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.

Darling Girls was creepy, suspenseful, and everything I was looking for. Sally Hepworth has been hit or miss for me in the past, so I'm excited to say I really enjoyed this one. It's much darker than her usual storyline, so please check trigger warnings before reading.

I enjoyed the "before and after" timeline: the reader is learning the story of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, both where they are now and what happened to them in the past. There's also a mystery POV of someone speaking with a psychologist, but we don't know who they are or how they tie into the plot.

This book is certainly a slow burn, but it's well executed with the suspense continually building. I enjoyed the way it all came together!

This is the best Sally Hepworth novel since The Mother-in-Law! Fast paced and it pulls you right in. The narrator was excellent for the audiobook.

”Aren’t you a darling girl?” Mum would say as she stood over the bassinet, gazing at her. “How I love you, darling girl.” It made me sick.

Darling Girls was my 5th read from Hepworth and my favorite thus far. Hepworth can write thrillers like no other! This novel is told from multiple points of view- Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, all foster children in the 90’s as well as an account from a Dr. Warren, psychologist. You aren’t sure whom is communicating with Dr. Warren until the end of the story which adds to the suspense. The book is also told in the present day but flashes back to the girls time at Wild Meadows- both time frames essential to the plot.

Darling Girls is a domestic thriller done right. I highly recommend picking it up for your next 5 star read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

This was such a wild ride. I really liked the sisters and the story was cool although the plot twist at the end was lacking for me unfortunately. Overall I really liked it and I liked the narrator too

Thank you to McMillan Audio, Netgalley and the author Sally Hepworth for allowing me to listen to this audiobook for an honest review. This domestic thriller about three foster sisters had me hooked from the beginning. There were so many twists and turns throughout the book, super suspenseful, and the ending was amazing! I really enjoyed these sister's bond and relationship, and the storyline was very intriguing. This was my first Sally Hepworth book and definitely won't be my last. (Review posted on Goodreads)

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC audio of one of my favorite authors! Sally Hepworth's books are always suspenseful and interesting and her newest is no different. It's a story about three foster children who grew up in the same house together (Wild Meadows) under the thumb of unpredictable Miss Fairchild. Years later when a body is found on the property, the girls return to help uncover the truth about the person they lived with for so many years. What follows are secrets that no one saw coming, especially them. This book has it all, including a surprise ending! The narrator was good, but I did struggle a bit with some of her narrative.

Trigger Warning: Child Neglect & Mental, Emotional & Physical Abuse.

Darling Girls focuses on 3 foster children, Alicia, Norah & Jessica (and their evil foster mom Ms. Fairchild whose name is just as evil) after they receive a phone call 25 years later that human bones were found under the house they grew up in. The story weaves through past and present time, allowing the readers to grasp what awful things the girls went through under Ms. Fairchild’s care.

I quite literally listened to this book in under 24 hours. This book had me hooked from the very beginning and I needed to know what happened next. The ending…. I definitely did not see coming. I was 😱😱😱

Thanks so much Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press & Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read / listen to this ARC!