Darling Girls is my new favorite by Sally Hepworth! I inhaled this one over the weekend--it was a fast read that kept me turning the pages until the final twist. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia formed a close sisterhood bond while surviving the subtle horrors inflicted by their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. Many decades later, the sisters have returned to their hometown when a body is discovered on the site of their former home. Whose body is buried at Wild Meadows, and who is responsible for the murder? This is a quick, thrilling must-read for your summer reading list. Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for the librarian preview copy.

Loved. This was my first Sally Hepworth read and it will not be my last. *Adds all of Sally's collection to my TBR* This book kept my brain engaged. I felt like I could feel my brain cells firing as I was reading this. The plot was excellent, not like anything I have read before. The twists were unexpected, my jaw dropped more than once and I had to stop reading in order to let it all sink in. I might even have to give it another read in order to view it from a different perspective. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Sally Hepworth for this fantastic eARC in exchange for an honest review. Publication date, April 23, 2024.

Darling Girls is a thrilling novel that centers around 3 foster sisters that are called back to the foster home they met in where a dark mystery has arisen.

Goodness, this was a thriller that sucked me into the story! I felt every emotion possible while reading this, especially during the second half of the book. It kept me guessing and I was in shock after that last chapter!

I think this book does a good job showing complex characters and is absolutely heartbreaking at times. I think it is important to check the content warning for this book due to the child abuse especially.

This is my second Sally Hepworth novel and I will definitely be reading more of her books. This has been one of my favorite thrillers in awhile!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. I enjoyed Sally Hepworth's the Soul Mate immensely last year, and was indifferent on the Mother in the Law, so I figured I would give this a shot. But it fell very flat.

There was nothing inherently wrong with the plot or the writing-- I was simply bored! I consider Hepworth a domestic thriller author and I was never thrilled-- not even a little bit. The plot moved slowly, a good portion of the characters were extremely unlikeable, and then it all resolved very neatly and easily at the end, which was a let down after a very slow burn for the other 90% of the novel. Normally, I am excited to read before an after my work day, but I really just didn't look forward to this one at all. Bummer.

I wouldn't necessarily say this is a "Don't Read" if you're a Hepworth fan, but if I had a mile-high TBR, I would probably prioritize other reads. I'll still give Hepworth more tries in the future.

'Darling Girls' is a devastating, emotional read as Sally Hepworth weaves a tragic and horrific tale of trauma, an unbreakable sister-bond, and unthinkable horrors. A story sure to bring you to tears, enrage you, and warm your heart all in one cover, 'Darling Girls' touches on the failures of the child welfare and foster care system, trauma bonds, and genuine compassion and healing in such a well-written and thoughtful way. One of my best reads to date!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to review. All opinions are my own.

Three sisters, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, go back to their former foster home after human remains are found. They were each rescued by their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on a farming estate. But their childhood was far from easy. Miss Fairchild had rules, she was unpredictable, and unfairly disciplined her "darling girls."

Jessica, Norah and Alicia return to Wild Meadows after being requested by police as key witnesses. They relive everything that happened 25-years ago in their time as Miss Fairchild's foster children.

I would rate Darling Girls a 4.25 stars out of 5. This was the second book I have read by Sally Hepworth, and I LOVED this one too!! She does a great job at creating compelling stories, and is now one of my go to authors when I am wanting a thriller or mystery.

I really enjoyed this book, and thought it was an excellent portrayal of the challenges that foster children face. Sally Hepworth had me hooked from the first page until the end. The last chapter was something I did not see coming, and there are plenty of plot twists within the book to keep you on your toes while reading.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth will be released on April 23.

I have enjoyed everything Sally Hepworth has written, and Darling Girls is no exception. It had me guessing until the very end. Add this to your must reads!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book.

Darling Girls was such an emotionally powerful book. Each chapter had me feeling something deep within, whether it was sadness, hopefulness, or straight anger. Sally Hepworth has once again crafted a masterpiece that has left me reeling.

Darling Girls follows three "sisters" who were in a foster home together and each endured different, though equally as appalling, abuse from their foster mother. When human remains are found on the property decades later, the sisters must return and face accusations and previous traumas alike in order to finally put the past behind them.

5 stars, one of the best books I have read so far this year!

DARLING GIRLS made me think a lot about the foster care system. With that being said, there are some triggers warnings to expect. I did appreciate that this was something very different from her past novels, but it did make me feel all kinds of emotions. Overall, I think Sally Hepworth is a very talented author. I will remember this story for quite some time.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my gifted ARC and ALC.

This review will be shared to my Instagram account (@coffee.break.book.reviews) closer to the pub date.

A twisty psychological thriller that kept me engaged, reading and not doing much else! The four girls characters were well developed and the nasty Miss Fairchild was as awful as they come, except later in the book, when you find out the backstory. All along there are snippets of what’s really going on, but it took me a bit to connect the dots.

Thank you St. Martin Press & NetGalley for this eARC.

“Darling Girls” is a sublime psychological mystery, involving three women who have an unbreakable bond due to the abuse they endured together at the hands of their foster mother growing up.

25 years after they were in foster care the girls received a phone call that skeletal remains were found under their recently demolished former foster home and the burning question is WHO IS IT?

The book has four different point of views: Jessica, Norah, Alicia & their abuser Holly Fairchild. The storyline alternates from present day & their childhood memories. My only complaint is that it was a little bit more difficult to keep track of all the POV’s and the past or present tense chapters.

The plot was definitely PLOTTING. The whole time I thought I knew who the remains were but Sally Hepworth throat punched me with a huge plot twist that I didn’t see coming. The last chapter alone had me gasping out loud. It definitely solidified that Holly Fairchild is a demented b*tch.

Although this wasn’t the most fast paced book, it’s worth sticking through it because it didn’t disappoint.

Thank you for the ARC! I am a fan of Sally Hepburn and have enjoyed her previous titles. Darling Girls is a very quick read that definitely pulls you in. Trigger, there are examples of child abuse and there were some items that were a bit difficult to read as the mom of a young child. I liked the sisters and their dynamic with one another and I think the best part of the story was the nonlinear timeline as we went back and forth to learn about the beginning of their relationship and how it led to how close they are. The twist was a bit predictable but overall I enjoyed reading this book and loved the way it ended.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC. Jessica, Norah and Alicia were all raised together by their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. It wasn't as pleasant place to live and Miss Fairchild had frequent mood swings. She also had rules that had to be followed. As the girls struggled with their daily home life they became close. The day finally came that they could all move out on their own and never have to think about Miss Fairchild again. That was until they received a call from the Police advising each of the girls that human remains had been found located on the property where they grew up. Who was the person and what happened? In order to find out the answers, the girls would cross paths once again with the one woman they never wanted to see again. Enjoy!!

Just finished reading this page turner and Macmillan Publishing, I can't thank you enough for giving me the green light for this ARC. This is the first book I've read by best-selling author, Sally Hepworth, and it won't be the last. This is a masterful thrill ride about three girls who find themselves in the foster system for very different reasons and the family bond they share as a result of surviving their time together with their crazy foster mother, Miss Fairchild.

It all comes circle when, as adults, bones are discovered under their childhood home
and they are pulled back to the town where they spent their formative years answering questions from the police and facing the demons that haunt each of them in different ways. Interwoven is the story of Miss Fairchild and the childhood that shaped her. Sally Hepworth doesn't leave a stone unturned, and it's a guessing game until the very last page.

This book was so good! From the beginning to end, I enjoyed the constant twists and turns. I really thought everything was settled up until that very last chapter. There were times my jaw dropped while reading. Definitely a 5 star book.

This is just another thriller. Nothing to special but still very very good. Somewhat predictable but also comforting in a suspense way

Sally Hepworth is one of my go to authors. I always look forward to reading her books, and this one did not disappoint. I was very excited to receive an ARC from netgalley for my honest review.

Darling Girls is told from four different points of view as well as the past and present. It gives the reader a deep understanding of the lives of four foster children and their foster mother and their struggles into adulthood.

I'm generally not a fan of stories that go back to the past but this was a necessary part to the sisters' story and was well written.
The past gives insight on how the three foster girls came to be sisters and is centered around them and the horror and abuse they went through as foster children. It gives understanding to the issues they are each suffering with as adults and how that bond they formed as children is still unbreakable as adults.

This was a very well written and interesting read with an awesome ending. I enjoyed this book and look forward to her next one.

Darling Girls was more about child abuse than suspense. It was sad and painful to read. It made my heart heavy. I usually enjoy Sally Hepworth's books, but this is one I would not reread. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. To be honest, this was my first book by this author and maybe not the best place to start. The writing is solid, but the majority of the book that's spent in the past with the 3 main characters in foster care with Miss Fairchild were triggering. Depicting child abuse was done realistically, but uncomfortable as a reader.

The present time, the 3 sisters - not by blood are bright together by bones found in the burial ground where they lived at Wild meadows farm. Jessica, Norah and Alicia are all differently affected by their abusive foster home mother. TW for sexual assault, abuse and drugs.

The audio was well done. I was pulled into the story and the mystery of the “Darling Girls”! I’m a fan of Sally’s books but I can’t say this is my favorite. She is a great storyteller and her plots are always compelling!

The only thing that didn’t work for me was just I feel like I was missing a bit of a shock value that I went in expecting.