I've not loved a book like this for a long time! This is the fourth Sally Hepworth book I've read now and wow she just gets better and better!

Although you know that there are going to be twists and turns along the way, this one just kept me guessing. The storyline is heart wrenching and you just keep hoping for justice for the girls. The characters are built up fantastically and wow the ending...!!!!

Totally well deserved 5 stars!!

So many emotions. I was already a big fan of this author and have enjoyed all of her books but this one has topped the list. Sally writes characters so well!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Darling Girls' by Sally Hepworth.

Sally Hepworth is back with another gripping tale. 'Darling Girls' follows the story of 3 women who lived in this "Foster home" and survived its tales, only to be transported back years later when a body is discovered. All 3 women have individual experiences with their old residence and their caregiver, Miss Fairchild, and I was immersed reading it. This book touches on abuse in many forms but it also touches on family and how these 3 formed their own family with eachother despite how badly they were treated. I enjoyed reading about the mystery and I was hooked right up until the end.

Darling Girls is a gripping psychological thriller that follows Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, three women who were foster children under the care of Miss Fairchild. When human remains are discovered beneath their former foster home, the sisters are forced to confront their past and the secrets that have haunted them for years.

The story is told in multiple timelines and through various perspectives and there’s plenty of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seats -a must-read for fans of psychological suspense reads

I have listened to all of Sally’s previous books and this is the first book I’ve read. I found the others ranged, for me, from great….The Things We Keep, to good. I realise reading a book is a lot different to listening to it and I am glad I read this one, it has quite an array of characters to remember which is easier for me to see in print.
When a home is demolished to make way for new housing, bones are discovered buried beneath. This brings three women back to the small town where they grew up as foster children.
The story is told in two timelines, now, as the police interview the girls and 25 years ago when the girls lived at the house. The past time line was the more interesting of the two if not in parts horrific at the treatment the girls received. Also interweaved in the story are chapters from a nameless woman who is visiting a councillor,
This and the outcome of the sessions at the end of the book spoiled it for me.
So for me the book was some parts gripping and others just ok and certainly in my opinion not her best.
I will listen to more of her books when she writes them, and she is a good author to suggest for customers to read.

#DarlingGirls #NetGalley

Somewhat close to home for me, the trauma of one’s past come to light for these 3 darling girls.

Alicia , Norah and Jessica whose lives were all affected over time by their foster mother. There is important subjects of child abuse here while difficult to read at times it was a real page turner at the same time !

The past will always come back to haunt us no matter our age or stage of life and each of these girls has a different cross to bear from their childhood.

This one will leave a lasting impact.

okay, this was darkkkkk. i really enjoyed this.

** THE REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS **

the plot was very dark and disturbing, which is my cup of tea.
halfway through, it became predictable because of Miss Fairchild’s backstory which i disliked (i hate pedophilia) and because of that i thought of rating this 3 ⭐️ but that last chapter changed everything for me 🫨

characters were okay too. i absolutely loved the sisterhood in this book. the main reason for my liking this book was their bond and how they were there for each other. found family trope is honestly the best trope ever.

thanks to netgalley and publisher for the copy!

4.5 stars - an unputdownable story that centres around three grown women returning to their childhood town when a body is unearthed below the foster home they grew up in.

Told from the points of views from the three sisters, present day and past tense and one pov from an unknown woman in her therapy sessions.

Saying I enjoyed this book feels wrong due to the topics it deals with (mainly child abuse - emotional and some physical ) but the story was really good with some twists and turns - the last chapter blew my mind.

I loved the relationship and growth between the sisters - each sister had their own unique personalities and issues and I had no trouble mixing up their Povs.

The sisters foster mother was truly an unlikeable character who by the end of the book I felt got off a tad too lightly.

The past day and future story came together well and I didn’t guess the outcome until it happened. I loved the last few chapters where the author gave us a few months later then a year later chapters and it left me feeling content.

My first book by the author and it won’t be my last.

Wow! I am not usually a fan this genre but I finished this book within about a day and a half.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia’ all grew up in the same Foster home as children. Now as adults they get a phone call from the police that human remains were found under the house they lived in.
The story had such a perfect amount of twists and turns and it was fast paced I couldn’t put it down!

It was a really good representation of how the trauma from childhood can really effect you in adulthood. The only criticism I would have would I would have taken out the last chapter as I think it wasn’t essential but that’s personal preference.

All in all I would highly recommend

It was a good novel. The plot is quite original, I’ve never read anything like it before. The characters are well-developed but I did not necessarily like any of them — Norah is the most interesting to me though. I did guess the ending and the twists but I appreciated them and they made the book better for me. And the writing makes me want to read more books by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of Darling Girls in exchange of my honest opinion.

Darling Girls is a wild ride of a book!

Sally Hepworth is brilliant! This is the 5th book of hers that I read and I loved it as much as the others! For me, they are all 5 stars, without a doubt!

I enjoyed every aspect of this books. The different POV were a great way of learning more about the history of this unusual "family".

I liked the therapy chapters or sections because they threw me off! I didn't know who was in therapy and it took me a while to understand it. Of course I felt bad for her while reading these sections, but knowing it all was a lie at the end was a twist I didn't expect!

I adored the different turns the story has. You think you might know what is going on and, all of a sudden, you don't!

I read this book in just a couple of days and I can't stop recommending it since then!

Magnificent!!

Sally Hepworth is my auto buy author and this one just proves why. I love Sally Hepworth books for the way she creates the story and the way it grips till the end. This book is another page turner that I absolutely couldn't put down.

I love the premise and the way the story is narrated in multiple perspectives. Even the way the timelines are shown is a bit different and interesting to tie up to the current narrative. I liked how the little things too played a role here and tie up.

I liked the twists and how every time you think you know what's happening the book managed to shock me. It made me question what was actually going on with some good red herrings. I also like how the book focuses on relationships and impact of family. This book is definitely on my top reads for the year. Recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

This is a brilliant domestic thriller that is fast-paced, captivating and immensely enjoyable read. Sally Hepworth expertly delves into the human psyche, exploring complicated relationships, especially between women, childhood trauma, addiction and many more complex topics. The story mainly focuses on Jessica, Norah and Alicia, the foster girls of Miss Fairchild, and explores their sisterly relationship whilst also exposing the readers to their raw feelings and trauma. All of the girls have their own personalities and problems but they are fiercely protective of one another and have an incredible bond which highlights the power of female friendship. Each of the characters has carefully crafted layers, that are slowly peeled away throughout the book to reveal the secrets, lies and mental scars lying under the surface. Although the contents of this book are pretty heavy, the author throws in small glimpses of humour to lighten the overall tone. For example, I will never not giggle thinking about three girls telling the police they need service dogs for their IBS!

The use of flashbacks was a great addition to this book, allowing readers to go back in time and get to see the full extent of the abuse Miss Fairchild inflicted upon them. Furthermore, I enjoyed the addition of the psychiatry sessions, told from a mystery POV, as it was unclear at first who the patient was, which made for a gripping mystery. Through these sessions, I was able to figure out about halfway through what had happened, which did spoil the shock factor of the ending, but didn't mean I enjoyed the journey any less. I still thoroughly enjoyed every minute of reading this book.

I rated this 4 out of 5 stars. I will be looking forward to reading some more books by this author, as I loved the writing and character-building in Darling Girls! I would highly recommend picking this up! Thank you to Netgalley and Sally Hepworth for the ARC.

As always Sally Hepworth has blown it out of the water with this book. Delving into the family relationships and seeing the trauma and secrets that lay underneath created suspense and tension for me.

I have read and enjoyed many of Sally Hepworth's books previously so I was delighted to receive an advance copy of Darling Girls.

I would describe Darling Girls as a psychological mystery. It had some quite dark elements, including mental abuse in foster care, and uncomfortable moments that were hard to read about at times.

I particularly enjoyed the twist at the end since it was entirely unexpected and extremely clever. I definitely think it's a page turner, with great characters and I wouldn't hesitate to give it five starts.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advance copy of Darling Girls in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the writing style. It felt effortless. Genuine. Real. And, the characters personality started to come out of the pages even before we practically knew anything about them. I couldn’t put this down.

Ooof. I devoured this in one sitting in a matter of hours and I’m still reeling from that ending! What a read! I think I need a lie down!!!!

I decided to read Sally Hepworth’s entire back catalogue, late 2023 having stumbled on her Amazon Short Story | Uncharted Waters | and been obsessed with it. Having read all the earlier books, it’s fair to say that no two Sally Hepworth books are the same, Darling Girls is no exception to the rule. You will find a non-linear timeline told across multiple POVs which is a SH staple and one that I lose myself in when done well. Sally does this ✨so✨well!

It took me a few chapters to get into but once I was there I was in for the duration. Definitely one of my favourite Sally Hepworth reads and a plot that will stay with me for a long while after!

Thank you to Pan Macmillan + NetGalley for the chance to read Darling Girls before it’s released on 25th April 2024 🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵 #DarlingGirls #NetGalley

I’ve read a few of Sally’s books now and really enjoy the way she allows the story to unfurl. This book was no exception and may be my favourite of hers….so far.

Jessica, Alicia and Norah are grown up sisters, living near each other and having a close bond that exiles all others. This bond stems from their time spent in childhood as foster children at a home called Wild Meadows, under the regime of Miss Fairchild. Miss Fairchild led a reign of terror against these three girls for years, yet worse was to come….

This story beautifully winds together a number of stories over different timelines and led by different narrators. This means that as you piece together the story, you think you’ve hit on the answers….until you realise there’s even more to the story.

I read this book in a single day at half term, as I couldn’t put it down. Already looking forward to Sally’s next book.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.

Quite a heavy subject with a heart-wrenching story, but will you believe I actually laughed out loud at Darling Girls as well? Honestly!

Leave it to Sally Hepworth to write a delicate yet disturbing whodunnit, carefully shaping the main characters and their interactions. I especially appreciated the theme about not being lucky or the urge that someone should feel they were lucky simply because things could have been worse. This resonated with me, but on a different level than was the case in this book.

And weirdly, it has nothing to do with revenge – despite what the text on the cover of the book says. Things are way more subtle than that. I don't think that teaser does the book justice...

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

I LOVED this book. I loved all her other books and this one was her best yet. The characters are well developed unique and amiable. I found myself caring for all the central characters. Jessica, Norah and Alicia didn't have an ideal childhood, and they all thought that their lucky day had come when Ms Fairchild came to the rescue and fostered them, However things got worse. When a body appears under the house they grew up in they are forced to return, But who is it? Who can we trust ? A beyond five star read that you won't be able to put down.