I really liked The Soulmate and was looking forward to another Sally Hepworth, despite being more over the domestic thriller genre than not. Unfortunately this one did not work for me. I found the child abuse descriptions very disturbing and too graphic for my tastes. This is the third adoption/fostering book that I have reviewed recently. I'm not sure exactly what has made this the topic du jour but I'm not enjoying the dark nature of these stories at all. I also found the characters difficult to relate to, even granting them slack given their circumstances. This was not a good fit for me at all.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia had less than ideal childhoods, all leading to them staying at Wild Meadows with their foster mother, Holly Fairchild. Now, twenty-five years later, the sisters are living as relatively normal lives as could be expected. However, their trauma resurfaces after bones are found under their old home. Now the three are forced back to the town, and the woman, they've avoided since childhood.

I genuinely was on the edge of my seat during the last 100ish pages of this book, unable to relax until the truth was revealed. The ending was unexpected, the characters are relatable and complex, and the present to past/backstory transition is smooth. This book is fantastic! I hadn't heard of any of Hepworth's books before this, but the rest of her work has promptly been added to my TBR list.

Another hit by Sally Hepworth! HOW does she come up with such solid stories that keep me wanting to read just one more chapter!?!

Darling Girls is well-written, very well thought out, gripping, filled with twists, and shocking! Told from different points of view of the girls who were raised in the same foster care home, they get a phone call telling them human remains have been found.

Trigger: mistreatment of children

I’m going to start by saying because this was an ARC copy it obviously needed some spelling and grammatical edits. Typically I wouldn’t mention this but they were pretty obvious and more than normal which made reading it a bit choppy. HOWEVER, this was still a five star for me and here is why… (I’m going to try and explain without giving to much away). At about 50% one of the way through the book a major twists reveals itself and you think you can deduce the rest of the book…until you read the last chapter 🤯. I have never been so convinced I knew how it was going to end and then been wrong.

Darling Girls is more than a well-told story of three girls who’ve (barely) survived the corrupt foster care system in Port Agatha; it’s a glowing affirmation of the bonds connecting one’s true family. I immediately connected with the main characters and felt pulled directly into the plot of the story. Plenty of twists and turns with a kick-in-the-pants surprise at the end.

This book kept me guessing and my head spinning until the end!

I really enjoyed the dynamic between the three foster children. Each coming to Wild Meadow with back traumas and then collecting more during their time together. Jessica’s relationship with Ms. Fairchild was one that broke my heart in different ways. The relationships felt realistic and well developed.

It took awhile to get to the *juicy* bits of this book but I found myself waiting for bed so I could dive back into this story!

I rated this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars!

Thank you for allowing me to read this advanced reader copy!

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and was SO THRILLED to get to see the newest read from Sally Hepworth. I’ve been a fan for years, though this one broke me of my “Sally Does No Wrong” opinion.

The story of three foster sisters seemed promising, despite holding a dark edge, but the deep dark of the story wasn’t salvaged enough by their “chosen family” relationship. While Hepworth hit on the pain and trauma of foster care (and it’s early corruption) she didn’t provide enough of a twist (it was good and earned her a star, but wasn’t strong enough to COMPLETELY wow me) and only offered a small glimmer of goodness/hope in the aftermath of the storyline.

I wanted to love this like I’ve loved many of Sally’s other novels, but I struggled to keep reading as the coercion, manipulation, and painful choices of each character continued to pile onto the plot line.

An interesting story about foster children, who are now adults, and grew up in a foster home, Wild Meadows, with a mercurial foster mother. When bones are discovered buried on the property on the property the, question is whose bones are they. The story moves between the past and present to piece together the full picture of the girls and the life before and present..

This was story had me hooked from the beginning until the end with its twists and turns.

Darling Girls is another great book by Sally Hepworth. This book is about 3 girls who are in the foster care system and end up living in the same house. Amid abuse, the girls become “sisters” even after leaving the foster home. After bones are discovered under the house, the girls go back to find out who they belong to. Here begins the twists and turns of the story that will keep you guessing and engaged in the story until the end. If you enjoy books by this author, you are sure to enjoy this one as well.

Darling Girls By Sally Hepworth is a fast paced, twist turning, keep you guessing book. I highly recommend it if you are familiar with her books.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book for my honest opinion

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC of Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth for an honest review. Darling Girls is a typical Sally Hepworth novel. Everyone is flawed, some deeper than others. Some are pure evil. When bones are discovered under the farmhouse of their childhood farmhouse, the 3 foster care girls are called in by the police to tell what they know. I enjoyed the ending of this book more so than others by same author.

This is the first book I have read by Sally and I am hooked. Darling Girls was a fantastic twisty novel that had me guessing the whole way through. Darling Girls has multiple POVs and bounces back and forth between past and present. Even with the POVs and shifting timelines it was never confusing and had me flipping through the pages to see what was going to happen next. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves a good mystery.

This is the story of three young women who return to the foster home where they met. Evidence of a crime has come to light and they are possible suspects. or it is hoped they can provide information that leads to solving the mystery.
I have to warn readers that, as you might expect in a novel set in the foster care system, child abuse (physical and psychological) is depicted throughout the book. I had a hard time reading about it but stuck with it because I've enjoyed several of Sally Hepworth's books. Not my favorite but I look forward to seeing what she writes next.

📚Review: Darling Girls 👭
Whoa! This book was SO great! I loved it so much!! I am a huge fan of Sally Hepworth and this is her best book yet. (For me anyway)
Wow! It had everything you want in a psychological/domestic thriller. It had suspense, multiple POVs, mind games, twists upon twists, etc. I just absolutely loved it. I can’t recommend this enough. I was fortunate enough to be sent this arc from @netgalley and @stmartinspress, but when this hits shelves in April, you need to run out and buy this book. I know I will be getting my copy.

Very quickly, for those not familiar, this is a book about 3 girls who grow up in a foster home with a woman who runs the place like an institution of sorts with all her strict rules for the girls. The woman is just awful in every sense of the word. However, now the girls are grown up and there’s been a discovery of a body buried under their old foster home. The three women are taking in for questioning. And that’s all I want to say. Just giving you a small taste. But trust me, you will also love this one. You won’t be able to put in down.
Again, RUN to get this book in April when it comes out. It’s on NetGalley now, request it if you don’t want to wait. It’s so good.
This was definitely ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me.
Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress and @sallyhepworth for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed it immensely.
Pub Date: April 23, 2024

Have you read this one yet? Which is your favorite Sally Hepworth book? Mine was The Soulmate until this book.

Dark, twisty book about sisters who grew up in a foster home and a body is found buried beneath 20 years later. A solid mystery that kept me guessing (sometimes I couldn’t keep track of the sisters so I was guessing who was who). I binged this and read it in one day but it was haunting. Be sure to read the content warnings before you dive in. I was surprised by how much child abuse there was - it was very disturbing.

"Darling Girls" by Sally Hepworth is an electrifying rollercoaster of a domestic thriller that had me hooked from the very first page. Hepworth's storytelling prowess shines through once again, making this a must-read for fans of suspenseful fiction.

The trio of complex and flawed characters, Alicia, Jessica, and Norah, are brilliantly brought to life, each with their quirks and secrets that add layers of intrigue to the narrative. As their shared history on Miss Fairchild's farm unravels, you'll find yourself irresistibly drawn into their world, empathizing with their struggles, and eagerly turning the pages to uncover the truth.

Hepworth masterfully weaves a web of mystery and suspense, leaving you on the edge of your seat as you try to unravel the enigma of the buried bones. The plot twists are nothing short of mind-bending, and just when you think you have it all figured out, she throws another curveball that will leave you gasping in disbelief.

But it's not just the plot that shines in "Darling Girls." Hepworth delves into the complexities of human nature, exploring the depths of desperation, the darkness that can lurk within, and the haunting power of the past. Her prose is evocative, painting vivid pictures of both the idyllic and sinister aspects of the characters' lives.

And that ending – oh, what an ending! Prepare to have your socks thoroughly shocked off as Hepworth delivers a jaw-dropping conclusion that will leave you reeling.

In "Darling Girls," Sally Hepworth has crafted a gripping, emotionally charged thriller that is impossible to put down. It's a testament to her talent as a storyteller, and I can't wait to see what dark and captivating tales she weaves next. If you love a thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end, this book is an absolute must-read.

Thank you so much for the ARC of this book. I loved the Soulmate so I had a feeling I would enjoy this too.

Major major TW for this book first and foremost. I’m not gonna lie this book was tough to read at times, dark, jaw dropping, and the ending shook me. TW: foster care, child abuse, sexual abuse, drug overdose.

I loved how this book goes from each perspective past and present amongst the sisters, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia who were all in/ended up in foster care. There is another person who you don’t know right away who is speaking to a therapist but I soon figured out who it was. I did not however expect the ending! Literally my jaw opened!!

Amazing job Sally!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book!

3.5 stars ⭐️
This was my first Sally Hepworth book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This book follows three sisters (Norah, Jessica, and Alicia) through their childhood in a foster home and decades later as adults. When human bones are discovered underneath the foster home, the sisters must return to where they grew up.

This story is full of sisterhood, mystery, and plot twists. This story has you guessing until the very end!

Overall, I would recommend adding this psychological thriller to your TBR! Publish date: 4/23/24.

Well that was a fun ride!
Jessica, Norah & Alicia united and formed an unbreakable bond when they met on the grounds of their foster home— Wild Meadows. Each girl suffered from their own traumatic past and then had to learn to navigate Miss Fairchild’s mercurial twists of temperament. We meet the women in adulthood after they managed to survive her emotional and psychological abuse. However, an excavation at Wild Meadows revealed human bones on the property and everyone’s a suspect and the games resume. This is a compelling psychological mystery that has the reader trying to decipher who is reliable. The twists were unexpected and well developed. This isn’t a thriller so I didn’t feel any anxiety, but I was addicted and had to keep reading! The ending was so satisfying! So many times endings leave you hanging, or they feel rushed or things aren’t tidied up. The ending covered all the bases and left me shaking my head.
Such an entertaining read!


Thank you NetGalley and St Martin Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own

Alicia, Jessica and Norah are sisters in every way that counts. They grew up together in foster care in the same house of horrors with Miss Fairchild at the helm. From the outside everything looked perfect and normal, but inside was a different story. When the girls are all grown up they are summoned back to the place where they grew up to talk to detectives. Bones of a child have been discovered under the house and police want to know what the girls know about it. Memories surge and emotions run high as the girls are forced to relive the trauma they experienced all those years before.

I was super into this book. It was engaging in all the right ways and then I thought it was going to let me down. The great news is that it wrapped up better than I could have imagined…I love an eleventh hour twist that I didn’t see coming! Well done, Sally Hepworth!