This story follows three "sisters" in two different time lines as we learn about their childhood in a bad foster care situation and then as adults where they have just learned there have been human remains found under their childhood foster home. This was an interesting story, the alternating timelines did keep me more interested in the story and I felt the pacing was effective. This story was an interesting mystery and suspenseful and it gives enough information at just the right time to keep you reading and wondering. Overall it was a good book but not amazing.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

* Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for providing the ebook and the audiobook in exchange of a honest review.

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One of the best book I have read this year. I am a huge thriller lover and this one hit all the right spots. The sisters dynamics was amazing, I didn't had a clue what was going on and the end made me gasp because I really didn't see that coming. Amazing 🙌

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I loved Sally Hepworth’s THE SOULMATE and looked forward to reading her new book, DARLING GIRLS. For me, it started off well. Three girls are being fostered by Miss Fairchild in an idyllic setting. We switch from the past involving each of the three girls who are referred to as “sisters.” I was deeply involved in their histories and relationships. However, as we moved to the present, I became lost and found myself rereading and rereading to get the stories straight. I hurt for some of the psychological abuse they suffered. The story just did not work for me. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

Hepworth does no wrong in creating a quintessential thriller. The story of friendship created in the darkest of places as the narrative varies between past and present.

A well written thriller involving three foster care sisters and the foster parent they lived with during their pre-teen years. I wrote a staff pick for this for our library system and will be recommending it to patrons.

Alicia, Jessica and Norah grew up in the toxic environment of Wild Meadows as foster kids under the care of Miss Fairchild. Bonded through their shared trauma, they formed a sisterhood and did whatever they could to protect each other.

But so many years later, a body has been found underneath Wild Meadows and three women are forced to relive their past and confront Miss Fairchild and the system that let them down. All as they fight to prove they are innocent of murder…

Beware reading this book as there are difficult themes of abuse and neglect and the consequences of childhood trauma. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives in this novel. The mystery surrounding the identity of the body and the slow reveal of what happened in the past was done well as Hepworth is great at throwing the twists just as you think you have figured it out. I was fortunate enough to receive this in both digital and audio form and enjoyed both versions as I went back and forth between both formats.

Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for the gifted digital review copy and gifted audiobook.

The Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth, what can I say about this book but wow. The abuse that takes place in this book is hard to read, but I do realize that it happens more than I would like to think of in the foster system. There was plenty of twists and turns, and not sure exactly who was telling parts of the story line until very late in the book. Three young girls build a unbreakable bond living in a house full of abuse. Was great to see each one redeeming themselves in the closing pages of the book. I would recommend this book to others.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

"𝐖𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬."

Sally Hepworth is a must-read author for me; she does domestic dramas with a touch of mystery so well, and this one does not disappoint.

I listened to and read this one; both ways captured my attention and had me speeding through. No matter how Hepworth’s prose is delivered, it is always compelling. Narrator Jessica Clarke had a great inflection when she read which was easy to follow; her Australian accent helped me dive into the Australian setting easily too. Hepworth weaves a few different narratives: the past of foster sisters Jessica, Norah and Alicia at Winding Meadows, the present day sisters point of view after the discovery of bones at Winding Meadows, and the therapy sessions of an unknown first person narrator. I found all three sisters to be sympathetic and I was cheering for all of them as they confronted their defence mechanisms for survival. Miss Fairchild, the sisters’ foster mother, was a total narcissist and I anxiously awaited her downfall (making for a perfect antagonist). Although a darker tale for Hepburn, with its focus on the ways the foster system can fail the children in its care and the abuse that can be suffered, it is powerful and poignant. There are some very well placed reveals that had me gasping, alongside an ending that is both smile-worthy and gasp-worthy.

Darling Girls is a story of survival, empowerment, gaslighting, safety, sisterhood, and the search for love. It is bingeworthy and I think might be my favourite Hepworth novel yet. Thank you to St. Martins’ Press, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for the ARCs!

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were raised by a foster mother named Miss Fairchild. Everyone thought the girls were lucky to have someone taking such good care of them but all isn't as it seems. The wonderful life everyone thinks they have is filled with rules. When the three got the chance they left Miss Fairchild behind freeing themselves from her grasp. When a body is located under the house they grew up in the girls become witnesses but will they remain that way or will they soon be looked at as suspects.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth delves into the lives of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, three foster sisters raised by the enigmatic Miss Fairchild on a secluded estate. Despite the idyllic facade, their upbringing was marred by rules and the looming presence of their foster mother. When a body is discovered on their former home's property, the sisters find themselves entangled in a web of secrets, love, and murder. The narrative weaves between past and present timelines, exploring the complexities of their relationships and the haunting specter of Miss Fairchild, keeping readers on edge until the final revelation.

However, while the premise held promise, Darling Girls didn't quite hit the mark for me. The constant shifts in perspective between past and present disrupted the flow of the story, making it feel disjointed at times. While I anticipated some twists, others blindsided me. Additionally, sensitive topics like child abuse and CSA warrant trigger warnings for readers. Ultimately, this book fell short of my expectations.

Thank you NetGalley and Sally Hepworth for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Sally Hepworth's writing, but I think Darling Girls is my favorite yet. Yes, the subject matter is dark, but I just really loved the characters of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia and their bond. Each struggles with their own demons, even as adults, but they support each other no matter what, and, when they're called back to the scene of their childhood foster home, secrets of the past are revealed, leading up to an ending that blew my mind.

In the world of psych thrillers, this one stands out and is to be applauded because it is uniquely original and outstandingly written. The story of three young women who suffered abuse at the hands of their foster parent is compelling and heart-wrenching at the same time. I could not drag my eyes away from the page as I read the stories of Jessica, Alicia and Norah, all affected in different ways by their stay with Miss Fairchild. When the bones are unearthed at their old home, they feel that they must go back and confront the evil there, but at what cost to them do they return? I enjoyed getting to know the well-rounded characters, but I mostly enjoyed the dual timeline and the twists in the plot. The ending was such a surprise that I think I gasped audibly! Sally Hepworth tells a story that is engaging, realistic and horrifying at the same time as she offers a glimpse into possibly a hopeful future. The title and the entire book were perfectly suited for each other, and the plot clipped along at a fast pace that kept me on the edge of my seat waiting for the next revelation.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This book kept my attention from the very first page to the very last page! This book did NOT disappoint! I would definitely recommend this book to all my reading buddies!!

Jessica, Norah and Alicia are forced to return to the town they grew up in and to face their past when bones are found under their childhood foster home. Told through all of their POVs and with flashbacks to the past, this story is masterfully unwoven and had me guessing until the last page. I am a Sally Hepworth fan, and this felt like a classic domestic suspense but with a fresh take on ‘family’. I enjoyed the sisterhood and that while the characters were dealing with a lot of darkness and trauma, they remained solid for each other. The pacing felt right to me and things were revealed at a great pace. The last twist shocked me!
Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Holy cow, Sally Hepworth has done it again. Everything about this novel was sheer perfection. I loved the three sisters and the epic bonds that they shared. From past to present, I couldn’t get enough of them. Their stories broke my heart and I wanted to adopt them all myself! Hepworth put so much emotion in this book that took readers on a wild ride. She tugged at every heartstring which is how you know it’s a great novel. The twists were incredible and I never in a hundred years saw them coming. This might be my new favorite Hepworth!

This was a typical thrill ride from Sally Hepworth! I’ve read a few of her books and they were all so good and this one was no exception.

I loved this mystery. There were twists and turns all throughout and I couldn’t get enough. The struggles that the girls went through broke my heart but they never stopped fighting. This was such a great read!

This was a quick read! Not entirely thrilling but definitely kept you in suspense, had twists, and of course, I always appreciate a story with great female friendships! I also appreciate a good husband in a thriller! What a rarity.

Thank you to @netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy on exchange for an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW: Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
2024 Publication Date: April 23

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T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books Of 2024

Pages: 359
Genre: Thriller
Sub-Genre: Domestic Thriller
T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating:️ N/A
Time Period: Contemporary
Location: Melbourne Area (Australia)
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

I love Hepworth and her writing, but this story was dark and unsettling the whole way through. It just made me sad. I liked the pacing and how I started to get a sense of where the story was going and how it all unfolded at the end. 3 start story with a 4 star ending.

Ooof, Darling Girls is dark and twisty and sad and terrible and a page turner. Definitely check the content warnings because there are MANY. That said, I was hooked. Out now if you're up for a dark twisted read.

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