Yes yes yes yes yes! This was such a great thriller. It was tense, it had twists, it had me guessing! Just so good!

Jessica (a professional organizer), Alicia (a social worker), and Norah (with an H) all grew up in foster care at Wild Meadows with their foster mother, Mrs. Fairchild. As we meet the girls in their 30s, we learn that something atrocious has happened at Wild Meadows and it forces each girl to face the trauma that they faced while in foster care. Through past and present timelines, we learn about each girl and see a twisted, tortured story unfold.

Literally my only few small reasons for not giving 5 stars is because I got confused on timelines a couple of times and felt like the girl’s names at the beginning of the chapters were sometimes wrong (some chapters focused on 1 girl but some focused on all three). This book also switches between 1st and 3rd person and it kept throwing me for a loop.

Other that those small things, this story had me HOOKED. I was obsessed with the background of each girl and how it led them to the issues they had in the present. I think Sally (maybe unknowingly so) also showed what it is like in the foster system more often than not, which is something that I believe isn’t talked about enough. I was guessing all throughout the book and loved how everything wrapped up. Another win for me from Sally!

I really liked this one. There are 3 women - Jessica, Norah, and Alicia - who grew up together in the same foster home. The chapters rotate among their perspectives, along with a 4th POV that slowly reveals itself.

The women are thrust back to their past when the home they grew up in is torn down and the remains of a human child are discovered.

The women face the cruelty of their foster mother and their individual struggles when they return to the small town to help police try to get to the truth.

I really enjoyed the different perspectives as each woman was very different and unique. The revelations are well done and I was speculating all along the way. I recommend this book, especially if you've enjoyed other Hepworth titles in the past.

I knew I was a Sally Hepworth fan but after this one, she’s a must-buy going forward. How does she continue to churn out these unique layered stories? This was an enthusiastic five stars from me. This novel features one of my favorite plot devices in a way that I didn’t see coming and nothing makes me happier in a book! The description felt heavy and make no mistake the content is tough to read at times but it’s handled well and there’s a good balance to the tension. Loved the role of the dogs in offering levity and comfort.

This book kept me interested enough to keep reading, especially towards the end.
The plot has to do with three foster "sisters" growing up with a troubled foster mom. The way the story is told is interesting as it goes back and forth in time, and there is a present-day mystery that stirs up the past.
Interesting read, especially if you like thrillers.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this advanced reading copy.

"A thrilling page-turner about sisterhood, secrets, love and murder by Sally Hepworth, the New York Times bestselling author of The Soulmate and The Mother-in-Law."

Sally Hepworth is a never miss author for me. Her books are creative and her twists are original and well written. I really enjoyed the character development in this title. Learning about the characters, Jessica, Nora, and Alicia, and how they became the people they are as adults was the best part for me. The troubling portrayal of the foster care system was heartbreaking. You really root for these girls, even when they are making questionable decisions. I highly recommend this book (and all of Sally Hepworth's books)!

This book was WILD.

I say that with every mystery thriller because I never guess what’s going to happen and then it blows my mind at the end 😂.

There are a LOT of characters in this book, and you’re getting POV from the three main women, both in the past and in the present. In addition to someone talking with a therapist that you don’t really catch on who it is until later (unless I missed something but it wasn’t until 50% in that I caught on). Audio can give a bit rough with all these changes and there’s only one narrator so recommend ebook or print for this one.

The story is fast paced, clever, and I was able to sort of figure out part of it at around 80%, until the last chapter TOTALLY threw me and WHEW what an ending.

There were times where I felt like there was just TOO much side stuff going on with the MC’s. Like each character was dealing with the main plot while there was something very dramatic happening in their personal lives. The story was quite stuffed.

But if you’re a big fan of mystery thrillers, I think you’ll like this one. It had me guessing the whole time.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Sally Hepworth's Darling Girls is a captivating novel that explores the intricate bonds of sisterhood and the enduring power of family. With her signature storytelling style, Hepworth weaves a tale of love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships.

The story centers around the Cunningham sisters, Anna and Lily, who have been inseparable since childhood. Their lives are seemingly perfect, but beneath the surface, a dark secret threatens to tear them apart. As the truth unravels, the sisters must confront their past and find a way to heal their fractured bond.

Hepworth's characters are beautifully drawn, each with their own unique personalities and struggles. The sisters' relationship is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and readers will find themselves rooting for their reconciliation. The novel also delves into the complexities of family dynamics and the enduring power of love.

Darling Girls is a poignant and uplifting story that will stay with readers long after the final page. It is a testament to the human spirit and the resilience of the human heart.

I always enjoy novels by Sally Hepworth. They offer the perfect balance of being a thriller without keeping me up at night. I especially enjoyed the multiple timelines.

*I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my honest review.*

I will always, always read anything that Sally Hepworth writes!

Differing timelines done exquisitely well. Several points of view so that you know what is going on in everyone's devious little minds. Looks into therapy sessions where you don't know who is being counseled.

Everything always works so well together in Hepworth's novels and the twists are usually ones that I never thought of and cause audible gasping!

4.5 stars

When a body is found under the home they grew up in, foster sisters Jessica, Norah and Alicia must travel back to Wild Meadows in Port Agatha to be interviewed by the police as key witnesses.

But seeing their foster mother Miss Fairchild triggers memories of abuse and instability. Will seeing her again stir up memories and secrets they hoped would remain buried? Are they witnesses or key suspects?

I always get excited to read a new Sally Hepworth novel! She has a way of introducing interesting characters into a compelling domestic situation with enough surprise twists that never seem contrived or forced and always leave you wanting to turn the pages.

Darling Girls lived up to my expectations! In fact, it’s one of my favorite Hepworth novels.

I equally enjoyed each of the sisters perspectives. They all had past trauma they were dealing with, but the trauma was seamlessly woven into the plot in a way that enhanced the current story and never felt like it slowed down the narrative. We not only get POVS from each of the three sisters, but we also get their POVs from the past as well. Hepworth did a skillful job of integrating the past and present in a complimentary way that made the pacing smooth and engaging.

To amp up the mystery, there are also chapters scattered amongst the sister’s narratives of from an unknown person speaking to a psychiatrist telling the story of their past. Is this one of the sisters? Or is this someone else?

I half physically read, half listened to the audio for Darling Girls. The audiobook narrator helped bring the different sister’s voices to life. For Norah, she perfectly captured her brashness, for Jessica her soft-spoken, people-pleasing tone, and for Alicia her firmness in taking charge. I’d highly recommend the audio!

*Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio & St. Martin’s Press for the digital and audio arc. All opinions are my own.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia became sisters by choice as they were put into the foster care sister. Left to the manipulations and twisted thoughts of Miss Fairchild. Fast forward and the girls are grown up. A body has been discovered buried underneath the house and the girls are summoned back by the police. The trio all carry mental scars of the emotional damage dealt by Miss Fairchild. The story is told from multiple points of view in the past and present

Definitely a twist or two at the end

Who does the body belong to? Who was the killer?

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC. This review is my honest opinion.

The story of the 3 sisters was fascinating and sad all at once. I really was shocked by the ending although some of it was a bit predictable from the story progression

I give up on Sally books tbh. The mystery is never entertaining enough to be a fun popcorn thriller which just feels like a slog. The characters are written like poor veneers with little depth or subtlety, and the twists and turns are either completely predictable or zany and purely for shock value.

This one was soooo good, I should have read it sooner!

It’s a psychological thriller, but it was thought provoking and filled with themes of family, betrayal and secrets. Told via multiple perspectives and timelines of the past and present. I was invested in the three foster girls’ stories. The pacing was fast and the chapters were short. There was tension, suspense and twists and I couldn’t put the book down because I wanted to know the ending. I loved every minute of it. This might be my favorite Sally Hepworth book!

I picked this book up after I heard the author speak. She was so cute and darling.
The book was not what I expected she would write.
It was a true thriller with lots of twists and turns!
Wow!
I will recommend for fans of Riley Sager

initial thoughts: this Sally Hepworth story was sadly just not my favorite. i was lucky to receive an ARC from NetGalley and St Martin’s Press (a big thank you!) but the ARC was filled with so many errors: spelling, wrong words, missing words, grammar issues, etc.

this wasn’t a mystery/thriller as advertised and the plot just didn’t do anything for me. I kept reading because I absolutely adore Sally Hepworth and usually enjoy her characters. this was a miss for me.

The one thing that I have learned from reading Sally Hepworth’s novels is that you better dedicate some good reading time for them, because you will not be able to put them down once you start. Oh, sure, you can try to fool yourself by saying that you will just sit down and read one or two chapters, but you’re just lying to yourself. Set aside the time, put your chores on the backburner, sit back and enjoy the ride.

Darling Girls grabbed me right from the get-go. This was a Mommie Dearest (Joan Crawford) story in foster care. We see these three girls as adults, trying their best to navigate their lives, but we also get to witness their time in foster care and see the horrific things these children had to endure. Of course, with their histories, they’ve each had a great deal of issues to overcome, and they are still in the process of overcoming them. Hepworth created a great cast of characters. Nobody could pick up this book and honestly say that they didn’t feel for Jessica, Norah (without a T), and Alicia. For different reasons, these girls were put in foster care, which is bad enough, but to be put in the care of Miss Fairchild, well, that was downright abusive.

My heart broke for the characters, I was certainly angry on their behalf, but I did find myself laughing a fair bit as well. Norah was an interesting character. Did she always do the right thing? No. Did she manipulate? Yes. Did she think that violence could solve her problems? Well…yes. Again, she didn’t always make the most conventional decisions, but she also didn’t have an easy life, and I thought she was absolutely intriguing.

These women were like sisters. They didn’t have to be blood-related to feel the bond between them. And when bones are discovered underneath their foster home and they are brought in for interrogation, well, you just know that these three will do whatever it takes to be there for one another.

Darling Girls was a riveting page-turner. I was never really sure how the story was going to unfold, it had a twist that I didn’t see coming, and that is exactly what I want in a story of this genre. Whenever I am in the mood for a thriller, I know that a novel by this author is sure to deliver.


*4 Stars

This book was perfect. I loved all the "sisters" and the background story and the Between of past and future. The story was so intriguing and the girls each had their own personality and voice in the story. I will still think of this story, and all the girls had to deal with, from trauma growing up and how they each dealt with truth of their past coming to the surface. I read this in one sitting. Unforgettable story, sad but so good! Made me want a group of sisters, there for each other no matter what...and boy there were some crazy twist. Such a memorable read!!

I’ve got a book hangover! I loved this one! This story had me hooked from the first page!

Three foster sisters, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia grew up in a slightly traumatic foster home with their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. When a shocking revelation brings them back to what remains of their childhood home, they may end up with questions than answers.

Things I loved about this story was how well the characters were developed! We got a look at each of the darling girls as children and how their childhood’s impacted their adult lives. The setting was mysterious and kept me guessing. The twists are turns were in all the right places, which made it even better!

This was my first Sally Hepworth book, but it won’t be my last!

Thank you to NetGAlley, the author, and St Martin’s Press for this copy to read in exchange for a review! I greatly appreciate it!

Overall I enjoyed the book. I appreciated the character development, storyline and the authors attention to detail.