I really liked this book, but there were parts that fell a little flat. It could've been really good and there were times that I was totally immersed, but mostly it was just ok.

Darling Girls delves into the traumatic past of three women, Alicia, Jessica, and Norah, whose lives were irrevocably altered by their time with a foster mother, Miss Fairchild. The book navigates the psychological and emotional complexities of child abuse and the long-lasting impact of such experiences. The author does an exceptional job in portraying the individual struggles of Alicia, Jessica, and Norah, each dealing with their own psychological scars in unique ways—Alicia's low self-esteem, Jessica's OCD, and Norah's anger issues. What makes "Darling Girls" particularly compelling is the exploration of the bond shared by these women. It's a bond formed in a shared traumatic experience that is both their strength and their curse. The discovery of bones under their old farmhouse is a symbolic uncovering of their buried past, forcing them to confront memories and truths they had hoped to leave behind. The book poses profound questions about the nature of survival, the capability of the human spirit to endure, and the possibility of escaping the shadows of a traumatic past. It's a dark, intense read that may not be suitable for everyone, especially those with similar traumatic experiences, due to its raw and honest portrayal of abuse and psychological torment. This is Sally Hepworth’s best book in awhile. I strongly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC copy for a review.

I couldn’t put this one down! I had to finish it to see how it all tied together. I haven’t liked many of this authors books but this one was such a good read. It definitely was sad though, being a mom and reading stories of all these girls living in a foster care situation was devastating.

This is highly addictive!
Shady pasts, unknown human bones found, everyone's a suspect and a tight knit found family with secrets of it's own.
I could not put this down!
I always have high hopes for Sally Hepworth, and am somehow still always surprised when she knocks my socks off.
Also the audio has delightful Aussie accents *swoon*
Much love to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for my DRCs.

I couldn't put this one down! Our story centers around 3 foster sisters under the care of the psychologically torturous Miss Fairchild. Jessica is a type A oldest sister with a home organization business. Norah is a troublemaker with multiple run ins with the law. Alicia has made it her life's mission to help other foster kids by becoming a social worker herself. Now adults, the 3 sisters receive news that a body has been found under their foster home. The question is: Who is it, and who done it?

As the oldest of 3 sisters (although I had a vastly different upbringing than the "darling girls"), I related to the sisterhood element throughout this story. I enjoyed the slow tease of the mystery, getting a few more clues here and there along the way, eye-widening moments no one could have guessed where coming. This book is full of twists and turns, and this book is DARK in the best way! Lovers of family dramas, dark thrillers/mysteries, who done its and the like will LOVE this one.

Toward the end, some of the resolutions felt a little cheesily delivered, but I enjoyed how the bow was tied on all the storylines.

Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this early in exchange for an honest review!

****Publishing April 23, 2024******

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Jessica, Norah, and Alicia all became foster sisters when they were eventually placed with Miss Fairchild. All placed for different reasons and all treated differently depending on the mood of Miss Fairchild. Miss Fairchild was at times on the cusp of being abusive. After escaping her wrath and never hearing from Miss Fairchild again, 25 years later they receive a call from Detective Patel. A body was found at Miss Fairchild’s estate! They are asked to come in for questioning. Is it what it seems? Will the sisters be accused? What will be discovered?

Sally Hepworth’s latest book incorporates the foster care system into her latest domestic thriller. The uncanny characters and unsuspecting twists and turns create a page-turning and entertaining read! A great book to take on vacation!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press , I was provided an ARC of Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. #Netgalley

I really really enjoyed this book. Everytime I thought I knew where the story was going it took another turn. I appreciated the individual characters and their differences in personalities as well as the thought and emotion behind them.

Wow! What a rollercoaster this one was! Everytime I thought I had it figured out I was met with a plot twist that made me do a double take!! And SO many emotions. You couldn't help but feel horrified for what the girls endured and the impacts it had on them.

This was my second book by the author and I will definitely be watching for more.

Thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book

Sally Hepworth does it again! I could not put this book down. The characters were written so well, especially with the multiple POVs and dual timelines. It is a tougher subject matter with the darker side of the foster care system at the forefront of the plot, but I thought it was written with such care and I loved the author’s note about it at the end. There were a lot of really great twists and turns, but I wouldn’t call it a thriller. It was such a complex and nuanced story of resilience, sisterhood and overcoming trauma. I highly recommend this one, but just be warned, there are some really tough moments in this story so make sure you check the content warnings and see if you’re in the right headspace for it.
CW: mentions of suicide, sexual abuse, child abuse, death of a parent and grandparent, rape, child neglect, domestic violence, child death, drug addiction, overdose

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about 3 sisters revisiting their past when bones are found under their old foster home. They are all healing from what happened to them in their childhood and having to deal with seeing their foster mother again and try to help the police figure out what happened. Alongside this story, information is given from the foster mothers perspective as well about her own childhood.

I didn't see everything coming in this book and I really enjoyed the relationship between the sisters and how different all the girls were. The character development in this was great! I wish it had a different ending as it was kind of abrupt but that's not unheard of in thrillers like this. I'd recommend this book to anyone.

This is my favorite by @sallyhepworth !
Mrs. Fairchild seems like the perfect foster parent. Behind closed doors, she makes the girls clean, take care of each other, & limits the amount of food that they are allowed. When a new foster baby comes into the home, the girls decided to tell school authorities about the danger the nanny could be in. Who is Amy? What ever happened to Amy? The girls are all called back years later a adults when a body of a small child is discovered buried under the house!

This was a little heavier/darker than I was expecting. This story centers around three young girls who in all different ways have ended up in foster care at the same house. The book has multiple POVs and different timelines involving said three girls in this house with their foster mom. There are several triggers that I would recommend you looking into before reading this one.

Alicia, Norah and Jessica are sisters in every way that counts except biologically. They all had traumatic childhoods and found themselves in foster care at the same house with Miss Fairchild. hey only had each other for comfort. They never knew what they were going to get from their foster mom except to know that it was not going to be good. They endured a lot together. They knew Miss Fairchild was looking for something but did not know what it was. Everything changed when Amy showed up at the house. Little Amy who was maybe 2 years old and who they all found themselves getting attached to. Amy who Miss Fairchild was never mean to until she was. Amy who went disappeared after the girls finally went to their school counselor with how they were all being treated.

Fast forward to today, Alicia is a foster advocate. She helps place kids and checks in with them along their journey. Jessica has a successful organization business and is married but not so happily. Norah is still a troublemaker but has ways of getting out of said trouble. They all seem to have it together but alll have their trauma still following them around. Jessica has found herself "collecting" things from the homes where she works. Alicia is too scared to make a move on the woman she loves, and Norah doesn't know what true feelings really are let along how to deal with them. They are all living their lives until they get a call from the police where they grew up stating a body was found. Not only a body but a child's body. Now they are thrown back into the hell they all escaped from and are not sure what will be uncovered.

This is a story about relationships. These women had no one and then they had each other for life. They had a terrible role model and guardian for a while, but somehow they leaned on each other and made it out.

I had a hard time with the flow of this book. I didn't really know where it was going. I also had a hard time reading about the abuse these girls suffered at the hands of their foster mother. I liked the multiple POVs and hearing from Miss Fairchild herself even though we don't understand the context until the end of the book. I like the depth of the relationships among the main FMCs and the length that they would go to help each other.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Slow to start, but once it did it sucked me in and kept me wondering until the very last page.


Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary copy of this novel!

Jessica, Alicia, and Norah end up fostered as young girls with Miss Fairchild. But the longer they are there, the girls come to realize that Miss Fairchild isn’t the supposed loving foster mom they hope for. Miss Fairchild has rules that are meant to be followed. Miss Fairchild expects cleanliness. She expects obedience or else the girls face her wrath. Although, the three girls are not blood sisters, they are sisters to each other because of what they endured under Miss Fairchild. After they were able to get away from her, their past childhood trauma still haunts them today into adulthood. So now, over two decades later, they each receive a call that a body has been found under the house where they were fostered. They must return and face their past.

This novel is a psychological thriller mystery that will keep you turning the pages until the end!!! The novel alternates between the girl’s past and their present to slowly reveal the events that unfolded. This is Sally Hepworth’s newest novel and definitely not one to miss!!! And the ending will have a twist you won’t see coming!!! AVAILABLE April 23, 2024

WOW!! I was hooked on this book from the first page and was unable to put it down. I felt myself trying to guess who done it the whole time and had it wrong the whole time. The last chapter left me speechless. I enjoyed all of the character POV's and how it shifted from current to past. This was a unique thriller and got me out of reading slump

This binge worthy thriller is just what I needed! Three foster “sisters” (Jessica, Norah and Alicia) find themselves at Wild Meadows under the care of Miss Fairchild. On the outside, Miss Fairchild, appears to be a good foster mother but that can’t be farther from the truth. Fast forward and the foster “sisters” are now living their adult lives when they receive a call from a detective telling them a body has been found under the house at Wild Meadows. Now they must return to their roots to face their dark past!

I enjoyed the multiple point of views and the dual timeline. This domestic thriller is dark with multiple twists. The final twist did me in! I’m always a fan of Hepworth’s books but this one is officially my favorite. This book will be published on April 23rd so be sure to add it to your spring reading list. You won’t be able to put it down!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A complex an intriguing mystery that will keep you in suspense until the end. The subject matter is a bit difficult to get through, dealing with foster children and abuse, but it is a mystery story with an important message. While not a page turning thriller this is a great drama with multiple mysteries woven in. The characters are also complex and well written, with no one being the "hero", but the protagonists all coming with their own flaws.

I'm a big fan of Sally Hepworth, and though I enjoyed Darling Girls, it's definitely not my favorite of her books. This story of three girls in foster care (and their lives as women) is compelling in its depiction of the possible horrors of that system, and I loved the way the personalities and motivations of each of the three sisters were developed. I thought the actual "mystery" of the plot was a bit less successful, and I especially did not like the chapters in the psychologist's office as they were a bit awkwardly written and were a bit disjointed from the rest of the novel. That said, the atmosphere was taut (as is the case in other Hepworth novels) and I'm glad I read it. And one small note - the cover really doesn't work for me given the direction of the books!

Sally Hepworth is one of my favorite authors because her books just never disappoint! So many twists and turns that I felt like I had whiplash. It was a quick read that fans of Sally and thriller lovers in general will love!

Jessica Lovat, Nora Anderson, and Alicia Connelly had once lived at the Wild Meadows Foster Home under the care of Miss Fairchild. Detective Ashleigh Patel contacts each of the girls to ask for help with her investigation regarding the human remains found during the demolition/excavation of Wild Meadows. Whose bones are they? What do Miss Fairchild’s girls know?

Sally Hepworth constructs a delicious thriller. She is able to move the reader easily from the present to the past so the reader gets a true understanding of the girls’ day-to-day lives at a foster home. Before I know it, I’m well into this thriller and read on with anticipation of what is to come. I also like the first-person retelling of visits with the psychiatrist interspersed throughout the book. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of DARLING GIRLS.