Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. I really enjoyed this thriller about a trio of foster sisters revisiting their troubled childhood. It was very engaging and a quick read

This was a solid, slow burn thriller/mystery/drama. The story was interesting and kept me engaged. The ending was really interesting!

Sally Hepworth just never disappoints. I went into this one completely blind and so glad I did. I loved everything about this book, even though at parts it made me so emotional. I love Sally’s style of writing and the way she makes you feel like you’re a part of the story.

This was such a great page turner! I’ve never read a Sally Hepworth book I didn’t enjoy and Darling Girls is no exception. I loved the alternating timelines and the plot twists. I read this so fast and kept wanting more. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced e-ARC.

We follow three women who are brought back to their childhood foster home after skeletal remains are found under the home. We get before chapters to the girls' abuse at the hands of Miss Fairchild. Child abuse is a heavy subject & always hard to read. However, I was fully invested in the story & looking forward to having some justice brought to the women. The ending twist was even more devastating than I expected but it's a reality as well with people getting away with the worst.

Thank you so St. Martin's Publishing Group and NetGalley for my copy.

This is my second read of Sally Hepworth and I will say I enjoyed it even more than the first! It's a great story about three young girls in the foster care system that end up in the same home run by Miss Fairchild, who at first seems like a loving caring foster mom who really wants to give Jessica, the first to arrive, the loving and caring home she deserves, but as the other two are introduced a different Miss Fairchild begins to emerge. The three girls, Jessica, Norah and Alicia have an incredible sisterly bond. You will find out secrets about all of the characters as you read through but there are definitely some unexpected twists along the way. It reads quickly as you don't want to put it down and has a great mystery to it. If you've read others by this author you will definitely enjoy this one, if you haven't this is definitely a good one to start with.

I've read several books by Sally Hepworth now, and she has yet to disappoint me with one of them. Once again she's created interesting, flawed characters in this story of 3 adult women who bonded as foster "sisters" and remain close as adults. When a skeleton is found under the house where they were fostered, they're called in to try to help figure out whose bones they might be. This isn't always an easy read, with accounts of both mental and physical abuse of foster children in a setting that appears idyllic from the outside, but is far from it. And come into it prepared to pay attention - there are multiple points of view, and multiple timelines here. It's not as difficult to keep up as that might seem, just be aware and watch/listen for those changes. I mostly listened to the audiobook, and Jessica Clarke did a wonderful job with the narration, with subtle changes to the voices of the main characters. This is a book that pulled me in from the start and didn't let go until I was finished.
Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing copies for an unbiased review.

I really loved this book and it is 100% my new favorite Sally Hepworth novel.

Darling Girls alternates between the pov of three foster children--Jessica, Norah and Alicia in both the past and present. The three girls bonded during their time in the foster home of Miss Fairchild, who was a monster that inflicted a lot of emotional trauma on the three. After leaving Miss Fairchild's the girls stuck together in foster homes until they aged out, and still act as sisters as adults. When Miss Fairchild's home is demolished and a body is discovered underneath, the girls get together to try to solve the mystery and resolve their past traumas.

This book was so good and each girl's voice was so unique and flushed out that I wanted to be friends and hang out with each of them. The story was twisty and compelling and really all I could want in a thriller.

Three women are contacted by the police to assist in a case. When Wild Meadows, the home they were raised in as foster children, was razed, a body was found under the house. Now the women must come to terms with the time they spent there with their foster mother, Holly Fairchild. As each woman recounts their memories, the story of their childhood with a woman who was both controlling and manipulative comes to light.
Chilling story - especially the final chapter!

The “Darling Girls” told the story of three girls in the foster care system whose bond became of “sisters.” I appreciated the winding story told in past, present and future of each character chapter by chapter. When bones are discovered at their foster home the “sisters” found themselves at the center of the investigation. Ms. Fairchild was a villain you loved to hate and gave the story a chilly effect. I’m giving it 4 stars for character and plot development. Plus, the ending and chapter/character POW was-in my view-perfect.

Thank you St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC and allowing me to write a review.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were brought together in the foster home of Miss Fairchild. Miss Fairchild gave the impression of a lovely, caring foster mother to many children who had faced tragedy. But, looks are deceiving!

The girls finally escape the controlling, abusive home but remain as close as sisters and steer clear of the daring Miss Fairchild until a body is discovered under their former foster home! The girls must return to answer questions and they must face their past and secrets! Could Miss Fairchild have really killed a child and buried them under the home or are the girls guilty of the unthinkable?!

Darling Girls will pull you in from the first page! The characters are all interesting and relatable and story builds to explosive ending! Hepworth has a knack for thriller writing and Darling Girls continues her legacy! Great read for summer!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I've learned to never expect anything less than greatness from Sally Hepworth. Her books are almost always 5 star books for me and Darling Girls was no exception. This book follows 3 girls as they are taken in by a foster mother, Mrs. Fairchild, who they believe is a great woman. But, she has some issues and some rules that they just don't quite understand. She's controlling and doesn't allow the girls to do much. Now, as adults, they learn more about their childhood as a body is found at their old property. It was a bit hard to follow at times, but I think this was done on purpose because everything was cleared up by the end. This book goes back and forth between timelines from their childhood and adulthood. Each girl/woman is represented and we get to know their individual stories. Definitely would recommend.

Darling Girls is so far one of my favourite books of the year. It follows three sisters, all very different, who are called back to their old foster home when some bones were discovered. I loved the dynamics between the three women, and loved each of their characters. The end was also executed really well.

I was lucky enough to receive both the ebook and audiobook ARC for Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. I wound up mainly listening to this story as the narrator was excellent and helped me continue the story while having a busy schedule. I really enjoyed this book and found it to be in line with my expectations of this author. There were some parts that were fairly predictable but I don’t feel like it detracted from the storyline. The ending however totally got me! I did not see that coming. Overall I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a fun time.

This novel offers a dark and gripping read, presented through the perspectives of four different characters. The content can be intense and feels particularly real, especially for those sensitive to issues within the foster care system, which is depicted negatively here. Despite this, the storyline is exceptionally well-written, with the main characters embarking on a very dark path full of twists and turns. It's an unpredictable thriller right up to the last chapter. The inclusion of an alternative voice adds an extra layer of suspense as readers try to identify the mysterious character speaking with the therapist. While I didn't find this to be Sally Hepworth's best novel, it remains an unpredictable and worthwhile read for those prepared for its dark themes. I recommend this novel!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the copies to review!

Another hit for me by Sally Hepworth! I loved this slow build, character driven thriller that is told in two timelines, 25 years ago and present day, and from the POV’s of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, all of which I liked and did not have trouble following. I listened to this via audio, which was fantastic, and basically finished in one setting as I could not stop I was so engrossed in this story and could not wait to know how it would end. I loved this story, loved the ending, and it is now my favorite of Hepworth’s novels.

A deep and twisty read that lives up to the hype! This story follows a group of sisters in a dual timeline as we learn about their unconventional upbringing. We learn of the abuse they suffer and it connects to struggles in modern day life. It is well written and well plotted. Thanks to NetGalley for this read!

This book is described as a thriller, and it has elements of that, but it is really the story of the trauma and reckoning of 3 foster sisters who have to return to their old foster home.

While the book generally kept my attention, and after reading the blurb in the back I realize the author wanted to draw attention to the foster care system (in Australia as this book takes place), I found the book to be full of skimmable scenes of child abuse that I think I'm just tired of hearing. The characters do work through it, but maybe I've just read too much or I'm too old to be "thrilled" by such sad stories. The trauma is no longer shocking (as the "twists" are probably meant to be) but just sad. I appreciate how the author shows how the 3 women deal with what they've been through as adults.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. #sponsored

Fast paced, deeply emotional, relatable and yet completely mind blowing. This book left me speechless. The ending provided a twist I didn’t see coming and knocked me into next week. 5 stars all around. My only regret is not reading this sooner.

There is some mention of child abuse which was hard to stomach, however I trusted the author to bring that into the story to educate others on a difficult topic.

Regardless I loved the pace of this book, I love that the twists and turns weren’t predicted and were easy to follow. The characters were straight forward. No ties were left undone. Truly amazing book.

A suspenseful novel that will keep you on your toes. I liked the multiple POVs and getting to learn about each of the three girls. The pacing was good, and the twists weren’t predictable. I feel like this would be an easy one sitting read for someone who loves fast paced thrillers/mysteries. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.