Wow!!!

Thank you NetGalley, publisher, and author for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Let me say… wow again!!!
I’ve been on a reading slump and this book got me right out of there. Kept me guessing the whole time and I didn’t even see the end coming. Definitely a good one!

Hepworth does it again! A suspenseful work about the real meaning of family and the secrets they keep, especially when tested.

First though—HUGE content warning for child abuse of all kinds.

Set in rural Australia, three former foster children (now grown), all find out a set of bones has been found under their former foster home. Through their stories, we find out who those bones belonged to. And in true Hepworth style, just when we think things have wrapped up, there’s a twist that’s better than the original ending.

The characters are all deeply flawed. I’m glad they all had their own character arcs so that we could find out how they handled the adversity of these events. The setting was absolutely picturesque…but also, who has a pool and lives next to a horse farm…and doesn’t use either?! Sacrilege…and right on brand.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

I have been looking forward to this read ever since Sally Hepworth announced her next book. She is an amazing writer and never disappoints! Darling Girls follows sisters Alicia, Jessica, and Norah as some news brings them back to the memories of their childhood. Full of twists, this was a fantastic thriller!

This was my first Sally Hepworth book and I now want to read more of her books, because of how much I enjoyed this book.

This book is about 3 different foster girls being brought into the care of Miss Fairchild, little to do know or image what happens to happen under her care. Jessica who has a bit of OCD is the first to come into her care and it all seems perfect and fine, until she takes in her second foster kid Norah who has a some anger issues. The third to come into the house is Alicia who has low self esteem and was placed in foster care because of a family emergency and wasn’t expecting to stay long.

Miss Fairchild changes the more that these girls are under her care and lashes out in all different way to discipline these girls for different reasons according to her. All of these girls feel the need to walk on eggshells and not disappoint or disobey Miss Fairchild in anyway in fear of what could happen.

Now Miss Fairchild never had a good past growing up that you come to find out but that doesn’t take away from how she treats these girls you’d think. She is not someone you want to cross or do wrong by for multiple reasons.

All three of the girls work together and become very close over the years of growing up and becoming adults. They all have their own issues even as adults that they must work through and help each other out. They’ve stuck by each others sides and have gone through a lot during childhood under Miss Fairchilds care all the way up to adulthood.

None of them ever wanted to talk or go back to Wild Meadows, the house they grew up together in until one day there are bones discovered under that same house. Now they must work together with the agents to discover who the bones belong to but also relive that old past of theirs. This brings up a lot of heartbreaking events that they never expected to relive again but have to.

You have to wonder who and how those bones got there in the first place, how long have they been under this house? This is a touching story about finding yourself and a family you’ve always wanted. This was a good mystery thriller that kept you reading and wanting to know what happens and their pasts. I loved the way this book was written and how you got to know each of the girls in their own words about what they went through, as well as Miss Fairchild.

This book does have abuse within the foster care system so a warning for some. This takes place over years from each of the girls perspectives as well as past and present. It’s very easy to read and helps you understand who and why each of these girls are they way they are.

I can’t wait for this book to be released so I can get myself a physical copy and keep it on my shelves.

I want to thank NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and author Sally Hepworth for allowing me to read and review this ARC. This book releases April 23, 2024.

I'm giving Darling Girls 4 stars because the masterful Sally Hepworth spun a tale so tight, it will keep you flipping the pages even when you shouldn't be (like when cooking or trying to give someone your undivided attention)!

*Spoiler Alert*

That being said, I was super divided about my feelings on this one. There should definitely be trigger warnings listed with it since a central thread from beginning to end was littered with child abuse. There should also be an LGBT notation as well for those (like me) who aren't particularly interested in reading about same sex relationships.

Had I known these facts, I would not have read the story.

I was able to finish it because the abuse wasn't graphically detailed and the majority of the time was psychosomatically and psychologically directed instead. I also skipped the pages where it described the characters engaging in any intimate scenes.

That aside, the pacing was superb. There were no boring parts, there was no saggy middle, and there was no unnecessary information. The chapters were clearly labeled with the character and the flashbacks added a rich depth that propelled the novel forward.

The twists at the end weren't predictable and the ending overall was satisfying in that it didn't end in a neat, tidy bow. Each character completed their arc nicely (aside from the villain of course) and I was left with a hope that people might want to start taking a closer look at the foster care system-- in every country-- despite it being a work of fiction.

The author did a wonderful job aligning each character with her coping mechanisms from trauma and didn't give them an easy out when it came time to face their issues, which I appreciated.

So even though it was an emotionally-challenged read for me and not something I would ever read, the author did an outstanding job highlighting very real abuse that's going on right under our noses. I hope it is enough to open up conversations to change the system for the better.

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

YES! This book gave me everything I love... great characters, an unpredictable storyline, and that "keep thinking about it when it's over" feeling. I read a lot of books in this genre, and have ready many by Sally Hepworth, and this is my favorite of her collection. It really felt like you knew the characters, which isn't an easy feat when the narration toggles between many, and I was thoroughly engrossed every step of the way. 10/10, hands down, a must read!

Darling Girls is a wonderful psychological mystery centering on three foster sisters, Alicia, Norah and Jessica. 12year olds Alicia and Norah ended up in the same foster home with Jessica, who has lived there since she was 4 and already has a strong bond with their foster mother--Miss. Fairchild--who she is not too willing to share with the new girls. The three are very serious about their foster sister bond, and consider themselves sisters for life. The book alternates between their past (when they were pre-teens) lives with Miss, Fairchild and also their current lives, careers, families, faults, pressures and current relationships with each other. Miss. Fairchild appears nice to everyone on the outside but in private she mentally and physically tortures her foster children in a variety of cruel ways. The torture they endured pushes them to a breaking point where they act in order to protect another younger foster sister, but sadly they are unable to stop Miss. Fairchild and are sent to different homes after reporting her. In the present day, all three of them receive calls from the police that a child's bones were found underneath Miss. Fairchild's house. This information brings them back to the small town where they used to live and causes them to face the terrible psychological games and on-going physical torture that they were subjected to as young women. Each of them has managed to deal with their past or also ignore it in different ways with different effects on their adult lives. I read this book really quickly because the story drew me in and as I read, I tried to solve the mystery of the long buried bones along with the characters. Definitely worth reading this book! The culmination of the story was very involved and interesting! I loved it and definitely recommend it to others to read, too.

Darling Girls pulled me in immediately and I was engrossing by the wild storyline. I was interested in the backstory of the three foster girls. How did they end up in a foster home? Why didn’t they run away?

The present story about what they were currently doing in life was interesting but because the past and present were alternating chapters I found myself wanting to skip the present to learn the past.

The way Sally Hepworth created the characters as adults was interesting. I could see how their treatment as children formed their adult personalities. It’s a very sad story.

Without revealing too much, the end was absolutely crazy. I felt like I could rationalize the sad ending because of what happened but the twist made it over the top for me. I just can’t fathom anyone being so evil!!!

I gave the story 3 stars because it enticed me to keep reading but by the end it was too “ over the top”

TW: child abuse, sexual innuendos, rape, pedophilia, violence and murder. However, the rape and pedophilia are not detailed, only alluded to.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the arc via NetGalley.

I usually enjoy Sally Hepworth's book but this one fell flat for me. And that was the word I'd use to describe this "thriller"...flat. The mystery was flat. The characters were flat. The big reveal was flat. There was so much potential in the story and characters. It was a great premise (foster sisters abused by their foster mother and are called back to the town where they lived as kids to answer questions about bones found under their house) but I felt like nothing ever really happened. And the big "reveal" at the end was so strange, and then it just...ended. A few things I did like: I really liked the way the author wrote the different timelines. I can't put my finger on why I liked it so much, but I thought it was very well done. I also especially liked that one of the sisters becomes a social worker to help kids just like herself who get lost in the system.

This book was so captivating and the mystery/thriller aspects seemed new, like nothing else I have read before. I enjoyed having multiple characters POV and the ending was not disappointing for me at all. Sally Hepworth always has a great story in my opinion!

I'm not sure this author is for me, unfortunately. I've tried a few and they just never hit the mark for me, but I know many others love her books. Thank you NetGalley and the author for an e-ARC of this book!

I loved the dual POVs and the portrayal of the foster care system. I think the author did a great job discussing that and how the system is not always rainbows and sunshine. This book is pretty dark and discusses trauma that kids in the foster care system face and how that leaks into their adult lives.

I unfortunately just found myself a little bored in this story and that's why I rated it a 3 star. I can see how many people will love this book, and I think the author did a great job, I just struggled keeping my interest.

Ooohhh this was so good and gripping! I could not put this gripping thriller down!!!! I loved this so much. I absolutely am addicted to Sally Hepworths books. This was a 6 star read.
I just reviewed Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. #NetGalley
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Sally Hepworth is always a fav of mine, but I will warn you this is a really disturbing read, moreso than any of her other books - in my opinion. Darling Girls is a gripping and haunting exploration of the enduring impact of a shared trauma. Alicia, Jessica, and Norah are their seemingly average woman whose connection runs deep, back to the days when they were girls living under the strict rule of their shared foster mother Miss Fairchild on a remote farm.

The book made me think about how you might act in a traumatic situation, how far we'll go to keep our secrets, and how the bad things that happened to us in the past can still affect us. As the story goes on, we see that the past can come back even if we try to forget it.

5 stars!!! Without a doubt, Sally Hepworth's best book. Somehow her books keep getting better and better. I was sucked into this book right from the beginning. I thought I figured the ending out so many times but nopeeeee.

I loved the focus on foster care and how Sally tried to portray it in a real light- it's not always rainbows and this book does a great job of relaying that. This book was phenomal and a must read if you love Sally Hepworth. If you don't love her - this is the perfect book to start!

I was given an Advanced Reader Copy by NetGalley for an honest review.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. This book had so many strengths. The split perspectives really tracks the pace of the book and it was good at revealing the plot and mystery chapter by chapter. I really enjoyed the differences of the "sisters" and the ways they each had a relationship with their foster mom. Their own trauma was fascinating and honestly I was creeped out the whole time by the mom (for good reason).

Any Sally Hepworth fan will not be disappointed! Great read.

Another Sally Hepworth winner! Hepworth is quickly becoming a must read author for me. I love her characters and she is able to craft an excellent tale. I love love loved this one!

This was fine! It reads quickly and keeps you guessing until the very end, but it also has a lot of heavy/triggering content and some tropes I don’t like in the thriller genre.
I enjoyed getting to know the three sisters and cared about them. I didn’t dislike this book, but I also didn’t love it. If you are comfortable reading something with this topic, and you’re looking for a very fast-paced short chapters thriller with present and past timelines, you may like this one!
CW: child abuse (many different kinds), drug abuse, and more

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Family can mean many things to many different people. For Norah, Jessica, and Alicia...family is forever, regardless of where they came from. Miss Fairchild brings the three girls into her home at Wild Meadows. As a foster mother, her job is to guide, nurture, and protect. Miss Fairchild is the exact opposite of a good foster parent.

The book toggles between present day and the past for each of the girls. We follow their journeys and how the events that took place have shaped their lives.

Alicia, Norah, and Jessica are survivors. Miss Fairchild was a super unlikeable character. Her treatment of the girls was hard to swallow.

Sally Hepworth has done it again! It may be my new favorite! I could not put the book down as I was so invested in it! Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this arc!

This thriller had you questioning the truth about three foster sisters throughout the whole story. After bones are found underneath the house they were kept in, their stories unravel about their terrible foster mother mother and her treatment towards them. Just when I thought I had it figured out, there was a new twist! This is an easy two day read and just wait for the last chapter !

This is the first book by Sally Hepworth and I LOVED it and will definitely be checking out her others! Lots of dept the the characters and wonderful character development throughout the book. I didn't really know where the book was going but feel the author did a great job tying everything in at the ending. 4 stars.