Wow, this book was something. Very psychological and really messes with you! The story is heart-wrenching for these women who faced neglect and abuse during their stay in the foster care system. It really goes to show how broken that system is and how it does not protect these young children well enough. The book is eerie and intriguing and that ending, WOW, not what I thought was going to happen in the end. It was a great read!

I appreciated the flow of chapters, shifting in both POV and time period, all to see the full picture by the end; and an unexpected picture it provides! I thought the pacing was a bit slow in the beginning, but I felt like everything after made sense and were creative choices for the mystery. I look forward to this author's future novels!

3.5 stars

Miss Holly Fairchild's house in Port Arthur, called Wild Meadows, was supposed to be an ideal placement for foster children. In the Australian countryside, with fresh air and a school nearby....what could be bad? What's bad is that Miss Fairchild, who had a nice appearance, was an obsessive control freak who kept her charges, always girls, under a VERY tight thumb. Miss Fairchild had a mean disposition; provided barely enough food to sustain life; and made the girls clean the house for hours every day. Miss Fairchild also got drunk and railed against the children for imaginary infractions.

The story revolves around three women, now in their thirties, who lived at Wild Meadows more than 25 years ago. The ladies, who aren't related, call themselves 'sisters' and remain close friends.

The three foster sisters are Jessica, Norah, and Alicia.

👩‍🦰 Jessica, married to a man named Phil, is a well-to-do professional home organizer. Jessica has anxiety issues and steals prescription medicine from the houses she organizes. Jessica got away with the thefts for a while, but her latest client, Debbie Montgomery-Squires is making a fuss and threatening Jessica's professional reputation.

****

👩‍🦰 Norah, who has anger issues - and lashes out with her fists - makes money by taking employment competency tests for other people. Norah goes out with men strictly to get free house repairs, and she recently punched out a bad date named Kevin. Now Kevin is threatening to go to the police, which could land Norah in jail. That's unfortunate, because Norah just met a man she actually likes.

👩‍🦰 Alicia is a social worker who helps children in difficult situations, and tries to get them fostered or adopted. With the help of a close friend, Alicia is currently assisting a troubled boy, and is even thinking of adopting the child herself.

****

As the story opens, Wild Meadows has been sold, and while it's being torn down, human remains are found under the house - bones that have been there for many years. Detective Patel, who's in charge of the investigation, phones Jessica, Norah, and Alicia and asks them to come to Port Arthur to answer some questions. The foster sisters reluctantly agree to cooperate, and the story alternates back and forth between the present, where there's an ongoing police investigation, and several decades ago, when the women were wards at Wild Meadows.

When Jessica, Norah, and Alicia lived at Wild Meadows they were always hungry; always busy with chores; and always on edge, because Miss Fairchild could erupt at any moment. In addition, the foster sisters sometimes had to take TOTAL CARE of babies briefly fostered by Miss Fairchild, apparently for the money. This meant the girls sometimes had to skip school to feed, diaper, bathe, and sooth the infants day and night.

In the present, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are helping the police with their inquiries while also dealing with the issues in their personal lives. The tension ramps up when Miss Fairchild herself arrives in Port Arthur, and seems to be delusional, because she thinks the foster sisters will be happy to see her.

Hurtful past events are revealed as the story unfolds, some during sessions between an unidentified patient and a creepy psychiatrist.

The novel demonstrates that bad parental figures leave a permanent mark on children, but the bonds of friendship can mitigate the damage. Moreover, love can be found at any stage of life.

This is a engaging story and a riveting mystery. Recommended to fans of suspense novels. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Jessica Clarke, who does a fine job.

Thanks to Netgalley, Sally Hepworth, and Macmillan audio for a copy of the book.

"Darling Girls" is a new psychological thriller / family drama from an Australian author, Sally Hepworth to be published in US on 04/23/2024.
I love the sparkling cover, which gave a beach-read vibe (in fact, it is suitable for any seasons). I also enjoyed her previous novel, "the Good Sister" very much and was excited to read her newest novel.

Like "the Good Sister," this novel is also about sisters. This time they aren't bound by blood but by the foster mother, Miss Fairchild who has Miss-Havisham like creepiness. Three girls, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were taken in by Miss Fairchild to be brought up. They all have different temperaments and backgrounds. As anyone who is familiar with foster care system might know, it can be very difficult and trauma-inducing. Each girl has a reason why they were being brought into foster care. There are quite bit of bullying and other traumatic events included, so I would check out content warning if you are sensitive to child abuse, bullying, etc.

The story is told in two main timelines - current and some 20 or so years ago, from multiple points of view. I listened to the audiobook which is well narrated; however, it gets a bit confusing with multiple POVs and timelines. I feel that I would have enjoyed this better as a physical book. I also noticed that a number of "breadcrumbs" or the story plots didn't develop fully. If it is to be abandoned without being fully developed, why would it be included? I enjoyed her last book a lot more, which had a tighter construction. I also couldn't connect with any of the characters in this book unfortunately, or any of the side characters
Having said all that, the book has a lot of great reviews - so this, as always, may be a personal preference. I would be open to reading other books by this author.

The advanced copy of this audiobook was provided courtesy of NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange with my unbiased opinion. Thank you!

#DarlingGirls:⁣
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Thank you @macmillan.audio #MacAudio2024 for my gifted copy!⁣
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Sally girl, what in the what?! I love Sally Hepworth’s domestic dramas (I can’t consider them a thriller I’m sorry) so I was expecting about the same. Darling Girls was very different than her other books, and it was good. I’m floored. It was uncomfortable, juicy, convincing, and shocking. It’s a yes from me.⁣
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First and foremost, the type of child abuse in Darling Girls was very hard to listen to. I was shaking I was so angry, and did have to shut off the audio a few times and regroup. Hepworth is so good at writing vile stories, that I was so angry. (Which means it’s a great book) So, if that’s not your cup of tea, you may want to skip over this one.⁣
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The audio is phenomenal. Jessica Clarke knocked it out of the park for me. The sinister undertones for Miss Fairchild gave me chills! Highly recommend the audio. ⁣
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I know everyone is talking about the ending, but holy cannoli. I was disgusted (at the character, again great writing Sally love you xx), not very shocked but still shocked, bamboozled, and went back to disgusted. Whew, it was a ride for me. ⁣
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Overall, lots of triggers, lots of hard moments, great reveal, great writing, amazing audio. ⁣
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Out 4/23!⁣
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Predict text: The Darling Girls…

Sally Hepworth always delivers a fantastic thriller that immediately captures readers and keeps them flipping the pages until the very end! While The Mother-in-Law will probably always be my favorite novel by Hepworth, this one still satisfied and would be a great summer reading pick!

If you are a more sensitive reader I would recommend reading trigger warnings before picking up this novel.

Thanks to Saint Martin’s Press for gifted access via NetGalley. All opinions below my own.

I can’t believe this is my first Sally Hepworth Bouk, I’m sure I have at least three of them on the shelf waiting to be read. This one takes place in Australia giving us two timelines. One in present day where three foster sisters are contacted by the police when a body is found at their former foster home. And the other flashing back to their childhoods. We learn about their various upbringings and how they were bonded together by the unusual moods of their foster mother. I’ll stop there because I don’t want to give any spoilers.

I was very invested in these characters, despite being quite a few of them to get to know. The harness of the foster makes it a bit of a hard read because I’m sure there are many people living this reality. What I really loved was the bonding of the three sisters. Also, the twists were pretty good. There’s a last chapter one that was absolutely perfect. This is a great beach or pool read for the summer.

Darling Girls is one of those books with multiple points of view in alternating chapters. It includes a "then" and "now" aspect, and an underlying mystery. It has all of the elements of an engrossing novel and for the most part, I was very taken in by the mystery. I felt like I understood the characters and their motivations. I sincerely disliked Miss Fairchild and that never changed. I had a hard time reading the parts about her. There is no justification for child abuse.

I read this as an audiobook and enjoyed the narrator's Australian accent. However, I feel like this was a missed opportunity for an ensemble cast! In audiobook version, it was difficult for me to keep up until I got a grasp on each character; then it was great.

Thanks to NetGalley for early access to this novel!

I thought I had it figured out, I truly did. Right up til the end and then BAM! Despite thinking I had it figured out from fairly early on, this book really kept me hooked and waiting for what was gonna come next.

Absolutely a 5⭐️ thriller! Gonna have to read more by Sally Hepworth for sure!

A roller coaster of a ride! Very suspenseful and enjoyed it on audio. I think I would have liked it better in the physical format to really get a sense of the multiple POVs. The story was paced perfectly and had me on the edge of my seat, I wanted to keep listening to it.

I listened to an advanced reader's copy of the audiobook for Saly Hepworth's forthcoming book Darling Girls thanks to the publisher and NetGalley in return for an honest review. I enjoyed this one. The book is about three women who were all foster children on a farm under the "care" of Miss Fairchild. Their foster-mother was anything but caring. It was an abusive environment and the three girls (all tweens at the time) bonded and consider themselves sisters.

From the beginning of the book we know bad things happened at "Wild Meadows" and the women are all requested to travel there to meet with the police. The facility had been closed and razed to the ground, And bones were found. The question is whose bones? And what did the girls have to do with it, if anything. The book uses a fairly standard motif of alternating chapters from the perspectives of the three main characters (Jessica, Norah, and Alicia) and chapters take place in the present and "before." I think you can see where this is going. Over time we get closer and closer to identifying what happened and, maybe, whose bones were found.

It makes for a good audio-book and the narration was excellent.

Sally Hepworth always comes through with the twists!

What an evil woman! I received a free copy of the audiobook version from netgalley. The narrator did an amazing job with the characters!

Jessica, Nora, and Alecia were sent to live with foster mother Holly Fairchild from the ages of 10-13. The perspective of each character then and now allows you into their life in foster care and where they are now in their life.

The finding of skeletal remains under their foster house sends the girls back to a time they are trying to forget. The remains kept me guessing until the reveal, but I sure was shocked for the final reveal!

🎧Audiobook review 4.5 🌟 (rounded up)

Sally Hepworth's book 'Soulmate' was one of my favorites this year, so I was thrilled to receive the ALC of 'Darling Girls'. It did not disappoint and she's quickly becoming one of my new favorite storytellers.

In 'Darling Girls', three foster girls who are not related are united by sisterhood. We have dual timelines that I was able to seamlessly transition between to unravel the complex layers of the intertwined lives of the sisters. She did a great job of helping us distinguish between them, which isn't always easy when dealing with so many characters via audiobook.

I was drawn to these women's lives, their challenges, and resilience from the start, as the story sheds light on the harsh realities of their foster mother's abuse. The pace of the book seemed spot on, keeping me tuned in as the plot unfolded. She was able to trigger genuine emotion, and I was concerned for their well-being for a good portion of the book keeping me in a state of angst which I kind of love.

An incredible domestic drama that has a profound emotional impact. Fans of the genre should read this novel because it has a gripping storyline, top-notch narration, and a twist that left me saying 'WTF'.

I'm eagerly awaiting her next book, and I've added a few books from her back catalog to my TBR list.

Thank you Net Galley, Macmillan Audio and Sally Hepworth for the advanced listen copy in exchange for my honest review. It was my pleasure.

It’s a yes for me!!🖤

This book was a bit dark but I did like it & couldn't wait to find out what happened. I did especially feel for the three main girls who were orphans. And there were other characters that I loved to hate.

Excellent read and audiobook! Great characters. Good twists. Fascinating stories. I enjoyed following all 4 characters and their lives. As well as the extras. The cruelty is scary but it fits the story. The timeline of past and present is good, both with troubles and resolution.

The story followed Jessica, Norah, and Alicia. In the current day, the police is investigating the foster care home because they found human bones after an excavation/demolition to the care home. The police contacted each of them and asked to meet up. They were all nervous to dredge up the past because their childhood at the foster care home was rough. In the current day, each of the character does different things and has her own troubles.

There was another mysterious character talking to a psychologist about her childhood. It all leads up to an explosive ending.

This is my third read from the author and I loved it. I didn't only listened to the whole book but also read it too to clarify on some parts. The narrator did a good job and I enjoyed her accent.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read, listen, and review!

Sally Hepworth’s books are definitely a more slow-burn, psychological suspense and this was no exception, but there was more action in here than in her previous books! This one was a little darker and more harrowing than previous books, but an absorbing read for sure. Recommended!

So, so good. I loved this book. It kept the reader engaged the entire time. There are little twists and reveals along the way and I was happy with the ending. There was trope that I am not a fan of <spoiler> (drug abuse) </spoiler> by one of the characters and it started to feel a bit repetitive, but by the end I realized how well it was done to get to where the story went.

All of the characters in this story have some issues they need to deal with and it was interesting to see how their childhood affected the adults they became. I enjoyed getting to know them and seeing how their relationships evolved as well.

This definitely does not have a neat bow ending if you need that and there are major abuse trigger warnings in this one, but if you want a book that keeps you reading this is great. I highly recommend this one and look forward to seeing what Hepworth puts out next.

The audio is narrated by Jessica Clarke and she did an excellent job. If you enjoy audiobooks, give this one a listen.

This was a very well developed and gripping read. I was completely invested from the start wanting to know which character was having a session with their therapist. As the story progresses more and more information is dropped - while I found most of the reveals to be a bit predictable; however, the author still shocked me on the very last page. I never saw it coming. I will defiantly be checking out this author’s back list and keeping an eye out for future releases.

Sally Hepworth does it again. A solid five stars of a unique, dark, suspense. I enjoyed this book as much as the others.

An intricate story set in Australia with four points of view, past/present perspectives, and found family bonds made through the foster system.

The three main points of view follow the sisters, Alicia, Jessica, and Norah (with an H), and their time at Wild Meadows under the care of Ms. Fairchild, the abusive, manipulative, foster parent. The past/present timeline allows you to see how they were shaped into the women they are 25 years on and what living in those conditions did to each one.

Called back to Port Agatha where present-day bones were found at Wild Meadows, the sisters are facing their trauma head-on and healing.

Each girl is vastly different in personality and backstory but, no less a perfect fit into the trio. Jessica whose been vying for the attention and love of Ms. Fairchild since 5, when she entered the system wants nothing more than a family and now struggles with addiction. Norah, who has a hard time controlling her emotions but cares deeply about her sisters, and Alicia whose Gran spoiled her until her sudden hospitalization and death, struggles with intimacy and now works within the foster system herself. All three have trauma they're dealing with in the present setting from their past abuse at the hands of Ms. Fairchild, but still, one thing remains true - they take care of each other and will until the very end. I found myself so bonded to each girl, rooting for each one throughout. Sally Hepworth's characters always pull me in.

The fourth POV is sprinkled throughout, and keeps you guessing - is it one of the girls we follow? It isn't revealed until the end.

Sally Hepworth's writing is always amazing, I adore the characters she creates while dealing with dark, sad, situations - there is always a bit of comic relief that's done so well it's not tacky. The plots are original and imaginative while exploring themes that are hard but allows for bittersweet endings.

The narration by Jessica Clarke is spot-on and done VERY well.

4.5 stars!

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are forced into the foster care system after immense losses and personal tragedies. So, when they are each individually brought to Wild Meadows, an idyllic farming estate under the care of the beautiful Miss Fairchild, the girls should feel gratitude and luck for this second chance for a happy family. However, nothing is ever as it seems to be. Miss Fairchild has strict rules, a wild temper, and can be very unpredictable – they quickly learn this second chance is no fairytale.

Years later, all three grown women are still working through the trauma of their childhood, when they are contacted by a local detective that states a body has been discovered under the home the sisters grew up in. The lives they have tried so hard to establish, the memories they have tried so hard to bury come crashing back.

What really happened at Wild Meadows? And are the girls key witnesses or suspects to this horrible crime?

Thoughts:

Thank you so much @Macmillanusa and @Macmillanaudio for the advanced readers' copy in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely LOVED Darling Girls! This was shockingly my first Sally Hepworth novel, and now I immediately need to get on to her backlist novels, asap!

The tumultuous upbringing and stories Jessica, Norah and Alicia experienced growing up as foster children to the unpredictable Miss Fairchild was an absolute rollercoaster, nonetheless. There is never a moment where it feels like you might have it figured out or can predict what will happen next. The ending left me in a whirlwind, in the best way possible.

If you love unpredictable, addicting, domestic thrillers (not involving the typical husband and wife scenario) then this book is definitely for you!