I thought I had it figured it out it pulled the rug from under me and then pulled another rug from under me.

Mrs. Fairchild was absolutely horrible. The whole time you keep thinking how could such a bad person exists for the sake of it, but here she is. The way she treated the kids though - gross.

I didn't care too much for the ending because it felt like this huge build up to something but the ending felt rushed. You knew Mrs. Fairchild was behind it too. Then Mrs. Fairchild says it was she child she was forced to have with her stepfather when she was a minor, but is that as far as the investigation would go when a baby is found? Wouldn't they give her an exam to see if she even gave birth, so they know if she's telling the truth? Plus if she killed her sibling why was she so sweet with the other babies for a little bit even none of that happened? I don't like when authors hinge a whole character development on one detail and at the ending we find out that wasn't even apart of their personality.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martins Press for the ebook, and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook. All thoughts are my own.

This is an excellent addition to Sally Hepworth's canon. I really enjoyed the story and pacing of this one. The characters were interesting and complex. The structure of the story really kept it moving and the twists and turns were great! Highly recommend this one if you like mysterty.

Jessica, Alicia, and Norah are sisters bound not by blood but by their harrowing experiences at the Wild Meadows foster home. The matriarch of this home, Miss Fairchild, is a character you will love to despise. Portrayed a caregiver, her true motives are driven by greed, leading her to subject her charges to bizarre punishments, starvation, and relentless chores, painting a stark picture of neglect and abuse.The story takes a gripping turn 25 years later when the discovery of bones at Wild Meadows forces the sisters, along with other former foster children, to confront their traumatic past. The narrative masterfully intertwines with another, more mysterious thread - that of an individual recounting a harrowing childhood marked by sexual assault and the resultant pregnancy during sessions with a psychiatrist. This parallel story adds suspense. Who is the individual talking? The revelation at the end is a shocking twist! So well done 👏 👏 👏

One of my top anticipated thrillers of the year and it did not disappoint! Right from the beginning I was pulled in and there were plenty of "woah" moments and twists that kept me hooked until the end.

This was told in dual timelines from the perspectives of each of the three "darling girls". Although this might seem confusing it was actually quite easy to follow. The past timeline (Before) was admittedly my favorite, as I found the pace and storyline of the past to be the most intriguing. Present day timeline seemed to move a bit slower and have pieces of information not quite relevant to the mystery, but I appreciated how it all tied together in at the end. You end up not only wanting to solve the mystery and learn the truth about what happened at Wild Meadows, but also rooting for these girls who have been through so much already.

So many twists and jaw dropping moments, I was impressed. Each time I thought I had it figured out I was pleasantly proven wrong, and I ended up staying up way past my bedtime because I NEEDED to know. It was worth it.

Definitely recommend this one when it hits shelves in April! Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my ARC, all thoughts are my own.

Jessica, Norah, and Allie are sisters in every way, but by blood. The 3 girls are foster-children growing up an idyllic country estate. All starts out well as each girl is taken in by Miss Fairchild, but things quickly change for them as Miss Fairchild grows tired of each girl. The girls have to learn to keep their heads up and help each other. Years later, when a body is found under the estate, the girls must return to the scene of the crime and explore their past.

I have enjoyed Hepworth's previous novels and was looking forward to this one. While it was bingeable and keep me turning the pages, it was cringe-worthy at the same time. There is a lot of child abuse and neglect, which was very difficult to read. I also found it incredibly predictable and I had figured out what had happened almost from the beginning. The only part that was a twist for me came at the very end. I think Hepworth added the last chapter for shock value, but I think it just made the whole story seem so far fetched.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and the quickness of it, but it wasn't my favorite of Hepworth's by any means.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth in exchange for an honest review.

Sally Hepworth is one of my favourite authors and I had very high hopes for this book but it didn't do it for me. The characters were insufferable and the story really dragged. I ended up skim reading the last third of the book. I was very disappointed in the reveal, if you can even call it that. There were a lot of formatting issues with the e-ARC that I hope get fixed before the final copy is released. Despite this blip in her catalogue I am very much looking forward to reading what she comes up with in the future.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are three girls who grew up in the foster care system at Wild Meadows. They were so lucky, they've been told. But all wasn't as it seemed, and they finally broke free until bones were discovered under the house. Who was involved? What happened?

I enjoyed this story, but it was DARK. Please look up triggers before you go into this profoundly sad story.

W O W! Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this early!! Everyone run don’t walk to grab this off the shelf when it comes out. I was completely captivated from the beginning and I thought I had figured out the plot twist but at the very end had my jaw on the ground!

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.

I couldn’t have been happier when I not only received the giveaway for this book, but also an approved read on NetGalley (Thank you St. Martin’s Press!). Daring Girls is a gripping and captivating novel that kept me hooked from start to finish. Sally Hepworth masterfully weaves a tale filled with never-ending twists that continually surprised me. The intricate character development and suspenseful plot make this a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers. I couldn’t put it down! Highly recommend for anyone looking for a thrilling and engaging read.

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.

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.

This twisty, mysterious story is about three girls who grew up in foster care together under one Miss Fairchild. Many years later when a skeleton is found under the house they grew up in, the girls are thrown back into town and have to confront their history. The story is told through the multiple perspectives of the girls. TRIGGER WARNING for child abuse, drugs, sextortion, assault, and murder.

I was SO slow reading this. I think it was a combination of things and not just because I didn’t like the book but it also wasn’t my most favorite. I kind of figured out what happened before the end but the last chapter did throw a wrench in everything (similar to a Freida McFadden book!) so I give it props for that twist! If you’ve like Sally Hepworth books I’m sure you’ll like this one too.

This really kept my attention throughout the book. I enjoy multiple point of views and this was done well. This is my third Sally Hepworth book and I am looking forward to reading more by her. I definitely recommend this one if you’re thinking about reading it.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book for an honest review.

Complicated family dynamics make for such interesting stories and Sally Hepworth is a master at weaving these complex relationships into a thriller you don't want to put down. Her characters are multi-layered and full of depth. This story is dark in the best way and there are always twists I never see coming. Solid read.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Sally Hepworth for this ARC to read and review!

Welp, it’s official … Sally has given us yet another fantastic ride! This book just has it all … suspense, twists, secrets, mystery, family drama, heartbreak, hope and a WOW ending! Just WOW! It’s the perfect psychological thriller! And can this author write great characters or what? From loveable innocents to a few completely hateable miscreants, they are all diversely real and raw. I was pulled into their story from page one! Brilliantly written in multiple pov’s and dual timelines … it will split your heart wide open with horrors of the unimaginable but then stitch it back together with the power of sisterhood!

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.