Sally Hepworth has done it again! A twisty story excellently written. The narration was perfect and flowed through the whole book. Definitely recommend Darling Girls, along with any other her books! Many thanks to NetGalley for this opportunity!

This was my second book by Sally Hepworth and I’m just not sure she is for me. This book was just ok for me. I listened to this one and the narration was fine- Australian accents which added to the story since it took place in Australia. I liked the multiple POVS from Jessica, Norah and Alicia and also the dual timeline to see what had happened to them when they were younger. The ending, while I didn’t expect, was very underwhelming to me.

I enjoyed this book, but I don't think it was one that will stick with me, for a few reasons. First, I felt it was a little slow. I didn't necessarily feel compelled to keep reading like I normally do with a thriller. That could have been due to the heavy subject matter, as it was DARK. You should definitely read the trigger warnings if you are affected by heavy subjects involving children and abuse. It was very hard to read at times because of how horrible the story was. It was probably trending as more of a 3-star read for me, but the ending put it over the top to a 4. I know many people loved this book and couldn't put it down, so if it sounds like something you'd be interested in, I would recommend giving it a try!

I enjoyed this book! It wasn't so much thrilling, as a solid mystery with a dark undertones (TW of child abuse). This was definitely a character-driven, bit of a slow-burn story which I personally love. It reminded me a bit of THE SOULMATE in that sense. My favorite part of the book was the relationship between the sisters. while the mystery of the bones took a backseat in terms of engagement. There is also a bit of a mystery of who is speaking with the psychologist, but I believe it became obvious pretty early on. Even still, I enjoyed those chapters until the end. The epilogue has one of my least favorite book tropes/types of reveals, which I won't name due to spoilers, but it did drop my enjoyment of the book a bit. Overall though, this was an enjoyable read and I recommend it for those who enjoy character-driven mysteries. The narrator did a great job and I'm glad I had the audio in addition to my digital copy so I could read the book continuously throughout my day!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for my ARC/ALC in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for a thriller to keep you wanting more, you need to read this one! I couldn't wait to unravel the history of the 3 sisters, the secrets, and the truth at the end.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are more than just friends. They are sisters, bound together not by blood but from surviving their childhood in the foster care system. As adults, they live very different lives but are always there for each other. When a body is discovered at the site of their former foster mother’s home, they return to the area they had tried for years to leave in the past. As more clues are unearthed, and their foster mother shows up unwanted, stories from their childhood begin to surface, and the women begin to wonder if they are witnesses or suspects.

I will read every Sally Hepworth book until the end of time, and I enjoyed parts of Darling Girls, but this one was not my favorite. I thought the pace was slow and the ending predictable, but I still enjoyed the characters and the way the story came together. I thought the narrator, Jessica Clarke, did a fantastic job and really lured me into the story. 4 stars.

This was my first Hepworth book and I’m a fan! I loved the bond between the three foster sisters. The characters in this book are so vibrant and well developed. The characters will be dancing around in your head for days after you finish this one 💙.
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Jessica was Miss Fairchild’s first foster child. She was the rule follower, the one who yearned to be loved (by anyone). Norah was the second, the one who had been tossed around the foster system. The one who learned to throw the first punch at an early age. The beautiful one with her hackles up. And then there was Alicia, the one who came with jokes, warmth, and kindness. The one who knew what it was to be truly loved. The one who understood that what Miss Fairchild gave them was absolutely not that. Miss Fairchild has a dark side that only her foster children see. When the body of a child turns up under her house decades later, the police call on the sisters to help piece together the crime. But will they become the prime suspects?
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The sisters in this book are ride-or-die and I am 💯% here for it. I love Nora’s 3 I’ll-mannered rescue dogs (who she named after the first thing they destroyed 😆). Alicia is the social worker with the big heart, and Jessica is the one who appears to have it all.
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This one is filled with all the dark secrets, twists, and turns. I devoured it. Did not see the end coming!
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Thank you to @macmillan.audio for this audiobook. The narration by Jessica Clarke is perfection 🤌. You can get the physical or audio of this book as a BOTM add-on!
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Darling Girls - Sally Hepworth
4.75/5⭐️
🎉Out Now!🎉
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“Being loved had been the goal of her life. Loving someone in return...that was just showing off.”

This is my first read from Sally Hepworth and I enjoyed it! I love a book with multiple perspectives and time lines. Lots of twists and turns in this one - you won't be able to keep up with the chaos. Great narrator who brought the characters to life. The ending kind of made me mad (it's not what *I* wanted - lol) - but it was a great, fast-paced, psychological thriller.

I've read several Sally Hepworth novels. Darling Girls has been my least favorite. I had a hard time remembering all the characters' back stories and current situations with all the changing voices and time periods. Important details were slow to be revealed. The book was interesting enough but I don't think it was Hepworth's best attempt.

I love a well written psychological mystery and Darling Girls did not disappoint! The author really showed her talent for storytelling with the use of past and present timelines to leave the reader curious and intrigued. I was also surprised at how much I came to care for the characters. This is the story of three foster girls and the bonds they forged together in a dangerous home. In addition, there is a focus on mental health awareness and women's empowerment that I really valued in this story. The audiobook had amazing narration done by Jessica Clarke. Her voice really brought the characters to life and gave them an extra layer of depth.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

After listening to the audio book, the first words out of my mouth was, "Wow! What a f'n twisted bitch!!"
I enjoyed listening to the different POV's from the "before" and "now" timelines and thoroughly appreciated the bond between the "sisters".
Give this one a listen or a read, you won't be disappointed!

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Darling Girls, Sally Hepworth-I love being surprised by an author who switches things up. What a drama amazing how the 3 girls have each others backs still in their adult lives. Will a nontraditional family setting the domestic suspense was there and keep you guessing right up to the end.

Thank you NetGalley for another amazing audiobook.

Another twisty psychological thriller from Sally Hepworth, where you are never quite sure as the reader whether you're getting the true story, or whether the current narrator is going to turn out to be lying through their teeth.

Blurb: a body is discovered underneath a home where three adults (Jessica, Norah, and Alicia) were raised years ago as foster children. Their foster mother Miss Fairchild was not the loving figure she pretended to be, and each of the three girls have been dealing with their trauma as adults.

Mood Reader Guide: if you want the "where are they now" depressing version of Annie where Miss Hannigan is even more psychotic than you thought

Thoughts: I love how the author keeps you guessing as to who is really to be trusted and what the real truth of the events is. The writing is fast paced and there's lots of action - easy to read, without really any slow parts. There's plenty of suspicious characters, and Hepworth doles out the information and reveals throughout to keep you hooked. There's some dark elements, but nothing terribly graphic described on the page.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The back and forth timelines kept my interest the entire time, better shaping who each character was and the trials they went through. I listened to the audiobook and suggest doing the same as it helped better shape the characters. Highly recommend this book!

“Rescued from family tragedies and raised by a loving foster mother on an idyllic farming estate, Jessica, Norah and Alicia were given an elusive second chance of a happy family life.

But their childhood wasn't the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. And when a body is discovered under their foster home, the sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses. Or are they prime suspects?”

I was briefly wondering whether this book was for me when more or less right at the beginning it got quite dark and unsettling with topics that are hard to stomach but since I knew I usually love Sally Hepworth's way of writing a story, so I read one.
And I was hooked - I just loved the three main characters and wanted them to overcome their trauma, but to get to the part where you can safely root for the characters Sally Hepworth takes you down a dark and twisty path.
This book starts out with the three main characters in their current life situation getting a call from a detective notifying them that there were bones found buried under the foster home they all used to live in.
Immediately the questions whose bones? why ? Who was involved? Did the girls have something to do with it? arise.
The story unfolds with the three girls different POV's going between the past and present and it made the book all the more engaging. I loved that all three girls had their issues and trauma had manifested quite differently but also following their individual trajectories. I loved that they stuck together no matter what happened and had each other's backs the whole time. This book should come with trigger warnings as quite heavy topics that may be triggers for some are discussed if you need details please feel free to message - otherwise read with caution !

I went into this expecting a thriller and I think my expectations were incorrect. This book wanted to be a mystery but was really a character study. We spend so much time learning about the girls an d their histories ( which were very interesting), there was not enough time for the mystery part. Don’t get me wrong, this was a very good book, but I would call it a work of lit fix, not mystery.

I really enjoyed this one. It was a slow burn mystery told in past/present and through Jessica, Norah and Alicia POV. I loved how these three girls came together through the foster care system and stuck together through the hard times. I also loved the therapy session POV and trying to figure out who was telling the story and the ending…..DAMN. There are some triggers regarding child abuse but nothing too graphic

Sally Hepworth is quickly becoming a thriller author to watch and one whose books I find myself drawn too and buying as soon as they are released. Darling Girls featured a dual timeline of the girls growing up in foster care and then the present trying to unravel a mystery. I loved the multiple points of view as well as one unreliable narrator, and the twist at the end was delicious.

Sally Hepworth does it again!

Darling Girls is a fantastic thriller that keeps you guessing right up until the last page. Just when you think you have it all figured out Sally throws in another twist for good measure.

Each character’s journey was well thought out and the topics of abuse and PTSD were handled with realism and care. I do suggest checking any content warnings before reading just in case.

The narrator, Jessica Clarke, was brilliant! There were multiple POV chapters and Jessica did a great job of creating dynamic personalities for each one.

I will be telling everyone about this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Sally Hepworth for an early review copy. These are my honest thoughts.

I'm enjoying Sally Hepworth's books and this is another good one. It shines a light on how sad the foster system can be and what it does to the children who are raised in it. The characters here are interesting and there are some surprising elements that are unexpected!