ARC Review-Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
Publication date: April 23, 2024

Sally Hepworth is one of my favorite psychological thriller writers. Her stories get more complex and frightening with each new book. Darling Girls is a shocking tale of three women who survived their foster mother and become “sisters” through their shared experiences. Flash forward to the future and these 30-something year old women find themselves pulled back into the horrors they survived. They are called to help the Australian police solve the mystery of the bones found under their foster mother’s house.

Jessica Lovat- professional home organizer, Norah Anderson-self-employed grifter, and Alicia Connelly-child welfare worker have barely survived the worst of their teenage years. They have the psychologic battle scars to show for their trauma. Each woman carries her own baggage that impacts her day to day life and relationships.

Holly Fairchild (the foster mother) is probably the most disturbing of villains because you find yourself empathizing with her life and loses. It almost feels like her actions could be slightly pardoned because of her own teenage trauma. Her therapist, Dr Warren, is little help to Fairchild as she shares her own experiences.

The four women are forced together again and the outcome of this encounter threats the futures of them all.

The shocking ending will sit you straight up in your chair with a violent rush.

Four Stars!
This book is available 4/23/24

I was lucky to read this advanced copy from the publisher in exchanged for a fair and honest review.

Another fun, fast and suspenseful read from Sally Hepworth! If you're a fan already, I think you'll love this one too. If not, this would be a great one to be your first. I loved that I didn't know what really happened until the very end...and I love a good twist in the last chapter/epilogue!

From the outside, Alicia, Jessica and Norah might seem like ordinary women you'd meet on the street any day of the week. Sure, Jessica has a little OCD and Norah has some anger issues. And Alicia has low self-esteem that manifests itself in surprising ways. But these three have a bond that no one can fully understand. It's a bond that takes them back decades, to when they were girls, and they lived on a farm with a foster mother named Miss Fairchild. Miss Fairchild had rules. Miss Fairchild could be unpredictable. And Miss Fairchild was never, ever to be crossed.

Sally Hepworth does it again with a story that will make you cry while keeping you on your toes. The story flips between their child and adult hood as it weaves a story of abuse, betrayal, and bonds that cannot be broken. This is my 5th or 6th book by this author and this is in my top 3 by her.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Sally Hepworth for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read many books by this author. I seriously need to go back and read through the others.

Darling Girls is a fast-paced, quick read. One I finished in a day. I just had to see where this was going, and where it ended. Definitely not disappointed.

I don't typically enjoy any sort of domestic suspense, but I was riveted by Darling Girls. One of those stories that just happens along at the right time.

This is a good one for fans of this genre. It releases April 23, 2024 so make sure to keep an eye out and snatch it once it's out in the wild.

I sincerely appreciate St. Martin's Press for the review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed this suspenseful read by Sally Hepworth. The plot was one that will keep you guessing until the very end of the book. There were characters that were likable and some that were unlikable. I thought that there was a good balance with that as well. Overall I thought this was a good read that I enjoyed!

Jessica, Norah and Alicia are sisters, not by blood, but by what they have experienced together and been through together. When their past is brought back to life by the cops telling them that there had been bones found where their foster home had once been, the girls stick together as always. Is the truth finally going to be uncovered or is something else going on with their past?

Jessica went to live with Mrs. Fairchild when she was 5 years old and was definitely a favorite until a new baby came along in the house. That didn't happen for several years though so Jessica was the favorite for awhile. Jessica always wanted to please Mrs. Fairchild and make her proud. She got jealous if Mrs. Fairchild spent too much time with another foster child or found favor in what they were doing. When Norah and Alicia came to the home with Jessica, there wasn't much competition from them but when the actual babies came, Jessica felt like she was loosing her mum to them all the time.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia went to school together and did all the cleaning together. They were pretty much all each other had besides Mrs. Fairchild. When the babies would come along and Mrs. Fairchild would tire of them, the girls had to figure out how to take care of them. They were responsible for doing everything for the babies. They even missed school to take turns taking care of the babies. Their social worker never seemed to come around to check on thing and when he did, they were made to put on a good front for him. When the girls finally got the nerve to tell the principal at their school what had been going on, there was doubt that the girls were telling the truth. Had the girls made it all up or pretended that other babies had come to the house to live? Is there any evidence that they were even there?

You will enjoy the ride that Sally Hepworth takes you on with Jessica, Norah and Alicia. Are things really what they seem to be? Can you believe everything that you are told? You will find the answers to these questions and more when you dive into this story. It will keep you guessing!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. I really enjoyed it.

The stars of this book were Jessica, Alicia, and Norah. They were in foster care at Wild Meadows with an abusive foster mother, Miss Fairchild. In order to survive, the girls formed a sisterhood that continued into their adult years. Norah was the one with the temper and she was always in trouble. Jessica ended up abusing pills that she stole from her clients. And Alicia became a social worker for foster children.

There was a narrative in the book with a psychiatrist, a Doctor Warren. It wasn't clear who his patient was until the end of the book. That narrative really threw me off. There were also a couple of other parts that I wasn't able to easily track.

When the girls were adults, they were called by the police to come in for questioning. They had found the remains of a small child buried under the Wild Meadows house. Miss Fairchild had taken in a little girl by the name of Amy and had abused her in the swimming pool. The girls went to the police to report the abuse. When the police got to the house, Amy was nowhere to be found and all traces of her had been erased. So when the women heard about the remains, they thought it was Amy. They later learned they'd been wrong.

Jessica had had a special bond with Miss Fairchild. She was the first to be taken in by her. Their bond was codependent. But when the other girls came, Miss Fairchild took her attention away from Jessica which sent her into a tailspin. In all honesty, Miss Fairchild didn't care for the girls, even though Jessica went out of her way to make her happy. She started taking in infants, and when she tired of them she forced the girls to care for them. She had this insatiable need to be loved and the foster children weren't doing it for her.

So this book was all about this abusive foster mother and all the horrible ways in which she preyed on her foster children. I thought the author did a pretty good job developing the characters, but the story was slightly disconnected. Overall, the story was not bad. I gave the book four stars.

Wow! My second book by Sally Hepworth certainly did not disappoint. (Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this before the publishing date!)
The main characters are 3 foster children who tell their story of being mistreated by their “evil foster mother”, Miss Fairchild. When bones are discovered in their old foster home the girls, who are now grown women, are sure Miss Fairchild is behind it but are unsure who the bones belong to. I couldn’t stop reading so that I could find out! I loved both past and present points of view and the ending just tied everything together so nicely. There’s definitely a nice twist that every thriller needs. Highly recommend this book!

3.5/5

Hepworth has a talent for spinning a plot that is completely captivating. I found myself drawn in, especially by the three main characters—Jessica, Norah, and Alicia. I really enjoyed the format of "then" and "now" chapters.

The 'then' parts were my favorite. Seeing the characters when they were younger made their current struggles more emotional. Despite facing tough times, the friendship between Jessica, Norah, and Alicia stayed strong from their youth to adulthood.

I don't feel like the very ending twist was necessary though. There didn't seem to be much of a mystery here to me. Nothing really surprised me, so the last twist felt like it was just for shock-value. Despite the lack of a mystery, I couldn't put it down simply because of how interested I was in the plot.

I enjoyed reading Hepworth's note at the end where she discusses her research for the book. It added a special layer to the whole story. To be straightforward, deciding on a rating is hard. Despite the confusing twist at the end, the story was still really engaging. Overall, I enjoyed this and can't wait to see what's next from Hepworth.

3.5 stars rounded up.
I enjoyed this thriller, even though the subject matter of an abusive foster mother is quite disturbing. I'm a fan of Hepworth's writing and I loved the three sisters and trusted that Hepworth would craft a happy ending for them so I kept going. I wish the book had ended with those happy endings rather than the very disturbing last chapter about the foster mother though. Thank you to #netgalley and St.Martins Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I enjoyed this book. And especially the little twist at the end.

If you’re looking for an easy read with some suspense thrown in - look no further.

Sally Hepworth delivers another dark and twisty domestic thriller! Jessica, Alicia, and Norah are sisters in every sense of the word, except by blood. I raced through the pages of their lives, the author weaving the past and the present so intricately. It was a rollercoaster ride from start to finish, and I didn't want it to end!

Thank you, Sally Hepworth, NetGalley, and the publisher for the ARC.

Sad story but a great thriller! It took me until almost the end to figure out who was talking to the doctor. Wonderfully written, even though I could do without Alicia’s story. I would read another by the author

Darling Girls, by Sally Hepworth, is a fast-paced thriller that keeps you engaged until the very end. Enjoy! Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the ARC ebook I read to complete this review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Norah, Jessica, and Alicia, raised together by single guardian Miss Fairchild in foster care, share a sisterly bond despite not being biological siblings. The discovery of human remains under their former foster home prompts the trio to delve into their past. Alternating between past and present, the narrative provides diverse perspectives. Hepworth's signature shocking conclusion adds a gripping touch. Gratitude to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

This book keeps you on the hook until the very end. There are lag periods where you start to wonder if the big secret is worth pressing on, and it is. I enjoyed this book. I'm sure the topic could be triggering to some but it's somewhat enlightening. The very end still has me shook. I did not expect that

Oooo this was chilling. Content warning for child abuse… mostly implied rather than descriptive but still unsettling. The mother character reminded me of Mrs Coulter from “His Dark Materials” if that means anything to you.

I don’t want to say much more but I liked the multiple POV arc and it kept me guessing the whole way through.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy!

This was such a great read! Three foster sisters POVs from current day and the past when they lived in a foster home. The first chapter we are told a body has been found under the foster house. For the first 60% I knew who the body belonged to. Nope. Not even close. Then I knew who it was after a few more clues, wrong again. I loved it and love all the novels this author writes! I will say I didn’t really care for any particular sister, they were truly flawed imperfect characters.

Darling Girls was a book that kept my attention wondering what was going on. Jessica, Alicia, and Norah were great characters to follow along with. I enjoyed how each one of them were different yet they bonded foster sisters brought together through Miss Fairchild. So many twists that you thought you knew what really happened only to be blown away by the end.
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in return for my honest review.

I was enjoying this thriller right up until the end! It focuses on a group of foster sisters who grew up in the same abusive, dysfunctional home, and what happens when human remains are found underneath that home, pulling the sisters' past into the uncomfortable light.

The main characters were compelling and well-developed, each with a really distinct personality, and I felt like their stories were, for the most part, treated with a great deal of care and compassion. The plot was engaging and kept me turning the pages. What I did not like was the final twist; I’ll refrain from talking in-depth to avoid spoilers, but it felt rushed and somewhat unconvincing, and like it took away from some of that care and compassion which otherwise was present throughout.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the digital ARC copy!

What a wild ride! I read this while on an 8ish hour flight. Could not put it down! The short chapters and alternating viewpoints kept me engaged and wanting to know what was going to happen next. Some parts were hard to stomach, so reader beware, but overall would recommend!