Thank you to Sally Hepworth, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

2.5 Stars

I had so much hope for this book. I found it boring, to be honest. I also could not connect to any of the characters. I also do not think that it fits the thriller/mystery genre.

The whole thing with Jessica was ridiculous and she didn't even get in trouble for doing what she did.

There were so many spelling errors, that it took away from the book.

This was a dark tale of sisterhood by chance and trauma. A villainous character pulls the strings of the sisters’ lives in the past and present.

I'm not sure how to review this book; it's probably a perfectly fine book, I just feel like it wasn't for me. The writing was decent enough, and the dual past and present timelines worked well, but I found the past storyline far more interesting than the present. In addition, I found the characters to all be annoying and harsh. The ending had a good twist to it, but I can see how it could potentially be triggering to some readers. Overall, it was just "meh" for me, but I'm willing to say it was likely me and not the book.

This book had quite a few unexpected twists, and kept me reading to the end. It had many disturbing elements, so I can’t really say that I enjoyed it fully. As a retired children’s social worker, I guess I have some biases, but reading about child abuse is very upsetting for me. Nonetheless, I imagine that many readers will be drawn to the story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sally Hepworth books are consistent favorites for me, and Darling Girls is no exception.

Told in varying character perspectives and timelines, this story kept me engaged and guessing even up to the ending. I really enjoyed all of the twists and turns and would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy!

I'd probably rate this 3.5 stars. I have enjoyed this author in the past so I was pleased when I was approved to read Darling Girls. The author writes well so I was interested from the outset of the book. However, I found this wasn't one that kept me wanting to read. I could easily put it down in favor of other things.

Darling Girls covers some very deep topics which may be triggering for some including child abuse, drug abuse, and sexual assault.

The story was interesting - three girls who grew up in foster care bonded together because of the abuse this endured. But somehow the execution was not fully there for me. I neither loved nor hated this story. It was just - fine!

I've seen some reviews where people were bothered by the ending. I was not and some of the "twists" I figured out along the way.

Overall, this was an ok read and because I have had prior experience with the author I would likely read other books written by her.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.25⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: mystery/ thriller 📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
I hooked into this one right from the start!
𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Dark and twisty thrillers
Unique plots
Unreliable narrator
Multiple POV
Forster children
Slow burn suspense
Narcissistic foster parent
Engaging reads

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Greyhound mix dog!

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
Ending was a little too over the top for me

Sally Hepworth has done it again! I knew I had it all figured out, but then the last 3 pages, I realized I did not. I love her style of writing. She sucks you in and then gives you a twisty ride. I loved all these characters, except the ones you weren’t supposed to like. I felt for the girls and wanted to see them succeed. I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read another by her!

Many thanks to my friends @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the free #gifted copies of this book.

Move over Miss Hannigan. You’ve got nothing on Miss Fairchild!

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia share a tight knit bond of sisterhood after surviving years of abuse under foster mother, Miss Fairchild. When skeletal remains are found below their childhood home, secrets and suspicion loom large.

I’ve come to count on Hepworth’s remarkable ability to play with perception. She has a knack for whip smart plots that are deftly written and easily entertain. Her books are ones I count on.

But Darling Girls...it pains me to say... just didn’t give me that same experience.

While I appreciated the darker undertones and the well-depicted bond of sisterhood, little else clicked for me.

These sisters were so neglected. So abused. And yet, I found myself... not caring like I normally would.

Was it because I needed more depth and layering to the characterization? Was it the inconsistent pacing in the storyline? Maybe the gamut of holes in the plot or the meh present day timeline?

Honestly, I’m not sure. But whatever the reason, Darling Girls felt lackluster and underwhelming. Still, I’ll be eagerly awaiting what Hepworth writes next!

My SH rankings:
The Younger Wife 5⭐️
The Good Sister 5⭐️
The Soulmate 4⭐️
Darling Girls 3⭐️

🎧 I am a sucker for a buoyant Aussie accent. And narrator Jessica Clarke delivered. Her voice transported me across continents and immersed me in the land down under. She also navigated the multiple POV with skill and keep me engaged.

A terrific suspense story set in Australia about three young girls who met in a foster home called Wild Meadows in Port Agatha, run by a psychotic woman named Holly Fairchild. Jessica, Noah and Alicia eventually grow up to be as close as sisters but all bear the emotional and mental scars of how they were treated.

When Wild Meadows is torn down, bones are found buried under the old house, and all three women are contacted by the police. They decide to return to Port Agatha to face their demons.

A very absorbing, compelling story told from multiple points of view. I enjoyed these characters with all their flaws and appreciated the twists and turns of the plot.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this new suspense novel. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

By far my favorite Sally Hepworth book, but also her “darkest” with disturbing parts and topics.
I didn’t want to stop reading & needed to know what happened next!
I loved the dynamic between the sisters & their bond to one another.
I did predict some of the twists, but it was still unputdownable for me.
And the last chapter!!!!!

4 out of 5 stars!

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been tied together for life. They may not be biological sisters, but they consider themselves no less than family. All of them had been rescued from family tragedies and raised by the same foster mother, Miss Fairchild. They had been told how lucky they were, living with a loving mother and living on a farming estate. But, they were something other than lucky. Miss Fairchild wasn’t the loving, caring foster mom everyone thought she was. She had rules and was often unpredictable.

One day, the girls broke free from Miss Fairchild and never looked back. Even though the girls haven’t seen her since that day, they always feel like she’s in their shadows. But when a body is discovered underneath the house they once grew up in, they put their lives on hold and go to the town they never wanted to be in again to help with the investigation. Who does the body belong to? And why is everyone looking at them as prime suspects?

Wow! Sally Hepworth does it again with her newest novel, “Darling Girls”. This book was an easy and fast read that had me intrigued throughout the entire novel. The novel goes back and forth between all 3 characters; Jessica, Norah, and Alicia. And it goes back and forth from the present to the past. Which made the novel have a lot of layers and complexity to it.

I LOVED the main characters and the feminist energy they bring to the story. They all had intriguing stories about why they were brought to Miss Fairchild and their experiences with her. I loved their family dynamic and how they protected each other until the very end. The rest of the characters were also intriguing and had a lot of backstories I enjoyed. They all played their part very well and made the novel even better, in my opinion.

Ok, so I did figure out some of the twists coming. Because of that, I rated it down to a 4 out of 5. I feel like there were a lot of hints leading up to the ending, so it made it easier to figure it out. Maybe this was on purpose, or maybe I just picked up on that stuff. I don’t know, but I did still enjoy the mystery and figuring out other details.

The ending was also very positive, which I love in any mystery I read. It tied together very nicely and made the overall story even better. Also, when you pick up this book please read the author’s note. It made me love Sally Hepworth even more, even though I didn’t even think it was possible!

Pick up a copy of "Darling Girls" by Sally Hepworth on April 23rd, 2024!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Sally Hepworth, and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Sally Hepworth’s latest standalone, Darling Girls, explores what it means to be a foster child put in a very bad situation. Three foster sisters, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia grew up in an idyllic looking farmhouse in rural Australia, with the kindly seeming Miss Fairchild. However, Miss Fairchild is manipulative and overbearing, causing her “daughters” to never want to see her again when they finally escape her questionable care. All three have gone have become adults with issues stemming from their often confusing, unpleasant upbringing. But all three have also come out as very close sisters. Family.

The trio had planned to never return to their childhood home. However, when a body is found beneath the farmhouse when it’s torn down, they are politely invited back by the police. Each sister is very aware that foster kids get blamed in situations like these, but they are most worried that the finger will be pointed at Norah. She was always the most volatile, having spent time in the most terrible foster homes. Both Alicia and Jessica know Norah was also the most fiercely protective of them, too.

Alicia and Jessica are not without their issues themselves, of course. Alicia has become a social worker, helping kids like herself and struggling to form meaningful attachments. Meanwhile, Jessica is married but terribly distant from her husband and most everyone in her life. Constantly anxious, Jessica’s ordered life is slowly spiraling out of control, and she seems increasingly prepared to let it. Though returning to where they grew up is difficult, it might just help all of them get some closure.

Darling Girls has the kind of twists that keep you reading but still stays believable. This is a nearly all female, well developed cast that was overall a joy to spend time with. Miss Fairchild will also definitely keep readers engaged, because it’s truly hard to know what she will do next. I raced through this one, and I recommend it to anyone who likes a good psychological thriller.

When a Sally Hepworth novel comes out its a auto read! I've been lucky enough to get arcs to read her asap!


Holly Fairchild
The foster mother to the outside she's fantastic. To her foster children shes....


Jessica, Norah, Alicia
Jessica was the 1st and things seem alright in the beginning and then you realize miss Fairchild is using the fact Jessica wants to be loved against her. Then when money gets tight she brings in another child a few years later enter Norah who's had a lot of bad run ins at other foster families. Then Alicia is supposed to be a short term foster why she waits for her grandmother to get out of the hospital. The 3 girls become a trio and look out for each other.

They stay together long after they got out of Miss Fairchild's care and are true sisters. They try to put the past behind them until they get called from the police about bones found under the house and they are pulled back into there past lives and have to relive there childhood.

Now they have to stick together to understand the past and what all went wrong.


I received an E-ARC/Audio Arc from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Darling Girls tells the story of 3 women who grew up in the same foster home. Each brings their unique trauma experience to the home. They are contacted by a detective investigating a disturbing discovery at the old foster home. The women travel back to be interviewed and have to face their past and secrets they'd rather keep buried.

The book is told through dual timelines. Hepworth is an expert at leaving breadcrumbs as we uncover the mystery. She's one of the best current day thriller writers.

Darling Girls (out this Tuesday, 4/23/24!)

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Sally Hepworth is an auto-read for me since “The Mother-in-Law” and “The Good Sister” a few years back, and so I always look forward to her newest releases.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are sisters in all but blood, growing up together in the foster care system under the care of Miss Fairchild. While all seemed perfect on the surface, Miss Fairchild was unpredictable (to say the least), and each girl had their own issues to overcome. When a body is found underneath their foster home decades later, the sisters are thrust back into the past. Are they the key witnesses or are they the suspects?

In true Hepworth style, readers get short multiple POV chapters that keep you wanting to turn the page, several unexpected twists, and a wild-til-the-last-page-ending. These are the reasons I’ll keep picking up her books each year!

The one piece of this book that I couldn’t quite get over though was how laissez-faire the ancillary adults in past chapters were; no spoilers here, but I found it hard to believe some of the behavior in the house was left unchecked for so long. I found this continued into present day with the police (why are all the suspects hanging out in a bar during the middle of an intense investigation?). These things left me scratching my head the entiiiire time I was reading.

Gripes aside, I really liked the stylistic element of a first-person unknown narrator talking to their therapist in between POVs. Trying to guess who this person was kept me on my toes, and per usual, I sped through this book. It is probably #4 on my list of her books after MIL, GS, & “The Soulmate”, but I do recommend this if you’ve been a fan of her in the past!! Thank you to @netgalley for the early copy to review 🩵

Sally coming in clutch with another banger thriller. I was so enthralled with the book the whole way through. I enjoyed the past and present timelines as well as the storylines for each of the three main characters. There are definitely tough topics/visuals taking place that ultimately added to the story. This was an all around great thriller and so interesting reading from a social workers perspective (myself). There are really stories or manipulation and abuse like this everyday is I’m glad this book brought light to that in a round about way.

OMG this is a crazy, addictive, insanely amazing book!!!!!!! Wow I started reading this book & 3 hrs later am in shock by what I read. This book pulls you in from the first page and next thing you know you've spent hrs reading this book and you loved every second of it!!!

Sally Hepworth presents another extremely well crafted mystery, with intricately plotted reveals and an engaging story. There was nothing gasp-enducing, no shocking twist that catches readers offguard, but there is certainly enough to keep up a desire to turn pages.

The multiple POVs work very well to carry the story forward and, more importantly, are necessary to illustrate the difference between the three sisters, particularly in how they process trauma. The fourth POV, Holly Fairchild, their abusive foster mother, supplies her own narrative of childhood abuse. The POVs are tied together across the past and present, culminating in a reveal that is satisfying, if not explosive.

Readers who are sensitive to depictions of child abuse (including CSA) should exercise caution.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

From the first page to the last, this book had me shook! And may I just take a moment of appreciation for that last chapter?! 👀

Since getting back into reading, I’ve learned a lot about my tastes and preferences when it comes to subgenres. I tend to have a tougher time staying invested in domestic or suburban thrillers because frankly, I often don’t find them all that… well… thrilling 😬 I’ve finally read a few this year that I have loved, and this one makes another phenomenal addition to the list!

Hepworth’s writing style sucked me right in. Between the multiple timelines and points of view, there was always something new tugging at me for attention and keeping me on the edge of my seat. I was equally invested in all the POVs.

The three foster care sisters are bonded by their traumatic and abusive pasts with their foster monster Miss Fairchild 😤 As adults, those lingering trauma responses have manifested in different ways. Jessica is a people-pleaser with a pill popping problem, Norah has rage and anger management issues, and Alicia has a really hard time accepting love and expressing emotions. I felt for them all in different ways, especially as more details from their pasts are revealed.

The themes of found family and sisterhood amidst everything they endured were a highlight for me beyond the shocking twists in this thriller. And while there are a fair amount of big surprises, it takes awhile to get there. The pacing worked well for me right up until the last 10% where it felt a little thrown together in anticipation of a larger finale. But wow. What a finale it was 🤯 I saw it coming and it still took me by surprise!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, I received this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review, but I am absolutely going to have to pick up a physical copy for my library! If you’re looking for a summer thriller to add to your TBR, highly recommend giving this one a read. 4.5 Stars