Jessica, Alicia and Norah are 'sisters' as a result of coming into foster care at the home of Miss Fairchild. They are somewhat isolated on a farming estate in Australia, and quickly become aware that their caregiver is cruel and unpredictable. They finally find freedom from her, only to discover as adults that there is a dead body under the home they were raised in. They return to answer questions about what they know and may be suspects themselves. All the while, their own lives have been significantly impacted by the way they were treated in her home and by their emotions around seeing her again.

I knew going in that this book would be an emotional, dark story about foster children who were mistreated in care. It is a difficult read and sensitivity warnings abound for child abuse, sexual assault, violence, depression, addiction, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, mental health disorders and trauma.

I thought the pace was medium - fast and the characters were well developed. I also liked that the setting was a smaller community, but the plot centered around Miss Fairchild and the Darling Girls throughout. It was almost an isolated mystery in certain ways as they rarely left the house as children..

I think the author did a good job of depicting the long lasting implications and effects of child abuse on adult behaviors and mental health. Clearly, she did her research and depicted the impact of child abuse in the characters dialogue and thoughts. I wanted a little more depth to the writing and found the ending somewhat predictable. I did appreciate that the author took great care of these sisters and showed how that bond really created compassionate and loving women. This is my second novel by this author and it won't be the last for sure.

This was like a Freida McFadden page turner with much better writing. I guessed some of the twists but others took me by surprise. Overall an easily digestible book (I read in 48 hours). Trigger warnings abound so look into those if needed. I read The Soulmate last year which was underwhelming but this novel was so much better. I think this one will be all over the place this spring/summer as it is a perfect beach thriller. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Darling Girls is a five-star read that showcases Sally Hepworth’s exceptional talent as a storyteller. With its multiple points of view, seamless transitions between past and present, and a jaw-dropping ending, this novel is sure to captivate readers from beginning to end.

Would recommend for fans of…
💫 Apples Never Fall
💫 Big Little Lies
💫 No One Can Know

Darling Girls follows three women who grew up in foster care and are forced to revisit the past when a body is discovered in the home they grew up in. While the prose maintains the light domestic suspense tone that Sally Hepworth is known for, the subject matter is much, much darker than her previous works, given how much of the novel is spent discussing child abuse, so please proceed with caution if you choose to read this.

Overall, this was a fairly middle of the road read for me. The bond between the three main characters – Jessica, Norah, and Alicia – was easily my favorite part of the book. Seeing how they supported each other as children and adults was lovely. I also appreciated the humor they all maintained, even when going through difficult circumstances.

Honestly, the biggest reason this wasn’t a winner for me was because of the subject matter. I found it really hard to read all of the flashback chapters with Miss Fairchild, and the ending, while optimistic, was still a bit too sinister for me. I’m sure fans of Hepworth will eat this one up, but I’d recommend The Soulmate over this one.

Darling Girls is out April 23rd. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me hooked from the beginning. It was tough to read about the mistreatment of these children at times but I enjoyed it otherwise. A bit twisty although I kind of figured it out beforehand.
I’d recommend it for sure

Would most definitely recommend this book. Another Sally Hepworth triumph. Jessica, Alicia and Norah are so easy to relate to and I became invested in their stories and experiences. The ending was not expected and totally blew my mind. This was an amazing story and one that will stay with me for a long time. 100% recemmendation to anyone. Can’t wait to read the next Sally Hepworth book ❤️❤️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another domestic thriller from Sally Hepworth! Some good twists and turns in this one. I recommend for a quick read. It comes out in a few weeks so snag a copy soon! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Reading Between the Wines book review #27/130 for 2024:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: Darling Girls
Author: Sally Hepworth
RELEASES on April 23, 2024!!!

Sipping thoughts: I love Sally Hepworth. The Good Sister is my upmost favorite book of hers and the others are good. But this one just fell really flat to me. The premise seemed so cool, but nothing really happened. Yes, there was a body found. Yes, Miss Fairchild was a horrible foster parent. I was really invested in finding out what happened but the reveal was underwhelming. But there was no real mystery in my opinion. Yet, I am looking forward to Hepworth’s next release.

Cheers and thank you to @StMartinsPress and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @DarlingGirls.

#DarlingGirls #SallyHepworth #StMartinsPress #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this novel. I am a big Sally Hepworth fan. I really enjoy her writing style and how she tells a story. This may be my new favorite Sally Hepworth novel. I was so invested in this story. I loved how it was told. Usually when there are a lot of POVs, I have one that I don't like as much as the others, but that wasn't true for this one. I enjoyed reading from all of the girls' points of view. I loved how little bits of the story were revealed to us. It was really fun to put it all together at the end. I thought Miss Fairchild was such a great "villain." All of this said, this book definitely needs some trigger warnings. There is a lot of child abuse throughout. I don't usually get too bothered by anything in books really, but there was one scene in particular in this one that was tough to read (even though it was very very brief). This book felt a little more like a traditional psychological thriller where I there her other novels feel a little more domestic thriller. I really enjoyed this book a lot.

I enjoy reading Sally Hepworth thrillers because she draws from a variety of cultural scenarios and relationship dynamics to create a unique mystery for each book. Darling Girls focuses on three women brought together by the foster care system and their shared childhood trauma. The narrative is told through multiple POVs, which some readers may find disruptive, but manages to maintain a sense of foreboding that keeps the reader engaged.

Sally Hepworth does it again! She has written another twisty, character-driven story that grips you from beginning to end. This one surrounds three orphans who grew up together in a foster home. Their childhood was not easy. They suffered physical and mental abuse (definitely heed content warnings here) as well as severe gaslighting. They have not returned to the area grew up but, years later, are asked to come for questioning as the police have found a body under the home where they stayed.

The strength in Hepworth's writing is her layered, flawed, real characters. They have fully formed personalities. I enjoyed slowly getting to know each sister, along with the challenges each faced as they dealt with consequences from both their life before the foster home as well as their life in the foster home. I loved the way that they bonded. Women supporting women is always a win for me. The story itself, while truly disturbing at times, is engaging and intriguing. I had several ideas on which way this one would go but was never really sure.

The narration is true to the locale in Australia and very well done. The narrator handles each character well and is able to portray the emotion throughout all the interactions and events of the book. I have been a longtime fan of Hepworth's writing and continue to love what she puts out. I look forward to each and every release.

This is powerful (and disturbing, check for trigger warnings!) on so many levels--getting into issues related to foster care, emotional abuse, addiction, the varied reactions to trauma, and also just a wonderful bond between three girls who grew up together in such a difficult situation. 
*
I loved seeing this story told through the multiple perspectives and alternating between present day and the girls' childhood - it was fast and engaging and completely sucks you in. Most of the twists were interesting but not particularly shocking, except for the last one, which I loved! 
*
I really enjoyed this one! It was really dark but such a compelling read!

Thank you so much to netgalley and St. Martins Press for the arc of this book! Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me.

I couldn’t connect with the characters or this story. I feel like the child abuse was just way too much and way too descriptive for me to continue with this book.

I hope others love this one.

Sally Hepworth is a noted name in suspense and domestic thrillers, and she does not disappoint with this newest one.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are foster sisters who remained closer than biological sisters in their adulthood. They connected when staying with Miss Fairchild, grew to love and protect each other through the hidden abuse and lies, and banded together to hide the secrets. But now, the secrets are blowing open - human bones were found under the former foster home, and the investigation is bringing all three women back to the property and the inevitable confrontation with Miss Fairchild.

If you are already a Sally Hepworth fan, definitely add this to your TBR list, if you are not and like the thriller genre, this is a great new author for you!

Sally Hepworth is an empathetic writer, creating vivid characters that come alive distinctly on the page. Darling Girls gives insight into the foster care system and the complex relationships that result from it and at the same time is clear in showing twists and turns of the genre that will surprise the reader and illuminate the “bad apples”.
Though this is an early review of the novel, I found in terms of pace, plot, and characterization, it’s good to go.

Thanks to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a good book! I loved following the journey of these “sisters” who went through foster care together. Their personalities were each unique and held my interest as they were interviewed trying to figure out who the bones belonged to that were found under their old foster home. The ending was great! I highly recommend this book!

Three young ladies with complexing and tragic filled childhoods were raised by Miss Fairchild. On the outside people see the girls lives being better off in their foster home. It’s all a facade and the girls want out. Later on a body is found under the home where they lived. Who is the responsible for this? Who holds the darkest secret? I loved this story. It’s another amazing story from this author. The plot is superb, the characters are sublime and it’s an exciting rollercoaster ride. The author keeps the reader engaged in the story until the very end.


Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoyed this one (blew through it in 2 days!) but the ending was so disturbing that it kind of ruined the whole thing for me.

Sally Hepworth really nailed it this time. Darling Girls is the first thriller so far this year to have my jaw hit the floor after finishing it. Darling Girls follows the past of three girls who became sisters while being fostered at the same house with Miss Fairchild. Suffering abuse and lots of trauma, years later a child’s bones are found under the foster home. Hepworth takes you on a wild ride about their upbringing, and brings all twists. This book is living rent free in my head for awhile…

Woah - this one got me!

I flew through this in a day! The build up? Fantastic. The characters? Damaged. The multiple perspectives? Jarring.

Truly truly enjoyed this thriller!