Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Net Galley and the author, Sally Hepworth for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Twenty-five years ago, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were foster children. After a series of unfortunate events in each of their lives, one by one they are dropped off at the sprawling farm house know as Wild Meadows. The house is run by a single woman named Miss Fairchild. The “darling girls” as Miss Fairchild sometimes refers to them are told how lucky they are to be in her care. Unfortunately for them, Miss Fairchild is anything but the ideal foster mother. She reminded me more of mommy dearest.

Present day, Wild Meadows has been torn down and a body has been found. The three girls come together trying to piece together what happened.

This story is told from multiple POVs of each girl in the present and in the past. We also have the POV of one girl speaking to a psychologist, Dr. Warren. Throughout the book, we don’t know who he is actually speaking to. I did figure that out fairly early into the story though.

This book has lots of good twists and turn and will keep you guessing until the last pages.
4 stars

What a comeback for Sally Hepworth!! I read The Soulmate and was severely disappointed. I was glad to receive this arc from St. Martins Press because I am reformed now!

This book was perfect for anyone with a short attention span who needs a good mystery! Told from 4 POV’s and switching back and forth from the past and present, the reader is fed constant insights and information to unfold the tragic story.

The story follows three foster siblings.-Jessica, Norah, and Alicia- who all suffered at the hands of their foster mother, Mrs. Fairchild. Our fourth POV is someone undergoing psychiatric evaluation and kept vague enough that you don’t know who is speaking until the very end. The story starts in the present as the three sisters receive a phone call from a detective about bones being found in the basement of their childhood home and are asked to come back for questioning. We oscillate back and forth from their current situation filled with secrets and anxieties to their terrifying and manipulative childhood under the care of their foster mother.

The story is truly wild and I found myself so caught up in it all. The sisters personalities mixed with their internal struggles at present were a lot to digest but as the reader you’re sucked in wanting to know what happened to them and more importantly, why!?

I loved the sisters bond despite the tragedy of what happened to them in the past and at present. The ending was beautifully done and the last chapter had me in shock! What a story!

While I loved the story, the arc had me scratching my head at times because of a phrase used with Norah. She would say “ It;s Norah without a T” in my ARC and I could not for the life of me understand why? I asked friends and fellow readers if it made sense to them and some of us had this version while others didn’t. It took me out of the story at times and had me googling what the hell it could possibly mean. It’s so insignificant but was the one thing that bothered me to no end!

Sally Hepworth is typically an auto-buy author for me. However, this book was not for me. It should have come with a trigger warning for child abuse. Due to that and the LGBT character, this book is not a good fit for my social media and book blog.

Sally Hepworth has done it again with another thriller that kept my attention and kept me guessing. The dual timeline with a mystery narrator was easy to follow and the transitions were seamless. It's an uncomfortable subject, though, and the book should have trigger warnings as some may have trouble with the subject matter.

Arc Review

Darling Girls

By: Sally Hepworth

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Pub Date: 4/23/24

Sally Hepworth did it once again!!! My jaw is on the floor! This book was absolutely perfection!!! I devoured this book! I never knew I could be so sucked into a book until I read this. The twist at the end of the book was INSANE!!

•This book was told in multiple different povs from the 3 foster sisters, plus a mystery person.
This book was also told in dual timelines
•The foster sisters Jessica, Alicia, and Norah’s bond was amazing.
•The mystery from start to finish kept me intrigued for the whole book.
•Some parts of the book I could predict but it was so good.
•I don’t think I will ever stop thinking about this book.

Sally Hepworth will always be an auto buy author. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!! Be on the look out in April for this page turner!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC for an honest review.

I’m sure we all heard nightmarish stories bout foster homes and foster parents but damn… you wouldn’t think that this much of a back story existed for any of them. Because they wouldn’t be vetted as foster parents if anyone knew, right? Right?

Three sisters (not blood but closer than that) were fostered by Ms. Fairchild. They arrived at her home at different times, but her erratic behavior made me as close as they could be. Years later, each got a call from a detective about a body found under the house they lived in. The sisters had their theory, but truth was much more convoluted and sickening than they expected.

We heard the story from three different narratives on two different timelines. There was another surprise hidden in the narrative. I liked the stark differences in personalities of three sisters and how their traumas were very distinct. I always liked Sally Hepworth stories, but I think this hit the spot more than others

<b> Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.</b>

The story takes place in Melbourne, Australia and revolves around three adult women - Jessica, Norah, and Alicia - who receive a message from a police detective regarding their former foster home. The police have discovered bones on the property and want to know if the women have any information that could help with their investigation.

The book's narrative bounces back and forth between the past and present, as well as from the perspectives of all three women. I found the book to be incredibly captivating and haunting, and it even left me feeling a bit traumatized.

Sally Hepworth has another bestseller on her hands!



Expected Publication Date 23/04/24
Goodreads Review 24/03/24

This is my second Sally Hepworth I've read and yet again, she did not disappoint! If I could give this book more than a 5 star review I would. This book had great pacing that kept me engaged while also having so many subtle misdirections that I didn't know what was going to happen next! While there were some things I could see coming, the way in which they were revealed was not at all what I was expecting which to me is so so good in a thriller!

I loved that this book had such good character development! I might have cried a little bit at the end because I loved being able to see the growth from these main characters! 10/10 would recommend!

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 thought 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?

This was a multi-perspective who done it. The writing was great and it kept me turning the page. She does a great job unveiling things at the perfect moment. And I enjoyed the dual timelines between their time in the care of Miss Fairchild and the present. While I found this book incredibly intriguing and page-turning, overall I felt this was glorifying child abuse and sometimes found it hard to read. While it wasn't graphic in writing, just the idea of it all and the neglect from the adults supposed to be helping these kids made me so sad. There were also maybe 1-2 too many side plots, I'm looking at you, Kevin. Also, the last chapter of Mrs Fairchild really peeved me. I don't like when the whole story we are told one thing, then it gets resolved and in the last chapter, they refute something.

Overall I'd give this a 3.5 stars. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 4/23

This was a page turner! Darling Girls is about 3 teenage girls who spent time together in a foster home. Their foster mother was manipulative and abusive. The girls looked out for each other and consider themselves sisters because of everything they went through together.

Years later, they get a call from a detective saying a body was found buried underneath the foster home. The women are possible suspects or witnesses and they have to relive their childhood talking with the police.

This was a 4/5 for me! Thank you to @sallyhepworth and @netgalley for this advanced release copy! This book will be published on April 23rd - definitely add it to your list!

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I finished Darling Girls in one sitting because I couldn't put down Sally Hepworth's latest novel. In this book, under different circumstances three girls were put into foster care and seem to be lucky to find a house and foster parent in Mrs. Fairchild but things are not what they seem. Mrs. Fairchild verbally and physically abuse these kids until there is a breaking point. Even though Norah, Jessica and Alicia has a nightmare time at the house with their caregiver they formed a bond that couldn't be broken.

The book then fast forwards to 25 years later where the three girls have to go back to Wild Meadows when they are contacted by detectives that human bones were found under the house. Whose bones are they and what happened to them?

I truly loved the three girls and hearing chapter from each of their perspectives as well as flashbacks chapters. I was super invested to see how things would play out and I wasn't disappointed, that last chapter killed me! I would recommend this book and thanks so much for the ARC!

Hepworth does a wonderful job going between past and present storylines. Wonderful character development and lots of twists. Was hard to put down. Thank you Net Galley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy.

This book kept me very entertained, and the end surprised me. This was my first Sally Hepworth book, and I can't wait to read more!

Three girls - Jessica, Norah, and Alicia grew up in an abusive narcissistic foster home. Fast forward to their adult lives, they are determined to find closure and live their lives putting the past behind them until bones are discovered under the foster home they grew up in. This makes the three women now confront their past with Miss Fairchild - their foster mother. This book had all the girls points of views which I thought was neat and really allowed for a detailed well done story. The effects of trauma and narcissistic abuse really are compelling and highlighted all throughout this book. It really made me think as the reader and feel for these women. I thought the twists and the turns were good with this one and all the way up till the end I was stunned at who was buried under the home. Sally Hepworth is an amazing author and this was a well done book that I highly recommend everyone check out!

I Nancy Drew’d my way into ruining my experience with this book. Totally a me thing and not a book thing. Looking back, one or two minor details got me sidetracked from the plot and took me 75%+ of the book to get back on track. Take my word for it, DON’T try to figure this one out. Read for enjoyment purposes only and the twists will BLOW your mind!
Star rating: 4/5 stars

Miss Fairchild is a foster mother with very strict rules. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia grew up with the mean lady and finally broke free. Years later a body is found under the house that they grew up in. All three girls are questioned. Who was the killer? Read this amazing book by Sally Hepworth to find out!

Having read prior Sally Hepworth books I had high expectations and this book met them all! It’s psychological, thrilling, emotional, and mysterious. I could not read this fast enough, such a chilling thriller. I loved and definitely recommend reading this book.

Wow. Wow. Wow.
What a great story about family, loss, deceit, betrayal, and love. The author weaves two stories together effortlessly. I couldn’t put this book down - reading it in one sitting.
Thank you Net Galley for the ARC. High recommend!

This is my favorite Sally Hepworth book so far! I could not put this book down. I was enthralled with the characters and the story.
Darling Girls follow 3 sisters and their foster mother. The story goes back forth between before and now. It was easy to follow and had me at the edge of my seat waiting to find out how the story ended.
If you like Sally’s previous works, I think you will enjoy this one as well.

There’s addictive, and then there’s a Sally Hepworth book. Good Lord I could not turn away.

Three sisters - Jessica, Norah and Alicia. All fostered by Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows until they find a way out.

Fast forward 25 years to bones being discovered under Wild Meadows and everyone comes back to where the tragedies first began. Each sister has to face their own trauma head on to discover whose body is really under that house.

I loved the mystery POV too.