All I can say is Wow! Darling Girls was my first book by Sally Hepworth and she did not disappoint! It had a great captivating story. I was engrossed the whole time, there are no “slow” parts.

Darling Girls is told from the girls point of views and goes back and forth between past and present. All while there is another point of view talking to a therapist(really they all should be talking to a therapist)
I really enjoyed the therapist chapters.

A huge 5 star read from me! I read the whole book in a day because I couldn’t put it down.

Thanks to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for an advance copy of Darling Girls in exchange for my honest review.

Darling Girls is a story of childhood trauma, secrets, and murder. It leaves you reading into the night, not knowing where the story could lead. I loved the unpredictability. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Thank you to St Martins Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. I am a little mixed on my review. I felt the first half of the book was a little slow moving for me, but the 2nd half I couldn’t put down. Parts were a little predictable, but then there were other twists that really surprised me, so it was a bit of a rollercoaster for me. I wish I rooted for the characters more, with the exception of Norah, I felt engaged with her for the whole story. All in all, not one of my favorite Sally Hepworth books, but definitely worth the read.

3-3.5

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The pros:
- I loved our mains. Norah, Jessica, and Alicia are fantastic characters with real flaws but also endearing qualities, and their trauma is properly delved into. I appreciate that despite the shared experience; their trauma looks different from each other and they understand and respect that.
- The plot was pretty solid for the most part.
- I was really invested in one of the romances, small of a role as it was.

Neutral:
- I guessed every plot point in this book well before getting to it. I’m all for predictability in thrillers as long as the ride is still satisfying and I did enjoy the book overall? But this is one of the few times where I guessed EVERY twist and there wasn’t even one surprise, so it did throw me for a loop. I can’t say that it’s good or bad, it just is.

Cons:
- I think the book did feel a bit repetitive. At certain points it felt like chapters were added to kind of pad out the book.
- On the opposite end of that, I wish certain relationships or characters could have had more book-time than some of the scenes we got. The lack of one of the characters in the epilogue chapters (save for a brief mention) felt like a missed opportunity.
- Personally, I hated the first person POV chapters that were interspersed through the book. I feel like sometimes the writing in this book felt very simplistic and to the point and other times nuanced and engrossing. The first person POVs were definitely the former for me, unfortunately.
- I did also think the ending was rushed. It felt like after stretching out those chapters the conclusion was swiftly wrapped up.

Overall, I do think this book was still mostly enjoyable, and again, loved the mains. But there’s aspects of this book that I really, really love and aspects that I really, really don’t which makes it difficult to pinpoint exactly where I fall on it.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia are sisters by choice. When the three meet in what should have been an idyllic foster home on a farm called Wildwood Meadows, the three build very strong bonds as they suffered through the manipulative psychological games played by their foster mother, Holly Fairchild. The story gives us an insight into their pasts as well as present day. Twenty five years later, the women are still battling the scars that they have carried with them, but their commitment to each other remains steadfast. When bones are discovered under the farmhouse at Wildwood Meadows, the three head back to a place they never wanted to see again. Whose bones are under the house? Are the deep dark secrets hidden at Wildwood Meadows about to be uncovered? Could one of them be guilty of an unspeakable crime? Hepworth doesn’t disappoint with this twisty good read! This was a dual read/listen for me and the narration was perfection! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC and ALC of this book.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is a suspenseful novel with many twists and turns. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are sisters. They weren't biological sisters, but sisters through fire - they spent time in the same foster home. It was a foster home that seemed to be perfect with a loving foster mother. Looks can be deceiving and many abuses were going on behind closed doors. Years later the girls are now grown and leading their own lives - they are contacted by a police officer because a body has been found under their old foster home. Darling Girls was "couldn't put it down" good. Lots of suspense and surprises. I appreciate NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I loved this. This was my first Sally Hepworth book. I felt like it gripped me from the beginning and I kept reading to find out the ending! It wasn't scary but it definitely was a sort of psychological thriller. Highly recommend.

This book was phenomenal! Hepworth is so good at creating unique and flawed characters that deeply hold readers’ attention. In her newest thriller, the three main characters are all foster care ‘sisters’ who survived and emotionally and physically abusive foster mother while growing up. They left the system more than 15 years ago, but when their former foster care home is razed, human remains are discovered forcing the sisters to travel back to their hometown for a series of interviews by local detectives. They are hoping to shed light on the true nature of their foster care mother while avoiding becoming suspects in this newly discovered crime.

The plot juggles multiple POVs and includes present-day and flashback timelines, yet I was never confused or unsure of the narrator’s identity. I am sensitive to books that contain child harm and was weary to read this one, but feel Hepworth did a great job accurately depicting the downfalls of the foster care system and child abuse with care and without graphic on-page violence. However, if you are sensitive to those themes, please check a detailed list of trigger warnings.

Each sister’s unique perspective, ‘role’ within the girls’ relationship dynamic, and present day personality/behavior reflect growth and reveal the lingering legacy of a traumatic childhood. There are quite a few shock-worthy gasps, and I was 100% on the edge of my seat to solve the identity and circumstances of the human remains. Readers who enjoy dark and twisty domestics thrillers with a fast pace, short chapters, multiple POVs, and a shocking conclusion will want to add this one to their TBR today.

Hepworth weaved another twisty and layered story, yet again!

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were all foster children in varying states of tragic situations, and are sent to an idyllic farmhouse estate to live with Miss. Fairchild. On the surface, everything seems perfect, but the girls can tell you that living there was anything but perfect. We get to see the past and present weave together in intricate layers, with sisterly bonds, secrets, and murder.

While I completely binged this book and was utterly enthralled with finding out the outcome, it was a very hard read and listen as a mother. There are some pretty severe trigger warnings, first and foremost being child abuse, but themes of addiction as well.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and MacMillan Audio for my ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Special thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and best-selling Author Sally Hepworth for advance copy for honest review.

One of my auto-buy authors has done it again with another 5 star read!

When Jessica shows up to Wild Meadows everything is great! A great bonding time for Miss Fairchild's first foster kid under her care. But everything flips completely around when the second girl Norah arrives. Then another horrible turn months later with Alicia the third girl to arrive. But they pulled through as "sisters" sticking together and giving each other support from their horrific upbringing in foster care. Leading their own lives in the same town, one gets a phone call that has them heading back to Wild Meadows. Apparently there has been the discovery of several unmarked graves. Unburying, unearthing, and unraveling the secrets that hides at Wild Meadows. 5 star review, highly recommend!

Wow, talk about intense!

I was enthralled with this book, and especially from about the halfway mark on, I didn’t want to put it down. It took a little more time to get into it initially, but as each characters story evolved and more twists were thrown in, it got better and better.

Trigger warning- there is chile abuse in this book.

Those parts were hard to read, and my mama heart ached for these foster children and knowing so many kids are treated poorly on a daily basis. But the author did a great job sharing the beautiful and hopeful stories that come from fostering as well.

The ending 🤯 wow. That’s all I’ll say.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced reader copy. I will definitely be recommending it to others!

Sally Hepworth is one of my all time favorite authors. While this title started a bit slower than her previous novels, it eventually picked up speed and excitement.

Sally Hepworth has been a auto-buy author for me for a while and honestly this is her best yet.

This book follows three "sisters" by choice Jessica, Norah, and Alicia who grew up together in foster care, under the care of their foster parent Miss Fairchild. Needless to say they didn't have the best childhood, and it is hard for them to look back on their time but they have to when bones are discovered.

Told in multiple POV's and timelines, we get a glimpse of the girls' upbringings and exactly what happened all those years ago, along with the adults that they are now.

This is a really captivating and emotional read and I read the whole thing in one sitting. I could not put it down. Easily one of the best I've read this year.

This is a really emotional slow-burn thriller but is a really great read.

Twenty-five years ago, Jessica, Alicia, and Norah bonded as sisters, living with their foster mother Miss Fairchild on the idyllic Wild Meadows estate. However, the girls will tell you it was anything but idyllic. Miss Fairchild was rather unpredictable and not a typical motherly figure. The three were able to break free from Miss Fairchild, but their scars followed them into their adult lives. When a body is found under the home on Wild Meadows estate, the girls are questioned. Is this the proof of Miss Fairchild’s abuse? The investigation will bring more questions than answers.

Wow! Sally Hepworth really did not disappoint with this one. Told in alternating points of view between past and present, we really get to know the sisters both then and now. The characters are fully developed and I came to care for each one individually throughout the story. The twists were plentiful and kept me reading to find out what happened next. I alternated between listening and reading the book and finished in less than 24 hours. Definitely clear your schedule for this one! I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys thrillers! I give it 4.5/5 stars.

This book was quite the wild ride!! I wasn’t sure about it for the first 40% or so to be honest. It was a very slow burn. But once it started moving, I was hooked and binged the rest in one sitting! There are a lot of trigger warnings for this book, and the subject matter is super tough to read about at times. I had a guess as to what was going on, and thought I was right, but then was totally thrown by the ending! That makes for a pretty good thriller in my opinion. I also enjoyed the three main characters, their sister relationship, and their growth throughout the story.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth pub date is April 23,2024
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book early.
Her book the soulmate was so so good and SH did not disappoint in this one!
The twists and turns and when you think you know what is going on and surprise another twist!!
Wow what a ride!
Thanks again for the opportunity to read this early!!! Another good one and I look forward to reading some of her other books now!!!

I swear Sally Hepworth keeps getting better. This was such a good book to read. I was definitely hooked from the beginning until the end. There is a lot of traumatic experiences in this book so make sure you read trigger warnings. I was definitely surprised with the twists in this story and was super shocked by one of them. This is a fast paced psychological mystery. The girls in this story were so brave and became kick ass women. I would highly recommend this book and her other books as well. I always have a good time with Sally's books. Pull up a seat and enjoy this book!


Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

This is not my favorite book of the author's. It moved a little slow, and I found most of it predictable, but she does always turn out a solid domestic mystery.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this delightful thriller! This book was chock-full of twists and turns. For the first three-quarters, I wasn’t sure the author knew where she was going with every new detail that was introduced. Alas, everything came together by the end and I was kept entertained for the entire ride.

As a mother, I had a bit of a tough time with some of the triggers mentioned at the end of this review but I was able to get through it, and even enjoy it, regardless.

Trigger warnings: Child abuse, foster care system, sexual assault, drug abuse, child death.

Darling Girls is a dark, psychological story of three women who spent their lives in the foster care system. The story revolves around a time when the three women were together in the home of Miss Fairchild. What a Mommie Dearest she was! The three bond as sisters, and that bond remains twenty-five years later. We get to see how the trauma they endured affected the people they became, and how an event that leads them to meet back up with Miss Fairchild all those years later affects their lives going forward. We even, ultimately, get to understand how Miss Fairchild became who she is. A page-turner! 4-1/2 stars

I received an ARC for free and gave my honest opinion voluntarily.