The Younger Wife is for readers of suspense and family drama. It is like a who done it with more background stories of the characters involved. I found myself vested in the novel immediately.

I really enjoyed this read by Sally Hepworth. I have to admit this is my least favorite compared to her other books. I loved the family drama and how each character tries to keep it together but is crumbling. This book is 100% more a family drama then a thriller. My biggest criticism is the epilogue. I feel after reading that I am completely doubting the whole book.

Oh no say it isn't so, 3 stars for a Sally Hepworth? Many loved this one, but for me it was just a lukewarm read. I enjoyed the journey with the family dynamics even if the characters were a bit flat. I was really waiting for that ending to bring Sally's trademark shock and it never came. I did hear that the final copy had a different ending so I went looking for it. The new ending was much more satisfying.

As always, Sally Hepworth delivers an incredible story. A true page-turner, this book kept me up late as I wanted to know what happened next. Each of the narrating women is written so well and helps the story move forward even as we hear their backstory. A stunning book that makes you question every time someone made you question yourself.

Sally Hepworth does it again with the The Younger Wife. In this novel we learn about the Aston Family and all their secrets.

Tully is the youngest daughter who is married with 2 little boys, but for some reason she can't control the bubbling feeling in her body. Her shameful secret is kept from everyone, including her husband.

Rachel is the oldest daughter, who love to bake, cook and eat. Her family finds it odd that she hasn't been on a date in almost 20 years, but no one seems to care enough to ask.

Pam, is the mother to Tully and Rachel and Stephen's (their father) soon to be ex-wife. She is suffering from Dementia and has been placed in a care facility. The problem is when Rachel visits her, she doesn't have anything nice to say about Stephen.

Stephen is seeking a divorce from Pam, because he is about to marry Heather, who is the same age as his daughters.

Heather, the soon to be new wife, has her own dark past and secrets.

What happens at the wedding? All the family secrets and betrayal come to a head at the wedding. Sally Hepworth does a fantastic job of weaving Heather, Rachel, Tully and Stephen's perspective to what the truth really is. She left me wanting to turn the page and desperately wanting to find out the next piece to the puzzle.

I will be honest, I did not love the ending of the book. While I felt the story was resolved, I found it a bit disappointing. However, that didn't affect my rating of the book.

This book is great in a sense that I really like how it's structured, written to show different point of views from the main characters. This way of writing gives me, in my opinion an inside story about the characters. A story within a story, I would say.

The characters are not as engaging as I would have liked but I like the little surprise characters who appear in this story.

The sisters' characters were much relatable to what sisters should be in the real world and I really liked that. Tully's story is new for me and it gave me another glimpse of her condition and an understanding of it.

Kudos to Sally Hepworth for yet another compulsively addictive domestic suspense novel. So cleverly written, this one is packed with compelling characters, a gripping plot dysfunctional relationships, family drama and secrets. Lots and lots of secrets. Told from multiple POVs with unreliable narrators, I found this well written story to be mostly believable. I was immediately drawn in and couldn’t put it down until I finished it.

I loved how this book was structured. The prologue beings with a wedding, an unknown narrator describing the event itself, when something terrible happens, but we as the reader are left in the dark as to what happened to whom, as the narrator doesn’t know. The story then rewinds back in time to the year or so that lead up to the wedding. It’s during this time that we get to meet the characters, and as we listen to each perspective, we are forced to navigate through Hepworth’s trademark plot twists and turns, where seeds of doubt are planted making it difficult for the reader to decide what is real or not. This character driven domestic drama packed with the crazy types of twists and turns that I’ve come to love from Hepworth’s writing. We have sisters Tully and Rachel who are struggling with their mothers dementia diagnosis, (along with their own mental health issues) when their father announces that he plans to divorce their mother so that he can marry Heather, a woman who is young enough to be their sister. What a hot mess these characters are! And while Hepworth loosely explores some pretty tough topics (alcohol abuse, domestic abuse, rape, mental health issues, gaslighting), she does so with empathy and tact.

Hepworth has fast become a favorite author of mine. I highly recommend this to those who enjoy domestic or psychological suspense thrillers (e.g. B. A. Paris, Alice Feeney, Sandy Jones, Lisa Jewel) or those looking for a fantastic bookclub selection that would lead to great discussion.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I read and LOVED two of Sally Hepworth’s previous books—The Good Sister and The Mother-in-Law—so I was excited to pick up The Younger Wife! Her writing is both strong and engaging, with well-developed characters and well-paced plot development. I was eagerly devouring this latest work until about 80% when I started to get a sneaking suspicion regarding the ending.

SUMMARY: The adult daughters of an older surgeon are unhappy to learn that their father is engaged to a young decorator—despite the fact that their mother, who suffers dementia, is still alive and otherwise healthy.

I loved diving into the backstories of the surgeon’s daughters, Tully and Rachel, and the respective traumas that shaped their personalities. Their journeys—as well as the one experienced by the surgeon’s young fiance—were a pleasure to read, and I couldn’t wait to learn more.

However, the ending fell completely flat for me. It reminded me of Verity by Colleen Hoover, if, after reading it, you also absolutely did not care. The ending may as well have been: But then she woke up, and it had all been a dream. Not. Here. For. It.

I have listened to Sally’s audiobooks and they have grown on me. This was just as good as The wife upstairs. The mayor plot twist/reveal I did not see it coming at all and that is always, always a plus! Loved the unreliable characters POV that kept me guessing what was going on and I just loved that.

I love Sally Hepworth books so I was shocked when I saw this book getting less than less-than-stellar reviews. People were straight shooting vitriol about it! So maybe because of that, I went in with uber low expectations and because of that, I wasn't disappointed. I was actually enthralled by the whole story. I do feel like the end fell a teensy bit flat for me but I definitely wouldn't say it was a bad book. It was a solid 3 star domestic thriller (maybe not thriller...that seems too intense a word for what this was...mystery? Suspense?). Whatever ya call it, I liked it.

I have loved every novel I’ve read by Sally Hepworth. This one is no exception. The story and characters are well-written and fun to read. I thought this a a great read!

I love this author and she did not disappoint with this book. A creepy, thriller that had me turning the pages into late night. Sally Hepworth is just a guarantee winner with her plots and the style of writing. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This is my second Sally Hepworth read and once again I found myself glued to the story and wanting to know what was going to happen next. This book is a domestic mystery I would say as it revolves around our trying to decipher exactly what's going on within the Aston family.

When the book opens we are at the wedding of Stephen Aston and his much, much younger bride Heather. Younger in fact than his two grown daughters Tully and Rachel. And we know from the start that something goes terribly wrong.

We flip back in time and get POVs from Tully, Rachel and Heather. Not only are they not exactly jazzed about their father marrying a younger woman, but he's also yet to divorce their mom, who is suffering from early-onset Alzheimers.

We follow the three women as we unravel what's going on in this story and would say we are often lead to draw our own conclusions. I think Sally Hepworth does a tremendous job of weaving in some weightier topics and handles them with grace and respect. She also adds in some good humor and I do adore some of the one-liners that come out of the women's mouths.

This book is definitely pure enjoyment and also a great story of sisters, the complications of family, questioning what you know (or what you think you know) and seeing your parents for who they are.

To note, the ARC has a different ending from the final US publication (my understanding is the ARC mirrors the original Australian publication). I don't know how I feel about the different endings but to go into that would spoil so suffice to say I found the US ending more satisfying. The original ending made me a little mad, but I otherwise enjoyed the book and will continue to pick up more Sally Hepworth in my future!

This was an interesting read and my first book by Sally Hepworth. I felt like I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and it never actually did. Also while the title is interesting, I do feel like she didn't play a big enough role like the title led me to believe. I found it funny that the whole mystery behind the water bottle ended up being so mundane. I didn't quite like the ending, I felt like it still left room for some ambiguity.

It was a fast paced read and actually had likeable characters. I will be checking out more from this author.

This is a novel about family. The bonds, the quarrels, and the secrets. When Rachel & Tully’s dad gets engaged to a woman close to their age, the sisters are less than thrilled. Why would he take that step especially while still married to their mother. Their dad is a renowned physician who took an oath to “do no harm”, but this fast-paced story casts doubt on that oath as mysteries unfurl. Another great read by Sally Hepworth. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. This is my honest review.

Entertaining read about an Australian family and the drama that ensues when the patriach of the family announces he is getting married again - to a woman who is younger than his daughters. His current wife suffers from dementia and therefore can't speak for herself. The daughters of course are not pleased with this situation, and everyone is hiding a secret, even the soon-to-be new wife. The characters are entertaining and the story is a good quick read. Sally Hepworth is an excellent writer who knows how to move a story along! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

Ok, I couldn’t put this one down. Two sisters, a mom with dementia , a dad with a new fiancé younger than them… what could go wrong? Mental health issues stemming from childhood traumas for one, and the story just keeps getting better from there. Hepworth’s. Characters are flawed and secretive, her plot captivating until you get your answers at the bitter end. Did I mention, I could not put this one down!

My favorite parts of this book relate to a study in family dynamics and an acknowledgement that everything is not always how it seems. I found it to be slow paced, but interesting. I especially enjoyed the interaction between Rachel and Tully, the sisters in this novel. The "reveals" were disappointing and predictable, so that docked this one a couple points. I just am not a huge fan of some of the tropes in this one. However, the characters still made it a worthwhile read.

Tully and Rachel Aston are astounded when their father, Stephen, announces that he is going to marry his much younger girlfriend Heather. The thing is, he is still married to their mother, who is in a care facility with dementia. When all is said and done, will the sisters be able to find common ground with their soon to be stepmother?

The Younger Wife is told in alternating perspectives, which is meant to keep the reader guessing. Personally, I do not like this approach because the connection to the characters is harder to feel. The dysfunctional family aspect is nothing new to this author, as previous books deal with these type of issues. The Younger Wife is not one of my favorites, as I do not particularly like any of the characters. Each character has a side plot and a story to tell, which takes away from the overall effect of the mystery surrounding the event that starts the book. For these reasons, I hesitate to recommend The Younger Wife to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to read and review this book was entirely my own.

This is a fantastic book. Totally captivating and I read it quickly. Great characters that were developed well. I can't recommend enough.