4.5 rounded to 5

This book kept me hanging on by the end of each chapter! Full of twists and jaw-dropping moments, I drank this entire story up faster than a glass of wine. The characters were perfectly imperfect. I loved their development and the alternating timelines. While I did figure out which character was “in therapy”, I WAS NOT ready or prepared for that last chapter to break my neck with whiplash.

Sally is a queen & I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this! Thank you so much!

3.5⭐️ rounding up to 4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Hepworth book, and it didn't disappoint, but it didn't blow me away.
This book holds some heavy stuff.... foster care is not a topic I've experienced much in thrillers, and I liked how this one played out for the most part. Definitely not a light read, though.
It started out slow for me. I was not invested until about 30% in. I found all the characters to be lackluster. But then we started diving into the juicy stuff about main characters Jessica, Norah, and Alicia's past, and I couldn't put this book down. I enjoyed the dual timeline and multiple POVs. I liked that we got the first person POV from someone speaking to a psychiatrist, and I loved that the story they were telling tied into what what was playing out with the main characters. When it was revealed whose POV it was, I wasn't shocked but it made sense.
I was not a huge fan of the ending. I liked that we got a "life update" on Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, but at the same time it felt unnecessary to the story as a whole. I really did not like what was revealed at the very end. It sort of ruined the story for me.
Overall, good psychological thriller. It kept me intrigued and everything that happened made sense.

I love books with an entirely different story line, and this was just that and has become my favorite Sally Hepworth so far!

Alicia, Jessica and Norah are sisters with a fierce bond who have returned to the town they lived in as foster children years previously. The body of a child has been found under the house, and there is a new investigation into their adoptive mother, themselves and everyone they had come in contact with. The story toggles back and forth between the past and present and is full of twists and turns Ultimately I did not guess the outcome of the book, which is always a win!

Fans of Sally Hepworth will not be disappointed!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another great book by this author! It did start out a bit slowly for me, but partway in I became hooked and HAD to see how it ended.

True to form, the twists kept coming, which I loved. Some were small and relatively inconsequential, but others were game-changers. And the last chapter?! Never saw it coming.

Ultimately I liked all the characters (except of course Miss Fairchild). I loved the bond between the sisters, their stories and growth, and loved how they each coveted romantic relationships at the end. While there were intense and difficult content points throughout the book (abuse, the foster system, extortion, overdose), it didn’t feel too heavy to read.

Another book of hers that I would recommend!

(There were quite a few spelling and/or grammatical errors throughout, though I understand this is the nature of an ARC.)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You are going to want to preorder this one coming out April 2024.

A very twisty, page turner that kept me guessing until the LAST chapter. Follows three foster care “sisters” now and 25 years ago when they met. Whose dead bones are found under their foster home and did they have anything to do with it? You will never guess! So good! Sally did not disappoint again!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I love being surprised by an author who switches things up. In Darling Girls, Sally Hepworth still delivers her trademark domestic suspense, but this time the “family” is far less traditional, yet no less fascinating!

Twenty-five years ago, unfortunate events brought three girls - Jessica, Norah, and Alicia - one-by-one to an idyllic-looking farmhouse called Wild Meadows and into the foster care of a woman named Miss Fairchild. The biggest irony? This woman was never FAIR to any CHILD, as the three girls continually found out. She may have been Mary Poppins on the outside, but she was far from it underneath!

Now in the present, the three women who have a ‘sister’ bond tighter than most biological ones, have been brought back to Port Agatha and the memories of Wild Meadows when they’re informed by three detectives: Patel, Hando and Tucker that human bones have been discovered buried under the farmhouse.

Who do those bones belong to? Were the girls involved? If not them, then who?

As the lingering effects of the past catch up with Jessica, whose OCD and a secret habit are threatening her career, Norah, who can’t escape her inner rage or the repercussions of a date gone wrong, and Alicia, whose insecurity is blocking a potential new relationship, they find themselves needing one another more than ever.

The story is primarily told through their eyes, in both past and present chapters, with interspersed chapters of an unknown POV who discusses her past with a super creepy psychologist named Dr. Warren. The rotating POVs kept things interesting and allowed me to feel more bonded to each of the three women.

While stories of abuse are always hard and can threaten to go too dark, I thought Hepworth balanced the tone of the book so well by giving us three protagonists who were strong, intelligent, resourceful, kind, funny, and loyal, while also maintaining a realistic vulnerability from their traumatic past. I loved these three! Norah’s fiery temperament and spunk created a lot of LOL moments for me particularly, and dog lovers will enjoy finding out why her dogs are named Converse, Couch and Thong … though you may be able to guess!

The pace is a bit on the slower side, but the ending twists were worth the wait, and if nothing else, I think many readers will enjoy their time with these three kick-ass girls who grew into amazing kick-ass ladies! It’s so refreshing to see female friendship portrayed in a positive, supportive way.

One last recommendation: read the author’s note. It gives special meaning to the whole book!

★★★★ ½

Thought I had it figured out and didn’t see the twist. Enjoyed the dynamic of the sisters and their adult relationship.

Sally Hepworth has done it again! Another hard to put down book that is both thought and emotion evoking. As with her other books, Darling Girls is well written, well thought out, gripping, twist filled, moving and shocking.

Alicia, Jessica, and Norah bonded during their time living in their foster mother, Miss Fairchild's home. All came there under different circumstances and quickly bonded, forming lifelong bonds. They suffered together under the care rule of the highly unpredictable, extremely strict, and often cruel Miss Fairchild.

When they left her home the three of them thought they were free. But she was always there in their memories, their nightmares, and in flashbacks. They have all carried with them what they experienced in Miss Fairchild's home, whether it be low self-esteem, anger issues, anxiety, relationship issues, etc.

The three women are contacted by police when bones are found buried under Miss Fairchild's former home. Sometimes the past refuses to stay buried. Sometimes, you can create physical distance but not emotional distance from troubling events. Sometimes, going back to where it began is the only way to move forward.

This was such a gripping and well thought out book. I felt for Alicia, Jessica, and Norah. I loved that they always had each other's back and had such a tight bond. I felt so much for them during this book. I appreciated how Hepworth showed the strength of their relationships with each other.

I found myself fully invested in this book from the very beginning and found it hard to put this book down. I wanted to know about the bones, how they got there and whose bones were buried under the house.

I found this to be a suspenseful and shocking read. I enjoyed reading the POV chapters and learning more about each character. I also enjoyed the therapy sections and did not know initially who was talking to the therapist. This book does discuss the mistreatment and abuse of children, and it may be a trigger for some, so please be aware of this.

Gripping, well written, shocking, well thought out, and hard to put down!

Foster sisters Jessica, Norah, and Alicia all get a phone call explaining that the foster home they were in together as teens is now under investigation. Human remains have been found buried at the house. The three girls, closer than ever as adults, must go back to the town of their former foster home to assist in the investigation. Secrets and abuse bubble up as they face their tormenter, Miss Fairchild. The past will reveal some unforgivable truths....

A new Sally Hepworth you say?? Yes please! I dove into this and was hooked immediately. I thought I had it figured out (nope), thought I figured it out again (still not quite)! The characters are interesting, plot twisty, I was left feeling unsure what was real and who to believe. Definitely a juicy new thriller worth devouring. I do wish Hepworth filled in some plot gaps but I guess they weren't super necessary, more so for my own interest and investment of the three sisters. Overall, solid book that I enjoyed reading!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review.

Darling girls is about three foster sisters, with a strong bond forged by the years they spent with a psychopathic foster mother. The are drawn back to their foster home when bones are discovered under the house.

Once again Sally Hepworth is a master at dark psychological family thrillers. This book does have some very dark content: child abuse, substance abuse, murder, and rape, which was difficult to read about.

Usually when I write book reviews, I stop and write down notes as I’m reading. With this book, however, I was so sucked in to the story I barely put it down at all and binged it in two sittings. There are twists and turns along the way and I kept waiting for the big final reveal and the last chapter did not disappoint! This was definitely a solid mystery/psychological thriller and exciting read.

Sally Hepworth is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. I’ve been fortunate to receive ARC’s for her last 3 releases and all of them have been spectacular. This story, was no different. Set in Australia, the book focuses in the lives of 3 young women who experienced trauma at the hands of their foster mother, When bones are discovered underneath the old home, the 3 foster sisters travel to their former home to try and solve the mystery. I really enjoyed to interwoven story of the foster mother, the girls (past and present) and the unknown person speaking to the therapist. Lots of twists and turns in this one and I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a mew thriller.

Love Sally’s books! This one kept me wanting to read more to figure out what really happen. I definitely did not guess the twist at the end. I felt that it had a good amount of back and forth from past to present. Character development was great as I could picture each in my head. Would for sure recommend! It might even be my favorite Sally Hepworth book!

Oh, wow, what a dark and twisted story. A story about how someone gets away with being truly evil and leaving psychological disaster in her wake. You will be hooked from start to finish!!

Thank you to Net Galley for this ebook!

Sally Hepworth’s best book yet! I was so excited to be chosen to read this ARC. I love all her books and this one is now my favorite! I read it whenever I had a spare minute because I was so engrossed in the book.. A wonderful story of three foster sisters who survive an abusive foster home.. Great character development and a wonderful bond between the three of them. I loved the different POV’s and felt that the story flowed very well. It was different than a lot of books I have read lately which I definitely enjoyed. Excellent book!!! Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sally Hepworth for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. I enjoyed every minute!!!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5 ⭐️'s! Darling Girls is a slow-burn suspense story that unravels into a thrilling and memorable book! Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are foster care children placed at Wild Meadows, a sprawling estate owned and run by Miss Fairchild. The trio form an unbreakable bond, and their story shows the strength of sisterhood and resilience of children. As adults, the sisters have done everything they can to forget Wild Meadows, but when the body of a dead child's bones is found under their old foster home, the girls are pulled back to Wild Meadows, eager to uncover the truth.

Darling Girls alternates between multiple points of view and timelines. We learn about the girls' time in foster care while a parallel plot line follows the investigation into the mysterious grave. The character development in this book is unmatched. From the unhinged Miss Fairchild to the neurotic Jessica, Hepworth expertly built profiles that are equally relatable and heart-wrenching. It is evident how much research the author put into this novel, especially when exposing a harsh light on the failures of the foster care system.

Admittedly, the story does move a bit slower than Hepworth's other novels. However, everything comes together in an unpredictable and eye-popping finale. If you are a reader who is quick to pull the "DNF" trigger, don't! I promise the culmination of this story is well worth the wait.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

WOW. This book was amazing! Easily my favorite Sally Hepworth novel. The short chapters, alternating POV, alternating time lines, and the TWISTS. I thought I had it figured out and boy was a wrong! The characters were fantastic written and I was absolutely enthralled with the storyline. What a captivating, exciting, domestic thriller.

Check TW for this one for sure:

Great Author, Great Story, Loved it more than her others. A great book for a lazy weekend afternoon for an escape. Thanks

Wow! Oh. My. Word. Sally Hepworth has done it again! What a twisty tale of 3 foster sisters and their narcissistic monster of a foster mother. Ms. Hepworth does a fantastic job of weaving a story to keep you right on the edge of your seat wanting more. This may be my favorite Hepworth novel to date!

An enthusiastic thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and the author for providing me with an ARC of this book. 

The publication date is set for April 23, 2024. Highly recommend!

Sisterhood!

Three girls from separate homes, all placed under the foster care of Miss Fairchild. To the casual observer the home and Miss Fairchild seem ideal. In reality, it was a house of horrors. Including but not limited to mental and physical (starvation) abuses that they all would endure.

In order to survive the nightmarish life handed to them they formed an un-breakable bond! Sisters forever! Together they were mighty.

Now as adults they’ve kept that bond alive, always vigilant for one another. They couldn’t be more different, but together they’re a force to be reckoned with.

After human bones are discovered under the aging foster home of Miss Fairchild, the sisters return as requested by the police. Maybe they’ll find some answers of their own.

Sally Hepworth writes a gripping, suspenseful tale that will keep you guessing to the end!
I kept predicting small pieces along the way, but not enough to put the whole picture together!

That’s the best! When you guess just enough to be proud of your detective skills but the author still slips one past you, keeping you humbled and in the dark for the overall picture. Like a cat toying with a mouse…and a recipe for the perfect thriller!

I’ve read and enjoyed all the books from this author and cannot wait for more!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

Wild Meadows looks like the perfect bucolic foster home. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia end up there through various circumstances as children. Miss Fairchild is their foster mother who can quickly change her mood in the blink of an eye. The three girls become "sisters" through all of the psychological torment of the experience.
Flash forward twenty five years when the "sisters" are summoned back to Wild Meadows when human bones are found under the house.
Totally engrossing read as the story swings back and forth in time and is told from the POV of each girl.
This is my very first Sally Hepworth read and it will not be the last.