Sally Hepworth always delivers! I had such a fun time trying to figure out where this story was going and what happened to the girls when they were younger. I would highly recommend this one!

This story was not much of a thriller, but more of a domestic suspense. I did really enjoy this book, it was hard to read at times because of the abuses that the girls suffered but we see how they have grown through this and the sister dynamics as well. I liked this one more than The Soulmate.

Darling Girls
by Sally Hepworth
4 stars

Three sisters are forced to return to the town and house they grew up in after remains are found at the site.

Alicia, Jessica, and Norah, 3 adopted sisters reliving the trauma of their past. You get to see all the different perspectives of past and present between the 3 sisters. This is full of twists and turns and will keep you on your toes.

Thank you, St., Martins Press and Netgally for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Darling girls has been one of my favorite thrillers of the year! As an adoptive mom, I’m a bit sensitive to issues around foster care and adoption and I think this author discussed some stigmas in a way that makes you think but this book kept me hooked and was a quick read, just the way I prefer my thrillers.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia grew up together after being rescued from family tragedies. Always being told how lucky they were to live with Miss Fairchild on the farm estate. Things weren't exactly so happy in the house and the girls definitely didn't live in a fairytale. They managed to physically escape but their thoughts lived on in that house. Years later after a body is found under the home they are thrust back into that life.

Sally Hepworth never misses when it comes to twisty
psychological thrillers. I have yet to guess an ending and this one was no different. Although this book was definitely entertaining, I had a hard time wanting to pick it up because it felt like the middle dragged on. Overall it's a good, quick read that's dark, suspenseful and heartbreaking.

Thank you NetGalley for this e-ARC!

Loved it! It had just the right amount of tension combined with relatable characters and a compelling mystery.

Norah, Jessica, and Alicia are foster children being raised by Ms. Fairchild, who is not all that she seems. To the outside world she seems to be a compassionate lady caring for those less fortunate, but the kids in her care know her to be a harsh taskmaster. The three girls eventually escape Ms. Fairchild but the abuse they experienced left its mark on each of them in a different way. Once a body is found at the house where they were raised, the girls become suspects. What DID happen?

Note: if child abuse is a trigger for you, you should skip this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth in exchange for my honest review and opinions. First off let me start by saying I LOVE anything by Sally Hepworth and will drop everything to read her books! I loved this book and couldn't flip through the pages fast enough. The ending is going to shock you so much! Be prepared!

This book was beautifully written and had a few twists I wasn’t expecting. Sally Hepworth is a must read author.

“How I love you, darling girl.”

Oh Miss Fairchild!! What a memorable villain in this story. She was a foster mother with her own ulterior motives, definitely not someone to provide stability or love to the girls brought to be cared for in her home, Wild Meadows. Darling Girls told how family may not be biological, but can become closer than blood when foster sisters learned to survive the cruelty of an evil and hateful “heart.” 

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read the previously published early edition e-copy of; Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth.

Thank you SMP for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

My introduction to Sally Hepworth was Darling Girls and although I found it to be initially slow, I did become more interested toward the end.
In the story, we follow three foster sisters and jump between the past and present, which I liked, but it sometimes felt dragged out. The twist at the end was not something I was expecting, so I enjoyed that element of surprise that made the book more interesting.

This one gets 3 stars from me.

I've nveer read a book by Sally Hepworth , and I am definitely a fan now! I loved the different perspectives and the jumping time periods. It was a page turner and kept me guessing, which sometimes is hard to do.

I've read my fair share of thrillers, and I enjoyed my time reading Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. The story centers on three women—Jessica, Norah, and Alicia—who were foster sisters under the care of the seemingly sweet Miss Fairchild. Their shared traumatic childhood experiences bind them together in adulthood, and when human remains are discovered beneath their former home, they are forced to confront their uncomfortable past.

What struck me most was Hepworth's portrayal of the complexities of sisterhood and shared trauma. The alternating perspectives of the three women offered deep insights into their struggles and resilience. The suspense was palpable, with twists that kept me on edge, and the exploration of psychological abuse was haunting.

However, I did find some aspects of the narrative to be a bit too contrived. The resolution of certain subplots felt rushed, while other times it felt like the plotting should have been sped up.

Nonetheless, Darling Girls is a compelling read that delves into childhood memories, trauma, and the bonds that hold us together. It's a story that will resonate with me for quite some time.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

A body was found under a house, and 3 adult women are brought back to the town where they lived as Foster children. They claimed abuse by their foster mother, but no one believed them. The system failed them, the police failed them, and now their foster mother is failing them again. Who is the body? How did it get there?

4 POVs tell this story, the 3 women and a person speaking to a psychologist. The story also brings you to the past and to the present. While there's no big twist, the story kept me interested.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sally Hepworth, and the publishers for this free ebook. This review is my own and honest opinion.

Four stars ⭐️

This book had me hooked like a Lifetime movie on a lazy Sunday—except way darker. Sally Hepworth serves up trauma, secrets, and sisterhood with a side of murder, and I was here for every juicy twist.

The “darling girls” themselves are messy, flawed, and absolutely magnetic.

A binge-worthy blend of suspense and heart.

Highly recommend this one.

I haven't been getting into thrillers as much lately, and had clicked on this one because it was "read now." Unfortunately this one was a miss for me but I can definitely see why others love it. I did like the format of the before and after timelines coming together, but it did start out a bit slow for me.

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘
✷ Dark family secrets
✷ Dual timelines
✷ Emotional thrillers
✷ Messy sister dynamics
✷ Slow-burn suspense with a strong final twist

𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦
This was such a compelling, bingeable read. From the first chapter, I was hooked by the “before and after” timeline and the mystery of whose body was found beneath the house at Wild Meadows. The premise is dark and emotional — three women, once foster sisters in a deeply abusive home, are forced to return when the investigation begins. That setup alone had me glued to the page.

The flashbacks were really well done and added a ton of tension and emotional weight to the story. The scenes with Miss Fairchild were chilling and gave real insight into the trauma these characters carried. That said, I do wish the character development had been a little deeper. While I cared about the story and was invested in the mystery, the sisters sometimes felt flat or underdeveloped. Still, the plot kept me intrigued the whole way through — and I have to say, the last chapter really stuck the landing. It was satisfying in the exact way I needed.

This one might not break new ground in the genre, but it absolutely held my attention and delivered a solid, twisty ride. I definitely recommend it if you like your thrillers with family secrets, emotional weight, and a great final twist.

I love Sally Hepworth. When you think you’ve figured it out, she throws you for a loop. In this novel about 3 foster sisters we learn about their past and present and how a sisterly bond never goes away.

Absolutely not thrilling at all. I didn't connect with any characters and couldn't wait for the book to be over.

I DNF this book. It was very hard to get into for me personally. The beginning was slow and didn't grab or hold my attention.

I'd love to try again in the future, maybe I wasn't in the right mood or frame of mind.

I typically enjoy Slaly Hepworth, so I'm hoping this was just a fluke.

It took me a while to get into this but the last 20% made up for it honestly. I’m not sure I would necessarily call this a thriller, it was more like a psychological character analysis? Either way, still very enjoyable by the end of it!