Disclaimer: This book was incredibly sad and the child abuse involved was disturbing and hard to read at times.
I listened to this book and found myself listening whenever possible because I had to know what happened. It was riveting, suspenseful, interesting, and thrilling.
3 sisters return to their foster home after bones are found on site. Who does this body belong to? How are these three women involved? And what trauma made 3 young girls as close as true siblings?
This book was a wild ride you should totally take!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the AAC!

When a body is found during the demolition of their former foster home, Jessica, Norah and Alicia return to the area to cooperate with the investigation. This story alternates between the girls' situation present day as the investigation begins and their childhood when they were living in the foster home. While it does deal with some heavy themes (child neglect/abuse), I thought the author did a good job of writing it in such a way that it's not so grotesque that you have to keep putting it down to take a break from it. I didn't find any of the twists especially shocking, but all of the characters are likable and the alternating timelines makes it a very quick listen. If any mention of child neglect/abuse is a deal breaker for you, obviously pass, but I truly didn't think it was any wear near as bad as most stories in the mystery/suspense genre. It wasn't my favorite from this author, but I enjoyed it while I was listening and the narration was good. Definitely looking forward to more from this author!

The narration of Darling Girls was excellent - 5 stars! The story line was less of a hit for me. I didn't really enjoy or connect with any of the characters, and it was more of a drama than a thriller / mystery. It definitely wasn't my favorite Sally Hepworth read, but overall I still enjoyed it. If you're going to read this one, I highly suggest the audio book!

Prepare for an electrifying journey with Darling Girls, a gripping psychological thriller that captivates from the very first page. Follow the tumultuous paths of three resilient women whose intertwined lives will keep you on the edge of your seat until the shocking finale. As a newcomer to the author's work, I was immediately hooked and found it nearly impossible to set the book down. The unexpected ending left me reeling, a true testament to the author's skill at crafting suspenseful twists. However, it's important to note that this book delves into sensitive topics such as foster care and abuse, which may be triggering for some readers. Proceed with caution and be sure to review any trigger warnings before diving in.

What sets Darling Girls apart is its richly developed characters, each flawed yet deeply relatable. Jessica, Nora, and Alicia, former foster care children, share a bond forged in trauma, and their journey sheds light on the enduring strength of sisterhood. When human remains are discovered beneath their former foster home, the trio is reluctantly drawn back to their painful past, compelled to unearth long-buried secrets. As the narrative unfolds through alternating perspectives and timelines, including intriguing glimpses into mysterious conversations with Dr. Warren, Hepworth skillfully navigates the complexities of her characters' psyches.

Through meticulous research and unwavering sensitivity, the author sheds light on the systemic failures of the foster care system, offering a poignant exploration of resilience and redemption. Darling Girls is an unputdownable masterpiece that seamlessly weaves together suspense, emotion, and social commentary. Highly recommended for readers seeking an immersive and thought-provoking thriller. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it along with the narrator!

Darling Girls is about 3 foster "sisters", who grew up together at Wild Meadows foster home in Port Agatha.
25 years later they receive a call from a detective about the discovery of human bones under the farmhouse of their childhood. The 3 return to be interviewed by the detectives on the case. Alicia, Jessica and Norah all have flashbacks from their time at Meadows Hill with their cruel and abusive foster mom, Miss Fairchild.
It's a mystery who the bones are since as children no one believed them and they were gaslit for years.
This book was an excellent telling of the permanent effects of being raised by an abusive, narcissistic parent
I highly recommend this book, as the twists and turns were non stop!
I listened to this book late into the night, and the ending was well worth it!
Huge thanks to NetGalley for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review
I liked the narrator a lot.
Publication date: April 23, 2024

Oh Sally Hepworth!! I just love her books and this one was no different!!! I loved this dark twisty slow burn of a thriller, we have 3 foster sisters and about their lives now and back when they where kids at Mrs Fairchilds country home as foster children and what they endured there and how it impacted their adult lives! This one is kinda heavy so know that going on, the abuse these children faced wasn’t easy to read about. But saying that I think it was also written really well with enough detail to keep me wanting more but not completely destroying my heart. I thought how it switched to each POV and to now and then was very smooth and it flowed well! I loved each POV equally and couldn’t wait to get back to each to know what happened. I listened to the audiobook of this and I thought the narrator did a wonderful job, especially with so many other POVs. The pace was perfect and I listened to this in about 2 days, I couldn’t put it down!

Sally Hepworth is a master at writing thrillers. “Darling Girls” is a thrilling, twisty ride with engaging characters and plenty of surprises. Jessica Clarke’s narration was excellent, too.

Something I really appreciated about this book is how all of the characters actions felt very realistic to their development throughout the book. Everything tracked very well. The ending twist I did not see coming at all, and I appreciated leaving the book a little messy in the end. The narrator of the audiobook was great!

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.

This was my first Sally Hepworth book, and I absolutely loved it. I love mysteries, I love psychological twists and turns. I love stories about family dynamics. This had all the things that make me happy. I loved this story!

The audio was very well done. I listen to tons of audiobooks, and if a narrator can tell me a story without taking me out of it, I'm happy. When a narrator can draw me in and get invested with all the character voices, the pacing, and tone of a book this good, it's gold. Highly recommended!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital audio copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

✨Audiobook Review✨

Darling Girls
Sally Hepworth
Pub Date: April 23, 2024

I really enjoyed this book. It follows the story of three foster girls and their experiences living with Ms. Fairchild.

When I say this story gets pretty wild I mean it. I love Sally Hepworths’s writing and this one didn’t disappoint. She has a way of keeping the shock factor up.

This story was told in multiple POVS which I really liked. It helped bring each character to life showing their history and how they ended up in Ms. Fairchilds care. There were so many aspects of the children’s stories that were raw and really pulled at my heart strings. However, it really made the story that much better by using that to draw in the reader.

Narration was done by Jessica Clarke. This audiobook was so good! I definitely recommend listening to this one if you like audiobooks!

Thank you @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for a copy of this book.

Sally Hepworth is typically an auto-buy author for me. However, this book was not for me. It should have come with a trigger warning for child abuse. Due to that and the LGBT character, this book is not a good fit for my social media and book blog.

Sally Hepworth has done it again with another thriller that kept my attention and kept me guessing. The dual timeline with a mystery narrator was easy to follow and and the audiobook narrator made the transitions seamless. It's an uncomfortable subject, though, and the book should have trigger warnings as some may have trouble with the subject matter.

I’m sure we all heard nightmarish stories bout foster homes and foster parents but damn… you wouldn’t think that this much of a back story existed for any of them. Because they wouldn’t be vetted as foster parents if anyone knew, right? Right?

Three sisters (not blood but closer than that) were fostered by Ms. Fairchild. They arrived at her home at different times, but her erratic behavior made me as close as they could be. Years later, each got a call from a detective about a body found under the house they lived in. The sisters had their theory, but truth was much more convoluted and sickening than they expected.

We heard the story from three different narratives on two different timelines. There was another surprise hidden in the narrative. I liked the stark differences in personalities of three sisters and how their traumas were very distinct. I always liked Sally Hepworth stories, but I think this hit the spot more than others

Darling girls by Sally Hepworth is a psychological thriller with dual timelines (past and present) and multiple POVs. I love the found family trope and it was interesting to read it in a thriller book.

It is told in the POV's of Jessica, Norah and Alicia. They share a bond that goes back to childhood. They lived in foster care together with a horrible mother named Miss. Fairchild. They three girls consider themselves sisters even though they are not related by blood. They trauma bonded as kids and are still close as adults.

In the present timeline, we find out that bones are found buried under the foster care farmhouse they grew up in. The girls are questioned about what they know about who the bones could belong to.

The book alternates between past and present and the viewpoints of the three girls. The past timeline is difficult to listen to since it deals with child abuse. This is a heavy topic that is talked about through much of the book.

I was invested in the three girls and how the story would play out in the end. I didn't see the end coming and was shocked by many of the revelations.

If child abuse is a trigger for you then this may not be the book for you. If you are a fan of Sally Hepworth, I recommend reading this book.
I wish the narration had multiple narrators and not just one. The accent was difficult for my to get used to when I first started listening and I had to slow the speed to 1.75 when I usually listen at 2 or above.

Overall a 3.5 out of 5 stars for story and narration. This audio will be released on April 22, 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this book. I voluntarily listened and gave an honest review.

This was a great listen! I've been reading several slow burns lately and this thankfully was not one. It was told from different POVs and also during different time lines. Some how this was not confusing to keep track of. Now I want to go take all the foster kids and be a family they could consider lucky, and not just darling girls. The narrator did a great job. I was able to listen to this one at 2 times the speed and was able to keep up 100%. I will definitely be recommending this one and will also check out other books by Hepworth as this was my first one.

𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟𝗦 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗛𝗲𝗽𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 captivates with its blend of mystery and psychological depth. Following Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, foster sisters thrust into turmoil when a body surfaces on their childhood estate, the narrative deftly weaves past and present, offering insight into their complex bond. While the mystery keeps you guessing, the characters, though somewhat stereotypical, offer compelling perspectives. Hepworth masterfully leaves breadcrumbs for readers, culminating in a satisfying yet surprising revelation. However, the protagonists' depth may leave some wanting. Despite this, the story's twists and turns grip tightly until the final page. As someone who's devoured Hepworth's previous works, 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟𝗦 doesn't disappoint. I recommend it to mystery enthusiasts craving a tale rich in intrigue and psychological tension.

Miss Fairchild is a foster mother with very strict rules. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia grew up with the mean lady and finally broke free. Years later a body is found under the home they grew up in. And all three girls are questioned. Who was the killer? This was a very good thriller by Sally Hepworth.

This book had me hooked from the first chapter! I loved reading about these three women and their stories. I continue to think about them after reading it. Highly recommend!

Sally Hepworth never disappoints! This story about sisters who get through a troubled childhood in foster care and the problems they've carried into adulthood is fast-paced and twisty!

What worked for me
- characters I can root for, women who root for and take care of each other
- well-paced plot
- nice short chapters
- intrigue about what really happened that keeps me interested and engaged with the story

What didn't work for me
- nothing!

4.5 stars rounded up

It had been a minute since I had been able to get into a psychological thriller, but I was in from the first word. The author did a great job of twisting the experiences of each sister. The narrator did an amazing job keeping me on the edge of my seat. Totally enjoyed!