I am shocked at home much I enjoyed this book! I couldn't put it down! The plot twist I didn't see coming but at the same time i kind of did if that makes sense. The writing was fantastic and completely drew me in and kept me excited about the book and where it was going to go

Not for the faint of heart. I should have known better than to read this book. As a former foster parent, this book was extremely hard for me to read. Unfortunately, the horrible experiences these poor girls go through are sometimes the cruel and unfair things that children in the system go through. It felt too real to me at times, reminding me of stories some of my kids had told of the things they experienced in other homes. Despite the heavy feelings this book brought on; the book was well written. The characters were well developed, and the story flowed well. This book was quite good and enjoyable but extremely sad. ⅘ stars. Thank you, netgalley, for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest review.

Darling Girls is another blockbuster pyschological thriller from the master, Sally Hepworth. Young foster sisters Jessica, Alicia and Norah are raised by Miss Fairchild, who portrays herself as the benevolent dream-mother when really a monster lurks below the surface. Jessica found herself at Miss Fairchild's first and initially is living a fairytale but soon realizes she can never do enough to win Miss Fairchild's attention and affection. When angry Norah and sweet Alicia join the fold, they bond together and form a united front against the abuse. Decades later, still close as sisters but each facing their own demons following their upbringing, Miss Fairchild is back in the news. A body has been found on the property and the investigators ask the sisters to travel to the farmhouse as former residents to help shed light on the potential victim and cause of death. This novel, told in alternating timelines and perspectives, is as fast-paced as it is chilling. Is one of the sisters a cold-blooded killer? Or, is the truth far worse than what is imagined? Hepworth is at her best in this engrossing novel.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia aren’t related by blood, but they are sisters through and through. The three spent several years together at a lovely farmhouse as foster children. The woman taking care of them, Miss Fairchild, seemed to be a loving and kind woman.

But the time they spent there was horrific, and they endured emotional abuse and lived in fear. One day, they spoke out and were freed from Miss Fairchild’s care. But years later, each still carries wounds.

When police notify the women that human remains were discovered buried beneath where the house used to stand, they are asked to return to that place of nightmares, both physically and metaphorically. The headlines “practically write themselves” since they’re former foster children. People are fascinated by them and the lurid news. The police, well, they’re gathering information, but who knows when the women may be arrested?

I automatically picked up this book as an ARC because I’ve enjoyed Sally Hepworth’s other thrillers. And they’ve all been rated moderate. I was disappointed because this one has more strong content. I probably should have paid closer attention to the summary of the story; I have found I don’t do well with stories of abuse. That said, though, I also didn’t find the ending to be at all a surprise. It made complete sense to me, so it wasn’t a shocking twist. Not sure if that’s what it was meant to be, but it felt like a bit of a letdown.

So, all in all, Darling Girls is my least favorite of Hepworth’s books. My favorites would probably be The Mother-in-Law and The Good Sister.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sally Hepworth and St Martin’s Press for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This might be one of my favourites from Hepworth; it was twisty, fast paced and very very tense. I was engrossed in this model right away and I wanted to just sit and read the entire thing. I enjoyed the pacing and the ending so much - I definitely recommend.

Thank you to @stmartinspress, @netgalley, & @macmillan.audio for the advanced reading and listening copies!

Oh. My. God. I’m not entirely sure what I read but what I do know is that everyone else should also read this (& I mean this in the best way possible).

But let’s start from the beginning. The story is about Jessica, Alicia, and Norah. 3 girls within the foster care system that wind up at Fair Meadows under the care of Miss Fairchild. In this story we’re given the present day where the 3 girls have gone back to Port Agatha because a body has been found under Wild Meadows. The other part is “before,” where we’re given a look at the childhoods of the girls while at Wild Meadows. This story had everything - from the psychological workings of sisterhood, found family, the foster care system, and the meaning behind nature vs. nurture. I found myself getting emotional towards the end as I felt truly attached to all 3 girls. In college I minored in Psychology and I found this book brought me back to why I loved it in the first place. I don’t want to give anymore away because everyone just needs to pick this up TODAY. Just know that the ending blew my mind and I promise it won’t let you down.

Thanks to @macmillan.audio, I was able to continue listening while commuting to work. Narrated by Jessica Clarke (whose accent is phenomenal), I found myself entranced by her voice as it portrayed the story and location in a way I didn’t think possible.

I liked it! The hard reality of what some children have to go through in foster care is hard to comprehend. There were many instances that I had to put the book down because it was hard to read. As a mother, it's heartbreaking. There were some surprises throughout the book but none that left me with my mouth open or led me to scream. The last chapter didn't surprise me entirely. I felt it was very on brand for Miss. Fairchild to have lied knowing what she knew. I did love the sisteryl bond that Jessica, Norah and Alicia had. Even with Amy. My heart broke for all thre for what they endured and still continue to struggle as adults. Overall, it was a book that I needed to know what was going to happen next!

Oh my gosh! I absolutely LOVE Sally Hepworth’s writing! Even though there are different parts to the book (different POV, then/now, and then even a mysterious person meeting with a therapist) Hepworth knows how to make it flow so seamlessly and not be confusing. I loved all the different characters and how we are able to see the past events of their childhood and what made them who they are today. And the twist 🤯 one that I definitely wasn’t expecting!! Overall, she is definitely an autobuy author from me and one that I will always recommend!

What a wild ride this was! I've read a few of Sally Hepworth's books now and it never ceases to amaze me how each story is unique and flies right off the pages. This one is no different. I highly recommend this title is you are looking for mystery, murder, and multiple view points.

Wow. What do I say?! This is my first Sally Hepworth book and I now I will stop doing anything productive in order to read all her other books!

3 girls each with their own story of trauma and neglect, but saved and lucky they were told to be with Miss Fairchild. And from the outside looking in - they were lucky. But living there -Jessica, Norah and Alicia - had a different opinion. Miss Fairchild wasn’t the saint everyone thought and her rules were different than anyone would assume. So they ran and never looked back until one day they became murder suspects.

I’m willing to say that in the beginning I didn’t feel like I was going to like this book but as we got more involved and more information my opinions changed drastically! I love a before and after timeline and this was masterfully done with the tiny bits we kept discovering along the way. My favorite chapters were from our “mystery” character in their sessions. I don’t want to give anything away but go read this book and go along for the ride!

Hepworth is one of my go=to authors, and this one didn't disappoint. Along with a solid mystery, the dynamics between the sisters quickly pulls readers in with their ability to come together and navigate the trauma they faced and work their way toward healing. I also love how the story is a reminder that family doesn't have to only mean blood relatives. Unexpected twists keep the reader guessing and engaged. The abuse angle (from the past) could be triggering to some readers, but there is a nice balance with the present day storyline. For instance, I really liked the bedtime jokes! They were ones I'd never heard before, and they made me chuckle. The twist at the end was unexpected, which I loved. I can't wait to read what Hepworth writes next!

This story is told in third person with multiple narrators in a dual timeline format. It follows three foster sisters and an anonymous woman in therapy in an additional ambiguous timeline. The three foster sisters come together in the present timeline when a body is discovered during an excavation at the site of their former foster home known as Wild Meadows. The story alternates between the present as the sisters travel to be questioned about this discovery and “before” revealing their history with the foster home and how each individual ended up there. The audiobook was narrated by Jessica Clarke who did a fantastic job distinguishing all of the various personalities of the sisters and other characters.

All three foster sisters have very different backgrounds and histories with their foster mother, Mrs. Fairchild. I really enjoyed their present storyline which reflected the bonds that the three women have held onto from their childhood experiences. However, the “before” storylines were filled with physical and emotional abuses that I didn’t enjoy reading. The focus on the story was more on the emotional bonds of these sisters and how they were built and less about the mystery of the body.

I think a lot of readers will enjoy this story more than I did. I’m more of a mystery reader and was more interested in the investigation than the foster story. I found the foster mother to be irrationally cruel. Some of the girls’ reactions to her abuses did not resonate with me. I was also annoyed with the ambiguous therapy storyline. There were a couple of twists that I did enjoy but overall, the themes here were just not for me.

Recommended for the sisterly bonds and overcoming of childhood abuse and trauma.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for a copy provided for an honest review.

This was my first Sally Hepworth read, and I will DEFINITELY be looking into the rest of her back catalogue after this. "Darling Girls" is a propulsive slow-burn (trust me, it makes sense), with expertly-drawn characters, a plot that twists and turns along hairpin curves like a professional driver, and plenty of misdirection and untrustworthy narration. I will admit, I figured parts of it out early on, but not because Hepworth telegraphed it; I just read a lot in this genre, and watch a lot of Dateline. It was just...I could not put this book down, and I'm itching to finish a bunch of the things waiting in my TBR pile so that I can check out another one of her books. What a ride.

I usually love Sally Hepworth's novels and while this one was good, it wasn't on the same level as her other books. The story was a bit far-fetched and kept giving me "Flowers in the Attic" vibes. While it was easy to read and interesting enough to keep my attention, the plot was just too reminiscent of other books that I guess maybe I'm tired of. My thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Sally Hepworth has done it, again! Hepworth is an auto-buy author for me and her latest domestic suspense did not disappoint.

I really enjoyed The Good Sister (4⭐), The Soulmate (4⭐), and I liked The Younger Wife well enough (3⭐), but this was hands down my favorite Sally Hepworth novel.

There were so many things I did not see coming! Hepworth did a masterful job with the multiple narrators/timelines, and the character development was on point. This was a super quick read that had me 🤯🤯🤯 at the end. Genius.

The only reason this was not a 5⭐ read for me is that I'm not a fan of mixing romance and thriller/suspense, but I still loved this book and there's no doubt it will end up being one of my favorite reads of 2024.

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

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Sally Hepworth’s Darling Girls is a propulsive thriller that’s hard to put down. Tightly written and well plotted, the twists in the book are truly surprising and maintain the reader’s interest throughout.

The novel is based on the horrific childhoods of three foster children — Jessica, Norah, and Alicia — who were placed in foster care at the idyllically names Wild Meadows under the care of the superficially sweet Holly Fairchild. In reality, Holly Fairchild is a monster who specializes in abusing children who show an interest in anyone but her.

In such a traumatic environment, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia form a bond as sisters which lasts through adulthood. The book opens as the women are summoned back to Wild Meadows after a body is found under their childhood home. The story proceeds in a series of alternating chapters and time frames for each sister, interspersed with Holly Fairchild’s therapy notes.

Hepworth does an excellent job depicting the relationship between the sisters, as well as showing the horrors of the foster care system where traumatized children are removed from their homes only to be further abused in foster care. Needless to say, the damage caused by these experiences can be lifelong. 4.5 out of 5 stars (rounded up). Highly recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary advanced copy of this book.

I loved this book! The subject matter was rough and my heartstrings were tugged at throughout the book but I couldn’t put it down.
I thought I knew where the book was going and then something would be revealed and I’d suddenly be questioning everything again. I did not guess the ending and that’s always my favorite.
I’m definitely going to be checking out Sally Hepworth’s other books because if they’re anything like this one, I’ll have a new auto-buy author!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the copy of this eARC.

Stunningly Well Written


I'm overjoyed to have dedicated uninterrupted time to dive into "Darling Girls" by Sally Hepworth, a literary treat that reaffirms her status as a must-read author in my book. It effortlessly earns a spot on my list of favorite reads for 2024, leaving me eagerly anticipating Hepworth's next offering. Now, let's delve into what makes this novel so captivating.

From start to finish, "Darling Girls" held me in its grip, but it was the final chapter that truly blew me away, elevating what would have been a four-star read to a resounding five stars. Hepworth masterfully concludes the narrative, delivering a conclusion that leaves an indelible mark. Bravo, Ms. Hepworth, for a stellar closing act.

The heart of "Darling Girls" lies in the lives of three foster "sisters" who reunite after 25 years following the discovery of human bones at the site of their former foster home, Wild Meadows. Jessica, Alicia, and Norah, bound by their shared past and haunted by memories of their abusive foster mother, Miss Fairchild, confront long-buried truths as they assist the detectives in unraveling the mystery.

Hepworth skillfully navigates the complexities of trauma and its enduring impact, offering a poignant portrayal of the lifelong scars inflicted by narcissistic abuse. Miss Fairchild emerges as a chillingly manipulative figure, her influence casting a shadow over the lives of those she once controlled.

With its abundance of twists and turns, "Darling Girls" kept me on the edge of my seat, compelling me to read late into the night. The payoff at the end was more than worth it, delivering a conclusion that resonates long after the final page is turned.

In conclusion, "Darling Girls" is a riveting read that delves deep into the human psyche, exploring the bonds of sisterhood and the lasting repercussions of childhood trauma. I wholeheartedly recommend immersing yourself in this gripping tale.

When Jessica was orphaned at the age of four she was sent to Wild Meadows, where Miss Fairchild opened her home and embraced her as the daughter she always wanted. The two were very close, with Fairchild insisting that she be called mummy. A few years later she took in Norah and Jessica was no longer the favored child. Fairchild became demanding and exhibited drastic mood swings. Alicia eventually joined the family and the three girls bonded to survive the severe punishments and harsh living conditions in the home. When Fairchild decides to adopt Amy, an infant, the girls fear for her life and finally approach the authorities. When the police investigate, there is no sign of an infant and Fairchild denies her existence. Years later the girls are grown with careers of their own but they have remained close. Jessica runs her own business, but is dealing with prescription abuse, occasionally stealing pills from clients. Norah has anger issues and is on probation for her past actions and Alicia is a social worker, devoted to helping children. They vowed to never return to Wild Meadows, but they are contacted by the police when an infant’s skeleton is found buried on the property.

Sally Hepworth Alternates the women’s stories with sessions between Dr. Warren and his patient. It becomes evident that his patient is Miss Fairchild. She describes growing up with a step-father who subjected her to punishments that were similar to those imposed on her foster children. With a shortage of social workers and Miss Fairchild’s friendship with the case worker, the system failed the girls in the past. Now they must face Miss Fairchild once again as the police investigate the child’s death. Jessica still feels a pull from the woman that she bonded with as a child, but with the support of her sisters she must finally find the courage to break that connection. Just when all of the questions seem to be answered, Hepworth ends with a twist that will leave you stunned, making this a book that I highly recommend. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are three foster children who are forced to relive their traumatic childhood in their foster mother's home when the bones of a child were found buried under their old house. All three of them are not looking forward to returning to that small town, and none of them were prepared to see Miss Fairchild ever again. I enjoyed reading this novel from multiple viewpoints. The women all had different fears and memories, and it was nice to have a glimpse inside each of their heads. I liked Hepworth's writing style and found the characters relatable. I was not expecting now the book ended at all but enjoyed it!