Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced readers copy audiobook! Well, that was a super fun ride! Sally Hepworth always delivers a great story. This was not my first Hepworth and it will not be my last! This book is about 3 sisters, well, they aren’t REAL sisters. They are foster sisters, but they are as CLOSE as real sisters and grew up together with their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, and were told they were soooo lucky to be rescued. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia know everything about each other and help each other out as children and stay in touch as adults. Now, a body is found on the estate where they grew up. Who is it? What happened? Who it involved? All 3 darling girls are brought back to estate and secrets from the past are brought to light. This was a twisty, turny, fast read. I definitely didn’t see that big twist at the end!! 😁

I know I'm in the absolute minority but this book was long and unraveled in slow motion. The characters were dull. Also, it is marketed completely wrong. This is fiction/womens drama. There the tiniest of thrills in some of the twists but nowhere near where a true thriller should be.

The POVs are labeled correctly but absolutely needed more than narrators. But I'm sure many will love it.

This is highly addictive!
Shady pasts, unknown human bones found, everyone's a suspect and a tight knit found family with secrets of it's own.
I could not put this down!
I always have high hopes for Sally Hepworth, and am somehow still always surprised when she knocks my socks off.
Also the audio has delightful Aussie accents *swoon*
Much love to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for my DRCs.

I love Sally Hepworth’s writing! This was such a good read. I loved the complex relationship between the three sisters. The ending of this book was so unexpected!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I absolutely loved the regular book version of this so I was super excited for the audiobook.
The audiobook may be even better than the written book. The narrator is amazing and really makes the story come to life.

Wow! This book was fast paced and heart wrenching. Three girls become sisters in a home in foster care. Their need to bond was due to their foster mother being a bit unhinged. Years later, as adults, they have to come together when bones of a body are found on the premises. This opens a door of repressed feelings for some, and the "sisters" have to recall traumatic experiences to the police of their time in this house. I couldn't put this down and needed to know what happened! Kudos to Sally Hepworth for having me hanging on until the final word.

First of all, huge thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

Second of all, it needs to be said that I am a HUGE Sally Hepworth fan. I have read most of her books and I always love them. She always pushes the envelope and writes some of the...most insane...characters I've ever read. I thought I've seen some crazy things from her, but they all seem mild compared to this one. Sally may be just a little unhinged LOL

Anyways, I haven't read an ending of a book that good (bad? disturbing?) in a long time.

This book is insanely readable; you won't be able to put it down. I went into this book blind and had no idea what to expect, which I think made things even more shocking. The way that the past and present storylines unfold here show just how truly talented Hepworth is. She kept me curious and locked-in by unraveling clues and twists slowly yet consistently throughout the whole book.

I definitely thought I had everything figured out and still would have enjoyed it even if I was right, but then I got thrown a major curve ball and now I'm doubting everything I've ever known in my entire life. Thanks, Sally.

Have I mentioned that this book is disturbing? Don't say I didn't, say I didn't warn you!

As far as the audiobook performance itself, Jessica Clarke did a pretty good job!

4.5 stars rounded up

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth in exchange for an honest review. I have really been enjoying Hepworth's books. They are full of fleshed out characters, good stories and twists to keep the reader engaged.

Wow! This was a solid 4.5 stars for me and the best Sally Hepworth thriller I’ve read. It was unlike any of the other thrillers of hers I’ve read. This book had history, heartbreak, sisterhood, and multiple POV that really gave the depth versus a simple surface level. The story slowly unwound and a few times it had me gasping “no!”

The audiobook narrator did a great job with pace, accents and kept me invested in each chapter and looking forward to the chances I could steal away to listen to it.

Trigger warning: foster homes and child neglect/cruelness

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Highly recommend!

Publishing Date April 23, 2024

When I received this book, it jumped to the top of my TBR and Sally Hepworth did not disappoint!!
Jessica, Norah, and Alicia grew up in foster care by their foster mother, Miss Fairchild’s. Miss Fairchild’s home is nice farmhouse referred to as Wild Meadows. 25 years later they each receive a phone call from a detective asking for help about an investigation… An investigation about what they found at Wild Meadows.
I loved how this book is written from each of the girls POV then and now, with a mystery POV talking to a therapist. This book was fast paced and easy to follow.
The narrator did a fantastic job with each character’s voice and had an enjoyable voice to listen to.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc of Darling Girls!

Jessica, Norah, & Alicia were always told how lucky they were to be living on a beautiful farming estate. No one knew what actually went on within the walls of the home under the watch of Ms. Fairchild but the three girls & it bonded them for life.⁠
⁠
When a body is discovered under the home that they grew up in-- they must got back & face Ms. Fairchild & their past. ⁠
⁠
This was so good. It was haunting & somehow beautiful all at the same time. The fact that these girls bonded through such a difficult time during their lives & have stayed "sisters" shows you that bonds are not only by blood. ⁠
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Mark your calendars for this one!!⁠

Thank you so much NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, & Sally Hepworth for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! 🖤

An addicting and clever suspenseful story written by Sally Hepworth. She always seems to deliver some of the best of my suspense reads.
I was captivated right away by the bond of the sisters and the trauma they endured to get there.
Insight on the abuse physically, mentally and emotionally was relatable and created a good understanding of why the grown children were the way they were. Miss Fairchild was unpredictable throughout the story line. The twist at the end was the "icing on the cake" and Hepworth's signature. I'm not always drawn to character driven stories, and although slow at times, this one kept me intrigued and desperate to find out who did it in the end.

As always, looking forward to the future titles by Sally Hepworth.
I listened to the audiobook this time around and was happy with the narrations on this book. Sometimes you can get a "boring" narrator making it hard to enjoy the story but that was not the case for this one.

I am a HUGE Sally Hepworth fan - so I was beyond ecstatic when I receive an eARC of her newest book (expected release 4/23/24).

Let me just say this - I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN (check trigger warnings) and it’s my new favorite Hepworth hands down.

Darling Girls follows three adult sisters who had been in foster care as children. What they never suspected was that buried underneath the foster home was a dark secret- Human Remains. Jessica, Norah and Alicia are then contacted by the police about the remains, prompting memories to flood back, including the memories of the woman who “raised” them, Ms. Fairchild.

This is a twisty story with true Hepworth elements. If you’re looking for a great psychological thriller add this to your list ASAP!

This story kept me on my toes the entire time. I could tell that Ms. Fairchild had something wrong with her, but did not expect her to be as fully insane as she was. As an adopted child, it breaks my heart that foster kids really do live in situations like this and much worse so in some ways, this was hard to read. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia formed a bond that no one can replicate with the situations they went through together. This twist at the end was not something I expected and the way Ms. Fairchild played the entire legal system blew my mind. This is one story that you will not want to miss.

I loved this book from start to finish! I had no idea who did what and was completely off with my guess of the ending. Highly recommend!

Sally Hepworth forever reminding me while I love her. I devoured every page of this book from start to finish as usual with her books. Jessica Clarke did a wonderful job narrating and didn’t take away from the story.

I’ll admit, her last book had a bit of a slow start and finished strong, but this one.. wow. Right from the start I was invested. The multiple POVs told a different side to the story and even though it switched timelines, the story was effortless. Each of the three sisters kept you invested and guessing what their role was to the main plot. The characters were so well developed you almost felt you knew them by the end of the book. It made the story that much easier to follow excitedly.

The twist you’re expecting.. is probably right, but also you’re wrong. I know that doesn’t make sense, but the ending will leave your jaw dropped. A must read for all thriller fans.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Aidio for the ALC!

The twist at the end of this book was definitely disturbing (child harm), and there is child abuse of all types throughout, but I loved the chosen family dynamic of the sisters and the realness of how they all handled their trauma into adulthood. I was hooked on this one, but again, definitely upsetting themes throughout.

5 stars
Dang, That was quite a book.
The character development was *chef’s kiss* and I felt like I was right there, inside the story.
The book starts by following the lives of 3 sisters (not by blood). Each have their own quirks, but they all have one thing in common, growing up in a foster home with a mentally disturbed mom.

Now the house is being demolished and a grave was uncovered.

This story was incredible and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a character driven thriller.
I normally don’t post triggers on my reviews, but this one had several that I’ll warn you about. Triggers: child abuse (emotional, physical, psychological, sexual (not detailed much), neglect, foster homes).

Audiobook narrator- fantastic

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sally Hepworth does it again with Darling Girls. This is an engaging story of foster care and how appearances can be deceiving. The narrator was great.

4.5/5 stars - Great mystery, really tough read.

This was easily one of Sally Hepworth's best books in terms of thrillers, twists and turns. It was well paced, contained multiple POV's and jumped between past and present. It was executed flawlessly. However, it was also one of the hardest to read as it contains child abuse and a good bit of it. The ending was quite satisfying, but it was a hard pill to swallow reading how these children were abused by their foster mother who was supposed to protect them. It also touches on how the trauma affects them in adulthood and how their current relationships struggle because of the childhood trauma. Knowing that this does and has happened in the past in real life is also a hard pill to swallow so while I was super engaged and interested in the mystery, I was also repulsed by the number of people who could have intervened and didn't and how this is still a real issue in today's society. Personally, I would appreciate if Sally Hepworth put a resource guide at the end of this book for those who may be experiencing abuse.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the e-ARC of Darling Girls, I can’t recommend this one enough!