Wow! I am so happy I got to listen to an early copy, what an amazing book. I finished it in 2 days and I was totally hooked... Just when i thought I knew where the book was going I was hit with a twist and the ending... wow. Sally Hepworth did it again, new favourite for sure! I highly recommend this book to absolutely everyone.

4.25 ⭐️

*I listened to the audiobook*

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia met at Wild Meadows, under the foster care of Miss. Fairchild. Miss Fairchild was anything but fair. The girls suffered neglect and abuse while living there, but they had each other and that is what mattered most to them. As long as they were together, they could survive Wild Meadows.

25 years later, Wild Meadows has been sold and human remains are found under the house. The three women are called into question. With the women still close, like sisters, they return to the town of Port Agatha and are forced to face the mother of their nightmares once again.

The book switches back and forth from past (the women as children living with Miss. Fairchild) to the present as adults trying to figure out whose remains were found (all told in third person). There is also someone speaking to a psychologist every few chapters, but you are not sure who until the ending. It was a dark and twisty mystery.

Trigger warnings:
- Child abuse & neglect
- Child death
- Child sexual abuse discussed
- Addiction

*My thoughts*

The book held my interest and I wanted to keep listening until the end (I am not a big audiobook fan so that is saying something). The ending of the book was even more deranged (as if Miss. Fairchild wasn't already horrible enough) than I expected and surprised me. What a psychopath. I enjoyed this book and it did make me emotional thinking of the foster care system and all the children who do encounter terrible foster homes (sadly, this is a reality) or even abuse with their biological families.
I found the audiobook easy to follow. The narrator did a good job. The pacing of the book was fine to me. I didn't have trouble with the past and present narrative and the book made it clear what time period each chapter was set in and what character it was following.

I have a couple other books by Sally that I am excited to pull off the shelf and read now!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for access to the ARC audiobook. I greatly appreciate the opportunity!

Thank you NetGalley for an early-release copy of this book!

This book was heavier than I expected, but an interesting story. If you like stories with depth to them and a bit of a mystery, this book might be for you!

Out April 23, 2024!

I LOVED this book. It was a great thriller. There were many times I made a guess of what happened, and then as the story continued I’d change it. By the end I was wrong for the most part every time. I loved the different point of views and the way it came together at the end. Each character was well developed both in childhood and adulthood.
I’d definitely recommend Darling Girls.

I received an advanced copy of Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. Bravo Sally.. you’ve done it again. I could feel every character’s emotion both as young girls and adults. All the.anguish, fear, and disappointment they each felt yet all of that still left room for love. I did not expect the ending which left me speechless. Brilliantly written!

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia face their nightmarish pasts when the childhood home they grew up in as foster children is found to have a body buried on the grounds.

This book was a slow burn but I loved it. The character development was fantastic, and I appreciated that all three sisters had backstories of their own woven in. I love the alternating timelines between the past and present and everything it led up to. While I *thought* I had figured out what was going on about halfway through, it did not make me enjoy reading it any less. It was so satisfying seeing it all play out. Then that last chapter hit and I was mind-blown, and I loved it even more. The plot was unique and entertaining. I have read all of this author's books and I think this is my favorite! I really enjoyed the narrator on the audio version as well!

5/5⭐

I was not disappointed by this book and it’s definitely another winner by Sally Hepworth! I did a mix of audio and ebook and really enjoyed the audiobook!

I loved the relationship between the three sisters. The past and present timeline of the book really helped explain how their actions in adult life were a result of their childhood trauma. I enjoyed the mystery person’s POV and was surprised by the twist at the end. This book was definitely a slow burn but the building suspense throughout and twists kept me reading and needing answers. I thought the ending was great and I appreciated how all the loose ends came together and my questions were answered.

There were a few slow parts in the middle of the book and I thought a few of the twists were predictable. Overall it was still a great thriller filled with suspense and drama.

I definitely recommend this book, especially if you love a suspenseful slow burn thriller.

Good book!
The ending was definitely unexpected!
It started out a bit slow but picked up about halfway through. The narrator was excellent.
Thank you for the chance to read this.

Sally Hepworth has a way of creating dynamic, well-thought out characters that keep you hooked on “what will they do next.” The audio experience was great - but it did take me awhile to keep all 4 POVs separate as the accents were very similar. And the shell-shocking twist at the very very end… made my jaw hit the floor. A thriller well done 👏🏻

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a sucker for a Sally Hepworth book, and Darling Girls did not disappoint! I do not think it's possible for her to write something I will not love.

Three women bonded by their upbringing in a foster home - sisters in all ways but blood. They have overcome the odds having grown up on a farm with their evil foster mom.
Years later, as the farmhouse is being demolished, bones are found buried underneath and they are brought back together as the book alternates between past and present. Their stories of abuse and perseverance throughout a traumatic childhood will bring the reader chills, as the investigation into who the bones belong to brings the past into light.

A creepy domestic thriller that will shock you all the way to the twisted ending!

Narrated by Jessica Clark, who gives life to the story throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced audio in return for my honest review.

Pub Date 23 April 2024

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a copy of this audiobook.

Foster children get a bad rep. Often bounced from house to house, it’s hard for them to form connections. 3 sisters that did just that are living their life when they get a call that takes them back to their childhood trauma. Can they overcome this?

I loved this book. I was instantly hooked and craving to hear more. In true fashion, this was a family drama with a mystery attached. It just worked for me. The ending has my mouth dropping open and had my clutching y imaginary pearls

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is a suspenseful psychological domestic mystery. One that will leave you shocked. Wow! That ending!
The story of 3 foster girls under the care of Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows that includes abuse, lies, secrets, loss, friendship, and the need for love. 25 years later they are called back to Wild Meadows when bones are found under the house.
I definitely recommend reading Darling Girls.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the narration for this novel. The accent kept me hooked the whole time and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what would happen.

Unfortunately after 50%, I realized I cannot finish this book. I am pregnant and the infant remains are a little too much for me at this time. I am very sorry!

I think this will be a great book for those that this isn't currently a trigger warning. But after I miscarriage it's past fall, I'm just not in the spot to read it.

Another great Sally Hepworth read. I really enjoy her writing and the stories she tells. Thank NetGalley for the audio ARC.

I read and listened to this book as I was approved for both.

You know those books that you stay up until the middle of the night reading? This is the one. I felt gaslit, on the edge of my seat, and outraged for 95% of this book. I couldn’t believe what was going on and couldn’t wait to find out what was happening. I don’t stay up until 3am reading books … ever. But with this one I did. I’m still thinking about it days later and am already planning a re-read. What an amazing book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of Sally Hepworth’s audiobook version of Darling Girls. I enjoyed this story of 3 foster sisters who become family. The psychological page turner follows the 3 as they learn shocking news about their shared childhood home. As the story unfolds you learn more about the sisters and their foster mother. Full of unexpected twists, I kept longing to listen to hear what would happen next. Definitely an enjoyable listen

My Rating: 3.75/5 stars

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia became foster sisters when placed together at Wild Meadows, but chose to be sisters at heart despite their foster mother Miss Fairchild. 25 years after leaving Wild Meadows, bones are discovered under the house. The girls return "home" at the police's request to find answers.

Please check your trigger warnings before reading this book. There is a lot of darkness, abuse, substance abuse, toxic family dynamics etc. present in these pages.

The pacing of this book was wonderful. I was hooked from the beginning. The POV switches between multiple characters and multiple timelines to slowly reveal the past and make sense of the present. These were easy to follow and were done quite well. The characters had depth and a relatability to them not often found in the thriller/mystery genre.

Overall the book was dark but very enjoyable. I do, however, prefer for truly bad people to get what they deserve. My mother grew up in foster care and had relatable experiences to these women, so I'm biased. The ending pissed me off because it completely changed the reasoning Fairchild to even take in the kids in the first place. Her killing her baby sister for literally no reason makes no sense. Why would she later voluntarily take in more babies? I can appreciate a villain with a good backstory and until the twist she had it. Not that she could be forgiven for torturing girls for money, but at least the foundation of being a terrible person was laid. Instead she is just a villain because she was born evil? This whole ending twist felt rushed and just put in for shock factor and took my rating down a lot.

The narrator was fantastic!

Wow this was a good one. Lately thrillers just aren’t as fun to read but THIS ONE PROVED THAT WRONG! WOW this was so good. I did not expect that ending what so ever!

I initially thought 4.5 ⭐️, but as I started writing this review, I realized I have nothing but positive things and will likely read this again, so 5 ⭐️ from me!!
I loved that I was able to read and listen to this at the same time, so I have a dual review of both audio narration and book.

I had all the feels! I was literally cracking up laughing, borderline crying and angry all at different points. Alicia’s jokes were on point! 😂

Sally Hepworth is truly an amazing storyteller! I was hooked from the beginning. The setting, the plot, the character development, all so great! The sisters were all so different and so well developed, I had a hard time not falling in love with all 3 of them. I even felt for miss Fairchild!

I have a pedi psych background, making the foster children story line more relatable to me, so that part of the story really tore at my heart strings and made me tear up at some parts.

The narration was great! I’ve never actually listened to an audiobook with an Australian accent and I loved it! The performance was perfect for the story line and Jessica Clarke nailed it for me. She was animated at all the right times, didn’t miss a beat.


The pacing of this book was just perfect, it wasn’t slow and it wasn’t fast, and I didn’t want to put it down or to end!! But it did end, and I love how nicely it was tied up.

Looking forward to my next Hepworth novel!!

Special thank you to NetGalley, St.Martins Press and Macmillan audio.

OOH this was such a good one! I loved the found family relationship between the three girls, the way that the past and the future were connected for them, and the unsettling vibes of the house and foster mom. We get the story of the 3 women themselves, their past in the house and current day, as well as the story of the foster mom. I thought I saw some of the twists coming, but I was mostly all wrong and I loved it. I usually find slow-burn thrillers frustrating, but I really liked this one. There were sufficient twists and the story itself was compelling enough for me to keep reading to find out more. There's some heavier content here around child abuse, so please proceed with caution if this is a difficult topic for you.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.