This book was really good! It was little slow to get into but I loved all the flashbacks and I enjoyed that the story was told from multiple points of view. I also like that the character speaking with their psychiatrist is woven throughout the story. I was surprised to discover who it was at the end. Overall, good book!

This was another hit from Sally Hepworth. I really enjoyed her last novel, The Soulmate, and this one delivered just as much. The multiple POVs and timelines were a great way to hear the story from all different sides. The fast-paced nature of the book kept me wanting to read. I enjoyed the found family trope of the three foster sisters banding together and remaining in each other's lives. The last few pages of the book were truly shocking and left the reader wanting even more.

**Blog Review scheduled to be posted April 4, 2024

The overall summary of the book was intriguing: a dead body was found at three foster sisters' old foster home. Throughout the entirety of the book, I enjoyed getting to know the three sisters more. One thing I have always appreciated about Hepworth's writing is her characters. When I felt her plot fell a little short, her characters made up for it.

The book follows four different perspectives: three foster sisters (Jessica, Norah, and Alicia) and one mystery therapy attendant. All the narrators felt extremely unreliable to the point where I questioned every little thing. I am a little picky when it comes to unreliable narrators (and by a little picky, I mean extremely), but I enjoyed the payoff in this one. My biggest pet peeve is when an unreliable narrator reveals some huge secret they had no reason to keep, but the reveal of the major plot twists felt justified. Again, Hepworth writes such strong characters that all their decisions and inner thoughts MADE SENSE.

Hepworth tackles some difficult topics in Darling Girls, including foster systems and the sexual abuse/harassment of children and adults. There were times that I felt uncomfortable, so if this is something that would bother you, I would suggest skipping this one.

While there was an exciting mystery to it all, do not go into this expecting an action-packed thriller. It read more like a mystery, especially because of the ending. I never felt like anything was too at stake, which sadly made me feel underwhelmed at the ending. I also felt the organization of the story was a little off. Some things were revealed a little too early, lessening the suspense in the story.

Overall Feels
While the ending fell short, I am not upset that I requested this one. I still had a good time, and I think if I went in with different expectations, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. The pacing and the strong characters are what kept the book in my good graces. I'll continue to look out for Sally Hepworth's novels in the future!

I recommend this to anyone who loves reading family dramas and mysteries. 3.5/5

Absolutely adored Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth! It's possibly her best yet. The dark, suspenseful tone had me hooked from start to finish. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were captivating main characters, and I felt like I knew them inside out. The seamless transition between past and present, from their time with foster mom Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows to dealing with a body found there, was masterfully executed. The pacing was spot on, keeping me gripped throughout. A perfect weekend binge read—I'm eagerly awaiting Sally's next masterpiece!

I really liked this book. I feel it was easy to follow and I was quickly addicted to the book. I love a good thriller.

As a huge fan of Sally Hepworth, I was excited about her newest release. I have to say, this one isn't my favorite. Dealing with a house where a woman hosts foster children, Darling Girls deals with some of the worst aspects of the foster care system. We primarily follow three girls who have become sisters to each other, creating a found family who can truly rely on each other. They are contacted regarding some human remains found under the house where they met while staying with an abusive foster mother. Told in flashbacks and transcriptions from therapy appointments, this book teases out the story of what happened when they were young, who the remains belong to, and how they got there. I guessed quite a lot of the reveals in this book, and although that isn't a deal breaker for me, the book didn't bring enough emotion and involvement to the table to make up for it. I'll continue to read from this author, but this one is a miss for me.

Loved! Sally Hepworth is one of my top authors and this might be my favorite one yet. Dark and suspenseful- I was completely invested. What a wild ride. I loved Jessica, Norah, and Alicia as the main characters. I felt like I really knew them and could understand their motives. The way the story line flipped between the past when they lived with their foster mom, Miss Fairchild, at Wild Meadows to the present as they deal with a body found at Wild Meadows was really well done. I loved the pacing. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. This was the perfect weekend binge read and I can't wait for more from Sally.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are the darling girls. These three grew up in what looked like an idyllic foster home from the outside, but in actuality, it was a nightmare. Wild Meadows is run by - dare I say a bipolar woman - Miss Fairchild. She has a fancy face for the public and a sinister one for the girls where evil lies just under the surface of her soul.

The story moves from past to present with much frequency offering insight into past traumas of each girl and what their life was like living at Wild Meadows. In the present time, each girl has found their own way of coping as an adult and remain close like sisters.

The mystery of a dead body found on the property of Wild Meadows was interesting, but it seemed to be in the background. I found myself wanting more of the present timeline and less of the past. I think it was necessary to include some chapters on what it was like for these girls as children, but it was too much and I found myself disappointed every time the narrator said the word "before."

Sally Hepworth does a good job of shedding light on mental health awareness and the emotional impact trauma leaves on a person. These women did resonate with me. I enjoyed the narrator with her pleasing Aussie voice and calm tone. Though it still took me over a month to finish it. I think if I was reading this book instead of listening I might have given up before the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an advance review copy.

A thrilling page-turner filled with lots and lots of questions with every page! Really enjoyed this.
This was the perfect book to take on vacation So bingeable! Lots of twist and turns and if you were driving I would yell cliffs ahead. I didnt not see that ending coming at all I was shocked.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A wild ride! This was Sally Hepworth at her best! Darling Girls explores the struggles for children growing up within the foster system. The story surrounds a murder, with a body showing up buried underneath an old foster home. Just as you think you know what happened, Hepworth changes everything! The bonds between foster sisters were powerful. All of them were uniquely troubled but came together with love for one another. All three perspectives were shared and there were flashes from "then vs. now." You will find yourself rooting for them and being filled with absolute disgust for their foster mother, while also questioning--who can be trusted?

This is my new favorite Sally Hepworth novel, I read it in under 24 hours. I was completely hooked in less than twenty pages. The flashbacks to present were done so well, where sometimes it can get a little muddled. Every time I thought I figured out the twist, a new twist blew me out the water. I appreciated how the story wrapped up for each character dealing with what they went through in childhood and finding their happiness in the end. I also enjoyed that it wasn’t buttoned up perfectly with the final twist at the end.

Three foster sisters receive a phone call that human remains have been found under the foster home they met in. This brings them and their old foster mother, back to the small town to help find out whose remains they are.

The three girls all have their own issues as adults after their troubled upbringing under the care of Miss Fairchild. Told between the past, the present, and another story line of someone in therapy recounting their time at the home, we see the abuse and learn the story of what happened at the home.

The characters were well thought out and defined, both in childhood and adulthood, and the story flowed well. I really enjoy the writing of Hepworth.

Sally Hepworth has done it again! Its very hard to describe the book without sounding degrading toward foster families/mothers, but I did think the author did a great job telling the story without disgracing all fostering families.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Throughly enjoyed this book with all its twists and turns. I also enjoyed the different points of view. It kept me entertained and I didn’t want to put it down.

4.5 stars

A twisty thriller that had me speeding through it. I loved the alternating povs between Jessica, Norah, and Alicia - my heart really went out to them for all that they endured. It was quite difficult for me to get through those chapters.

The twists at the end were so satisfying as well! I did correctly call one of them and I'm so happy I was right.

Darling Girls focuses on three girls who ended up in the same foster family. Jessica arrived first and stayed the longest. She viewed her foster mother, Miss Fairchild, as her mother. Miss Fairchild doted over her, until she didn’t. Norah arrived next, an angry bitter girl. She had a mean temper and despised Miss Fairchild from the beginning. Alicia arrived last, as a temporary respite while her Granny recovers from an illness. The three girls bond like sisters. Miss Fairchild is viciously mean, manipulative and conniving to all three girls. They clean the house constantly, often have little food to eat, have no outside contact except at school and their social worker. To earn more money, Miss Fairchild eventually fosters infants and toddlers. When they turn to dislike her, she pushes them onto the three girls to take care of. Eventually, the three girls are able to break free from Miss Fairchild, in the hopes of never seeing her again.
Twenty-five years later, Jessica, Norah and Alicia are notified by the police from the town they grew up in, that human bones were found under the house as it was being destroyed. This all brings back horrible memories of their life with Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows. Whose body is it? How did it get there? Who buried it? The three women decide to go to the police station to find out more regarding the human body. As they are being questioned, they wonder, are they considered to be witnesses or are they suspects?
This novel is told in dual time lines, before and current. There are three narrators, as well as a psychiatrist, Dr. Warren. Who is he listening to? Who is talking? This is not revealed until the end.
This book was a page turner for me. It was easy to follow the past/present chapters and listen to the voice of the main characters. The chapters with the psychiatrist was disturbing and upsetting to read, especially not knowing who was involved. The ending of this psychological thriller is quite shocking.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Published on April 23, 2024.

Trigger warnings- child abuse

I have really enjoyed Sally Hepworth’s previous books. She writes a great domestic thriller. I was excited to get an advanced copy of her newest release about three foster sister who return to the farm where they grew up after a body is found buried there. It’s told from multiple point of views, and in multiple timelines. Sadly, it was completely predictable and not nearly as good as her other work. It’s out now, but I’d give this one a pass.

Sally Hepworth never disappoints when it comes to a bingeable book. This was very much a 'who is it' and a 'who did it' book. Lots of twists and second guessing.

TW: This one does have child abuse.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
P.S. I read this book before it was published, and I completely forgot to do the review. Soooo... Sorry.

Darling Girls takes you down a windy, dark hallway filled with intriguing twists and turns. Just when you get to the end, with everything all wrapped up all nice and neat, you find that there’s one last door – one final chapter – and when opened it blows everything you thought you knew right out of existence.

But let me take a step back.

Jessica, Norah (“without a t”), and Alicia come to live under the foster care of Miss Fairchild. As lovely as Miss Fairchild appears to be, dressing herself in youthful pink and ruffly costumes, she has a twisted & dark side that she can barely contain. Delivering psychologically damaging back-handed compliments, emotional abuse, and passive-aggressive remarks, Miss Fairchild deviously manipulates her dependents. Lovely Miss Fairchild uses the young girls’ fears and insecurities against them. She keeps them secluded – keeps them out of school to care for other younger foster babies that come to stay with them. What are these defenseless young girls to do?

Fast forward 25 years, and quite expectedly, all of the mental torture has led to major coping mechanisms. Acts of violence, stealing (and taking!) pain killers, and self-loathing – these adult women have difficult with trusting in relationships, and with believing they deserve love. The sisters are brought together again when a gruesome discovery is made under the home where they were raised. What really went on all those years ago??

What is it that makes someone your sister? Is it blood, simply shared genetics, or is it shared experience? Darling Girls is the story about sisterhood and the bond that forms between young women growing up together. Although it was a bit of a slow burn, in the end, I have to admit I enjoyed the story and there couldn’t be a better title for this book. Intermittently sprinkled through the book are chapters where “someone” is receiving psychiatric assistance. Color me intrigued.

Thanks to St Martin’s Press & NetGalley for the free ARC, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily. (Also thanks to author Sally Hepworth for schooling me on a few common Australian words that I didn’t know previously.)

Sally Hepworth has done it again with yet another pageturner! I was hooked on this story from page one. It's about three girls who were raised in foster care with a foster mom who was abusive. As adults, they are all called back to their foster home when a body is discovered, and they are forced to face the secrets of their past.

Any story about children being abused is difficult to read, so be aware that the subject matter in this one is not easy. While it is an entertaining book, it also focuses a lot on the trauma that these girls experienced and how that carried into their adult lives.

The narrative jumps around between characters and between the past and present. This makes for a super fast paced story and a quick read. I found it to be compellling, and I just had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen.