Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This is one of those cant put down books and I stayed up way too late reading it.
25 years ago three young girls find themselves in the same foster home - Wild Meadows run by the very unstable Miss Fairchild. They form a bond stronger than blood that lasts into adulthood. Now as the home they once lived in is being demolished, bones are found and they are forced to confront the horrors they faced all those years ago as well as perhaps find closure and healing for they trauma they each still carry.

I loved the way the author wrote these characters, each with a unique voice- I especially was enamored with Norah the rebel, who uses her fists to solved her problems, but has all the love to give to her three rescue dogs- Thong, Couch and Converse- each named after the first thing they destroyed. I wont spoil the ending, but there is a nice twist.
Lots to discuss at book club- including the sentiment that children of adoption or foster care are not LUCKY, the don’t need to be grateful. They are there because of tragedy that happened to them, and a loving home is the least that they deserve. Recommend

“It’s unimaginable, isn’t it?” Miss Fairchild said, looking from Jessica to Norah to Alicia. “To think that someone would hurt a child.”

This was my first Sally Hepworth book. Everyone I know raves about her stories and writing, but this wasn’t as spectacular as I believed it would be. It was good, but did it live up to the hype?…. Meh.
We follow three foster sisters : Jessica, Norah, and Alicia. All three of them follow certain tropes. Jessica is needy and craves attention, Norah is a troublemaker, and Alicia is kind of just… there. During their time at Meadows Hill with their new foster “mother”, Miss Fairchild, psychological and physical torture begins. The commentary on how dark the foster system can be was great and something that I think should be touched on more, I really loved to hate the flashbacks of the girls and their time with Miss Fairchild.
Present day, there is a mystery happening that brings the three sisters together to face their traumatic past at Meadows Hill. Bones have been uncovered under the house after it is demolished. Detectives are trying to figure out what happened, and who these bones belong to.
Unfortunately, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia just all feel so flat as adults. They have little side conflicts that are happening, but I truly couldn’t care less about any of them. They were dull and felt lifeless.
As the mystery goes, I DID enjoy that. The twists were fun, even though a TAD bit predictable.
The real meat to this book was Miss Fairchild herself. The character study into her was phenomenal. I wanted to know more, honestly. I wanted more insight into her life, her issues. You find out the most in the last chapter, but I want a whole book based on HER. There’s just so much potential in her as a mentally unwell and depraved woman.
All in all, a quick read and twisty domestic thriller with interesting secrets, the importance of found family and trauma bonding, and a crazy evil foster mom.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of these thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow. The second to last paragraph of this book practically made me vomit and also filled me with rage at the same time. Darling Girls truly doesn’t let up until the very last page and will leave you with your jaw on the floor.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are foster sisters who’ve grown up and managed to escape their monster of a foster mother while maintaining their unbreakable bond. But when bones are found buried under their childhood home, Wild Meadows, the women will have to confront their past traumas and come face to face with their tormentor.

This book was flawlessly written. Each character is developed beautifully and their back stories, while heartbreaking, are thorough and incredibly deep. I feel like very few authors are capable of the character development and arc that Sally Hepworth can create amongst her main characters. Character development was truly spot on and made for an easy, endless page turning read.

My only “criticism” is that it overall felt a little anticlimactic. Don’t get me wrong, this book is heart wrenching, devastating, empowering, and thought provoking, but it lacked a wow factor somewhere for me. I was expecting something more suspenseful but maybe that’s my fault for going into it that way.

Darling Girls does have Secrets of Us (Lucinda Berry) vibes so if you enjoyed that wild ride of a book I can assure you that you will devour this as well!

Overall, Darling Girls gets 4 out of 5 stars from me because it was written so well and executed flawlessly; but it wasn’t my favorite Sally Hepworth work (looking at you, The Soulmate).

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read this ARC before it’s scheduled release date of April 23, 2024.

4.5 rounded up
Sally Hepworth does it again
Stayed in late into the night to finish. Nice mix of characters (Norah is my favorite) and easy to dislike antagonist. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This book is 4.5 stars from me - knocked down from 5 because the content got a little dark. A plethora of trigger warnings here…

This psychological thriller focuses on three foster girls (Jessica, Norah, and Alicia), their time with abusive foster parent Miss Fairchild, and ultimately how their time under her care left lasting impacts. The girls are called back to their foster home when human remains are found beneath the house, and readers are brought back and forth between present day as the investigation unfolds and decades ago when the girls were living under the same roof.

The characters are all deeply flawed, but not unlikeable. The plot is quick and propulsive; I generally preferred current day because the girls’ youth was very dark to read at times. Sometimes the plot was a little predictable, but there were plenty of twists along the way to keep it all very entertaining. The ending was not as untied as I prefer but the very last chapter was a great final twist! I couldn’t put this down!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

THIS BOOK.
Kept me hooked from page 1. I wish I could read it for the first time again! Tied together beautifully, until the end. Completely threw me out of my comfort zone. Brilliant.

Possible trigger warning for foster homes/child abuse/addiction

I've liked Sally Hepworth for a long time but this book really won me over and solidified her as one of my favorite authors. Wow, can she write! Each book I've read from her has consisted of a unique storyline and it seems like no matter the heaviness of the content her writing still contains a great deal of, dare I say, charm? I really enjoy the way she writes and I get sucked in quickly.

This is my favorite book from Hepworth. I wasn't able to read it all in one sitting due to daily demands, but I found myself sneaking glances at the book whenever I got a free few minutes. I devoured it. I loved it. I wish I could read it again with fresh eyes.

The way Hepworth just gives you a little info at a time has you guessing until the very end about what actually happened. I don't know what else to say without spoiling parts of the plot so I"ll leave it at this... do your future self a favor and pre-order this book. You'll be completely engrossed in it the second it arrives at your doorstep and it will give your mind a much-needed escape into the Australian world of Sally Hepworth. And know this: I'm quite jealous you get to read it for the first time!

Thank you so much to the author and to netgalley for allowing me to review such a captivating read!

3.5 Stars -- I'm a big Sally Hepworth fan, however, this one fell a bit flat for me. Darling Girls follows three women who grew up in foster care together. The story alternates POVs as well as between the past and present. Flashbacks are interspersed with the current event of the women returning to the town where they grew up, when a child's bones are discovered beneath their foster home. The story was interesting and with adequate twists, however, for some reason I found the writing a little too "tell me" and not enough "show me". I felt like I was being told what to think about the characters rather than allowing their actions and attitudes to do it for me. The characters were portrayed in a starkly cliche approach, which grew irritating at times. Overall, though, this was a fast-paced read with an interesting story line that would make a good match for someone looking for a quick, twisty mystery.

I really like books by Sally Hepworth so I was really happy to receive this ARC. Although this wasn't my favorite of hers, it was still a good book.

The story revolves around 3 girls who are all sent to the same foster home. The woman they are sent to live with is mental at best and psychotic at worst.

The girls bond over their shared experiences and wind up feeling life they truly are sisters. When a body turns up under the house where they lived as foster kids they are called in by the police. Who is the body under the house, what happened, if it was murder, who did it?

The book does a good job of letting each of the girls tell their own story and how their past has affected their present way of living.

I enjoyed getting to know each of these girls and rooted for all of them to be okay in the end.

Another stunning novel by Sally Hepworth! Wow this was so good. A gripping and beautifully outlined story with a dark, twisty ending! I will definitely be recommending this. Longer review will be posted when the pub date gets closer.

Another Hepworth to keep me up past my bedtime!

TW: child abuse, foster care, sexual assault, benzodiazepine abuse

Fantastic story of non-blood sisters sticking together against all odds. The power of sisterhood, the resiliency of children and the impact our childhood has on adulthood.

If you’ve enjoyed her previous work you’ll love this one. I couldn’t put it down I just had to know what happened and I did not see it coming!

Amazing. I loved it. The characters emotions poured off the pages. I didn’t see the ending coming. I loved it

Darling Girls is so much more than just a thrilling, edge of your seat psychological thriller! At its core, this is the story of three sisters of the heart, Jessica, Norah and Alicia, their struggle to survive their frightening past in a foster home, and the love and caring each has for the other. Sally Hepworth skillfully alternates timelines as she reveals the harrowing past of these three foster children, all placed in the care of the erratic, diabolical Miss Fairchild, as well as the effects of their years of abuse on their adult lives. The book is a sobering look at the children caught in the system. (The author notes are definitely worth reading.) When the home they lived in was demolished, and bones were discovered underneath, the three women and Miss Fairchild are summoned by police as part of the investigation. The plot twists are like a roller coaster ride through a dark tunnel as the real truth and the identity of the bones are discovered. It is an amazing book and I loved it! Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advanced copy. The opinions of the review are my own.

A beautiful story about three foster children who aren't biologically related but become the closest of sisters through the horrible foster home they're placed in. Told from each girl's POV along with a therapist's session. You don't know who the therapist is talking to until later in the book. The twist at the end was totally unexpected ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley for my ARC!

Another amazing book from Sally Hepworth!! All the twists and turns, keep you guessing! Wow! It's very twisted but I couldn't put it down!! High praise! This is a must read book!!

OKAY WOOOOWWW Hepworth has me in a small chokehold (with this one but also with multiple of her books).

This story was everything I love in a domestic suspense/murder mystery
- follows a few POVS (one being a mystery) in the third person.
- Goes back and fourth between past and present FLAWLESSLY.
- Leaves you on constant cliff-hangers (not thrilling wise; more like “I NEED TO KNOW” hangers).
- Has twists that don’t punch you right in the gut but lead up with a medium-paced burn.
- Discusses relationships that make you want to potentially commit a crime but also ones that warm your damn heart.
- Great psychological aspect
- Has an ending that hits you with the 😱😱😱😱
- no predictability, only clues to help you slowly figure out what’s going down on your own (but you probably won’t with that ending LOL)

100000000% recommend this one. If “The Soulmate” was your first Hepworth book and it wasn’t your vibe, don’t stress; this one is completely different and really shows off the authors writing skills! It will captivate you from the start!
It gives “The Whispers” vibes but with a lot more energy!!

DNF-- I expected to like this far more, given the premise and author, but I didn't connect with the characters and found their back stories to be difficult to read. While I don't usually have issues reading trauma in a character's back story, I need to feel invested in the character in order to go through it.

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read and review this digital arc! All opinions and thoughts are my own!

3/5 stars

The story of "Darling Girls" embarked on a slow and intricate journey. It involved the intertwining of past and present timelines and presented three distinct points of view, all aimed at constructing the complex history and relationships of the foster girls and their foster mother. While the historical context occasionally made for a challenging read, particularly when it delved into the foster mother's abusive behavior and the dire circumstances of each girl, the narrative did shine when it focused on the bonds formed between the girls, infusing the story with depth and heartfelt emotion.

I found the pacing at times very slow, and I noticed a disconnect between the stories of the characters as young girls and the women they had become in the present day. This discrepancy made it challenging for me to reconcile their youthful experiences with the dysfunctional adults they had evolved into. It felt like they were entirely different individuals.

With that said the unexpected twists towards the end added a satisfying layer to the narrative and justified the time invested in reading it. While the book had its shortcomings, I still found it to be an interesting read. Not what I was expecting but not bad either. I'll definitely check out Sally's other works!

Darling Girls was such a great read. I loved how the POV changed and reveled about each of the sisters stories and how they all came to be. Hearing some of their stories of growing up in the system is heartbreaking, although nothing is graphic or to detail. The mystery POV adds great depth behind the story.

Thank you NetGalley, Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date for Darling Girls is April 23, 2024

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! I am a huge fan of this author, but this one fell a little flat. It felt incredibly predictable and drawn out for no real reason. Some things felt glossed over while others dragged on. Overall, I enjoyed the story itself and the writing was great as always. It just was a “meh” for me in the characters and storyline.