Sally Hepworth is on my dependable authors list. She always manages to deliver a good read. Darling Girls had everything I come to expect in one of her novels; a little bit of mystery and suspense, characters I feel invested in and a moment or two that leaves me teary eyed.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were placed in the foster care system and raised by Miss Fairchild. Not exactly a happy childhood for the girls to put it mildly. Now they are adults and trying to put the past behind them but after a body is found in the house they grew up in, they are considered key witnesses by police. Or maybe even suspects.

The pacing is great because the story alternates between the different characters and you are getting caught up on the backstory as well as the current case as it unfolds. Held my interest from start to finish.

I loved exploring the sister's dynamics in this book and the lengths that they will go to to fight for each other. This is my first Sally Hepworth book but it definitely won't be my last!

Sally Hepworth's new release surrounding three young girls in foster care is her typical, propulsive, unputdownable work. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn't get enough of it. The tension was great and it went in many directions I was not expecting, keeping me on the edge of my seat until the very end. However, I couldn't help wondering if the book sensationalized bad foster care situations, and wondered if part of my fascination came from the feeling of watching a train wreck. Despite this, I cannot deny that Hepworth is the master of the compelling story, and her books are great reading slump busters. I am excited to own another book of hers and am glad to be reminded of her talent.

I enjoyed this book. The characters were well developed and the story kept my attention until the very last page. I definitely recommend this book!

Rating: 4/5 stars

The premise of this book was very interesting, I haven’t read anything quite like it. There was a perfect blend of emotion and suspense that kept me engaged from start to finish.

The story explores the complexities of sisterhood, love, and secrets. Each character is well-developed, with their own unique personalities and struggles, making them all surprisingly relatable and enjoyable.

Although the pacing was a bit slow at times, I was so invested that I couldn’t put it down. Hepworth’s writing style is effortless and she really draws you into the story. The ending was completely shocking and amazing, I absolutely loved it.

This was my second book by Sally Hepworth and while I enjoyed this book overall, I do think I liked The Soulmate better. I’m excited to read more of her books.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC!

Love a good Sally Hepworth read, and this was no different. What a twisty, disturbing ride! I loved to watch as our three darling girls all became sisters and were there for each other through it all. That part was heartwarming and so redeeming, in an otherwise super messed up world. I saw some of the twists coming, but man, that last chapter! I love how the book weaves the perspectives from each of the girls, as well as flashbacks and scenes from the psychologists office. This one was hard to put down, and definitely kept my attention.

Bottom Line: Read it.

**I received a copy of Darling Girls from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

Wow! What an emotional ride. Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth focused on a countryside foster home and its residents. The narrative switches back and forth between present day and the girls' childhood with their foster mother. Most of the twists I saw coming but there were a few surprises. There is even a Verity like element. I usually don't like the "unreliable narrator" in books and this had a little bit of that. However, I thought Sally Hepworth did a great job with that. Be sure to look up trigger warnings before you read this book. At times it could be hard to read. I started with the ARC generously gifted to me by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley but finished on audio. The audiobook narrator is excellent. I really enjoyed the Australian accent. Overall a great read.

Wow. This book was incredible! A slower burn, but there are twists and turns at every corner - the ending had my jaw on the floor. I was also really impressed with the way foster care trauma was written and how the characters dealt with it all as adults. Such a fantastic read, and definitely one I will recommend to everyone!

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.