Three foster children (now adults) receive a call from a detective regarding something alarming found at their former foster home. The book switches between the foster sisters' past and present lives, sharing how they ended up in foster care and their current lives.

I really liked this thriller and I'm looking forward to reading more of Sally Hempworth's books. Despite the main character's flaws, I found them likable, and I especially enjoyed their sisterly bond. The plot was full of suspense and unexpected twists, especially at the end.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. I liked the narrator, but at times, it took effort to follow the story with the different points of view and timelines. That said, I still recommend the audiobook, as the narrator did a good job setting the tone for the book.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have yet to read a Sally Hepworth book that I haven’t loved. She is a master of keeping a hidden twist til the bitter end.

In Darling Girls-the author introduces three foster girls and the woman who fosters them. Several years after all the girls had left the property, they are contacted and questioned when the authorities find the bones of a toddler under the house, thus forcing them to relive all of the trauma and unanswered questions they’ve harbored for years.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Sally Hepworth has become an auto-read and favorite author of mine and 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙂𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨 did not disappoint. I started this audiobook on our roadtrip to my parent's house then switched to my kindle because I didn't want to wait for the trip back to finish it since I was already so invested. It's definitely more of a slow-burn so don't go in expecting an instant thrill. I love how her books are largely character driven but also have a solid plot. So it takes a while to get to know the characters and differentiate them (this one is multi-POV) but after you do, then the plot picks up and you won't be able to put it down.
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Norah, Jessica, and Alicia grew up as foster sisters living in a seemingly happy home with Miss Fairchild. Now grown, they each receive a phone call from police requesting they answer some questions because human remains have been found under their childhood home. What follows is a multi-POV and dual timeline story of what life was actually like for the girls living under Miss Fairchild's roof, and the future repercussions.
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In my opinion, this one will be great in any format. But I will say I especially enjoyed the audio as it's set in Australia and the narrator, Jessica Clarke has a lovely accent and I felt she added to the authenticity 🎧🤍

3.5

Miss Fairchild opened her large rural home to a foster child, Jessica, after her mother died. Everything was perfect- until it wasn't. After several blissful years, Miss Fairchild changed overnight. Gone was the perfect mother- instead was a cruel woman who loved to manipulate. A few years later, Miss Fairchild takes in Norah. Norah has had a really tough life and has anger issues. But Miss Fairchild wants the income, so she takes her. Then comes Alicia. The three girls are very close in age and bond as sisters as they live in their secret nightmare. They stay close to this day, some thirty-ish years later. And when a body is found underneath their former home, they make the journey back there. And all the buried secrets are revealed.

I really, really enjoyed this in the beginning. But the second half, less so. I can't exactly pinpoint why- but I went from not wanting to put it down to getting regularly distracted. Part of it was because most of it was not hard to figure out. I think also the appearance of one particular character in the present day made it less fun to read. Not every character has to be likeable, but I found them both unlikeable and uninteresting in the present day. It is weird, but my feelings were completely different regarding this character in the "then" versus "now" chapters.

Jessica Clarke narrates the audiobook. No complaints on her performance- I just wish multiple narrators were used since this is mainly told from the three sisters' POVs.

I received an advance audio book in exchange for an honest review.

alc audiobook review

I ATE THIS UP. This is my first Sally Hepworth book, and it was a fun one! (In a dark, thrillery way...) Three adolescent girls meet in foster care and quickly connect to cope with their caretaker, Miss Fairchild. As adults, the women are called by a detectives because human remains are found buried under their former home. Whose bones are found, and who put them there?

This may be a good fit if you enjoy:
- strong, resilient women
- found family
- toxic relationships

I finished this audiobook in one day because I didn't want to stop listening. The narrator was fantastic! The well-labeled chapters made it easy to transition between perspectives and timelines.

Rating: I really liked it! (4.5)

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an early copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Darling Girls begins in Australia at Wild Meadows
foster home ran by the unstable Miss Fairchild. Jessica, Norah and Alicia all become residents and under the care of Fairchild.

Sally Hepworth is the queen on psychological thrillers! She executed this novel as well. The multiple timelines reveal the perfect ending. I didn’t care for the narrator of this book. I would have most likely enjoyed the novel much more if I had read it instead. The plot was still fascinating and I enjoyed it.

Thank you MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for this advanced audiobook.

𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5⭐️
DARLING GIRLS 🎧
🤍𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: thriller
📖 368 pages
𝗘𝗺𝗼𝗷𝗶𝘀: 🏊🏼‍♀️🏡😢💊🐎🍼🤫🚔
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: 4/23/2024

🩵𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲🩵

Thank you @netgalley @macmilliamaudio for the #gifted copy!

I loved it! This was my first Sally Hepworth & definitely won’t be my last!! Brace yourself for a riveting journey through the dark depths of secrets & sisterhood in @SallyHepworth gripping thriller. From the first page, I was captivated by the intricate bond between foster sisters, Jessica, Norah, & Alicia, as they navigate through unthinkable trials. The multiple POVs & timelines add layers of suspense, keeping you on edge until the jaw-dropping finale.

Hepworth masterfully weaves together a tale of secrets, betrayal, & resilience, leaving me eager to explore her entire backlist. A must read for thriller aficionados, I highly recommend!!

⚠️ child abuse, foster care, addiction

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
◽️ suspense & twists
◽️ dark thrillers
◽️ the powerful bond of sisterhood
◽️ second chances

𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁: Jessica, Norah, & Alicia grew up on a farming estate under the care of their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, after being rescued from family tragedies. Despite appearances, their childhood wasn't as perfect as it seemed, with Miss Fairchild's strict rules & unpredictable nature. Breaking away from her control was a desperate move, but her influence lingered in their minds. When a body is found under their childhood home, the sisters become central figures in the investigation, raising questions about their innocence or guilt.

One of my top anticipated thrillers of the year and it did not disappoint! Right from the beginning I was pulled in and there were plenty of "woah" moments and twists that kept me hooked until the end.

This was told in dual timelines from the perspectives of each of the three "darling girls". Although this might seem confusing it was actually quite easy to follow. The past timeline (Before) was admittedly my favorite, as I found the pace and storyline of the past to be the most intriguing. Present day timeline seemed to move a bit slower and have pieces of information not quite relevant to the mystery, but I appreciated how it all tied together in at the end. You end up not only wanting to solve the mystery and learn the truth about what happened at Wild Meadows, but also rooting for these girls who have been through so much already.

So many twists and jaw dropping moments, I was impressed. Each time I thought I had it figured out I was pleasantly proven wrong, and I ended up staying up way past my bedtime because I NEEDED to know. It was worth it.

I think the narrator (Jessica Clarke) did an excellent job overall. This shifted multiple perspectives and timelines but I found it was easy to track and follow along throughout the story.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for my ARC, all thoughts are my own.

This was a good book but I will say sort of confusing as an audiobook with flashbacks and multiple POV’s! I did enjoy it but would definitely recommend getting a physical copy.

However the narrator was so good and definitely made the story come alive at times!! It was just difficult for me with how the book was set up.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the ARC.

This was super entertaining if not a bit over the top but it kept me reading! I always find Hepworth’s books fun to read and this was no exception.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listen to Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth, read by Jessica Clarke.

Darling Girls is the newest thriller from the NYT bestselling author of The Soulmate and The Good Sister. I read The Soulmate last year and loved it, so I was very excited for this new book.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were rescued from family tragedies as young girls and raised by foster mother, Miss Fairchild. However, Miss Fairchild was not one to be crossed, and the girls suffered abuse under her unpredictable and strict care. Fast forward to adulthood - the girls have remained bonded by their childhood while still deeply affected by their past. When a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the foster sisters find themselves thrust back into their past and questioning everything.

I thought this was an entertaining book and I never quite knew what the next twist or turn was going to be. Even to the very last page! However, the very topic of foster children being abused just didn't sit well with me. I had a hard time getting fully engrossed because of it. With that said, it was still a fast moving page turner and I was glad I had the chance to listen to the audiobook. I was feeling like it was a 3 star book for me, but the ending really fulfilled that thriller twist we're all after, so I give it 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.

Another great novel by Sally! The relationships in this book were so twisted, but well portrayed. The "twist" (or twists) at the end provided the tie together we want. Absolutely loved, I binged in less than a day!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

💀Blurb:
“For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. As young girls they were rescued from family tragedies and raised by a loving foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on an idyllic farming estate and given an elusive second chance at a happy family life. 

But their childhood wasn’t the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. Miss Fairchild had rules. Miss Fairchild could be unpredictable. And Miss Fairchild was never, ever to be crossed. In a moment of desperation, the three broke away from Miss Fairchild and thought they were free. Even though they never saw her again, she was always somewhere in the shadows of their minds. When a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the foster sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses. Or are they prime suspects?”

💀 Superb narration by Jessica Clarke describing characters with multiple POV’s. This book is so far my favorite of @sallyhepworth With a captivating plot she makes you love the sisters, their trauma bonded relationship, their past and future. Jessica, Norah and Alicia formed an unbreakable bond while they were fostered by the evil Holly Fairschild , thru secrets, childhood abuse and a countless amount of emotions they alone disentangled the biggest secret of them all.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for the ALC.

#DarlingGirls will be out 4.23.24 in the USA

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up!

ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪs ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴏғ ᴀ sʟᴏᴡ ʙᴜʀɴ / ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ʙᴜɪʟᴅ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴍᴜʟᴛɪᴘʟᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇʟɪɴᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴏᴠs, ʙᴜᴛ sᴛɪʟʟ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴇᴀsʏ ᴛᴏ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ. ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴏʀ, ᴊᴇssɪᴄᴀ ᴄʟᴀʀᴋᴇ, ʜᴀs ᴀ ᴠᴇʀʏ sᴍᴏᴏᴛʜ ᴛᴏɴᴇ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʀ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀɴ ɪɴғᴇᴄᴛɪᴏᴜs ᴀᴄᴄᴇɴᴛ. sʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴇs ᴀ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴊᴏʙ ᴏғ sᴡɪᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇs ᴇᴠᴇʀ sᴏ sʟɪɢʜᴛʟʏ ᴡʜᴇɴ sᴡɪᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ ᴘᴏᴠs ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴊᴏʙ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴋɪᴅ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇs! ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ sᴀʏ ʜᴇʀ ᴛᴏɴᴇ ᴡᴀs sᴏ ᴄᴀʟᴍɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ᴘᴜᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ sʟᴇᴇᴘ ᴀᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇs 🫣, ʙᴜᴛ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪ ᴡᴀs ʙᴏʀᴇᴅ! ᴀʟᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ғʟᴀᴡᴇᴅ, ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ɢʀᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ᴍᴀɪɴ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ sᴜᴄᴄᴇᴇᴅ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴡᴀs ᴠᴇʀʏ sᴀᴛɪsғʏɪɴɢ ! ɪ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴡɪsʜ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴇxᴄɪᴛᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ.

📖 ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ @macmillan.audio ᴀɴᴅ @netgalley ғᴏʀ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʀᴄ ᴄᴏᴘʏ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴀɴ ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ 📖

Firstly, I want to send a huge Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this absolutely heartwrenching thriller. I immediately connected with the book, having two sisters, one of them being a social worker. This book was really intense from start to finish, scattered with a little comic relief which at times had me laughing out loud (for example, when the bartender asks what they can get for Norah, she responds with: "A lobotomy. Make it a double.").

This book kept me guessing LITERALLY until the last chapter. And just when I thought everything was tied up in a pretty little bow, the last chapter happens and everything I thought I knew was blown apart, but in the best way possible.

The characters were so amazing. The sisters' personalities were each so unique and the way the author wrote them in the book made it feel like I personally knew each of them For the record, I'm Norah, my younger sister is Alicia, and my older sister is Jessica).

This book gives a heartbreaking glance into what life is like for foster children, the bonds they form, and the families that inevitably fall apart due to a broken system. I am so excited for its release so I can have everyone I know read it.

One of the easiest 5-Star Reviews I've given this year.

This is my third Sally Hepworth book and definitely my favorite! I was immediately captured within the first paragraphs, and it kept me very interested until the very end. I love the before, and after timeline for all three women which really showed us how they became the women that they are. There were a few twist along the way, and a big one at the end, which I did not be coming. There were parts that were difficult to read… Nothing extremely explicit, but it definitely broke my heart to see what these women went through in childhood. I really felt so many emotions while reading this and honestly enjoyed the journey. I think this is the book that will stick with me for a long time, and I highly recommend!

Thank you, netgalley advance copy of this audiobook.jessica Clarke did a really great job. I’ve narrating the book, especially given, that she was narrating. Multiple perspectives. The audiobook was truly great!

the last chapter was a shock. It wasn’t so much a mystery as it was an edge of your seat type of book. fast paced and engaging. loved it.

Three sisters with a shared traumatic experience in a foster home are drawn back to their childhood home when I body is discovered underneath the house. Their tortured past unfolds as they try to discover who the remains belong to..

This is a well written mystery/suspense novel. There was no wasted words. Each one was used to paint relatable and complex characters and weave a shock worthy take. I love a good mystery where I can’t predict the ending, and this one was definitely one of those! A captivating story until the very end. This book is a must read if you like mystery and suspense.

Thank you to Macmillan audio and Netgalley for an ARC for my honest review.

3-1/2 stars for a suspenseful, if at times confusing, story of three young girls growing up in foster care with a bizarrely uncaring, often brutal, foster mother. I'd guessed part of the ending well before it was revealed, but there was still one more twist at the end.

The audiobook was well narrated by Jessica Clarke.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia grew up in the care of Miss Fairchild—holding onto secrets and traumas well into adulthood. The discovery of a body brings them back together at this childhood town to face new fears.

Great narration, easy to listen to and engaging. Entertaining and fast paced. Multiple character POV and duel timeline keeps it moving forward and has you piecing everything together; linking the past to the future. Decent character development and twist.