While I thoroughly enjoyed "Darling Girls," I did find some parts of the story to be a bit predictable. Nevertheless, Hepworth's writing style and her ability to delve into the intricacies of human relationships more than make up for it. A solid 4 star read!

"DARLING GIRLS" by Sally Hepworth is a gripping domestic thriller that delves into the complex bonds of friendship and the haunting secrets of the past. The novel follows the lives of three women, Alicia, Jessica, and Norah, who share a deep connection rooted in their traumatic childhood on a farm with a foster mother named Miss Fairchild.

The characters in this book are intricately developed, each with their own flaws and vulnerabilities. Jessica's struggle with OCD, Norah's anger issues, and Alicia's low self-esteem are portrayed in a relatable and empathetic manner. Sally Hepworth skillfully explores how these issues have shaped their lives and their relationships with each other.

The narrative structure of the novel alternates between the present-day investigation into buried bones discovered at the childhood farmhouse and the past, where the reader is gradually given insights into the girls' troubled history with Miss Fairchild. This dual timeline adds depth to the story, creating a sense of suspense and mystery that keeps the reader engaged.

The character of Miss Fairchild is a central figure in the novel, and her presence is both menacing and enigmatic. The author masterfully builds a sense of dread and unease surrounding this character, and as the story unfolds, the reader is left questioning the true extent of her power and control.

One of the novel's strengths is its exploration of the theme of desperation and the lengths to which people can go when pushed to their limits. It raises thought-provoking questions about the human capacity for both good and evil, as well as the enduring impact of trauma.

Sally Hepworth's writing is compelling and evocative, drawing the reader into the lives of the characters and the eerie atmosphere of the farm. The pacing is well-executed, with a gradual build-up of tension leading to a satisfying and surprising conclusion.

In "DARLING GIRLS," Sally Hepworth delivers a psychologically gripping thriller that keeps readers guessing until the very end. It's a story of friendship, secrets, and the haunting power of the past. If you enjoy domestic thrillers with complex characters and a touch of mystery, this book is worth picking up.

Alicia, Jessica and Norah were foster sisters who grew up with a very dysfunctional foster mom. They are called back to their foster home after a dead body is found on site. They question their past experiences and memories collectively and how its impact them as adults.

Sally Hepworth has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Her stories have such twists and storylines that drag me in and keep me invested. I can’t wait for her next book!

Another great Sally Hepworth book - sped through this one, kept my attention the whole way through, with a great ending. If you enjoy Sally Hepworth and domestic thrillers, this is a good one to pick up.

This book is primarily about three adult foster children who return to the town they grew up under troubling circumstances, only to be reconnected with their foster mother. Throughout the book, you are transported between past and present and between the three foster children's perspectives. Ultimately, what happened and who did it? Will water prove thicker than blood?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the ARC of this great read!

Jessica, Alicia, and Norah are sisters, not through blood but through everything that counts. The three of them grew up in the same foster home together, and formed a lifelong bond. 25 years later when bones are discovered under the home that they grew up in, the police quickly focus on the girls.
Their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, was pure evil to the girls. While her physical abuse of the children was mild, the mental and emotional abuse that she imposed on the girls was gut wrenching to read about.
The story is told in alternating timelines from Jessica, Alicia, and Norah mixed in with someone (a mystery) character at a psychologists office.
Hepworth’s dark wit is present, adding an occasional bit of humor to the book’s theme, the broken and disturbing foster system.
This one kept me intrigued, and the final reveal was a doozy!
Absolutely recommend this one, it releases 04/23/24!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Through alternating chapters that take place in the past and present, Darling Girls delves into how three foster girls grew up together at Wild Meadows Farm and formed a unbreakable bond that was based on their survival.

Unfortunately, I had to stop reading this book around the 20% mark. I have really enjoyed the suspense in Sally Hepworth's writing in the past, but I draw the line about reading books during my leisure time that detail child abuse and the horrible way the three girls were treated by the foster mother, Miss Fairchild. Too dark for me as a reader, but that's not to say that others will not enjoy it - and they are, judging from the many 4 and 5 star ratings. It's just not a subject that I want to spend my time with.

Very entertaining with an extraordinary twist! This novel was so addicting. I loved reading the different perspectives from all the women within the story. Highly recommend whether you love thrillers or not! Already adding more of Sally Hepworth’s books to my TBR pile!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an electronic ARC copy in return for my honest review.

Wow, I absolutely flew through this one! Delightfully readable, with the perfect balance of haha and wtf for a fast-paced thriller. The pace, by the way, was perfect for a thriller. Hepworth does a stunning job of immersing you right into the complex dual timelines and multiple viewpoints. I personally love books with those features, but it’s easy to mess up if the characters aren’t well developed, and that was not an issue here. Each of the viewpoints was distinct enough, it was easy to tell whose pov each chapter was from and how it fit in the timeline. My only tiny qualm was that there were two small plot points that seemed a little too obvious, but overall figuring then out early wasn’t a deterrent, it just made me curious to see how they would play into the overall story. I intended to only read a few chapters before bed and now here I am at 2am leaving a review. I fell so deeply in love with the sisters that I just had to keep reading to make sure everyone ended up okay in the end. Highly recommend this read!

Note: This ARC was provided to me by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.

After reading The Good Sister, I’ve been sold on Sally Hepworth’s books. I started her latest after dinner and it took so much self control to not stay up and finish in one sitting. This was easily an engaging, fast-paced read with such important subject matter on foster care systems. More so, learning about the author’s own foster care testimony was even more touching and gave more purpose to reading a thriller. I loved how the theme of a strong sisterhood bond was prevalent throughout the book. Sally Hepworth has done it again!

I so liked this book. The twists and turns kept me turning pages, Just like her other books Hepworth this book will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Special thanks to NetGalley for allowing me the honor to read this ARC! I loved this story. It has everything a great book needs. Great characters, story, plot, twists and turns and the ending!! Did NOT expect that last chapter it hits out of left field. I knew i didnt like Miss Fairchild for a reason!
I love how Norah,Alicia and Jessica bonded and how you get to have some backstory into what makes them tick and why they are how they are. I was especially happy to reconnect with the "foster babies". Overall great book and i cant wait to read more from this author!!!

With elements of psychological mystery and crime, this domestic thriller follows multiple perspectives and dual timelines. Highlighting topics within the foster system, mental health, and the dangers of narcissism and master manipulation. Trigger warnings for child abuse.

Thoughts:

Although there were things I appreciated about this novel, I just didn’t love this one as much as I had hoped. I think it hit me around the 50% mark that something was just missing from this thriller, and I became less excited to continue reading. I felt the pacing start to slow, the suspense became less influential, and I was beginning to predict the twists. I also found myself preferring one timeline over the other...

But, I did find the novel very readable, easily digestible, and the character development to be an important aspect of this book.

The beauty of reading is that we all have different reading preferences, and I have seen other readers write rave reviews. But for me, as I’ve only now read two books by this author, The Soulmate remains my favorite of the two.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I saw a book by Sally Hepworth and couldn’t request it fast enough and then, when I was chosen couldn’t wait to read.. as with everything else I have read by her, the characters are so fleshed out and the story is held close to the vest. It is told by the characters themselves, Jessica, the first foster child to be placed with the foster parent,Miss Miss Fairchild. Miss Fairchild soon brought in Alicia and Nora. Each came with their own back story.. The story is told by the characters from their child self and their adult self. The three form a special sisterhood unbreakable bond.. Not by blood but by the trauma they were subjected to at the hands of Miss Fairchild. She never hit them but they were forced to clean the house every day to perfection.. Inher attempt to curtail Nora’s violent attitude. She dragged her downstairs, threw her in a closet below the stairs alone no light the door to the closet and top of the stairs locked left with no food or water and made her stay under the stairs for more than 24 hours. Their adult personalities were very much affected by their childhood experiences. The story goes on with so many twists and turns you literally won’t see them coming. This is the ultimate murder/thriller/suspense for your reading in April. Special thanks to the following for allowing me to read/review early. I have given my own honest opinion: #NetGalley, #StMartin’sPress, #kSallyHepworth,
,Publication Date: April 23,2024.

WOW. Sally Hepworth does it again. I have read multiple books by Sally and have enjoyed every one so far. This book was a challenging read(please check trigger warnings) but it was so well written. The story follows along with Three "Sisters" who all grew up together in a foster home of their nightmares, Wild Meadows. Many years later, mysterious bones are found on the site of their childhood home. Read this book to see all the twists it takes to uncover the truth of what happened all those years ago and the truth behind their foster mother.

rated 4.25

Jessica, Alicia, and Norah are sisters, not through blood but through everything that counts. The three of them grew up in the same foster home together, and formed a lifelong bond. When bones are discovered under the home that they grew up in, the police quickly focus on the girls, and if they know about or could be responsible for the murder.

Their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, is pure evil to the girls. While her physical abuse of the children was mild, the mental and emotional abuse that Miss Fairchild imposed on the girls was gut wrenching to read about.

The story is told in past and present tense, through the point of view of all three women/girls. I enjoyed learning about the backstories of each character, and how their tragic childhood molded them into the women they are today.
Jessica is a closet pill abuser.
Norah has extreme anger and impulsivity issues. While Alicia seems to be the most adjusted, she has entered into a career as a foster care worker, in an effort to save as many children from what she endured.

This story was triggering and difficult to read. Sally Hepworth always writes a captivating novel, with her iconic shocking endings. Darling Girls is a classic Hepworth success, but I can’t say I enjoyed reading this one. Childhood abuse is incredibly hard for me to read, but Hepworth did an excellent job at accurately conveying what so many are forced to endure.

Read if you want
⚡️Fact-paced
🤯Shocking ending
♥️Captivating characters

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a great book!! I read it in one day!! Had my attention from page 1. It may have some trigger warnings for some. I would definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A much darker story than previous books I've read by Sally Hepworth but that is not a bad thing. 3 girls together with a foster mother "Miss Fairchild" who pushes the envelope with what outsiders understand to be abuse.

How this time with Miss Fairchild affects their adult lives kept me turning pages and the ending was perfection!!

I received this book from netgalley in exchange for a review.
Three girls who were raised by a foster mother, Mrs. Fairchild, get called back to answer questions after a body is found under the house where they were raised. They are sure the body is of another little girl that Mrs. Fairchild denied ever existed.
Each of them has a different way of dealing with what they went through as young girls being raised there, causing turmoil in their adult lives.
I really enjoyed the book, though some of the side stories were a bit too much. I especially liked the ending! The book cover doesn't match the idea I had in my head of what the house would look like though.

Darling Girls is a unique domestic suspense/mystery. I enjoyed the different points of view and the rotating timeline. I did find it to be a bit slow but I was interested to figure out what exactly was going on. Another solid ready by Sally Hepworth