I received a copy of this in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

I don't read a lot of thriller / suspense books these days, but for some reason, this book caught my attention a lot the last few weeks.

I really did like the idea of the plot line here. 3 sisters who shared a rough foster home with a horrid, abusive foster mother. This and other things have obviously caused them to have extensive trauma.
They eventually find out that bones were found under that foster home. The rest of the story is based around that.

I liked that the story bounced between the past and present. For me, that really helps break up the story and help me stay engaged with longer books.

Overall, the book about a 3.5-ish for me. But I rated up to a four.

Thank you MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for an early release of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, Sally Hepworth does it again. This is close to the top for one of my favorite books written by her. I listened to most of the book on audio and loved it. The suspense in the writing was amazing. I loved how quick the chapters were because it felt like I was flying through the book even though I mostly listened to it. AND THE ENDING! I was not expecting that twist. This was a great book that many could probably finish in one sitting. I would highly recommend it to mystery and thriller lovers.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for an ARC of Darling Girls!

This was my first Sally Hepworth read, and it certainly won’t be my last. This story was so gripping, smartly written and kept me guessing until the end!

I listened to the Audiobook version of this book. It did not affect my opinion on it.

Actually, I really liked and enjoyed this book. I believe this is the second book by this author I read, and I always appreciate a great story and a great narrator.

I loved getting to know the three girls in this story, the dynamic of their relationships, the darkness of the story, and how we can see the trauma unfold. A very engaging book, and again, I absolutely loved the audio version.

Thank you MacMillan Audio and Netgalley, for the Advanced Free Listeners Copy, in exchange for an honest review.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia grew up together in foster care. Their foster mother appears to be a loving kind woman, but appearances are deceiving.

Now many years later a surprising event has happened at the home they were in. This brings the women back together.

Told in a then and now format. The girls lives and experiences are slowly revealed as the story unfolds. Each of the girls gets a voice as well as an additional unknown voice.

The women each have trauma from their childhood. It was interesting to see how that manifested in their adult lives.

I was gripped from the start and kept coming back to the book as soon as possible. I couldn't wait for the mystery to be solved.

I alternated between the print and audio book. I preferred the audio over the written book. Jessica Clarke did a fantastic job narrating.

I loved this one! So many different emotions!

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillian Audio for the arc.

This was typical Sally Hepworth. She can be relied on to turn out a solid, engaging, soap opera story that doesn’t require a lot from the reader.
This one follows three “sisters” who shared a foster home, and an unbalanced, abusive foster mother as adolescents. Now as adults, each sister has her own childhood trauma that she’s struggling to deal with; this is exacerbated when they learn that human bones are discovered buried beneath the foster home they lived in.
The story goes back and forth between the present and past; I preferred the flashbacks when the girls were younger, but it was all pretty good. Closer to three and a half, but rounding up to four stars.
Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this #arc of #darlinggirls by #sallyhepworth in exchange for an honest review.

Speechless…. I’m utterly and completely speechless after finishing this book. I loved the narrator and kept the normal 1x listening speed to thoroughly enjoy it! I thought I had it figured out what had happened and who did it, only to be completely surprised at the end.

I have really enjoyed Sally Hepworth’s work and was excited for the opportunity to secure an advance audio copy of her latest. She is a master of the psychological thriller genre, and if you are intrigued by dark stories, this might be her darkest yet.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia are three former foster children who consider themselves sisters, bound by their experience living with a nightmare of a foster mother, Holly Fairchild. They are so bound by this sisterhood, in fact, that they don’t tell as much about her abuse as they probably could to their caseworkers as their fear of being split up is worse than what they live with. Told in a then and now timeline, the three now-women return to the home to assist in a police investigation when bones, which appear to belong to a small child, are found under the house.

Not only do the bones bring up many old wounds the women thought they had left behind, we start to unravel a mystery of why Miss Fairchild was so damaged herself. As usual from Hepworth, these are well-defined characters who carry the scars of their childhood in a variety of ways, and it’s interesting and rewarding to see how they do and don’t confront them and where the mystery of the bones lands. The ending is absolutely chilling.

I have also ordered this in hardcopy from Book of the Month and look forward to sharing it with my book club friends. Thank you #MacmillanAudio, #NetGalley and #SallyHepworth for the advance listen!

I loved the relationship building between the girls in the story. Their lives have been quite devastating but they stood together while it all played out. Although secrets come out that affect every girl and may not shine them in a good light they still hold each others hands and rise above it all. this story was like a puzzle where we pieced together the parts to create a whole in the end.

Darling Girls will delight fans of twisty stories. The set-up: three girls lived at an abusive foster home and became virtual sisters. As adults, they are still struggling with their childhood experiences when police contact them individually to let them know that human bones have been found on the grounds of their foster home and that they want to speak to each of them.

As with all the other books by Sally Hepworth that I’ve read, this one takes place in Australia - this time it’s in Melbourne and a fictional small town a few hours away by car.

I listened to the audiobook on a long flight and it definitely kept my interest. There are lots of twists and turns and we get to hear from each of the girls as well as from the foster mother, Miss Fairchild. The best thing about the story for me was the amazing friendship the three girls/women developed and held to over the years. They were each other’s support system.

Lovers of psychological thrillers will eat this one up. I thought it was well written but I have gradually realized this genre isn’t my “jam.”

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. Jessica Clarke did a fine job with the narration of the audiobook. All opinions are my own.

This book had me on my toes until the very end. The characters are very well developed and the storyline with the then and now following did not confuse me as many other novels have.

I was lucky to receive an audiobook ARC of this book. It was very fun to listen to! The twists and characters made me want to keep on reading to see what was next. This was the first Sally Hepworth book that I have read, and I will definitely be looking into reading more by her. The final twist in the book really got me, and made the book that much more interesting. I love a good thriller that makes you stop and think!

I've enjoyed this more than I enjoyed the previous Hepworth novels despite the story line moving slower than I'd like and the last quarter of the book seeming twist and story line heavy. The premise of this book was intriguing- a psychological thriller about three women who grew up in the same foster home. Years later, a body is found on the grounds and the women are called back to answer questions, The complexity in this novel was a feat-- I love a multi pov, multi time line novel, particularly where we see how the children became the adults they turned out to be. The twists and turns didn't QUITE work for me, however this novel is well-written and I applaud the effort to bring a different experience that is outside the cookie cutter reader experience.

Hepworth does it again! A suspenseful work about the real meaning of family and the secrets they keep, especially when tested.

First though—HUGE content warning for child abuse of all kinds.

Set in rural Australia, three former foster children (now grown), all find out a set of bones has been found under their former foster home. Through their stories, we find out who those bones belonged to. And in true Hepworth style, just when we think things have wrapped up, there’s a twist that’s better than the original ending.

The characters are all deeply flawed. I’m glad they all had their own character arcs so that we could find out how they handled the adversity of these events. The setting was absolutely picturesque…but also, who has a pool and lives next to a horse farm…and doesn’t use either?! Sacrilege…and right on brand.

The narration was excellent and added a level of depth to the story I didn’t get when reading it digitally!

Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Terrific book detailing the foster system and the things foster kids go through.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia have constantly been told they’re lucky to be rescued and raised by a loving foster mother. However this may not be the truth. Years later when bones are found under the house where they grew up, the women are brought back to face their past.

The book kept me interested. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook. Not my favorite Sally Hepworth book but still a decent read. It wrapped up a little to fairy tale ending for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley.

Audiobook due out 4/23!

This was more darkly entertaining than thrilling, a story of three girls fostered by Miss Fairchild. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were all lucky enough to be placed in the beautiful Wild Meadows, in Australia. Jessica was the apple of her foster mother's eye, until more girls began to arrive.

Now the girls are adults and still as close as ever, but with problems of their own. When they're drawn back to Wild Meadows by detectives investigating human remains found at the home, all the pieces come together for an unforeseeable reveal.

Though there's minimal fleshing out the adult versions of the girls, this was a very engaging listen and the narration by Jessica Clarke was excellent!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advance audiobook in exchange for my honest review

The "Queen of Domestic Suspense" and master storyteller Sally Hepworth and comedian (a favorite author) returns following The Soulmate with her latest highly anticipated addictive domestic unputdownable thriller, DARLING GIRLS.

No one does dysfunctional families better! I have read every book by Sally since her debut. She is a star! Each book is unique and has the signature Hepworth trademark style, which I love. She knows how to create some devilish characters and puts them through the wringer, but somehow (the good ones) come out stronger on the other side!

Meet Jessica, Norah, and Alicia. They call themselves sisters (not blood-related) but bond through their tragedies and misfortunes. They are foster sisters.

As young girls, they are rescued by a loving foster mother, Miss Fairchild. They thought this would be a second chance to live a normal life at the lovely Wild Meadows. However, she is anything but—a total nightmare horror show.

When they entered this beautiful farming estate in an idyllic setting, Miss Fairchild put on a different face and personality, making them feel loved and part of the family.

However, soon, her true colors and personality rear its ugly face as a master manipulator, from cruelty, abuse, and gaslighting. She looks for the vulnerabilities and the weaknesses and uses them to her twisted advantage. The pool scene was scary!

Their fairy tales turn into horror. They learned Miss Fairchild was impulsive and highly unpredictable. She was never to be crossed, or you would PAY.

Desperately, the three girls escape, but she is always in the shadows of their minds. The girls have remained close friends, each with their own issues and problems.

Later, the media would call Wild Meadows a House of Horrors, The Secrets Buried Beneath the Wild Meadows, and What's Lurking in the Wild Meadows.

Before the media, a body is discovered under the home of Miss Fairchild in Wild Meadows some twenty-five years later. Now, the girls (women) are in the middle of a crime investigation as key witnesses, OR are they suspects?

The detectives come calling, and now they must relive the horrific past. Whose bones are under the house?

Oh my goodness! What a story. Initially, Miss Fairchild was charming and turned into Dr. Jekell and Hyde. That ending!?! Oh, my, so twisted!

I loved the girls' relationship, bonds, and sisterhood—each with its own struggles, insecurities, and traumas from the past that carry over to the present. The girls depend on one another for ongoing support.

DARLING GIRLS is told through the POVs of the girls, both past and present, infused with chapters from a chilling, unknown voice speaking with a creepy psychologist, Dr. Warren.

As always, Sally blends the dark evil side with the good, and the three strong, lovable girls/young women are resilient, resourceful, witty, and intelligent. I loved the gals!

If you enjoy darky charming, twisted villains, dark secrets, deception, gaslighting, revenge plots, mystery, suspense, and sisterhood mixed with MURDER —give DARLING GIRLS a whirl. Be prepared to be hooked from page one to the explosive, satisfying ending. And you will also be burning the midnight oil. I highly recommend all her books.

AUDIOBOOK: I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the talented Jessica Clarke, for a highly entertaining listening experience. I also read the e-book.

Thank you for the honor and privilege of reading an early ARC and ALC from St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: April 23, 2024
April 2024 Must-Read Books
April Newsletter

DARLING GIRLS 👧🏼

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
@goodreads: 4.20
Author: @sallyhepworth
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Jessica Clark
Length: 368 pages / 9 hours audio
TW: child abuse
Pub Date: 04/23/24

💭 this book promised secrets, love, and murder, and it DELIVERED. 👏🏼 don’t let the happy cover fool you - this book is daaaaaark. at times it was was so hard to read about how the girls were mistreated + I almost feel guilty for giving a book of this content such a high rating!!! but man, oh man, is it GOOD. while the burn is relatively slow, the character development is 🤌🏼 and even though I saw a few of them coming, the twists are wild. my fave POV was the one told through intermittent therapy sessions - so unique + well-executed. 👏🏼 the story was tracking for a solid 4 star read then BAM! that freaking last chapter hits. 🤯

Read if you enjoy: dark family dramas, NO ONE CAN KNOW

a HUGE thank you to @netgalley + @macmillanaudio for the ALC! so glad I was able to read this before pub date - it hits the shelves Tuesday + I promise you won’t want to skip this thriller! 🥳

Sally Hepworth is one of my favorite authors, so my expectations are always sky high when she has a new book drop. While I'm definitely an oultier on this one, I'm sad to say that my expectations might have been a little too high with <i>Darling Girls</i>. Not every book can be your favorite book from any author, and for me, this one joins that list.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia aren't biologically related, but they're sisters, bonded by their shared trauma during their years in foster care at Wild Meadows Farm. When each gets a call from the police alerting them to the fact that bones have been found on the property of the home they once lived in, they travel back to the estate to see for themselves who was buried there.

What went right: Hepworth is a skilled writer, so there's no question that she was able to keep me entertained and engaged throughout. What I wish was different: I honestly struggle to put my finger on it, but there was something that just felt a bit off to me. Maybe it's that there's so much horror and abuse to be spread around — life in foster care certainly has its trauma, but there seemed to be absolutely no bright spot for these girls. That made it quite a difficult read, and the ending gave me a serious "ick" that felt tossed in there for shock value rather than feeling at home in the story.

All that said, I still encourage any Hepworth fan to read it — and any thriller reader will likely happily find themselves swept along and engaged. 3.5 stars rounded down.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced Audiobook.

Darling Girls is a mystery/thriller told from the POV of four characters in present and past time. It is fast paced and full of twists and turns with a very unexpected surprise ending! I enjoyed this audiobook very much but would have preferred it better as an ebook (it was a little challenging to differentiate the different characters through the audio version in my opinion). Overall, I would definitely recommend this book!