Man, this book was intense. It was my first Sally Hepworth book, so I’m not sure if that was to be expected or not. I sped through this book incredibly fast, so I definitely give it points for keeping me hooked. But the child abuse the main characters suffered (and the tertiary characters mentioned as well) was pretty extreme. Sometimes it’s a wonder authors can write about that, but in this book it was so important that Hepworth did. The three main characters (Jessica, Norah, and Alicia) were all children of the foster system, and the abuse that came to them wasn’t an anomaly in real life. I like that Hepworth mentioned in the acknowledgments that she interviewed actual former children of the foster system. It makes me so sad knowing this kind of abuse exists, and makes me hug my little one that much tighter.
I think with everything going on in the book, I was too distracted to think about any potential twists or turns, so I was definitely surprised throughout it. If you can stomach it, I do think this book is an excellent read. I couldn’t quite give it 5 stars, but I still really enjoyed it.

Trigger warnings:
- Child abuse to the extreme
- Mentions of rape/sexual assault

📖 Read if 📖 :
✔️ You love dark thrillers
✔️ You appreciate books exposing the horrors of the foster system
✔️ You want a real page-turner
✔️ You like books with multiple POV’s and flipping between past and present


Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this title, all opinions are my own.

This was just ok for me, which was disappointing because it started out really strong. I think I got a little bored in the middle and by the end I didn’t really care what happened. Three stars!

An unputdownable book that led me down a roller coaster of emotions—anger, fear, grief, sadness, love, shock, horror—all the while waiting to read the truth of not only three foster children’s upbringing, but that of the cruel foster mother responsible—and her own past! The twists and turns were many, and the ending left me speechless. Oh, darling…you must read this for yourself!

Yet again I was drawn in by Sally Hepworth and her riveting story telling. I stayed up late needing to know all of Wild Meadows’ secrets.

When bones are found on the property of a former foster home, the now adult foster children are called back to town to help find answers.

As always Hepworth kept me guessing until the very end.

Wow this might be my favourite read by this author so far! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and it was so easy to get through!

ARC from NetGalley. I DID enjoy this one, although it was difficult to read about the mistreatment of young girls. I sympathized with the characters, as I found myself hoping for them to get the ending they deserved. I definitely didn't guess the ending, but, looking back, I can see how Hepworth built to it over the course of the novel. I would recommend for more adult readers, as the emotional load of the characters was quite heavy.

Darling Girls is one of the darkest and best books I have read this year! This really keeps you questioning until the very end and I couldn’t put this down!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a chance to read an ARC of Sally Hepworth’s new book. I have read 4 other books by her and have loved them all. This one did not disappoint. It was very hard to put this book down. Her writing style captivates you from the first chapter.

It begins with a body that was found under Wild Meadows the house that the three sisters lived when in foster care. They are called back to the place where they broke free of the mental abuse. It formed a bond between the three girls and they became sisters. We get perspective from each sister past and present. They each have to relieve childhood memories with Miss Fairchild their foster mom as they are questioned by the authorities to find out more about who the body belongs to under the house. It will definitely keep you guessing to the very end!

Wow!!!
This book had me so drawn in I finished it in one day! The story of Jessica, Norah with an “h”, and Alicia is one of the saddest tales I have read this year.
“Darling Girls” follows the life of three sisters who are called back to their childhood home after a body is discovered under their house.
The book had my emotions in a complete rollercoaster! The ending plot twist did catch me off guard a little, but, was absolutely brilliant!

This book does cover hard topics such a child abuse, neglect and drug abuse. Also there is a lesbian couple and there is a small sexual snip of their relationship.

Overall I would consider this another 10/10 for Sally Hepworth

Whenever Sally Hepworth comes out with a new book, I put it in my to be read pile immediately! Her books are always just scary enough to be thrilling, without giving me nightmares that night. Although I found this book, engaging and suspenseful, I would say it is not my favorite of hers. The aspect of foster care and the flashbacks to when the girls were young children were hard to read for me personally… however, as usual, she kept me guessing with the twists and turns in the plot! Overall enjoyed reading this book, but it doesn’t rate on the top of my list compared with others from this author.

Jessica, Alicia and Norah are sisters in all that matters. Jessica is an uptight, perfectionist in all that she does. Alicia has a big heart working as a social worker, and Norah, is a mess, but knows her strengths. One day each gets a call asking them to return to the place that bonded them as foster sisters. The house is being torn down and a skeleton is found buried beneath it. They must relive the past to be able to move forward and that includes coming face to face to their tormentor.

Put this on your list for September 26!! It’s a good one. I love all her books, this one was a little darker than normal, but you know me, I loved that!!

I loved this book until the end. Very unnecessary to have the book end like that.
Read the trigger warnings before reading this book please.

This book is about Jessica, Alicia and Norah who grew up in a house with a foster mother. Jessica had her first and she loved miss Fairchild more than the other girls but once the other girls came, miss Fairchild didn’t give her much attention and was very mean to the girls.

The state finds a young child dead under the house and now they are interviewing everyone to see who the child was and who put her there.

The girls are forced to come together and relieve their past.

I received this book in return for my honest opinion.

This author has been one of my favorites ever since I started my reading journey. This book was great. Not my all time favorite of hers but very good. I got sucked into the characters of the 3 girls lives. Great read. Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy of this book.

A fantastic read, from beginning to end. Touches on so many topics and layers of foster care, the psychological affects your childhood can have, and some good ole fashioned narcissism. I really couldn’t put this thriller down, and really enjoyed the characters and their individual stories! The three sisters in the book will definitely have you wanting to come back to the story to learn more and more about them!
Most of the story plays out the way you may expect, but as always what’s a good thriller without a surprise twist !
A first for me by Sally Hepworth, but definitely not the last!

5/5 stars 🌟 Darling Girls is another twisty Sally Hepworth read about three “sisters” Alicia, Jessica, and Norah who bonded through their time at Wild Meadows under the care of their foster mother Miss Fairchild. As adults, the sisters are brought back to Wild Meadows after people start digging up secrets of their past - literally. Lies, manipulation, and a lot of “he said/she said” made this one a story that I devoured in one sitting.

I loved how this book was written and timed with the past and present POVs. It gives great insight into foster care and the good/bad lasting effect(s) it can have through adulthood. There were a lot of different pieces of the puzzle to put together, but for me it added to the fun of the twists and turns! Sally Hepworth is such a great storyteller. I loved seeing how it all came together in end, and the last chapter was just icing on the cake.

*I would add that there are some trigger warnings of child abuse, drug abuse and murder throughout this story.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s press, and Sally Hepworth for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review 🩷

- Pub Date: April 23, 2024 -

I read this book in one day. Different view points of the story was interesting and did not seem overdone at all. Would recommend

Wow! I love Sally Hepworth’s writing style! It is engaging, twisted, and fast paced!

Jessica, Norah and Alicia are all from separate broken homes and they were all fostered by Miss Fairchild. They are all reunited when the police discover human remains under their childhood farmhouse. While the police are trying to solve the mystery of the remains, the story bounces from each girls’ POV to understand their past and present stories. None of them have happy memories.

I love a psychological murder mystery! This one did not disappoint. Even though the ladies had tragic upbringings, I still enjoyed the story without feeling bogged down and super depressed. I felt bad for the ladies, but it wasn’t too deep to not what to read it anymore.

I can’t wait to read her next book!

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Wow! What a great book! This hooked me from start to finish, I loved it! The book was written from each of the sisters perspective’s, flowing together effortlessly.

These three sisters bond is like no other. They each have a deep connection as they have been through a rough childhood together but continue to look out for one another through all the years.

Sally Hepworth’s books are ALWAYS good but this one is easily my favorite by her.

Thanks so much to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC copy of this book! My reviewing & platforms information is linked in my profile.