The bond of sisters is not one to be taken lightly. Especially when that bond was created through the tragedy and trauma of a childhood spent in foster care.
Join three women as they relive their tragic pasts when they are asked to return to the town that brought them together. The home they grew up in leaves a terrifying discovery when it is torn down…human remains. Whose are they and who put them there?

Full of many emotions, at times you won’t know who you are rooting for, or against.

Sally Hepworth did it again. This is my 4th or 5th by Hepworth and all her books suck me in quickly and I read them fast. I was coming out of a month long reading slump and needed a thriller by an author I knew I would enjoy. And this was exactly what I was looking for. Not only was I into the story line as a whole, but each of the sister's had their own little secrets and I was intrigued by those side stories. The pacing was good, the character development was good, the plot was good. And by good I mean it all was great. I am picky and this was 5 stars. So glad I downloaded this one on a whim. And I really wish this were being published sooner so I could talk about it with everyone!

I found this to be a very compelling read about three foster sisters, who lived in a house that was not filled with love. I felt that the characters were well written, and the storyline easy to follow. There’s a very interesting twist at the end that I really did not see coming. I loved to watch the sisters grow into their adult selves despite the challenges they had as children.
Thank you to NetGalley and to St Martin Press for allowing me to read this book. I will definitely press it to my friends.

Loved it. Great reac on my Cheasapeake Bay beach vacay!

This book alternates between the present day life of three adult foster siisters and their tortured early years under care.

From the beginning i was drawn into their seemingly perfect lives and then I was hooked by the actual dysfunction.

So many twists that I was surprised by the last page.

This book will be available April 2024 so put it on your TBR list.

Many thanks to Goodreads, the author and publisher for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

Once again another Sally Hepworth book that I could not put down! I devoured this book in 4 hours. I enjoyed following Jessica, Alicia and Norah(without a T) in this story! I loved the dual timelines, the twists and turns and the character development.

Looking forward to see what Sally Hepworth coms out with next.

5 Stars!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
What a great read, impossible to put down!
Three women, sisters in spirit, who were foster children in hellish circumstances, are called back to the town where it all happened. Now they have to help the police with their inquiries: whose bones are buried under the house they lived in?
They meet the woman who cared for them again, bringing all the horrors back.
A terrific book, Sally Hepworth does it again! My favorite book of the year so far, highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this novel. I really enjoyed it! I had been in a reading rut and I feel like Sally finally got me out of the rut with this one. It had a unique premise and one seriously evil main character. I’ve read most of Sally Hepworth’s books and this is easily one of my favorites!

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

I was so excited to be able to read another ARC of a favorite author Sally Hepworth. This psychological thriller had me guessing from the first page, and surprised till the end.

What I liked:
•the story is set in an unfortunate foster home, but with three likable “sisters” who all came to the home under completely unique circumstances that made them who they are.
•one character or POV in the book is a mystery. I enjoyed that ~ and it kept me guessing.
•the main theme is the mystery of who committed a heinous crime in the foster home years ago ~ did the awful foster mother have something to do with it? Did the three girls know anything? I didn’t know until the end but was trying to figure it out.
•the story is told in present (where are the girls now as women ~ how did their rough childhood effect them?) and in flashbacks.
•the epilogues are satisfying!


What I didn’t like:
•it’s just hard reading about childhood trauma.
•this has nothing to do with the book itself, but I’m listening to a book that has similar themes ~ which I didn’t know when I began reading the books (went in blind to both!), so I get them confused at times!

Sally hasn’t let me down yet. Another riveting story from beginning to end!

This book will be available in April, 2024!

Book 59 of 2023

As a former caseworker for kids in foster care and protective custody, this book really did an incredible job of bringing to life some of the horrors of foster care and how childhood trauma can bond people to one another. I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down!

My husband and I became licensed Foster parents almost 9 months ago. This book shines a light on some situations that can and have occurred. There is no doubt flaws in our system and they need to have light shined upon them. This book had my chest tight and holding my breath for so many pages. It has multiple POV of the foster children that grew up in the same house. After the house has been demolished, bones were found under the house…and the investigation begins. So many questions and not a lot of answers. There was so many twists and turns! If you love a good thriller, this is a must read!!

Another great Sally Hepworth novel! This story about three foster sisters captured me from the very first page and held my attention all the way through! The twists and turns at the end had me feeling completely satisfied, as I really had no idea how the way this was going to end and who was going to be the one that was to blame for the bones under the home these girls grew up in.
If you like Sally Hepworth novels, you’ll love this one! And if you haven’t read one yet, you should, because you’ll be in for a treat!

I am a huge fan of Sally Hepworth. I have read all her books and eagerly await each new publication. I was thrilled to receive a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was about three women raised in foster care. They experienced a lot of trauma and abuse from their foster mother. This created a bond like no other. I loved reading about these women and their sister like bond. Sally is exceptionally gifted at creating 3 dimensional characters that are both real and flawed. In this book you see the child abuse they suffer and their experience trying to an escape the cycle of abuse. This book is a slow burn. While there is a mystery surrounding bones found under their foster home I would not label the book a “fast paced thriller”. I do recommend this book and can’t wait to read Sally’s next release.

Thank you for the ARC!
This book was amazing. I could not put it down until I was done. I thought I knew how it was going to end but the twist definitely had me surprised. Definitely recommend this book!

My very first ARC was Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. All I can say is WOW. What a wild ride. I was hooked from the very first page and could not stop until I finished. This book deals with extremely heavy topics involving children, so beware before you begin. That being said, it truly made me feel so many emotions throughout the book and had me guessing until the very last page! The story is told in two timelines- past & present. In most past/present storytelling, I tend to prefer or look forward to one over the other. This may have been the first book that I felt equally attached to and excited for both timelines. The characters felt so real, and the setting had an eerie sort of charm to it. Without a doubt, this is a 5 ⭐️ read for me. Make sure to add to your list for April 2024! Thank you to Net Galley & St. Martin’s Press for the early copy!

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were all foster children of Miss Fairchild. At Wild Meadows, they endured the unimaginable. Years later, bones are found buried in what used to be the Wild Meadows yard. The girls return for the first time and begin to confront their childhood memories.

"We're sisters in every way that counts."

Sally Hepworth has a way of creating beautifully flawed characters that you just can't help but root for, and that was the case here. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are not biological sisters, but the trauma they went through as children made them, if possible, closer than some biological pairings. I loved their bond and their loyalty to each other.

This read like suspenseful women's fiction. The mystery of the bones was front and center, but I found myself mostly engaged with the sections of the book that were set in the past, when the girls were under Miss Fairchild's "care." There were times I actually felt so sad and anxious for these girls - that's how good Hepworth is at character building.

This was a great read that explores childhood trauma, foster care, biological vs nonbiological bonds and so much more. With short chapters & a classic Hepworth twist, you will fly through this one.

Alicia, Jessica, and Norah are sisters in every sense of the word. Although not blood relatives, these women endured a childhood that bonded them together for life.

If you are a Sally Hepworth fan like I am, you won't want to miss Darling Girls. If you haven't discovered Sally Hepworth's books, Darling Girls is a great one to get started with. The characters include those you are cheering for, and the one you love to hate. The story will keep you reading late into the night.

I loved, loved, loved Darling Girls. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this excellent book.

Four and a half stars for me, especially with the stellar last chapter. I enjoyed the then and now aspect of the storyline and the banter between the three foster girls.

Any Sally Hepworth book is a good book! This is the story about three sisters who grow up in an abusive house and that trauma that stays because of it. It was a really good book!

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.

Received the ARC from NetGalley. I always like Sally Hepworth books and this one was no exception! Definitely a unique story and I found each character interesting so I was glad we got so many points of view. The ending was such a good way to close the book!!

I could not book this book down!!!! I finished it in 2 days! This book starts slow but it immediately grabbed me. Three foster sisters, one horrible guardian, and one dead body. I don’t want to say anymore than that because it’s best to go in not knowing much. The twist and turns will keep you entertained for days! 4.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.