TW: Language, sexual assault, anxiety, depression, abuse, gaslighting, drug addiction, child sexual abuse, violence, death of child, rape, unwanted pregnancy, sexual blackmail, domestic abuse

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
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?
Release Date: April 23rd, 2024
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 368
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Liked the characters are sisterlike and their bond
2. Hooked on the story
3. Author does a great job describing the pain and sadness of being a foster child

What I Didn't Like:
1. I hate Norah
2. Narrator licking their lips on the audiobook
3. Ending rambled on too long
4. Some parts feel repetitive

Overall Thoughts:
The countless interruptions while the police were trying to tell Norah what they found.

This book touches on a lot of sexual assault for Norah, but author does a great job at skirting the subject without going into too much detail.

When they were older I loved how they made fun of one another. Absolutely sisterlike.

Holy crap my mouth dropped when Mrs. Fairchild said she threw the baby against the wall. I didn't expect that. She made that whole story up.

Final Thoughts:
This book was insane. Just when I thought I had it figured it out it pulled the rug from under me and then pulled another rug from under me.

Mrs. Fairchild was absolutely horrible. The whole time you keep thinking how could such a bad person exists for the sake of it, but here she is. The way she treated the kids though - gross.

I didn't care too much for the ending because it felt like this huge build up to something but the ending felt rushed. You knew Mrs. Fairchild was behind it too. Then Mrs. Fairchild says it was she child she was forced to have with her stepfather when she was a minor, but is that as far as the investigation would go when a baby is found? Wouldn't they give her an exam to see if she even gave birth, so they know if she's telling the truth? Plus if she killed her sibling why was she so sweet with the other babies for a little bit even none of that happened? I don't like when authors hinge a whole character development on one detail and at the ending we find out that wasn't even apart of their personality.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martins Press for the ebook, and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook. All thoughts are my own.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are sisters with an unbreakable bond. They grew up together in the same foster home at Wild Meadows. Jumping from the past and present you learn of the abuse these girls suffered from Miss Fairchild and the affects it’s taken on each girl. Years later they learn a body has been found under the home they grew up in.
Do the girls know who it is or were they involved in what happened? Are they suspects?

The book ends with a twist that shocked me!! Darling girls is a gripping and twisty tale of the dark side of foster care. I recommend this to anyone looking for a dark thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

Darling Girls captivates readers with its compelling narrative and intricately woven plot. I found myself thoroughly engrossed in this gripping thriller. The storyline is meticulously crafted, keeping readers on the edge of their seats throughout. Hepworth's skillful storytelling and adept characterization make it easy to become a fan from the very first read. With "Darling Girls," Hepworth demonstrates her prowess in the genre, delivering a riveting tale that leaves a lasting impression. I eagerly anticipate delving into more of her books, knowing that each promises an equally thrilling experience.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I have read several novels by Sally and have enjoyed them all! She writes gripping,
suspenseful tales that will keep you guessing to the end! Another perfect thriller!!!!!
Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were all orphaned as children in the 1990s, and eventually they were all placed in foster care at Wild Meadows Farm. Under the cruel control of Miss Fairchild, the three girls bonded together until the day in their early teens when something so terrible happened that they were finally able to escape. 25 years later, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia each have their personal struggles rooted in that past trauma, but still think of each other as sisters. And then they each get a call from the police that bones have been found under Wild Meadows Farm-bones that may date back to the time they were there with Miss Fairchild. So now they are forced to go back and face their past, and Miss Fairchild, as they and the police try to piece together what really happened 25 years earlier....
It was hard to read about the abuse, the crimes at the foster home, and the horrible way they were treated by the foster mother!
With thanks to NetGalley, and especially to Pan Macmillan for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

This just fell short for me. A whole lot of nothing happening until the last few chapters. It's not that it was bad necessarily, it's just not one that I could see myself recommending to my followers

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are three girls who grew up in the foster care system at Wild Meadows. They were so lucky, they've been told. But all wasn't as it seemed, and they finally broke free until bones were discovered under the house. Who was involved? What happened?

I enjoyed this story, but it was DARK. Please look up triggers before you go into this profoundly sad story.

Sally Hepworth brings another page turning psychological thriller in Darling Girls. Even though I was able to fairly quickly determine the answers to the mysteries in the novel, the character development and individual stories given by each sister kept me wanting to read (or rather listen to this audio book) nonstop. She truly knows how to bring a feeling of real life to each character and the narrator did an amazing job. Loved it and will recommend it.

Sally Hepworth has done it again! Another hard to put down book that is both thought and emotion evoking. As with her other books, Darling Girls is well written, well thought out, gripping, twist filled, moving and shocking.

Alicia, Jessica, and Norah bonded during their time living in their foster mother, Miss Fairchild's home. All came there under different circumstances and quickly bonded, forming lifelong bonds. They suffered together under the care rule of the highly unpredictable, extremely strict, and often cruel Miss Fairchild.

When they left her home the three of them thought they were free. But she was always there in their memories, their nightmares, and in flashbacks. They have all carried with them what they experienced in Miss Fairchild's home, whether it be low self-esteem, anger issues, anxiety, relationship issues, etc.

The three women are contacted by police when bones are found buried under Miss Fairchild's former home. Sometimes the past refuses to stay buried. Sometimes, you can create physical distance but not emotional distance from troubling events. Sometimes, going back to where it began is the only way to move forward.

This was such a gripping and well thought out book. I felt for Alicia, Jessica, and Norah. I loved that they always had each other's back and had such a tight bond. I felt so much for them during this book. I appreciated how Hepworth showed the strength of their relationships with each other.

I found myself fully invested in this book from the very beginning and found it hard to put this book down. I wanted to know about the bones, how they got there and whose bones were buried under the house.

I found this to be a suspenseful and shocking read. I enjoyed reading the POV chapters and learning more about each character. I also enjoyed the therapy sections and did not know initially who was talking to the therapist. This book does discuss the mistreatment and abuse of children, and it may be a trigger for some, so please be aware of this.

*The audiobook version of this book was well done and the narrator did a great job.

Gripping, well written, shocking, well thought out, and hard to put down!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this audio book.

Jessica, Norah (with an H lol), and Alicia were rescued from different family backgrounds at a young age and all placed into the same foster home. But, their now picture perfect life was not all that it seemed. Among everything they endure, they vowed to stick together. Eventually, they decided enough was enough and that they had to break free. Now, 20-ish years later, human bones are discovered under the house they grew up in and the sisters are forced to confront their past. But are they witnesses, or suspects?

This one was already on my list so I was thrilled when I got the email to listen to it. It was definitely a 'page-turner' and I couldn't stop listening. The very end left me in utter shock! There was great character build up and the narration was excellent. This story is told from multiple (then/now) points of view from the three foster sisters and a mystery person to be revealed at the end. Check content and trigger warnings before reading.

ARC review, thanks for the advanced copy, Macmillan Audio! These are my own thoughts & opinions.

The SHOCK I felt at the ending of this book 🤯 I pride myself on being able to see the twists at the end of thrillers/mysteries, but I definitely didn’t see this one!

The book takes place in Australia & follows 3 foster sisters and a mystery person who is later revealed with a then/now setup. Not much else can be said without giving away the plot unfortunately. But this book was phenomenal & I won’t be able to shut up about it now 😂

Shared to StoryGraph, Goodreads, Instagram feed & stories 3/28

Macmillan Audio ALC
I always think that Sally Hepworth can't outdo her last book, and then I read her newest and always leave with a new favorite. This one gets a bit darker than some of her others - it deals with foster children being abused while in the system, but there is so much more here. I liked how distinct Alicia, Jessica, and Norah were. This book alternates between their past and present when bones are found at their old foster home. As the story progressed, so did my intrigue and guessing. She surprised me quite a bit in this one, and just when I thought I had something figured out, it turned out that I was wrong. And that ending, it was so well done. I suggest going into this one without reading the synopsis and let the story sweep you away. Easily bingeable and so well written. Can't wait for her next one!
I also really enjoyed the narrator. She did a great job capturing the characters and their personalities.

This is hands down my favorite Sally Hepworth book so far. I was absolutely addicted to this story and these characters from the very beginning, and by the end, my jaw was on the floor and my heart was slightly broken.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia aren’t biological sisters, but they are sisters in every way that counts. They spent their childhoods together as the foster children of Miss Fairchild, who was the perfect foster parent from the outside looking in, but the reality was quite the opposite of the image painted for the outside world. Now adults, all three sisters are dealing with serious issues when they get a call that a body has been found under the house where they lived with Miss Fairchild. On top of their current issues, they all must face the past to find out what happened.

This was incredibly twisty from start to finish. We get the perspectives of all three sisters both in the past as foster children, and in the present. Where this could have become complicated, it was beautifully woven together into a spectacular thriller. There is also an additional perspective of an unknown person in therapy that just added to the mystery and kept me guessing.

I did not see the ending coming at all. While I had some ideas about what happened, I did not put all of the pieces together and I loved how surprised I was.

This story does touch on a lot of sensitive issues and subjects, but in an incredibly respectful way, so if you can handle the content warnings of this book, you definitely need to read it as soon as it comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily.

4.5⭐️

Darling Girls is an excellent story. As we learn more and more about Jessica, Norah, and Alicia’s lives and their time with Miss Fairchild, we’re left unsure what to think or who to suspect. I could not put this book down- so much so that I abandoned all other plans to finish this in one highly entertaining sitting.

Jessica Clarke did an excellent job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Sally Hepworth, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this one! I was immediately roped in and finished the book in less than 24 hours.

I like the (fostered) sisters' dynamic with their different personalities that their situation amplified. And how they stayed very very close even after they aged out of the system.

Ms. Fairchild... O.M.G.

I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say that I didn't give this the final star because I'd guessed at the ending about halfway through. I need that shock factor!

Great read; definitely recommend!

4.5 stars!
Jessica, Norah and Alicia were all placed in the same foster home growing up where they became inseparable through the trauma they endured at the hands of their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. Years later, they find a child buried on Miss Fairchild’s property. The girls reunite as they realize the police are going to uncover some secrets that they have been trying to keep hidden for many years.

Sally Hepworth is one of my comfort authors. I love how she takes something like a thriller, and then adds in such heartfelt characters that are dealing with such real problems. All of the three women were so likable and my heart just went out to them. I liked the spotlight on the inefficiency of the child welfare system and how Alicia was trying to break the cycle. The alternating timelines added to the intrigue and the suspense and I was surprised by the ending.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!
I was excited to get this because Sally Hepworth is one of my favorite authors, and this did not disappoint. The dual timelines were perfectly placed to maintain the mystery, as well as develop the characters. Lots of twists, and an unexpected last chapter that was crazy! I highly recommend to readers looking for dual timelines, found family, and mystery rolled into one entertaining story.

I enjoyed the audio. I found it hard to follow with it switching from different timelines because it was never really mentioned when it switched a different timeline. And there was so many characters I felt like it was hard to keep up but overall enjoyed the story plot and twists and the ending.

I loved this! The narration was spectacular and some how this author always makes me feel like I know the characters! Great thriller/mystery. ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Alicia, Norah, and Jessica are sisters who spent time on a family estate in Port Agatha with their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. While the three sisters weren’t related by blood, their relationship since their time in foster care has built a bond stronger than blood. Miss Fairchild wasn’t what she seemed to be at first and the three sisters had to fend for themselves during their time at the estate. Later in life, the sisters are summoned back to Port Agatha as part of an investigation of a body that was discovered under the estates home. Who’s body was it? Were the sisters involved in the death or unfortunate witnesses?
This was my first book by Sally Hepworth and I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives of the characters and the characters themselves. The characters were well developed and cohesive. The overall story was realistic and enthralling. I enjoyed the twists that the story had and while I thought I figured out one of the twists, I was wrong. I love it when I think I have it all figured out only to find out that I am wrong, this makes the story that much better for me!
I listened to this story via audiobook. The narrator, Jessica Clarke, provided a fantastic listening experience. She was clear in her reading and her voices for each character was easily differentiated.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC copy early and to provide my honest feedback.

This book was quite possibly the best book I have read. I love complicated family dynamics, this story of foster sisters, their love and them sticking together no matter what was refreshing. I love that there was a little mystery too! Highly recommend!