darling Girls is another thriller done right by Sally Hepworth! sally always puts together plots that feel like they haven’t been done before and I find myself finishing them in 24 hours just to see what happens in the end. darling girls follows three children in foster care throughout their childhood and adult lives. They spend a year together at the hands of an abusive foster mother, and then are brought back to the location as adults due to a crime at the location of the foster home. At times it was difficult to read about the trauma these women endured, especially knowing they are unfortunately not alone in some of their experiences. Another must read by Sally!

I received a NetGalley on this book.
This is another excellent twisty story from Sally Hepworth. I got invested in the main characters very early on, and that made this a page-turner. I was able to figure out parts of the story early on, but mostly I was kept guessing throughout the action. I am partial to a story that wraps up all the details AND dishes out what everyone has coming to them, and I'd say Ms. Hepworth got 90% of the way there. Overall, it's a very satisfying read.

Alicia, Norah, and Jessica grew up in a foster home with an abusive foster mother. As young teens they manage to get away and are determined to stay together. Now, as adults, they consider themselves sisters. When an investigation into their old foster home is opened, the 3 come back together to speak with the detectives. But there is still a lot of childhood trauma there.

Sally Hepworth has done an incredible job with this domestic thriller! Great use of multiple POV and past/present timelines. The character development and backstories are all very well written. And the story unfolded so well. Pacing was perfect. Great read, I think this is Sally Hepworth’s best novel to date!

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance reader copy. This is my honest review. 5⭐️ publication date April 23, 2024

Forever an auto-buy author for me, Sally Hepworth did it again. I enjoyed how parts were told through therapy sessions. This story ratcheted up the tension slowly but the pay-off was worth the wait.

I enjoyed the idea of foster children finding and developing chosen family amidst trauma. I felt intrigued by the ways these characters kept so much hidden from the people closest to them, as if their role in chosen family system could not be altered or adapted. What a complex and human limitation that we all can relate to and ponder as we read this novel. I would have enjoyed a deeper dive into that complexity. While the initial chapter felt disjointed for me, similar to chapters that focused on the therapist sessions, I engaged with the storyline easily and quickly. I found myself wanting more depth because I liked the characters and wanted more.

I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the story and it kept me reading even when I should have been sleeping. This book is about 3 foster girls who bonded like sisters when they ended up in the same foster house together. It was hard to read about the abuse and the ways that it affected them even into their adult years. They were all brought back together many years later when bones were found beneath the house. That was an interesting mystery in the book, I was surprised how that turned out. I kind of had a thought of what had happened, but even then I was still surprised with the ending.

I would recommend this book to those who like psychological thrillers, family drama and twists and turns.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and the author for an advanced reader copy of this book.
All opinions are my own. Publication date: April 23, 2024

I really enjoyed this book. What a thriller! I sometimes don't enjoy a book told from different perspectives, but this was an integral part of the story, allows you to get to know each of the characters and constantly kept you guessing!

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are best friends and met under bad circumstances. The conditions that they lived in were far from ideal, but this caused the girls to build a lasting connection and bond. that could not be broken.
Years later, you catch up to where they are now and the story doesn't stop! Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are forced to face the horrors of their past and try to solve a mystery that has tormented them for many years.

The author did a wonderful job explaining how different people can handle traumatic experiences in different ways and also that the effects of those experiences can manifest differently in each person. Great book for a book club!

Sally Hepworth is an amazing writer! Darling Girls is a domestic thriller of three foster 'sisters' and their haunted pasts. Miss Fairchild, the creepy Foster parent is abusive and neglects all who is put in her care. The characters are well developed and the twists are mind blowing!
Thank you St. Martins & Net Galley for the ARC.
Highly Recommend!

I love all of Sally Hepworth's books and this was no exception. I thought I guessed the ending, but I wasn't even close! The story which alternated between different timeframes and from different viewpoints, was fast-paced and interesting. Definitely a great, twisty thriller - but with good character development! 4.5 stars!

This book was such a page turner! I loved all the little twists and reveals throughout the whole book and it wrapped up nicely.

Thanks to the publisher for an e-arc!

Excellent book. It had a few unexpected twists and turns and I found myself engaged in the sisters' stories. I found myself wanting to stay up late to keep reading.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

My rating:
4.5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

The story of three sisters who were brought up in a foster home under the care of Miss Fairchild. Years later, bones are found on the property of their childhood home and the sisters are summoned by the police with questions about what happened so many years ago at the farmhouse.

Well that book was a ride! Definitely some triggers in this one so be prepared but I really enjoyed this one! I loved the relationship between the three sisters. Some parts of this were definitely hard to read but I recommend this one for sure!

This was my second book by the author and once again it did not disappoint! There is just something so addictive about her writing style. I loved the multiple POVS and short chapters as well!

I went into this one blindly and had no idea what I was getting myself into! That ending though 🤯

Thank you netgalley and St Martin’s press for the ARC! This one will be out in April of 2024, so add it to your TBR now!

Sally Hepworth delivers another gripping domestic thriller with "Darling Girls," a tale that explores the complexities of female friendship and the haunting secrets of the past. In this suspenseful narrative, Hepworth crafts a multi-layered story that keeps readers on edge until the very end.

The novel introduces us to Alicia, Jessica, and Norah, seemingly ordinary women harboring their own quirks and issues. However, their bond runs deep, connecting them through shared experiences from their childhood. Their lives were once intertwined with a foster mother named Miss Fairchild, whose strict rules and unpredictable behavior have left lasting scars. When bones are discovered beneath the farmhouse where they grew up, the trio is reluctantly drawn back into their past, forced to confront the haunting memories they had tried to bury.

Hepworth's skillful storytelling weaves together the past and present, gradually revealing the dark secrets hidden within the group's shared history. As the narrative unfolds, readers are treated to glimpses of the complex dynamics between the three women, and they become engrossed in the mystery of Miss Fairchild and the true nature of their connection.

The characters in "Darling Girls" are well-developed and relatable, each with their own flaws and vulnerabilities. Hepworth delves into their psyches, exploring the depths of their individual traumas and the lasting impact of their shared past. The portrayal of their relationships, both past and present, adds depth to the story and keeps readers invested in the characters' fates.

One of the strengths of the novel is the slow but steady building of suspense. Hepworth masterfully creates an atmosphere of unease, making readers question the reliability of the characters' narratives and the truth behind Miss Fairchild's influence. The tension steadily escalates as the story progresses, leading to a gripping and shocking climax.

While "Darling Girls" is a compelling and engaging thriller, some readers may find the pacing a bit slow in the beginning. However, the gradual unraveling of the plot and the deep exploration of the characters' psyches ultimately add to the story's richness.

In conclusion, Sally Hepworth's "Darling Girls" is a suspenseful and thought-provoking domestic thriller that delves into the intricacies of female friendship and the long-lasting impact of traumatic experiences. With its well-drawn characters and skillful narrative, it keeps readers guessing until the final pages, making it a worthwhile read for fans of psychological suspense.

Wow! I couldn’t put this book down. Read in a day and a half. It was so interesting. Had lots of surprising turns. And you become so invested in the characters and the story, you must keep turning pages to see what’s going to happen next! This also made my heart so tender for the lives of foster children.

This is my fifth book by this author and as much as I enjoyed the others I was kind of disappointed with this one. I am an outlier once again as I did not love this book as much as others have. I am finding it hard to give this a rating to because I was enthralled by the story and the main characters.

I did love the format of now and then chapters and having all three characters’ points of view. As is typical with me I enjoyed the then chapters a lot more than the present time. I felt like I got to know Jessica, Norah and Alicia through their younger years. They have a lot to be upset about but they stuck together no matter what they went through and that carries into their adult lives.

I get that fostering is a game of Russian Roulette, no one knows how a parent or child will meld and I know there are evil people in this world but Jesus are all of them that bad? Too much was over the top in my humble opinion, this could have been close to a four star rating except for that ending. The emotions I felt for the three main characters is the only thing that redeemed this book for me.

Hepworth certainly knows how to write a compelling plot but what lost me was what happened at the very end. I think it was added just for the shock value, I am not triggered by anything that I read I just thought it was really stupid and I didn’t buy into the no one knew it all happened in secret line that the author was trying to sell. Many triggers abound in this tale most notably child abuse as this is one messed-up story.

Thank you for the ARC! I will read anything Sally writes! This book was twisty in the best way and kept me guessing until the very end. I flew through it!

I enjoy Hepworth's new novels each year and this one was no exception. I had a great time leaning into the twists of this novel and really enjoyed my time between the covers of this book.

★ ★ ★ ★ //5
Darling Girls
by Sally Hepworth

THOUGHTS:

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to read an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Sally never steers wrong when it comes to her writing and her books. I eat them all up and leave no crumbs and this book was no different. I loved the relationships through this book, the humor, twists and turns. Sally leaves you feeling for every single character in this book from start to finish. You get all the multiple POV and I love it along with different timelines. The ending of this book I guarantee you will never guess. Please check your trigger warnings with this book if you are sensitive to anything.

I am a huge Sally Hepworth fan and this book certainly did not disappoint.
The relationships between Norah, Jessica and Alicia are so strong. A bond that we all strive to have with our siblings. Sadly, they were placed into the care of Miss Fairchild and their lives were forever changed.
Every chapter seemed to have a huge turning point and you really can’t guess how things will turn out for the girls. I highly recommend this book as it is a true eye opener.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Darling Girls.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this novel.

This was one of those psychological thrillers that was really hard to put down. I thorough enjoyed the novel all the way through. However the last couple of chapters really threw some curves I didn't see coming at all.

I think the story of the bonds of sisterhood among foster sisters is a powerful one. I think the dueling time lines along with different POV was an excellent way to craft this story.

I think younger readers could see themselves in any number of ways with the three main characters.