Darling Girls is probably Sally Hepworth's most sinister book. A story of three foster girls in a foster home with a traumatizing and manipulative foster mother. Trigger warnings aside, I thought the story was well-paced and thought out, with more and more hints and tidbits coming out of the woodwork throughout the book. Towards the end, the book got slightly sloppy and the storylines could have been tighter. Even though the story ended up with all the sisters having their stories wrapped up in a bow, the last chapter was a perfect addition to the sinister character Hepworth created.

My sixth Hepworth book, which once again shows off her ability to create terrific character studies, as well as provide a delicious twist in the story. This one was slightly less delicious just because of my discomfort with children in danger, especially highlighting the potential for abuses of the foster system. (This book is set in the foster system in Australia, but this can certainly be applied to the US as well.) Hepworth has clearly done her research on the foster system, and the impact on foster kids.

Though I am giving this four stars as I have with most of her books, this one is a weak four, based entirely on my own squeamishness with reading about children in danger. That squeamishness, however, was almost negated by the wonderful study of sisters - whether by blood or situation.

Thank you NetGalley, Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to review this book! All opinions are my own.

Alicia, Norah, and Jessica aren’t biological sisters, but they certainly have a bond like they are. Growing up in foster care at Wild Meadows under the care of Miss Fairchild made them that way. Out of nowhere they’re contacted by the police as a set of human bones were found buried under the house at Wild Meadows, bringing their horrible past back up. Will anyone believe them this time?

This is my first Sally Hepworth book. I’ve only ever heard good things about her, so I had high expectations going in. And this book definitely lived up to it! I was shocked reading the entire last half of the book. I COULD NOT PUT THIS DOWN!

Out on April 23, 2024!

Darling Girls was my second time reading anything by this author and I can not wait to read more by this author. The book was well written, has twist and will have you turning pages till the end. It was about three strong women that all came from the same foster home and now have to return years later. Why did they have to return? To find out make sure to read this amazing book and one I highly recommend. This book had an amazing ending that will leave your jaw dropping. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC read in exchange of my honest review.

I could not wait to read this book! Sally Hepworth is one of my favorite authors. Once I started this book I could not put it down. The character development was spectacular and drew me right in. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read the advanced copy. This one will leave me thinking for a long time. This is one that I will purchase for both my own collection and my library!

Sally Hepworth is a mystery genius! I could not get enough of this book and just when I thought I had an idea of what was going on, Ms. Hepworth says, “just you wait!”

This story follows Jessica, Norah and Alicia, three girls who were raised by a foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on a beautiful Australian farm. Everything may look picturesque from the outside, but Miss Fairchild had strict rules and certainly could be unpredictable. So when the girls have a chance to get away from her clutches, they make their move.

Years later, the girls are forced to revisit a past that they had intentionally left behind them when they receive a call that a body was found under the home they grew up in.

I could not get enough of this book and cannot wait to see what Sally Hepworth comes up next!

Sally Hepworth does it again. Her twists and turns and EEK moments are some of my favorites!
As Jessica moves into the foster care system, she feels that she has hit the jackpot. Her new home looks like it is out of a fairy tale and her new "Mummy" is the princess. They only have each other and that seems to be more than enough. Eventually, for financial reasons, Miss Fairchild (Mummy) has to take in other children and in come Norah and Alicia - about the same age as Jessica. The three form a bond that even seems beyond sisters. But, neither Jessica or Miss Fairchild are good at sharing attention, and homelife doesn't start to feel as fairy tale as Jessica thought it would be.
Years later, human bones are found under Miss Fairchild's home, as it is being torn down to put in a parking lot. All three girls are called back to the place they grew up - even though they would rather put it all behind them.
Whose bones are they? Who put them there? And, could three girls living in the same house, have the same delusions? Only time will tell.
Sally Hepworth does a great job building the three main characters from their traumatic and simple beginnings. Each one went into foster care for very different reasons and each has their own story to tell. But, once they came together under the care of Miss Fairchild, their lives were forever bonded together and they have been together ever since. The author also did a great job constructing Miss Fairchild and making her an unreliable villain of sorts. Her desire to love and be loved is totally relatable. I can't tell you much more about those main characters, because in Hepworth fashion, she has the timeline and character develop in such a way that the reader is given little bread crumbs toward the actual truth.
The author also really does a great job with the organization of the story. You have current stories going on in each of the girl's voices (letting us into their current situation), along with "before" chapters from each of the girls filling us in on where each of them came from and what their experiences were firsthand. Then, you also have small sections throughout that are of a therapist trying to pull out a story from one of their patients. I figured out quite early who the patient was, but that was only one of the many surprises Sally Hepworth prepared for the reader.
Sit back and enjoy this book when it comes out in April! You are going to LOVE it!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

First a bit of a confession. I selected this title based on the author who I mistakenly thought was someone else--or at least I had her confused with an author who writes contemporary romances. I read the first few chapters waiting for the mood to shift to something more light-hearted and by the time I realized that I was reading a different type of novel, I was deep into the story.

Once I realized what I was reading, I became invested in the story of these girls. I did my best to try to piece the puzzle together and mesh the two timelines. The author did a good job of providing enough detail about both timelines to make it feel like the reader was getting the full account but still keeping the salient details hidden so as not to give everything away.

I am still reeling from this book. I seldomly award 5 stars to thrillers these days solely due to the fact that I've read so many and themes begin to repeat one another. But let me tell you, this was my first taste of a plot featuring foster children and three little girls from different backgrounds becoming sisters under the roof of a vile woman. I could not put this book down, not only because of the short chapters, but because the story will have you absolutely hooked. These poor girls are abused, gaslighted, and groomed and you slowly find out why their foster mother was the way that she was... until she wasn't at all! The final chapter will have you questioning EVERYTHING.

Despite the flip flopping of timelines and POVs, I think Sally Hepworth did a good job of balancing it all and not making the reader feel overwhelmed. I tried so hard to guess how this book would end and wasn't even close... and to me that makes for a great thriller. This will be one that I will be buzzing about near pub day and force my friends to read it so I have someone to freak out with 😂

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for granting me the opportunity to read this early! Sally Hepworth continues to prove why she is one of the best of the best when it comes to thriller novels!

Sally Hepworth’s newest “Darling Girls” was one of the thrillers I enjoyed more this year. I saw the ending coming; however, she still threw in a few surprises and twists and turns. Her writing is captivating, and she remains one of my favorite thriller authors. It’s an easy read that’ll keep you entertained throughout. Highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins press for the advance readers copy!

Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher for the #AdvanceReviewCopy

Release Date: April 2024
Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Summary: Alicia, Jessica and Norah aren’t biological sisters, but they are each other’s everything and have been since their time together at the same foster home when they were younger. The hardships they endure help them to bond and the closeness they form stays with them into adulthood. The events of their time spent under the care of their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, has a different impact on each. From the outside, they appear fine but they’ve never forgotten those tough years. It’s been more than a decade since they’ve seen their old foster mother, so when the authorities call them to go back because they found human bones buried underneath the farmhouse, the girls are forced to face their past once again.

My Thoughts: I loved this one. This is a familiar author to me and this one didn’t disappoint.

The book was written in the ‘Now and Then’ style and narrated through multiple perspectives; my favourite parts were when we went back in time. This is a slow burn so if you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller this is not it. Instead, what you get is: drama, glimpses into the past, some mystery keeping you guessing, and an ending that is unpredictable and blew my mind.

The story heavily explored fostering and some readers, especially those who are foster parents or foster children might take offence to the negative approach suggesting that the system is flawed and highlighting less than ideal foster placements. This was not a trigger for me, but might be for some, so tread cautiously.

Overall, an engaging story with much to offer.

Five stars
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#darlinggirls
#sallyhepworth

Once again, a well written thriller written by Hepworth, I found it a little hard to follow with the multiple characters and time jump, but overall I enjoyed this captivating thriller.

I really enjoyed the character development throughout the book and the ending was jaw dropping, Sally Hepworth is always a must read for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and SMP for my advanced copy.

I received a free copy of this book from the Author, Publisher, NetGalley for my honest review. This was my first Sally Hepworth read and I enjoyed it. This book follows 3 women each with their own issue. It explores their unbreakable connection they formed many years ago in a foster home. This book is the definition of desperate times call for desperate measures. Will our past always haunt us? How far is too far?

I really enjoyed this book I could not put it down! It is definitely one of my all time favourite Sally Hepworth books!

The story follows the sisters, Alicia, Jessica and Norah (with an h), (bonded by childhood experiences not by blood) who all met in a seemingly idillic foster home at a young age.

I really loved each sister, their individual personalities, quirks, chemistry and bond. You grow to care for them and feel like you are a part of their journey and sisterhood.

The story is told in past and present, showing how they came to be, their shared experiences in the foster home that fated them to become bonded allies, and the situation in their present lives.

In the present they have all grown up, over a decade has past and they are still in each others lives. One by one they each receive a phone call from a detective stating that remains have been found on the property of their foster home.

They are forced to return to their past, and questioned about the events that took place. It is obvious they are suspects in potential homicide.

I loved the pacing of the book, getting to see page after page the unfolding story of what happened whilst trying to guess how we got to where we are in the present.

There is a lot of suspense, along with humour from the brave, snarky siblings.

I would definitely recommend this book to everyone it was an extremely enjoyable read!

Thank you to NetGalley and st Martin’s press for allowing me an early copy of this book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was a quick read and I stayed up late unable to put it down. Probably part of why I’m tired! 😂👀 Told in multiple POVs and with dual timelines.

The story is built around three women that were raised together in foster care and consider themselves sisters to the present day. During their time in foster care, they were all abused by their unhinged & narcissistic foster mother.

Now as adults, they are hoping to forget that part of their past, but a phone call from the police only unravels that. They are notified that human bones have been found at their old foster home, asking them to relive and recount their experiences to assist with the investigation.

Sally Hepworth does a great job juggling the dual timelines as well as character development, while writing in multiple POVs. I never felt lost or confused and I felt the pacing of the story was brilliant too. Definitely check it out if you’re a fan of the author’s work, or wanting to read something that keeps you guessing and wanting more!

This book followed three “sisters” in foster care, and switches timelines between their foster care years and now as adults finding their way. Bones are found under their old home, so they’re trying to identify who they could belong to and who is at fault for the homicide, while exploring their backstories.

While this book wasn’t bad, it didn’t really hook me, and the twists felt really forced and like they didn’t fit into the story that well. Overall it was fine, but reading about abused children is difficult so I found myself not wanting to pick this book up, and overall didn’t find it compelling.

3.5 stars.

Darling girls follows three sisters, Jessica, Alicia, and Norah as they go through their traumatic childhoods while living in the foster system and landing on a lady's farmhouse. Told in third pov, with all of their pov and past-present timeline(plus an extra pov that would 'spoil' the whole story), this book is able to keep you on your toes even though there wasn't any bloody or extremely 'scary/thriller' BIG element that would necessary scare you. This is my first Sally Hepworth novel and I can already see the easiness of binging some of her books in the future! Her writing wasn't overly simple but still got to the point while also adding some depth to the characters. She was able to have so many different plot elements while still keeping the main one entertaining, I loved the small and I mean SMALL scenes that talked about romance since it helped the main (darling) girls have depth. While there were some elements of the story that dragged on or weren't my cup of tea, the story still was very captivating and made me gasp aloud a bit. Dark themed thriller with less action that will keep you wanting to read!

Wow wow wow!! This was my first Sally Hepworth book and it won’t be my last!! Such a great book from start to finish. I feel like I experienced every emotion while reading this book…anger, sad, frustration, shock…lots of shock at the end!! Great read!! Big thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the chance to read this ARC!

✨ARC Review✨

“But while it’s a headline or novelty to most, to me it’s my life. The place where I learned about loss, and shame…and hate.”

Wow!!!!! Another beautifully crafted, twisty, page turner with a hell of an ending from Hepworth! All I can say is absolutely pick this one up when it releases! The relationships in this book are absolutely bonkers and there are definitely some heavy triggers, but this was a wild ride, and I binged this book in less than 24 hrs!

Alicia, Jessica, and Norah have a bond. They are foster sisters, all raised by Miss Fairchild in a farmhouse named Wild Meadows. The three escaped her ways long ago, but now are brought back together as bones are found under the farmhouse. The three are forced back into a past with Miss Fairchild that they hoped to forget, splitting open the dark wounds of Wild Meadows…

What’s On The Pages:
-domestic thriller
-foster sisters
-plot twists
-fast paced
-bingeworthy

⚠️CW/TW: heavy/multiple triggers

✨Rating✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC! Darling Girls is out April 23rd!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC of this book. Where do I even begin with how much I loved this book?! Three women, all fostered by the same woman who banded together as sisters during their time at Wild Meadows. Miss Fairchild was far from the loving mother that the girls needed. While they have grown up and left Port Agatha, the effects of Wild Meadows hang around like a curse that just can’t be broken. When an investigation brings them back, will they be able to move on?

I loved the suspense of the book and how each point of view gave the reader insight to each of the sisters. The added question of who was describing their time with Dr. Warren also added even more suspense throughout the book.