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!

the sisters were such fun characters and i loved the love they had for each other. i did feel like the story was mostly predictable and i had the main parts figured out pretty quickly, but it was still an enjoyable read.

Norah, Jessica, and Alicia grew up together in foster care with a single lady, Miss Fairchild. They are not biological sisters, but have a bond like they are.

Human remains, bones, are discovered under the house where they were fostered. This prompts the three girls to revisit their past.

The story alternates between the past and the present which gives the reader all the viewpoints of each character.

Once again, Hepworth delivers a shocking ending, just her style.

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

IMO this is Sally Hepworths best work. Dark, twisty, cynical, this book has it all making it the perfect psychological thriller.

3 “sisters” return to their former foster home after the discovery of bones under the house. While being questioned by police we learn what really went on in the house and the horrors that went on with the girls so called mother Mrs. Fairchild.

This was really well written and I couldn’t put it down. Very binge-able! Physiological thriller with all the vibes and twists. I’m a big fan of Hepworth, but the subject matter was very difficult to read. Lots of child abuse, physical and psychological, children and babies. Pretty awful. Hard to recommend this one.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book. Darling Girls is my favorite Hepworth book so far!! The evilness of Miss Fairchild and the innocence of the girls makes this story one of a kind. Just when you think you know how it ends, another page turned equals another twist of the plot. 5 stars

Darling Girls was a super fun psychological thriller with lots of twists! Holly Fairchild is a crazy foster mom with secrets which leads to twists. Alicia, Jessica and Norah (with an H) are in her foster care as children. They form sisterly bonds which nothing can break. As adults they all have trust issues which is no surprise. Bones of a small child are found under their foster home which brings the sisters back to the town they escaped. Who is this child? You must read to find out!

Easily one of my new favorite Sally Hepworth reads. I loved the multiple povs, dark themes and not knowing who I could trust. (Even at the very end!)

Three women who went through the foster care system are living a somewhat normal life when they get a call from the police who report that bones were found under the home they were all fostered - Miss Fairchild’s. They have to go back and face their abusive foster mother and figure out who was buried under the house.

WOW! This is the second ARC and book that I’ve read by @sallyhepworth and she does NOT disappoint. It’s dark, twisty, and disturbing - everything you want in a thriller. Every chapter left me wanting more. This has to be one of the best thrillers/suspense books I’ve read to date, complete with twists until the very end. If you can stomach the content warnings, you NEED to read this one as soon as it comes out (or request the ARC now)!! I also think this would make an excellent movie or series. It is told from multiple POVs and past and present, if you’re into that!
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Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

The author wrote a gripping novel about three girls as close as sisters who grew up in an abusive foster home. It started off slow and ended with a bang. It kept me on edge wanting to know what actually happened. I want to pick up more novels by this author.

Darling Girls was intriguing, fast-paced, and should definitely be added to your spring TBR!

This book centers around three foster sisters who grew up in the home of Mrs. Fairchild. Needless to say, their upbringing was anything but fair. When bones are found under the home they grew up in, they are suddenly key witnesses in the investigation. This story is split between past and present, all 3 sister’s POVs, and mysterious therapy sessions. Despite the numerous perspectives, I loved the easy flow.

Darling Girls was a thrilling page-turner that had a numbers of twists I didn’t see coming. Be sure to review trigger warnings before reading as there are a few including child abuse.

Thank you to netgalley, Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin’s Press for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I like Sally Hepworths books but I have to be in the right mood to thoroughly enjoy them. I think the story was well told and it makes you wonder what would you do if you were in a bad situation with no other way out.

This story centers on three women who return to their traumatic childhood foster home after news that a body has been found buried underneath. The mystery unfolds through dual timelines of their time at Wild Meadows and present day. Will the police believe them this time?

This was a very entertaining read by Sally Hepworth! I loved the bond between the three foster sisters. It was heartbreaking to read about the abuse they suffered at the hands of their cruel foster mother, but at least they had each other. I was so gripped by the story, especially towards the twisty end!

Rating 4 ⭐️

Physiological thriller. Women’s fiction. Sally Hepworth. Say no more. The ending will truly shock you and really added on to my overall rating!

This book was a very good portrayal on the life-long lasting effects of being raised by an abusive, narcissistic foster parent/parent. There was also a good character study done on that of Miss Fairchild, and how she was able to manipulate everyone around her.

I highly recommend reading this book, as the twists and turns were plentiful!! I read this book late into the night, and the ending was well worth it!!

SHE'S BAAAAAAAACK!

Thank goodness! Sally Hepworth has been a go-to for me when I want a solid family drama with a side of mystery type of read, but I found The Soulmate to be a real stinker. Luckily that was a one-off and this tale of a body discovered buried under a house, three (now grown) foster sisters and a real Mommy Dearest that had me flying through the pages. Per usual some of the “mysterious” elements are fairly predictable, but once again Hepworth provides a real whammy of an ending.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

First off a big thank you to St. Martins Press via NetGalley for this ARC.

Sally Hepworth is one of my fav authors so when I was approved to read this I squealed, yes squealed, I was so excited! “The Good Sister” is in my top 5 thrillers.

“Darling Girls” starts out with a bang, I was really into it, wanted to know more. But there was just….something I don’t know. I can’t quite say I loved it. I liked it, it’s ok but it’s definitely not her best one. Still good and would still recommend it
3.5 rounded to 4/5 ⭐️

Sally Hepworth is a must buy author for me. I love the way she writes her characters and gets into their heads, and this book is no exception! You’ll be speeding through this book, it’s so addicting. Thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy!

I LOVE Sally Hepworth and how she takes on difficult topics of common issues that society often turns its back to. Normalizing something relatable. Everyone has pain they're working through, so writing a thriller with sensitive topics (in this case, Fostering/Adoption) has got to be challenging in accuracy, discernment and rapport. I am continuously awestruck by the depth of her Characters and Twists.

Darling Girls is a past and present timeline with different perspectives surrounding a single Woman and what led her to the present dire circumstances surrounding an investigation, gathering reluctant connections for answers. It shines light on the foster system and some of the issues within that result in so many other emotional consequences those children face later in life. I highly recommend reading this with friends because there are so many jaw dropping moments and discussion points!