This was different from a lot of the "domestic thrillers" people are churning out lately and so I liked that it was a little more unique than what I have been seeing recently. Definitely took me on a ride that I was not expecting!

Didn't love this book, although it kept my interest well enough and was a quick read. Ultimately, however, the portrayal of the characters and their issues didn't ring true for me, which is the same problem I had with The Good Sister. Three stars because I appreciate the writing style, structure and swift pace of the story.

Thank you to netgalley.com for the ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e ARC of this book.
Chick lit at its finest. Could not put it down. Though probably not outstanding for its socially redeeming qualities, it is an entertaining read.
Can't bring myself to give it 5 stars, but it can have 4.

Sally Hepworth made me felt gaslit the entire time I was reading (which is what she intended, she told me). Great work!

This story, told from multiple perspectives, follows two sisters--Tully and Rachel--as they prepare for their father's wedding to his much-younger fiancé, Heather. Their father, Stephen, divorced their mother, who is in a nursing home suffering from dementia. But when their mother begins to mention things about their father "hurting her" during their marriage, the girls begin to question if they really know their father at all.

Meanwhile, the fiancé, Heather, begins to have random accidents and falls around Stephen. It's true, she's often been drinking when these falls happen, but Heather can't help but wonder if Stephen is lying to her. Has he actually been abusing women for years? Is he just really good at gaslighting his victims?

Overall, I enjoyed this one, but the ending fell a little flat for me. My main issue was that the author left a few loose ends untied, especially in regards to the sister, Rachel, and the traumatic event that happened to her when she was a teenager. That was such an important part of Rachel's story, and I felt like there was never any resolution to it. But this was a quick read and I would definitely read more books by this author.

This book was so good! Twists and turns I never saw coming. The characters were really well developed, and the ending I thought was great!

This was my first Sally Hepworth and I really enjoyed it. I would consider it a domestic suspense and it was full of twists. The book has two timelines, one is present day and from the POV of a wedding guest where events are unfolding and the other is in the recent past leading up to the wedding from the POVs of two sisters and the fiancée. I enjoyed the perspectives and learning more about the characters and family from the different voices. The sisters are dealing with their Dad getting married again while he is still married to their Mom who is suffering from dementia. Not only do they begin to uncover family secrets together, but the new fiancée has some secrets come out as well. Definitely full of drama but does contain some potentially triggering content, so definitely look that information up if needed. I recommend this book for people that like domestic suspense or family dramas!

This was a 5 star for me right up until the last 15% or so. Then it dropped to a 3.5ish. It was well paced and kept me hooked the whole way. Ambiguous endings are not my thing. They seem like the easy way out. I’d rather have answers. I did think the side stories of the sisters lives were way more interesting than the dad drama.

In the hands of great authors, domestic suspense novels are like catnip to me—I absolutely cannot get enough and always devour them. It's absolutely no surprise that Sally has delivered yet another winner with The Younger Wife. Crisp dialogue, interesting characters, and fast pacing- loved it!!!

The Younger Wife was my first Sally Hepworth book. This was a quick read and I enjoyed the perspective of multiple characters. The first chapter started with a bang and really had me hooked from the get going. However, I did find the plot to be a bit repetitive, harping on the same few points again and again.

Psychological thriller fans might find this one a bit slow moving. If you’ve read an abundance of thrillers, you’ll find this one very predictable.

I would pick up another Sally Hepworth book and see if I like it better.

If you haven't read Sally Hepworth yet, you are missing out! She is a great author who can write suspenseful women's fiction like no other! In her latest book, The Younger Wife, Sally introduces us to The Aston Family. Steve and Pam have been married for decades when Pam falls victim to dementia. The family is forced to put in her a facility to keep her safe. Tully and Rachel are grown women by then and support their dad. During Pam's last months at home, they were knee deep in a home renovation which came to a halt as Pam had to enter the facility. Steve Aston is left to finish the remodel his home on his own with the interior designer, Heather. As time goes by Steve falls for Heather and wedding is planned. Tully and Rachel are surprised by the wedding especially since Pam is still alive. With Steven planning for a divorce from Pam, the girls uncover some mysterious findings on their own. Do they even know their own father?
The Younger Wife is a great story! Hepworth keeps you guessing and wanting to continue reading far into the night. I will definitely be recommending The Younger Wife to others along with her other works. I will also continue to look forward to Hepworth's future works. Special Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Sally Hepworth for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 5 stars

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I absolutely love all of Sally Hepworth's prior books and couldn't wait to read this. I seriously couldn't put this down and finished this in one day. It's truly that good! The suspense in this will keep you guessing until the very last page. I highly recommend this book!

The Younger Wife is my new favorite Sally Hepworth. The story of Stephen Aston getting married again while his now ex-wife is suffering from dementia is told from the perspective of Stephen's adult daughters, Tully and Rachel, and his new wife, Heather. I enjoyed that Heather came across as a kind and sympathetic character, and that she did not have the traditional "adversarial" relationship with Tully and Rachel. The story is mostly character focused with a fairly simple plot. It leans into the psychology of how trauma impacts a person's perceptions and memories. The ending of the story leaves the reader with more questions than answers, but I enjoyed that it can be interpreted differently by different readers. I look forward to more novels by Sally Hepworth.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth. The book begins with Stephen getting married again, even though he is still married to his first wife, who is suffering from dementia. Tully and Rachel, the two daughters have mixed feelings about Stephen's fiance, Heather, who is the same age as Rachel.

As the story develops, so do the family's secrets. Everyone seems to be hiding something. Tully and Rachel are determined to find out the truth about their family's secrets and try to uncover who their father really is. Stephen's wife may know the answers, but she is unreliable. Even Heather, has a past that she is hiding. Ms. Hepworth does a great job of threading all of the characters together.

The story and the characters continue to develop throughout the book. This is a very enjoyable story that will keep you mesmerized until the end.

Another great book by Hepworth! This one centers on a family whose patriarch is getting married to a much younger woman, while his dementia-ridden wife is still alive. Stephen begins a whirlwind relationship with Heather, much to the chagrin of his 2 daughters, Rachel and Tully, who are about the same age. The POV alternates between the 3 women as they navigate not only the family dynamics, but other events in each of their lives.

The story is fast paced and engaging even in the areas where the action is low. All 3 women seem real, and I found myself empathizing with each of them at various points in the story, even when they were making bad decisions. The ending does not really tie up the loose ends, but leaves the reader with some remaining questions, which I actually enjoyed, though I have seen other reviewers with different opinions. I am ruminating about it as I write this!

All in all, this is a great story and a fast read, with engaging characters and interesting storylines. I recommend it to those who like domestic suspense. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While I enjoyed "The Younger Wife" by Sally Hepworth I think I would have appreciated it more if it had been marketed to readers as a domestic drama rather than as a domestic suspense.


One thing that Ms. Hepworth excels at is building rich and dynamic characters whose stories really draw the reader in. In the case of this novel, it is so character- driven that the actual plot becomes secondary.

In "The Younger Wife" we are introduced to sisters Tully and Rachel as well as Heather who is to be their new and very young stepmother. It is fascinating to read about how they deal with the shifting family dynamic brought on by the impending marriage between Heather and the women's father.

As Tully, Rachel, and Heather are forced to interact with each other it becomes painfully obvious that they are all harboring their own self destructive secrects. As Hepworth reveals those secrets layer by layer, the reader is gifted with a comprehensive understanding of each woman and what truly drives them.

One thing I find refreshing about this book is that Heather does not fit into the femme fatale role that is often commonplace in stories like these. In contrast, she is a kind and decent person. As a matter of fact, she as well as the rest of the characters are written in a way that evokes a myriad of feelings from the reader. This is where Hepworth's mastery comes into play. The plot may be a bit thin but the author more than makes up for it with strong and interesting characters.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book. Thank you Netgalley for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you St Martins Press and Netgalley for an ARC of The Younger Wife in exchange for my honest opinion.

I will begin with saying this is my first Sally Hepworth book and that I found it fantastic. A real page turner. A book with so many secrets, jaw dropping moments, and twists and turns.

When Rachel and Tully find out that their father is marrying someone their age, they are not very happy. Especially given that he is still married to their mother, whom they have just recently moved into a nursing home. With secrets of their own, their lives begin to unravel.

I enjoyed this book very much and will definitely read more by Sally Hemsworth.

Stephen Aston is marrying Heather against the wishes of his two grown children of almost the same age, but, first, he has to divorce his wife, who’s in a memory-care facility for dementia with only short bouts of mindful recollection. This thriller digs into the backstories of each character, except Stephen, with the question of abuse being brought to the forefront but without evidence. It’s up to the reader to pay close attention and figure out who is the least unreliable narrator in a tale with twists and turns. Well-written, I kept reading and questioning motives throughout (especially about the money found in the bottle). I recommend this as an entertaining read with no easy answers!

The Younger Wife - Sally Hepworth
Rachel and Tully' father Stephen is getting married, to a younger woman, so young in fact that she's the same age as Rachel, the youngest of the two daughters.
This couldn't come at a worst time. Their mother is in a care facility and doesn't know who they are. Tully is fighting her kleptomania and Rachel is struggling with her secret she has hidden from everyone since she was a teenager.
The girls visit their mother in a regular basis and as they do, their mother regularly mentions their father was a bad man, a side of him they never saw. When Rachel finds a stash of money in her mother's stuff with Tully and another woman's name on it, the girls' theories begin to form. Was their mother saving money to leave their dad? Was he really abusive? Has his new young fiance had experienced this? Who is this other woman on the note with the money and how is she connected?
I just have to say wow, this book is not what I had expected, and I mean that in the best way. I don't want to give too much away, but the expectations I had set based on the title ended up being completely wrong. I loved all the characters and their individual stories and experiences and loved how the "younger wife" got pulled into the family drama. If you're looking for a dysfunctional family thriller, with a twist, than this is a book to grab when it hits the shelves on October 26th!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Thank you Netgalley for the amazing ARC!

Well, Sally Hepworth has done it again. I loved The Mother-In-Law and I think this book is just as good. I couldn't put it down. Very clever story and real characters that I could actually picture. Great writing, would definitely recommend! The Younger Wife