Darling Girls was so good. I really enjoyed this thriller/mystery. I also enjoyed reading all three POVS of the girls who were fostered by Mrs. Fairchild who terrorized and manipulated the girls in different ways. It goes back and forth between past and present. Fast forward to 25 years later, the girls who become like sisters are closer than ever, but a call from a detective informing them that remains were found under the home where they were fostered changes everything. They have to go back to the town they never wanted to go back to and try to help the cops find out what happened in that house and whose remains are under the house. The ending was not what i was expecting, but it still shocked me. This book has great twists and turns that have you saying WTF. I also enjoyed the therapy session chapters, where we don't find out what character is in the session until the very end. I look forward to reading more of Sally Hepworth books.

4.5 stars rounded up. This book used jumping around in time and between the main characters' POVs really well to keep things mysterious and keep me wanting to read more. The short chapters definitely added to that and kept things feeling fast even while building up suspense. The characters were fleshed out really well as their own distinct and unique people which sometimes is not the case in mystery books or thrillers. Even when I wasn't sure who I could trust, I still was rooting for all of the sisters. I also liked that there were a lot of twists and turns that kept things interesting and made it hard to put down, but they also all made sense with everything that happened up to that point and didn't feel completely out of nowhere. Honestly, I was a little worried the end would feel rushed or disappointing, but was relieved when that wasn't the case. I really enjoyed the build-up and the ending.

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

Sally Hepworth never misses for me, so when I was invited to this ARC I screamed! An honor. To no one's surprise, another bullseye. This slow-burn psychological thriller was the perfect weekend binge read.

If you're familiar with any form of manipulation or have first-hand experience with a narcissist this one just hits different. I kept becoming aware of my heartbeat quickening as I read certain parts of the girl's recollection of their abuse during their days at Wild Meadows.

My heart HURT for each character. I was so emotionally attached to them, especially Jessica. I enjoyed getting to have all three girl's point of views. It took my an embarrassingly long time to realize who the therapy inserts belonged to, but once it clicked, I loved it.

The final twist was so unsettling. True evil, through and through, with zero regrets. It made me feel uneasy in that twisted way I love.

This book was a page turner. Such a great story of foster care and all that happens. The girls in this book dealt with some extremely hard circumstances.

Darling Girls is about three foster children who lost their family members and were placed with Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows. Jessica was the first to arrive followed by Norah, then Alicia. They were like sisters to each other protecting each other when Miss Fairchild was abusive with one of them.
…
Twenty-five years later the three of them were called in for questioning when human bones were found under the farmhouse after it was demolished.
…
Sally Hepworth wrote an excellent story about foster children and the effects of being separated from their families and it traumatized them. An exceptional read. She had me guessing the entire time. The structure which Sally Hepworth delivered the details was ideal. I was engaged with these characters and fully invested from beginning to end.

One of the best books I have read in awhile.
The bond of friendship sucks you right in and you can't put this book down till you finish it.
Three young girls from totally different backgrounds form a bond at their foster home which follows
them through the years.
A great book by one of my favorite Authors.

I really enjoyed this new thriller from Hepworth. It was pretty fast-paced and the characters were interesting. Miss Fairchild’s parts really added to the story and I kept thinking I knew how it was gonna end, but nope…totally came out of left field.

I enjoyed the story, but I felt like the ending was just so abrupt and I wanted something a little more even though it was a total surprise. Something about it still just felt rushed and unfinished.

Book Review | Darling Girls 🎀

The novel Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is a psychological mystery focusing on three young girls, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, who form a strong bond while living in a foster home. The story centers on their collective struggle to defend themselves against their manipulative foster mother, Holly Fairchild, who subjects them to psychological games, resulting in lasting emotional trauma. These girls endure Holly's physical and mental torment for nearly two years until the abuse reaches a breaking point, compelling them to confront the horrors they have suffered.

Fast forwarding 25 years, the narrative reveals the aftermath of their shared trauma. Furthermore, a law enforcement call informs them that remains from their childhood are discovered beneath the farmhouse they have long sought to forget. As they return to the place that shattered their innocence, they are forced to confront their painful past while being caught in the crossfire of police suspicion. Who do those bones belong to? Were the girls involved? If not them, then who?

This novel highlights the intricate dynamics of the characters' relationships, the enduring impact of psychological manipulation, and resilience. Each one of the girls resonates powerfully.

Overall, I did enjoy reading Darling Girls, as the storyline was very interesting. However, this was not a favourite of mine by her. This is not the author’s fault but more of a me thing. I can read much twisted, creepy work, but what is something I can’t handle well? Child abuse. Especially since becoming a mom, reading about children being neglected or tortured breaks my heart. Therefore, reading a book which is based on the abuse of foster children throughout their time in care and the perspective of each child for extra insight? I was left feeling quite sad at times.

However, while stories of abuse are always complex and can potentially go too dark, I thought that the book’s tone was well-balanced by giving us three characters who were also strong, intelligent, funny, and kind.

Sally Hepworth is well known for her domestic thrillers; if you enjoy her work, I recommend reading this book.

Wow what a thriller. I couldn't put this one down and raced to the ending to see if my suspicions were right. The twists in this one left me at the edge of my seat exclaiming out loud "oh my goodness what just happened?"
I never would have thought that a book that is centred around so much child abuse in a foster home would have me so riveted but it did.

This was my first book by Sally Hepworth. Without giving anything away, you can read the description on the back of the book, which I usually skip after the first sentence or two as I think book cover jackets now, give too much away.

It was darker than i was expecting, even for a mystery/thriller. I loved the different POV characters and moves between past and present. It’s done well and not confusing.

I thought each character was fleshed out really nice and each had their own voice. While sad it kept my attention. The revelations that are revealved are pretty heartbreaking. Reading about children in foster care is hard. But the author did a great job.

I will be looking into more books by this author but with lighter subject matter.

Honestly, I couldn't put this book down. As always, Sally Hepworth is amazing! I loved everything about this book!

The story is told in alternating timelines from the POV of three different women Jessica, Norah, and Alicia.

I won't really go too much into the plot for fear of giving away more than I should. I will say that Darling Girls is a fascinating domestic thriller. The story is told in such a way that you don't want to put the book down. That what Sally Hepworth does so well. She doles out bits and pieces of the unfolding story in such a masterful way. Always keeping you on the edge of your seat, wanting more. Your need for answers building with every turn of the page.

I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a domestic thriller with twists and turns until the very end.

Thank you, Netgalley, and the publisher for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Yet another great psychological thriller from Sally Hepworth! I could not put this one down!! The narrative alternates between past and present from 4 different points of view. The plot revolves around foster care and child abuse which could be a trigger for some, but the story was believable and compelling, with twists throughout and I liked the 3 main characters. A great thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this.

I really liked this book! It has just the right amount of twists that I didn’t see coming as well as being a heartwarming story. I thought the ending was perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC to read and review.

I couldn’t put this book down, it was twisty with some portions somewhat predictable but other twists that shocked me. It went to much darker places than I expected, so be careful reading close to bedtime! It may be apparent from the description, but all the trigger warnings here for child abuse..

Similar to other reviewers, I am withholding my review of books by St Martins Press and their imprints until they comply with the demands of the SMP boycott. At that time, I am happy to post the review

Loved this book! I read it with in a few days! Even on my lunch break! Can’t wait to read more of her books!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and I couldn’t put it down since I had to know what was going on. This just showcases Sally Hepworth’s great talent for storytelling and she crafted an awesome psychological mystery that just kept you guessing. The story revolves around three foster sisters who form a bond from the shared trauma they endured under the care of Miss Fairchild who was their foster mother. This trauma has followed all the girls into adulthood and 25 years later you can see the effects in the disaster that their lives have become. In the midst of this they are called back to Miss Fairchild’s since a dead child’s body was found while demolishing the house and they are being asked about any child that might have gone missing while they were fostering there. The plot unravels so well and just leaves you on the edge of your seat waiting for the twist, it was so well done and the ending just so good.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed Darling Girls and zipped through it, reading the bulk of it in one sitting. The majority of DG is told in a now/then timeline from the POV of three women - Jessica, Norah, and Alicia.

It’s hard to talk about Darling Girls without giving a lot away, but what I can say is that it’s a great dark thriller that doles out info so effectively you don’t want to put the book down. Even though some of the of what you’re reading is uncomfortable and may possibly be a trigger for some people you still have to turn the page to find out what happens. Some of the revelations were not a huge surprise, but the last chapter, well, that was a shocker!

I did read an uncorrected galley and there were some missing or wrong words, incorrect use of quotation marks and words not separated by a space. All of these things did nothing to detract from the story and I suspect the editors will clean these things up prior to publication.

I highly recommend Darling Girls. It’s an impossible to put down dark thriller that everyone will be talking about this summer.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC of Darling Girls.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Sally Hepworth for the advanced copy of Darling Girls. Sally has become an auto-buy author for me, and I will always recommend her books.

✨ This book will be published in America on April 23, 2024. You need to get it! ✨

“Love and security were the most basic of rights. Forcing these kids to believe they were lucky to have that was even more damaging than what some of them experienced in care, Alicia thought.”

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia grew up in foster care at a bizarre farming estate by their caregiver, Miss Fairchild. Though Miss Fairchild played the doting and loving foster mom on the outside, she could be unstable and unpredictable to the girls. The girls eventually broke away, but the emotional havoc Miss Fairchild created shaped who Jessica, Norah, and Alicia became. 25-years after the girls escaped Miss Fairchild, the girls, now women, are summoned back to the house by the police. Bones were discovered beneath the house they grew up in.

I really enjoyed this book. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were great characters. Sally did an amazing job developing their characters. Their bond was a joy to read about. This is a cringey (at times) psychological thriller. There were twists until the very end.

If you’ve read any of Sally’s books, this one had more of a “Good Sister vibe” than “The Soulmate.” I liked it more than “The Good Sister” though.

🖤 Genre: Psychological thriller
❣️ Steamy rating: Moderate
🤬 Profanity: Moderate
❓ Method: Advanced e-copy

Triggers: foster care, child abuse, murder, sexual assault/rape, emotional abuse, mental illness, blackmail, and gaslighting.

✨Ｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ✨

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

❄️❄️❄️❄️

Another great psychological thriller from Sally Hepworth! The clever narrative moves between past and present giving you insight into the 3 character’s point of views. I did enjoy the then story more than the now. The story is believable about the system that kids get stuck in in foster care and actually kind of heartbreaking. Hepworth certainly knows how to write a compelling and believable plot. A great thriller!

Thank you to @netgalley & @stmartinpress for the arc! This book will be released April 23rd! 📖


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