This was amazing!! It took me a week to read but that’s only because I have been super busy. These three sisters are each so different from each other, but they went through a horrendous childhood together that bonded them for life. This is their story, in their words. (Not a true story, it is fiction, but it felt so real.) I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Highly recommend.

Riveting story! Sally Hepworth delivers another page turner with three women who once lived at Wild Meadows as foster children. Willow Brook is not what it seems and is the domain of Miss Fairchild whose description reminds me slightly of Professor Umbridge. Each women gets to tell us her story as the storyline moves from past to present. Each woman has their unique set of problems but one finds them likeable characters.

The story really takes off after bones are discovered under Wild Meadows. The mystery brings them all together to try to determine whose bones they are. The conclusion of the book left me a bit shocked but it was a great closure to the story. Overall I really enjoyed this thriller. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to review.

This is a story of 3 women’s lives today and as foster children in an abuse home. There is a lots of trauma throughout their lives attempting to deal with what happened to them in those years. Please check trigger warnings before reading this book. I listened to the audiobook and it was told well. The story is back and forth from then until now and there are 4 points of view. If your not paying attention, you can lose the refs to whom is speaking. The first half is all background as to what occurred and it was a bit tedious for me. The second half was much better as it is entirely about today and trying to solve the mystery. Overall it’s interesting but sad. I gave this 3.5 stars.

This is my 2nd Sally Hepworth book and I will say I am a fan. Darling Girls was so suspenseful and intriguing. I loved how dark but also sweet this book was and loved the connection with the sisters.

And that twist at the end? My jaw was on the floor!!! Sally knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Oh boy. Families are sure complicated. Families sure come with baggage. And ALL families have secrets.

That is never more evident than in Sally Hepworth's latest "Darling Girls."

As someone who is passionate about adoption and foster care, I didn't know whether to be repulsed by the evil Miss Fairchild....or appreciate the multiple complexities to her character. (The end I should have seen coming (as it is customary in the suspense genre) but I still was a bit surprised.) All of the three girls who had been under Miss Fairchild's care at Wild Meadows, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, all have memories of growing up....and as you might imagine, not many are positive.

I very much enjoyed this book and I know others will too!

Fast paced thriller that pulled me in right from the start and kept me there until it was over. Not especially shocking and maybe the ending was a little overly explained (although I'm sure some people love that there so zero ambiguity left) but overall a good read. There were multiple POVs and timelines selectively switched between to keep you engaged.

I’ve read several books by Sally Hepworth, and I was so thrilled to be granted an advanced digital copy of her newest release.

Darling Girls drew me in from the very beginning and was another suspenseful and emotional ride from this fantastic author.

Told from multiple points of view and bouncing between the past and present of three foster sisters not bound by blood, but by shared trauma and experiences.

Hepworth always keeps you guessing and just when I thought I’d had it all figured out and wrapped up, she left me with a final wallop.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for the advanced readers copy.

This book kept me guessing the entire time. I wanted to see how it would end. I found all of the characters to be very unlikable and I found it hard to connect with them. The ending did surprise me and I don't know how I didn't see it coming. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Darling Girls is the first book I've read by Sally Hepworth. I was hooked from the very beginning! I'm not going to repeat the synopsis of the book, but I will tell you what I enjoyed. The story unfolds with the telling of the past or present of each character. You learn what each girl went through during childhood & where they are in life currently. I can feel the emotions each girl is portraying. The story kept my attention & I wanted to know what happened. Another interesting aspect that the author put in the book was someone is meeting with Dr. Warren, a Psychiatrist, & telling their "life story" - it never states who it is & keeps you guessing until the end. I really enjoyed how Ms. Hepworth wrapped up the ending with a twist.

If you are looking for a fast paced psychological thriller, then pick this book up! I will say if child abuse is a trigger for you, then you may want to skip this one.
I can't wait to read more books by this author!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, & the author for voluntarily letting me read this book & give my honest opinion.

This is my new favorite book by Sally Hepworth. Thank you SMP for the gifted copy!

I really loved this book. The dual timeline gives us the story of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, three girls that lived with their foster mom, Miss Fairchild. We learn about their time living at the farm, and how it was not as ideal as some thought. Years later, a body is found buried on the farm - who is it and how did it get there?

The twists built up and then kept coming. And that ending - holy sh*t. I’m sure some people would figure it out but I tried not to - and all I can say is whaaaaaat!

Ahhh, this was one of those books that captured my attention. It was a really captivating psychological thriller with a twist I didn't see coming. I have read a couple books by Sally Hepworth and really enjoyed them. The before and after timeline, with little pieces of the puzzle make it fun to try to figure out what happened. The ending was chef's kiss. I love how everything was wrapped up, personally I like endings that don't leave you with more questions.

This book took several turns that I didn't anticipate, and I love that. I was definitely engaged the whole time and waiting to see how this was going to play out. I was a little disappointed in the ending, but really enjoyed this book as much as others from Sally Hepworth. If you're a fan, this is worth the read!

I’m always excited for the new Sally Hepworth novel and this one is a great story. It focuses on three sisters who were all in a foster home together and bonded as though they were biologic sisters. They are protective of each other and love each other, sometimes more than they love themselves. They have similar experiences from their time in the foster home and never want to return to the town. But when bones are discovered underneath the foster home, they are duty bound to return to answer questions from the police.
As they are forced to relive their adolescence by returning to the home and recounting events that defined their childhood years.
There are twists and turns throughout. I especially appreciate the fact that each character has a unique arc that is explored through the entire book.
Highly recommend.
#DarlingGirls #NetGalley #StMartinsPress

This multi perspective book was kept me interested along the way. I kinda guessed it, but not with the twist that came. Centered around a foster home that has a trio of teen girls that form a sisterhood - and a dual timeline in adulthood. Given their trauma, were things as they remember or what the adults saw?

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

This book was a refreshing read for me. Was it also incredibly sad and evil? Absolutely. I have read another book by Sally Hepworth (The Soulmate) and one thing I enjoyed about that book, and this one, is that the author manages to take a mystery and completely contort it into something that I haven't read before. Even when I think I am figuring out the ending, and even if I'm right, there are other twists and turns that change everything. It makes the reading experience intriguing and satisfying.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia met at different points in childhood when they were placed with Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows. Jessica arrives first, then Norah, and at last, Alicia. When Jessica first arrives, Miss Fairchild dotes on her and even tells Jessica that she can call her "mummy" if she'd like. But once Norah arrives, everything changes. When Alicia comes, the treatment becomes even worse. Miss Fairchild exploits and humiliates the girls, finding what terrifies them, and inflicting it on them. She then starts taking in baby girls, and when she becomes annoyed with them, the girls take turns caring for the babies before they are placed elsewhere.

This story alternates between the present day when a body is found beneath Wild Meadows, and the subsequent investigation, and the past, as each girl arrives at Wild Meadows, and their shared experiences.

This book flows easily. This is one of those stories where you could easily start and finish in a day and feel like no time has passed. The author kept me fully engrossed throughout the story. Even with heavier subject matter, it was well-balanced and was thoughtfully and tastefully written.

Because this story alternates between the past and present, we see characters having their everyday lives occurring as they are being pulled back to Wild Meadows and the past. And with everyday life come problems. Each character has their flaws and ways their trauma manifests in the present day. I appreciated that the author shows that, but also showed some of the consequences of choices that have been made. With this subject matter, it's easy to want to give the characters a buttoned-up, happy ending, and call it good. But the author leaves no stone unturned, and the reader gets to experience the fulfillment of the characters having a complete ending.

A nice 5 star book from Sally Hepworth! What a master storyteller! This book is phenomenal and is one of my favorites this year! A suspenseful journey that had me feeling so many emotions. This is one of those books that you will still think about years down the road. Such a dark side to the foster care system, but the love these sisters shared was heartwarming. I loved all three and their very different personalities. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the copy of this eARC.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
#thriller
#netgalley published 4/23/24
#foundfamily

4 POVs. 2 timelines. All clearly marked. Not confusing at all. Pulled me in right from the start as per her usual. SH weaves a great story of the girls horrible little life living with their foster mom. The story is about 3 foster kids from one house, now sisters. All grown up with their all slightly messed up lives. Only to be called back to their hometown bc bones were found under the now demolished house. Who will be suspect? Who is telling the truth?

I don't think I want to say anymore. Don't want to give anything away. So we'll done! That's why SH is an auto-buy author for me.

#arc #darlinggirls #sallyhepworth @sallyhepworth
#bookstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendation #booknerdsbookreview

This is my first Sally Hepworth book and it won't be my last. Thankfully, she has a backlist I can get to!

I loved this book! Three foster girls return to the house that they grew up in, as there is an investigation happening from human remains that were found. This book is told from two time lines of before and after they escape Miss Fairchild, their foster mom. I enjoyed the fact we got all POV's from the girls - it really added to the suspense.

I did guess a few twists and turns but there were a few that totally got me! I couldn't read this fast enough.

There are a few triggers to be aware of, so be sure to look at those before jumping into this.

After reading The Soulmate last year and absolutely loving it, I can say I went into this one with very high hopes….
Darling Girls did not totally meet my expectations but was still a very enjoyable read. I found the multiple POVS to be very distinctive and easy to follow but at times I did find myself getting a bit bored or just not feeling the excitement to pick up the book. What I did really enjoy was the final twist as it’s not what I had guessed was going to happen. Overall, a very solid 3⭐️ and will definitely still continue to pick up more books by Sally Hepworth in the future!

Dark subject matter but there’s also something hopeful about it, in the connection the sisters have with one another. Their upbringing, which we glimpse in flashbacks told by different sisters, is traumatic but they survived by having each other. And there’s something nice about that and it gets them through their present unknowns as well.

For what should be a dreary story, it plays out nicely. Even saving some surprises for the very end.