Doubt is everything. Doubt can make you uncover something new and amazing. You can start experiments after doubting something. Also it can make you put blame on someone, just because you doubt them. Just because you cannot trust them hundred percent.

The story starts at a wedding of very well know heart surgeon and his young fiancée, who is younger than his daughters. All is well until screams rose inside the church… Then we rewind back a bit. Only to see what appears to be an amazing family turns out to be a one with numerous serious problems and traumas. Girls think that the younger wife is nothing but a gold digger. Their mother is not dead and last time they checked they are still married to their father. So where did this younger wife come from? How could their father marry this woman? More the girls start to dig, more they learn it only about new stepmom but also everyone else in their family.

You don’t really get a conclusion or an answer you might have at the end of this book. More so you are left with questions, doubts. But like I said doubt is everything. It can make or break things. You will be left with your doubts and the girls’ doubts. Rest is up to you: you’ll make up your own mind!

Normally a fan of Sally Hepworth, but this one just felt very disorganized and hard to get into and relate to the characters. The random mentions of COVID-19 felt awkward, and on the whole the book just felt like it was rushed to publication. The decisions and thoughts of the characters were mostly not believable and it was one of those where no one really communicated or seemed to understand anything that was happening to them.

I did enjoy some aspects of the characters, like Heather's backstory, Rachel's business, and Tully's family, but it was not enough to save the plot, which felt like the recycled plot of many different books, but did not fit into one story cohesively.

This is getting into more popcorn thriller than Hepworth's previous books, but there is not much tension either. The whole vibe felt just a little off, and like I said, rushed to publication (even though it doesn't come out for a while).

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved this one. Very fast paced, had me turning pages as I tore through it – I had to see how it would end. The characters were well rounded and the narrative felt believable. Gave me chills. Solid five My favorite from her so far.

<b>"And if baking and eating your feelings isn't working for you, it might be wise to try a different form of therapy. I just mean, don't beat yourself for single-handedly saving yourself with the tools you had available to you. Where I come from, that's called survival."</b>

<i>The Younger Wife</i> is my fifth Sally Hepworth novel and among my favorites. I could not put it down! If I had started earlier in the day, there is no doubt I would have read this in one sitting. <i>The Younger Wife</i> is a low-intensity mystery with a large dose of family drama and gaslighting. 4.5 stars rounded up. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

Tully and Rachel are the grown daughters of Stephen and Pam. Pam is in a care facility with advanced dementia. Stephen was a doting husband, caring for Pam at home until it became clear it was no longer safe. A year or two on, he is engaged to Heather, an interior designer that helped Stephen redecorate his home. Tully and Rachel would likely be more supportive of the circumstances, except Stephen is still married to Pam and Heather is <i>younger than them</i>. Tully and Rachel love their dad, so they're willing to try and make a relationship with Heather work.

The story alternates between the perspectives of Tully, Rachel, and Heather. The chapters are short and fast-paced, so it's easy to keep moving through this book. The storyline is closely wound, making it so that I kept up with what was happening across characters.

Each woman has her own subplot: Tully's home is in financial ruin after a bad investment. Tully copes with that, and all her neuroses, through shoplifting. Rachel hasn't dated since she was 16, despite the fact that she is stunningly gorgeous. She is a professional baker, so sometimes Rachel eats her feelings. And Heather has worked hard to create an appearance of an upper-class suburbanite, but comes from an alcoholic, violent home.

All three women begin to question their relationships within the family. It brings them together in a way that is unsettling, yet surprisingly warm and endearing. To avoid spoiling things, I'll leave it there.

Overall, I loved this book. Easy, quick read. Trigger warnings: domestic violence and rape.

I really struggled on how to get my feelings across on how I feel about this book. Immediately I was pretty into it I found myself at 25% quick & after that I didn’t want to stop reading. There lies the problem haha.

The story is told basically from 3 women’s points of view (Stephens two daughters Rachel & Natalie (aka Tully), and his new girlfriend/soon-to-be wife Heather). I figured ok this book is titled The Younger Wife so of course we’re going to hate her..right?! I really ended up liking her character right off the bat though & Rachel she was pretty hard not to like & kind of root for in a sense. Tully’s character was interesting to say the least. I didn’t hate her.. but wow…why Tully why?!

I loved how this was written, and the details in the characters & everything really. I guess where I’m frustrated is that I was so into what was going on between the entire family & was so interested in finding out what happened at the beginning of the book that the ending was such a let down. The entire book for the most part had me so I thought what was going to be some great wow moment of an ending just wasn’t & it was a fairly predictable one at that. The way the last few chapters (probably around the last 10% or so) wrapped things up was written weird like a literal wrap up as if I was reading each one of the women’s diaries.

I wanted to mention a few things that I didn’t love. Not book killers but things I would’ve changed about the story if I could. Covid was mentioned in it. I/we hear about covid all day every day the last thing I want is to read about it in books. The other thing that bothered me a little is how there were a lot of issues brought up such as rape, abuse, alcoholism & it was mentioned almost lightly-especially the rape storyline..just a meh I was raped now let’s move along. I’m not saying it should’ve been drilled in to the point of weighing the book down buy maybe a little more consideration to the characters feelings & situations.

All in all I really enjoyed this book- it took me less than a day to read it because I was so in to it. For the most part it was a consistent 4 star but the ending kind of took the wind out of my sails. 3-1/2 ⭐️ rounded up.

Side note - I read The Good Sister as well & I liked this one better 🤗

Thank you to NetGalley & St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!!

It starts at Stephen Aston’s wedding to Heather, who is also the age of Stephen’s adult daughters. Suddenly we learn someone is hurt and we don’t know who or why.

Flash backwards we meet Tully who is married to a successful lawyer with two boys, and her sister Rachel who is a baker who doesn’t date.

Both sisters are very weary of Heather, since their dad is still married to their mom who has dementia and just was moved to a nursing home. Stephen is a brilliant surgeon who is loved by his colleagues and his daughters alike, so obviously Heather must be up to something to marry someone 30 years her senior, right??

Told from the perspectives of Tully, Rachel, and Heather we see how things stay with us from our past, and how things seem very different than they are in reality.

I loved the bond the sisters have and how they grow over the course of the book! They each deal with some very heavy issues, but I liked instead of just avoiding them, they both strive to trust each other and move towards vulnerability. I wasn’t sure at first if Heather was trustworthy or not, but her backstory gave lots of insight into her as well.

This was a page turner for sure, and even though the ending wasn’t exactly what I wanted, I think it was good to not have it end the way I thought it would. The characters even discuss their disappointment in the way things played out, as if they’re reading the readers’ thoughts. I also liked her addressing mental health in kids and adults alike!
Sally Hepworth has done it again for a book that is hard to put down because we just have to know what happened!

TW: domestic abuse, rape

This book was a twisty rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. With a shocking opening chapter that hooks you from the word go, and a dysfunctional cast of characters full of secrets and lies, the Younger Wife will leave you guessing. Sally Hepworth truly is the queen of domestic thrillers.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another excellent novel by Sally Hepworth. I always enjoy her works and this one was no exception. A family drama again, all about a father’s remarriage to a much younger woman. This was well plotted and with fleshed out characters - especially the daughters. It was good to see a character with anxiety, and how that was dealt with by her family members. I wasn’t sure of what would happen at the end at all, and indeed am still wondering if it was a red herring at the end! Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Another Sally Hepworth book that kept me guessing throughout the book. Overall I enjoyed it, 3.5 stars out of 5. I wish the ending would have had more resolution for example Darcy was never mentioned again after visiting Pam. The book was a slower start for me in the beginning but did pick up the pace and my interest and became a quick read. Overall I enjoyed it.

I always enjoy Sally Hepworth novels and this is no exception. Tully and Rachel are dismayed to learn that their father is planning to marry his young girlfriend. Their mom, Pam, is suffering from advanced dementia, so he divorces her to marry Heather. When Pam starts making accusations about Stephen, everyone dismisses them. After all, Pam doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Or does she? Besides trying to figure that out, Tully, Rachel and Heather each have their own closely guarded secrets. Hepworth does a great job of juggling multiple stories and tying them all together while leaving the reader wonder if what just happened as it really seemed.

The Younger Wife is a fast paced book filled with suspense. I enjoyed the dynamic between the sisters and their future stepmother. I could not put this one down. The ending will leave you thinking about this family for some time.

I really enjoyed the pacing and characters in this novel and the end really took me by surprise. Tully and Rachel are adult sisters whose father is marrying a woman who is about their age soon after their mother has been placed in a nursing home with advanced dementia. After When going through her mothers things, Rachel finds something questionable that her mother cannot explain, but makes the sisters begin to question whether their father is the man that they thought he was. I would have liked if there had been more included in the book about the parents as people and their relationship, as I felt we did not really get to know them well.

I thoroughly enjoyed 3/4 of this book, but the last 1/4 of it disappointed me. Even as I was finishing the book, I told myself to stop reading and pretend the book ended where I wanted it to end. Sadly, I didn't listen to myself and I kept reading. Up until that point though, it was great! I enjoy Sally Hepworth's writing and the way she develops such interesting characters. There was a part of each of the main women that I could identify with in some way. I look forward to reading more from Sally soon!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! It was such a page turner and I couldn't put it down -- not that I wanted to anyways. Sally Hepworth's buildup and storytelling filled my chest with nervous anticipation the whole way through. The plot follows the daughters and young fiancee of an older gentleman who has proposed while still married: his wife has dementia and lives in a skilled nursing facility. Understandably a tense and difficult situation, but know that you're in for even more than what that would seem to suggest.

Chapters alternate between narrators, which is typically not my particular favorite, but is here absolutely fantastic. Even seemingly objective descriptions are filtered through each character's lens and I loved getting to know them better. They are flawed yet endearing and each have their own individual plot arcs that weave together to reinforce the narrative as a whole. My only wish was that we could hear more from the 4th narrator because she was such an intriguing addition, but I am a huge fan regardless! Despite the private nature of the family within the book, I feel like a family friend that needs to immediately run over and knock on their door to get the latest update on life. A joy to read despite heavy-at-times topics.

This is the 2nd book I've read by Sally Hepworth.

I really enjoyed The Good Sister and was excited about reading Hepworth's next novel.

Unfortunately, The Younger Wife did not really work for me. It was fine, but I'm not really sure what happened in the 300+ pages I read?

I didn't dislike any of the characters, but this storyline lacked excitement for me.

There was only one small item of mystery and I wish there had been more.

I'm still a Sally Hepworth fan, but this was not my favorite.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A pair of sisters from perfect parents doubt themselves rather than their upbringing when it comes to their neurotic behaviors. A found clue leads them to question events from their childhood and draws them closer together. The truth of their pasts is a little murky but the hope for better futures is not.

This would be a great book club choice.

The Younger Wife is mind boggling! Family secret’s galore and a wedding ending that will give you bad dreams!
Sally Hepworth is a fabulous writer.

Sally Hepworth does not disappoint! She weaves the stories of the characters perfectly, making you want to find out more. I was immersed in the lives of Pam, Tully, Rachel, and Heather as related to Stephen. I enjoyed every word of this book!

Holy wow did I love this book! Funny and shocking and characters and dialogue that sparkled off the page. I am now a #sallyfanforlife 😍

I really enjoyed this book. The writing was concise and clear, the characters were well-rounded. Great plot that had many twists and turns, right up until the wild ending. I looked forward to picking up this book every time to read further into the mystery. Families, betrayal, women sticking up for each other in good times and especially bad times, revenge, justice, dementia, soul work, this book had a taste of everything, and it all worked so well together. Highly recommend and 5 stars!
Thank you to Netgalley, Ms. Hepworth, and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.