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!

I was hooked on this book from start to finish. I loved how we got all three girl's POVs. It gave so much more perspective on the horrors and trauma that they faced. I loved the dual timeline as the past helped with putting together the pieces for the present mystery. The ending was so intense and I had no clue what to expect. The last chapter had my jaw on the floor.

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. Anyone looking for a well written and compelling thriller that is also a great character study should add this to their tbr!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the free book!

4.5 rounded up

I enjoyed this book! Sally did a great job developing characters. I loved the bond between them. Great twists. I would recommend this book.

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.


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!

I am a definite Hepworth reader and thus can say this one felt a little different to me. There is a central mystery to the novel, but I felt the focus was more on the interpersonal relationships between the 3 foster sisters who have remained close and bonded into their adulthood. I liked how they have 3 distinct personalities yet such a strong bond and a willingness and desire to support one another. They also seem to deeply understand one another, which I found enviable. This book definitely gets dark in exploring events during their childhoods, but there is some good balance in the current day timeline with some lighter aspects and humor. I think this a great addition to Hepworth’s works.

4.25 stars: This was SO good! A domestic thriller that will keep you turning the pages. Darling Girls is a story of three girls, three sisters, that end up in the same foster home. They were “lucky” to end up together.
The story jumps between POV’s and past and present. There is a main mystery plot line but each of the sisters has their own story arc, as well.
Sally Hepworth does it again. I will read everything she writes. I will definitely recommend this book.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eARC.

I posted my full review of this book on bookstagram, but just holy crap! This was one of her better books and I loved it so much! It was so compelling!

Once again, Sally Hepworth knocks it out of the park. You can assume that if she’s written it, it’s going to be entertaining.

When a body is discovered while excavating a former home for foster children, Wild Meadows, the three sisters who called Meadows their home for years, Jessica Norah and Alicia, must come back to the place they swore they would never go to again.

Each woman has her own demons to fight and the story is told between present day and while they were growing up. You also get the opportunity to learn about each girl and how she came to be at Wild Meadows.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I felt like it was fast paced and clear enough to be able to keep up with the story. If you are a fan of mysteries, you will not go wrong with Darling Girls. Be advised that there is mention of childhood abuse as well as inappropriate behavior by an adult male towards an adult female in the story. If those things are upsetting, take care of yourself.

Thank you so much to McMillan Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love everything from Sally Hepworth! Her books always keep me wanting more. Quick easy read & a definite recommendation to friends and family from me.

I love Sally Hepworth books. The Mother-In-Law and Soul Mates are two favorites. This one didn't resonate as much. I had difficulty remembering which girl was which - they had different issues but for some reason I couldn't keep them straight and the POV's shift frequently. The dual timeline was well done but I didn't realize how much of the book would be set in the past. The abuse isn't graphic but I generally avoid books with any child abuse. I'd recommend this book to friends as the plot and writing are excellent.

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, St. Martin's Press and Sally Hepworth for an advance copy of this amazing book!

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!

Review: Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

Swipe for synopsis ➡️

I loved this book. I feel like the story was told very well. I loved how seamlessly the alternating timelines went together and the different POVs. Miss Fairchild is absolutely despicable and I could not stand her. I loved Jessica, Norah and Alicia. This story makes you feel all the feelings. I was heart broken with them, I was happy with them, I was mad with them. I feel like this is a very sensitive topic with how the foster system in this country works and I feel like Sally Hepworth did an amazing job with this story. This is definitely going to be one of my favorites of 2024!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC of this book.

This book comes out on April 23rd, 2024.

Woooooowww!!!! Now THAT’S how you write a thriller! This story had me on the edge of my seat, consumed my every thought, and had me completely engrossed from beginning to end.

I will be recommending this to my bookclub and to everyone I know.

Even though it’s difficult to read about the abuse that happens in foster care, this story gives us an up close and personal perspective from the experiences of 3 girls who show that you do not have to remain a victim. You can thrive and grow from your past experiences.

The twists and turns in this story were beautifully written, the characters felt real, and the investment I had in this outcome was heavy. I’m trying so hard to not include spoilers in this review, so I think I’m going to stop here, but you’ve never read a thriller quite like this one, I promise!

Thank you NetGalley, Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin’s Press for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This one was quite the ride! This book was captivating and kept me engaged from the very beginning. Each twist and cliffhanger left me wanting more. Each character was written well with their own individual traumas and how it affected their lives....being raised in foster care and into adulthood. As Norah, Alicia, and Jessica are forced to face their pasts, they are also forced to face their problems head-on. And I have to say...that Miss Fairchild is the perfect wicked stepmother.

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.

Another winner from Sally Hepworth!! I was hooked on this one from the beginning. It’s a slow burn suspense but has enough going on that makes you stay hooked. It’s full of twists and turns! I think I can say this one is my favorite of hers.

The characters each have their own trauma and differing personalities that affect the storyline. You can really see their childhood traumas taking effect on their adult actions and thoughts. I loved the three women’s dynamic though and I rooted for them the whole time. Their sisterhood was so strong and it kept the story interesting. They were protective of each other and that even meant lying to keep the others safe.

The story was a bit predictable in some aspects, seeing as I was able to predict one twist. But overall I was still thrown by the drama. Especially that ending!! Shew, I’m still processing it!

This twisted tale follows three women who lived together in the same foster home as children. Now adults, they are soul sisters bonded by the horrors they witnessed or experienced at the hands of their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. Each of them carries their trauma in a different way, and as a result, are independently quite complicated. When they receive a call that bones of a child have been found buried beneath that foster home, it brings back the past that they have each worked so hard to move on from (mentally and physically). Asked to help the police, they travel back to their old town to confront the past and unearth who the bones belong to.

I had no idea what this book was about before beginning. Sally requires no synopsis and never disappoints. Happy to report that she continues to reign as a domestic thriller queen. Thank you to @netgalley @stmartinspress @sallyhepworth for an advanced copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review. No fibs here, this one was great.

Darling Girls
By: Sally Hepworth

5 Stars

This is an amazing story of what the bond of sisterhood can look like. Alicia, Jessica, and Norah grew up at the beautiful Wild Meadows, a foster home, with Mrs. Fairchild. Bit by bit as foster kids, their lives are changed in the worst of ways. They faced hard chores, rejection, and harsh punishments. Once they grew up, they knew they were lucky to have made it out. Years later, a body turns up on the property, and the girls return home, to the place they never wanted to return to again, all to get answers to their past and the truth is shocking. Who is the body?

Wow. This book was amazing. It was heartwrenching and grabbing from page one. It was written well, descriptive, and well paced. The storyline for this book has a subject that it is hard to read about at times, but Sally Hepworth did it with poise and fragility, which also painted the "true" darker and hidden story in a captivating, soul grabbing way.

If you grab this book, you will not be disappointed. This story gave me some major "Mommy Dearest" vibes, and it captivated me. Like that great old movie, this book is moving and sad. It has danger, friendship, pain, and healing. It really is an amazing story that I am so glad to have come across. It was definitely a dark book, but it told a story that needed to be told.

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Review