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Member Reviews

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced audio arc! As always Sally Hepworth doesn't disappoint! This was a crazy ride through a horrible foster care situation. And while I can't say that it ends tied up with a pretty bow, it definitely ends appropriately.

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This book was absolutely amazing. The way that the flashbacks unfolded the story so perfectly. The POV from Ms Fairchild, and the current day timeline. It was all absolutely perfect. One of the best thrillers Ive read in a long time becase that ending had my JAW ON THE FLOOR. Cannot recommend this book enough.

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Sally Hepworth’s books are always an auto read for me, and Darling Girls did not disappoint! I loved the sisterhood, and flashbacks between current day and the past. This book had so many twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. The narrator put on a great performance and kept me guessing until the very end!

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DNF'd at 28 % due to child abuse. I usually love Sally Hepworth's books. The narrator did a great job but the books content wasn't good me.

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THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!

Three foster sisters who grew up together are brought back to the foster home that they grew up in after a body is discovered in the basement. Now, they have to revisit all the traumas that they have from growing up in an abusive foster home.

This is so well written and the plot goes from past, present and therapy sessions. BUT WHO IS THE PERSON IN THE THERAPY SESSION?

As a thriller, I felt that this worked very well!

I received a digital copy from NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own

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Darling Girls

This is another solid thriller/suspense by Sally Hepworth. It follows 3 girls in foster care and has multiple timelines. This story is so raw and really heartbreaking with what these girls had to deal with in the foster system. I finished this audio in a matter of 2 days because I was hooked and had to find out who the bones belongs to and the story behind it. While I thought I had everything figured out even before some of the reveals, I was thrown for loop after loop in the episode.

The audiobook is narrated by Jessica Clarke and she did an amazing job with the different POV. If you are looking for a twisty read that will have you feeling for the girls in foster care both during and after, this is a book/audiobook you will devour. While this book was a piece of fiction, it really shows a side of the fostering system that is not talked about.

****Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, Sally Hepworth, and NetGalley for my gifted ALC in turn for my honest review.


I will be posting my review on Instagram (Thriller_book_sisters) closer to publication date.

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I'm not sure how many times I decided I had figured this book out, only to realize I was way off base. Right up until the very final page. Don't rest easy in reading this one! Enjoyed, but then I always enjoy Sally Hepworth's books. Inside her mind must be an interesting place!

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This is dark and twisty without feeling too heavy, but may be difficult for some readers.

This suspenseful thriller alternates between past and present as secrets and past trauma are revealed.  The first half began a little slow but once the second half and things began to be revealed I found myself captivated.  The SHOCKING ending propelled this thriller as a must-read and made the slow pacing worth it.

I can say this twisty thriller left me surprised.

Jessica Clarke does a fantastic job narrating. Her voice is easy to listen to and her ability to portray different perspectives across different timelines was outstanding.

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Jessica, Norah, and Alicia aren’t sisters by birth, but they became sisters by circumstance when they all stayed in the same foster home, Wild Meadows. Their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, seemed loving initially, but soon enough they found that Miss Fairchild was really a monster hiding behind a pretty mask. When a body is found under the foster home during excavation many years later, the three women must return to Wild Meadows to confront their demons.

Darling Girls is a dark, uncomfortable, skillfully written psychological suspense that grabbed me right away and kept my attention all the way through the shocking conclusion. The multiple-POV, dual timeline structure gives us the perspective of each of the women now and as children, as well as perspective of an unknown patient speaking with a psychiatrist. My heart broke over and over as the girls suffered at the hands of Miss Fairchild, and I rooted for them as women as they struggled with their shared trauma. Although most of the story is character driven, there are plenty of twists too, right up to the very end!

Jessica Clarke does a great job of narrating the audiobook version. She’s so expressive and brings so much nuance and emotion to each of the characters. Plus, she’s Australian, so her accent and delivery really make you feel immersed in the setting.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing me an advance copy of this book.

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"Sisters" Jessica, Norah and Alicia. aren't sisters by blood but are bonded together in a sister sense. Raised as foster children by Miss Fairchild, they became unbreakable. When a new foster home ran by Miss Fairchild is being built, a body is discovered. Are the sisters suspects or witnesses?

Darling Girls is so twisty and engaging! Told from four character's point of view, it can be easy to get lost if you aren't paying close attention. Jessica Clarke did a wonderful job narrating this book. There are many subjects in Darling Girls that can be triggering so proceed with caution.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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The point of view of 4 characters in the past and present was my favorite aspect of the book. Not knowing who was speaking to the therapist was a much greater plot twist than the ending.

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When I say I’m obsessed with Sally Hepworth, I mean I’m OBSESSED. She has quickly become my new favorite author and I’ve flown through all of her books, each of them better than the last. Darling Girls does not disappoint and she continues her streak of making each book better. I loved the alternating narratives and points of view in this book. I was sucked in from the very first page and could not stop reading until the very last. I can normally guess the twist is Hepworth’s books, but it doesn’t take away any of the enjoyment, but this one I could not. There are several twists that you definitely do not see coming. Hepworth is the queen of making things just the perfect amount of dark, twisted, and disturbing without crossing the line and going too far. I absolutely love this about her writing style. Highly recommend and five outstanding stars for this book!

Now to the narration… Jessica Clarke is AMAZING. She captures each character perfectly. She has quickly become one of my favorite narrators that I know will seek out and listen to books solely bc she’s reading them. I discovered her with Sally Hepworth and am so happy. I am the pickiest listener, the narrator can kill a book for me, but Jessica is a queen!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC. I could not have waited until summer to read this masterpiece!

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3.5 stars rounded down

I enjoyed this book, but the twists and turns that came at the end didn't enrapture me as much as I would have hoped for. It was still good, but seemed like everything started tying up a little too nicely at the end and almost felt a little rushed as a result. I did ultimately enjoy the final surprise revelation and that is probably what moved this up that half-point from a standard 3 star rating. I liked it, but it was something that I might have read before. I was hooked and I flew through the book in less than 2 days, but was mildly disappointed when the audio credits rolled.

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Contemporary suspense — fast and fun!

Once upon a time, three little girls from difficult family situations came to live with a beautiful young princess at Wild Meadows, a country estate in a small town in Australia. Unfortunately, the princess was not a good foster mother, and her darling girls just could not please her. In fact, mummy was a monster.

Told in a shifting timeline between past and present, and with the narrative alternating points of view between Jessica, Alicia, and Norah, the story is engrossing and keeps you guessing. Each girl was affected differently by their time spent with Miss Fairchild. What was always obvious was how the trio had formed such strong bonds of sisterhood and continually looked out for one another long after their shared experience at the house.

I really liked the writing style and the way the characters told their truth. I enjoyed how the details were revealed and the way the secrets and lies were exposed. I both read the e-book ARC and listened to the audiobook version of this novel and highly recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced reader copies.

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Wow. You will be rooting for Norah, Jessica, and Alicia from the first pages. Their story is captivating and full of twists. I did not see the ending coming and the last few pages made my jaw drop!

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Damn! And I mean DAAAMMMMMNNNN! Sally Hepworth has done it again with Darling Girls! Talk about a twisted and dark ride full of secrets that keeps you questioning everything and turning the pages as fast as you can. All the stars!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?

I absolutely love the way Sally Hepworth can write about family (found family) dynamics and dysfunctional relationships. This was a clever, deep and at times darker psychological thriller, but I was surprised to discover that there was so much more than just the main plot.

Each character had their own story as they were dealing with their past and mental health issues. I was in awe with the way Hepworth was able to create multilayered characters and then weave their stories together with the main plot while keeping me on the edge of my seat the WHOLE TIME.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?

I read this with Kaley and we both were flying through the pages as fast as we could. This really is a book you won’t want to set down, and we were constantly messaging each other through the whole book with our surprises and theories.

𝗗𝗼 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿?

I highly recommend this captivating and masterfully written story. You won’t want to put it down, so don’t make any plans once you pick this book up!

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

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The audiobook was well narrated. The book is full of surprises and keeps you guessing. Sally Hepworth has penned another fantastic book!

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Very interesting read/listen. That twist at the end had my jaw dropped on the floor. I hate what those girls went through, but love the relationship they have.

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Darling Girls is an excellent, well layered, psychological suspense. The story centers on three women who become chosen sisters through foster care. Each brings a new and different perspective to how they were impacted by the system and by the same situations in a shared home. Their bond was endearing and perfect. And the twists that come with this story hold the reader until the end. Definitely worth the read for the complexities, the different identities, and the suspense/thriller page turning.

I listened to the audiobook which was well done. There was only one narrator, which I would typically not prefer for different perspectives, but in this story it was exactly the right choice. I listened at 1.75x speed with my normal audiobook speed being 1.75x - 2.0x.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced audio copy.

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Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for the ALC of "Darling Girls" by Sally Hepworth. This author's audiobooks are becoming must-listens for me. I was gripped by the story of these foster sisters and the drama and mystery of their past. The narrator easily moved between characters and the multiple timelines were easy to follow. I figured out who was being interviewed by the psychologist early on, but that didn't lessen the excitement of the story., I binged the last few hours on a faster speed to get through it in the amount of time I had. The story did not dilute at the faster speed.

The "other sisters" who showed up at the scene were a little bit confusing, but wrapped up satisfactorily at the end.

my favorite part of this story was the lifelong connection the three "sisters" had. That was the most heartwarming part of a sad and disturbing story.

i highly recommend.

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