Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.
After reading and loving The Soulmate and now Darling Girls, Sally Hepworth is fast becoming one of my must-read authors. I know she has a ton of other books so I realize now that I’ve been missing out!

In Darling Girls, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have a special bond, when they were girls they were raised for a time by their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. The girls had to follow Miss Fairchild’s strict rules and try to anticipate what might set her off. They had to walk on eggshells because they never knew when she might dole out one of her unique brands of cruel punishments.
Basically, the girls lived in fear and vowed to be there for each other. True sisters.
Eventually when they were taken to the brink of fear & anxiety, they were able to get away from her.
But then bones turn up buried under the house they lived in and they have to face it all again. It’s been years but when the police call, they must confront their past and the dreaded Miss Fairchild.

I thought this was very well done. I was drawn in by all the sisters’ storylines and the evil workings of Miss Fairchild. The story definitely gripped me and had me turning the pages to see how it all turns out. I also think the author handled the serious subject matter of childhood trauma very well. All the girls were affected in different ways by their childhood and I felt completely invested in their stories and truly cared about them.

It’s a compelling read that I highly recommend.

TW: child abuse

Even though this book doesn’t come out until April 2024, I was so excited to read it and the cover was giving summer vibes so I wanted to squeeze it in before summer was over. Despite its cover, this book had absolutely nothing to do with summer so feel free to read it whenever. I was pulled into the story from the beginning. The intrigue was persistent throughout and I thought the pacing was great! The ARC needed a lot more editing, which was hopefully taken care of in the published version. The last chapter was wild and a little too much for me but I’m sure some people will like it. This book did something that I HATE (I won’t say what because of spoilers) but other than that, this was a solid thriller and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sally Hepworth for the ARC ebook. Darling Girls will be published April 23, 2024.

This is a masterly woven story of Jessica, Norah and Alicia as they all were foster children at Wild Meadows with Holly Fairchild. Jessica is the first to arrive and she craves love, and acceptance she does everything asked of her to make her mommy love her. Jessica leads a very isolated life with no friends to play with and only her mother. Then soon two more girls arrived.

Holly manages to control the girls by fear .They learn to do what she says or there will consequences. The girls try and protect themselves as best they can. They try and tell the authorities what is going on but no one believes them. Now, all are grown up but didn't get over the traumas they went through.

Now, years later a body has been discovered under the house. Everyone is brought. in and questioned about what went on in the house.

You can't help but get caught up in the story and wondering how it is all going to end. Corruption, scandal, secrets, abuse, mystery, murder all intertwined to make this is a compelling read.

Darling Girls was a thrilling, edge of my seat, fingernail biting read for me. I could not put this down and read it late into the night. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, then Sally threw in one of her famous twists and I was completely shocked.
I liked how the story slowly unfolded and was told from each characters point of view and perspectives. The story went back and fourth so that each of them could tell their own story.

If I could sum up Darling Girls in one word, it would be GASLIGHTING. Domestic thrillers are Sally Hepworth's specialty and once again, she nails it. Told from alternating perspectives in alternating timelines and locations, Darling Girls really boils down to the importance of sisterhood. I truly loved Alicia, Jessica and Norah -- despite wildly different upbringings and personalities, the three of them had an inseparable bond. Even with the alternating timelines, this was a fast-paced thriller, with an arguably pitiable villain. Simply genius!

SYNOPSIS:
- Alicia, Jessica, and Norah are all foster kids. They forged a lifelong bond after they ended up being placed in the Miss Fairchild’s dysfunctional, abusive, and volatile home.
- Years later, the women still are close and are sisters by choice. Bones are unearthed under Miss Fairchild’s home, and the trio receive calls from a detective.

MY THOUGHTS
- Sally Hepworth has done it again. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors.
- I couldn’t put this book down, and I stayed up late reading it.
- Hepworth shines at character development, and she does an impressive job making the main characters relatable, flawed, likable, complex, and real. I loved seeing how the foster care system, as well as the placement in Miss Fairfield’s home, impacted each of the women.
- The story alternates between present day & the past, and both timelines are equally evocative.
- Multiple POVs (Jessica, Norah, Alicia, & a patient’s session with their psychiatrist)
- Well-plotted with lots of twists
- Top-notch writing
- Fast-paced
- Quickly got invested in the characters

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Another gem by Sally Hepworth. Excellent character development. Finished this one in under 36 hrs.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. It will be published on April 23, 2024.

One thing about me - if Sally Hepworth writes it, I am going to read it. I absolutely devoured this one. Like seriously I could not put it down. Hepworth's books are always engrossing and quick reads. This wasn't my favorite of hers, but was still a solid book. I will always recommend a Sally Hepworth book!

Sally Hepworth is a go-to author for me so I was so excited I got to read this early.

This story was told in the past and present from the POV of three sisters, Jessica, Norah and Alicia, who grew up in foster care with Miss. Fairchild.

The character development was so so good and I couldn’t help but root for and love these three sisters. The last half of the book I could not put down so I stayed up way too late and devoured it.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the e-ARC of Darling Girls, I can’t recommend this one enough!

Darling Girls is dark and at times disturbing and revolves around three girls who grew up together in the foster system in the same household. Bonds are formed because of this, and they consider themselves sisters to the end. The horrors that go on in the house are heartbreaking and when the book moves forward 20 some years, much of this is exposed. This book will keep you on edge right till the end.

Great book!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one! This book had a bit of everything!! It had great suspense, action, murder, mystery, intrigue, a fantastic who done it, abuse, mental abuse, gas lighting, revenge, great plot twist and many crazy twists and turns! The storyline was so very interesting and had me glued to my Kindle! I highly recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Sally Hepworth does is again! "Darling Girls" is full of suspense and will keep you on the edge of your seat - don't be surprised if you finish this in one sitting!

This is my second Hepworth novel, and I truly enjoy her storytelling. It’s more mysterious with little sprinkles of thrill. Told from three (with a fourth every now and then) points of view, each alternating between past and present. The sad reality of foster care and the corruption that likely happens. I enjoyed the bond between the sisters, and each one of them was easy to root for. Overall, really enjoyed this.

Yet another winner from Sally Hepworth! Darling Girls is about Alicia, Jessica, and Norah, who were foster children together with Miss Fairchild on a farm. The POVs switch between the three ladies now and when they were children in foster care. There is also a POV of someone who is meeting with a counselor, but we don't find out who that is until near the end. At first, with Jessica, Miss Fairchild is a doting foster mother but her persnickety moods soon take over. The girls are expected to keep a very clean house and eat very little as she is attempting to keep up appearances. Now that they are adults, the farmhouse is being demolished to become commercial property. They found bones at the site and the sisters were requested to come talk to the police about their time in the home. As more of the girls' time at Wild Meadows is unraveled, it is easy to see how Miss Fairchild's abuse has led to the problems they are facing today.

I absolutely LOVED this book - it's twisty, unfortunately realistic, and has tons of humor sprinkled in. The character development is amazing and the bond between the sisters is extremely deep. Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital reviewer's copy of this thrilling book in exchange for my true opinions.

Sally Hepworth has done it again! I always fly through her books as soon as I can get my hands on them and I was so excited to receive an ARC of 'Darling Girls'.

Jess, Nora and Alicia are found sisters that spent formative years in the custody of Miss Fairchild, a single young woman who appeared to be a wonderful foster mother on the outside, but caused hell for each of the three girls for years.

25 years after they were removed from the home, they are unwillingly dragged back into the past when the police find remains buried underneath the farm house. As they try to ascertain who is buried there, they interview each of the girls about their experiences in the house -- descriptions that are disturbingly cruel.

I loved each of these characters and how they processed the events of their past -- certainly with many different hurdles and unhealthy coping mechanisms but the bond between them was beautiful nonetheless. An excellent thriller that so clearly shows how complicated family can be. Highly recommend if you like this genre!

Darling Girls is a absolutely fantastic read. Jessica, Alicia, and Norah’s stories coupled with the mystery of what happened at Wild Meadows made for such a compelling story; I haven’t read anything quite like it. The darker and uncomfortable moments balanced with the emotional tug you feel towards the girls made for a great mix of plot and well developed characters. It is a great read until the very last chapter, which I have found to be so rare these days. I truly couldn’t put this down. It busted me right out of my reading slump. Darling Girls is one of the best domestic thrillers I’ve probably ever read and I highly recommend adding it to your tbr list!

I loved this one more than I remember loving Hepworth’s more recent novels. The setting and premise were very unique to me and I really enjoyed that about this book. Great read and easy to pick up too!

5 Stars!
LOVED!

Jessica, Norah and Alicia have an unbreakable bond. Growing up under the foster care system, these three lived together till they were in 14. Not bound by blood, but their experiences they are sisters through and through. Their foster mother Miss Fairchild looks the part of the doting mother. But, what goes on behind closed doors? This book is full of tangled secrets and the destruction left behind from keeping them.
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THOUGHTS:
Sally Hepworth always creates well developed characters. She is thoughtful in creating plot points and adding subtle clues throughout her books with twists that always keep me guessing. I’m a huge fan of her books and was so excited to receive an early copy of this one. I really enjoyed the elements of found family and the bond between these women. I devoured this book. It’s a bit sinister, a bit sad, and always invoked hope. I loved it. Definitely one to pre order. Hope to see you on your again Sally. 💜

DARLING GIRLS is a domestic suspense mystery by New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth. Having really enjoyed her previous novels, I was anxious to start this novel.

In this novel the focus is on the system of foster care and its effects on the lives of three women: Jessica, Norah, and Alicia: linked as sisters by their childhood where they lived on a farm with a foster mother named Miss Fairchild who raised them at Wild Meadows.

Novels
The Secrets of Midwives (2015)
The Things We Keep (2016)
The Mother's Promise (2017)
The Family Next Door (2018)
The Mother-in-Law (2019)
The Good Sister (2021)
The Younger Wife (2022)
The Soulmate (2023)
Darling Girls (2024)

This is my review of Darling Girls.

The three sisters are all different yet bonded together. Jessica has a little OCD and Norah has some anger issues and Alicia has low self-esteem. It's a bond that takes them back to when they were girls, and they lived on a farm with a tough foster mother named Miss Fairchild who had rules not to be broken.

The book begins in the present, twenty-five years later, where each sister receives a call from a detective to inform them that Wild Meadows had been demolished and human bones had been discovered beneath the farmhouse from their childhood. They are asked to return to tell what they know. Against their will they return to Wild Meadows and Miss Fairchild.

The chapters alternate between past and present timelines of three women and how their past trauma shaped their present day lives.

The strength of this novel lies in the exceptional skill of this author’s character development. Each woman is different and easily pictured with their own set of baggage.

Can the past ever truly be buried?

Many thanks to the author , St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my digital copy.

I love me a Sally Hepworth book and I was really excited to get this ARC to review. I felt in this one it was less about the who dunit or the big twist that the end like her other books and more the buildup to the emotional trauma that had been endured. It was a very enjoyable and quick read and it does keep you at the edge of your seat and you become emotionally invested with all the characters. What i did not get was the book cover : Revenge is Sweet .. I would actually not say this book is about revenge at all. I would use the words atonement, reckoning and karma before that one. Also Miss Fairchild was a fascinating character. I Wanted more of her psychiatry sessions, her insights and that skewed perspective made the book.

One of my favorite authors. So excited to get a ARC for her newest book. I love the character development of the three sisters and the slow building suspense. Started and finished in one day because I couldn’t put it down.

Really liked the strong women who are also supporting the main women including Det Patel and the two smart attorneys.