Wow! The ending of this book. Just wow!!!!! Definitely a 5 star read from me and my new favorite from this author. This book follows the story of 3 girls - Jessica, Norah (with an “h”), and Alicia - in foster care and their foster mother. It’s told from duel timelines - present day and when the girls were young. There are some very heavy themes in this book but worth it. I cannot get over the twist at the end. This book will stay with me for a long time! Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!!!!! I LOVED it!

The writing wasn’t bad. It was just hard to get past the child abuse scenes in the past, and the present felt like it kind of plodded along.

This was my first Sally Hepworth book and I loved it! I respect that she interviewed women who had been in foster care to get the novel started. Trigger warnings of child abuse-but the story is powerful and the ending twist was 🤯. Miss Fairchild might go down as being as horrible of a character as Dolores Umbridge.
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Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the early copy! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of Sally Hepworth’s Darling Girls. It is such a great psychological thrill ride. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The story follows 3 foster sisters who are returning to the town where they spent time in foster care. A body has been found underneath the home where they once lived. The story was propulsive, but I really enjoyed the character development as well.

Another absolute banger from Sally Hepworth! Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of this book because it was an absolutely wild ride.

From the jump, I wasn’t really sure where the plot was going to go in either timeline (we had a past and present timeline in this story with POVs from all the core characters) which made this very fun; I was hooked and stressed and anxious as the story unfolded because I NEEDED to know what was going to happen with Jessica, Norah and Alicia. I’ve gone back and forth on who my favorite character was and I think it’s Alicia - she felt the most relatable to me.

I will say that the ending was kind of meh but that’s my only complaint (and trust me - it’s a minor whine because this book was solid otherwise) so all in all this is a definite recommendation!

What can I say? Sally Hepworth never disappoints! Another thriller i couldn’t put down. I’ve read several of her other books and never could predict what’s coming next. Same goes for this one, just when i think I’ve figured it out, i was wrong. So many twists i kept thinking about after i finished.

I look forward to reading all her future works as well.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of Darling Girls.

👧🏼Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth OUT APRIL 23rd 2024 👧🏼

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin Press for the advanced copy!

GOSH I LOVED THIS! Felt like I was watching an episode of Criminal Minds!

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are all sister. Foster sisters that is. They all were fostered by Miss Fairchild in a big farm house on an estate. From the outside it looked like they were considered “lucky” to have a big home away from their traumas. Fast forward 20 years, and the three sisters have to come together because bones was found under their old home, and police want to investigate them. Who do the bones belong too? Are they suspects? What really happened when they lived there?

This was such a quick read and when I wasn’t reading it, I was always thinking about the book. I enjoyed all the characters especially the three sisters. When I thought I got to the big twist at the end, I got hit with a couple more! This also is a Book of the Month pick this month. Easily a 5 ✨ read for me.

I started Darling Girls via audiobook, switched to the ebook for the final 20%, and wished I had read the entire book rather than listening.

Three women were raised by the same foster mother as young girls, and the terrible experiences they went through in their childhood have bonded them for life. In the present day, a body is found under the home they grew up in, and the girls and their former foster mother come face to face for the first time in years.

This psychological thriller is a slow burn told in dual timelines. The past timelines show some of the abuse the girls endured as kids, which was heartbreaking to read. Their past clearly formed their current personalities, with the women forming a clear bond that seems unshakeable. I thought the characters were each well written and fully formed, with distinct characteristics and personalities.

The storyline itself seemed to drag on for me, leading to my rating of 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Sally Hepworth's latest novel, Darling Girls, is a captivating blend of psychological mystery and domestic thriller. It follows the lives of three women, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, who forge an unbreakable bond as foster sisters under the roof of the imposing Wild Meadows estate. Their charismatic yet manipulative foster mother, Miss Fairchild, casts a long shadow over their childhood.

The story unfolds as the women, now adults, are pulled back together by a shocking discovery at Wild Meadows. Bones are unearthed on the property, triggering a police investigation and forcing them to confront the unsettling secrets they buried years ago.

Hepworth masterfully weaves between past and present, gradually revealing the manipulative tactics Miss Fairchild employed to control the girls. The narrative is suspenseful, with each character harboring their own hidden truths. The women themselves are well-developed, each with distinct personalities and motivations. Readers can't help but root for them as they navigate the trauma of their past and the complexities of their present relationships.

Darling Girls is a gripping and thought-provoking novel that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. It's a perfect choice for you if you enjoy character-driven mysteries with a touch of psychological suspense.

Sally Hepworth’s new thriller, Darling Girls, follows three foster children (Jessica. Norah, and Alicia) adopted by a single woman in a small town (Miss Fairchild). Although the circumstances of how each came to be adopted is different, we get to see a bond develop between the young girls as they grow up and form their own family of sorts.

Jessica has only ever wanted to be loved, and she gets that in spades when she is brought to Fairchilds house as the first foster child. She learns to please Mis Fairchild and in turn Jessica is doted upon and showered with love. But if she messes up? That love turns on her. By the time Norah shows up, she has learned how to play the nice daughter and quickly catches Norah up to speed. Alicia comes next, and they decide that the three of them are sisters.

It was hard to read some of the scenes of this book, with trigger warnings of child abuse. However, it was excellent writing and the trauma bonds the girls formed were something I felt for them.

The novel has some twists especially at the end that I definitely did not see coming. The epilogue really throws you for a loop, and I cannot recommend this enough. Thank you Sally Hepworth and St Martins Press for the advanced copy of this novel

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for my #gifted copy of Darling Girls!

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐩𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟑, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

★★★★★

This book has it all! Sally Hepworth has done it again and if you are a fan of domestic thrillers, you need to pick this one up ASAP!

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were all rescued and raised by Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows Farm. Miss Fairchild was anything but loving, and was very unpredictable. Now, as adults, the three women are called back to the house because it’s in the process of being demolished and human bones have been found. Who do the bones belong to? And what secrets still remain?

This book is like a rollercoaster, alternating between the past and the present, and told between POVs of Jessica, Norah, Alicia, and an unknown patient meeting with Dr. Warren during a psychiatric session. I could not get enough. To note, there were themes of abuse in this book, but it never felt too heavy. There were also some funny moments throughout, including moments with a lovable dog. Hepworth kept my attention the entire time and I loved the ending!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Darling Girls was a fine thriller, if a bit run-of-the-mill. While I enjoyed reading it, I don’t think anything stuck out to me enough that I’ll remember what happened down the road.

I did find the characters all interesting, especially how varied the three MCs were. I liked how it was structured to keep the tension high, and how well the past and present timelines were interwoven. And, while hard to read at times, I thought the abuse aspects were done respectfully and never got too over the top as to not be believable.

But the plot was fairly predictable, and I did not like how it all wrapped up. For a book that focuses on trauma, the ending was too neat and cozy for me. And that final twist had me rolling my eyes.

Overall, a decent book but nothing that exciting. If you want something quick to scratch that thriller itch though, check it out.

The lives of three foster sisters; Jessica, Alicia, and Norah., are about to be shaken up from the past. The girls lives at Wild Meadows, the home of foster mother Miss Fairchild, holds secrets from the past when police investigate a suspicious circumstance that occurred at Wild Meadows many years ago. In order to go on, the girls must face their fears, face the past, and return to Wild Meadows.

I wanted to DNF this book after the first couple of chapters because I wasn't vibing with the writing and the characters were very unlikable, however, then the POV shifted to the past and it got interesting, so I kept reading. I really enjoyed the past chapters a lot (the "now" chapters I continued not to have much interest in). This was a fun popcorn thriller and I ended up liking it more than her previous thriller, The Soulmate.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
This was 5 stars for me! I enjoyed everything about this book. The story was captivating. The twists were unexpected. I yelled “WHAT?!" at least one time during my reading. All this makes me very happy when reading a thriller. Sally Hepworth is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! I will be recommending this book to EVERYONE!

I enjoyed this. It was twisty, which is what I've come to expect from Sally Hepworth.

I liked the sections with the doctor interspersed throughout the book. It was an interesting way to tell some of the backstory. I didn't really care for the romance with Norah and the bartender. Didn't really serve a purpose.

The foster home abuse was hard to read at times, but it added to the story. Overall, it was a captivating book and hard to put down. I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to others.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for my free ARC copy of Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth - available April 23, 2024 in the US.

I could NOT put this book down. I was drawn to the mystery of what happened at the foster home the three main characters grew up in. I loved reading the different perspectives and timelines and found the pacing of this book to be super quick. The very last twist had me shocked as well. I think this was written wonderfully and is now my new favorite by this author.

This story focuses on three sisters, Jessica, Norah and Alicia. Not biological sisters, but sisters in every way that matters because, when they were young, they were forced into the foster care system. Moreover, the were made to live with Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows. What at first seemed like a fairytale, soon turns into a nightmare for the three girls. They have to rely on each other for love, safety and protection. And they'll do anything for each other.

Fast forward many years later, and the sisters are still bonded by the tragedy of their upbringing. When bones are discovered buried under the house at Wild Meadows, the are forced to revisit the darkness of their past. The police are curious to know who these bones belong to and how they got here. And one or all of the sisters are a suspect in what looks like a murder investigation.

The story starts with one of the women (but which one?) talking to a psychiatrist. That pulled me in right away, and I enjoyed all the counseling sessions peppered throughout the story. We get a glimpse into the lives of these three women in present day and how they've adjusted to life after childhood trauma. Some okay. Some not so great.
We also have a past narrative that focuses on the abuse the girls suffered as children. It was hard to read. Very emotional, and I found myself tearing up many times while trying to get through this book. I worked in social services for many years and, unfortunately, was witness to much childhood abuse. As much as we don't like to think about these things, abuse does happen within the foster system. And the trauma of that carries over into adulthood. I appreciate Sally Hepworth for shedding a light on those dark things that are taboo to talk about.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found Hepworth’s new book propulsive,,compelling, and challenging emotionally. We follow Alicia, Norah, and Jessica who must return to their childhood hometown when a body is going under the house of their old foster home.

I’m a huge Sally Hepworth fan and this book totally delivered! I loved the multi POV. The way they were introduced helped me to keep the characters straight. The character development was also amazing which is hard when there are several characters with so much to unpack. The formatting for the chapters was chefs kiss…multi POV, past/present timeline, and a little mystery surrounding psychologist notes/visits. At a couple of points, the mystery seemed straightforward and then BAM a twist would take us in a completely different direction. I highly recommend this one for suspense fans.

Read if you like:
▫️found family
▫️mental health awareness
▫️female empowerment