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.

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth is a 2022 St. Martin’s Press publication.

Stephen, a doctor in his sixties, divorced his wife, Pam, who was admitted to a nursing home after her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Stephen then plans to marry, Heather, a much younger woman….

These developments shook Stephen’s daughters, Tully and Rachel, each of whom is dealing with issues such as comfort eating and kleptomania, which are, of course, symptoms of much deeper problems.

But as they listen to their mother’s strange pronouncements, and discover some shocking, unexplainable things in Pam’s possessions, the sisters may be faced with even darker revelations…

Then, as the big day finally arrives something goes horribly awry…

This book is certainly written with Hepworth’s signature style and hooked me in right away. I was invested in the story, though I was confused about a few things here and there, but I decided to just go with it because I knew the situation was coming to a head and I was very curious about what exactly happened and whodunit.

There was no way to truly know how things would turn out, and I must admit I was still a little confused by some things and even read the epilogue a couple of times.

But I suppose it doesn’t matter all that much, as I still managed to get the gist of things, but I’m not entirely sure how I feel about the presentation.

It could be the author was trying to avoid graphic details and left it to the reader to read between the lines, but it deflated the tension and makes the conclusion a bit anti-climactic- at least for me, it did.

I really like this author, but this one was a head-scratcher for me. I liked it okay, I suppose, but it definitely didn’t not wow me, nor will it leave a lingering impression, I’m afraid.

Overall, I’m still undecided on this one, and I don’t think further meditation on it will tip the scales on way or the other, so I’ll ride the fence with a middle of the road three stars.

After bingeing waaaay too many thrillers in a row I thought I had definitely burned myself out. But The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth caught my attention from the start and kept me up all night reading to the finish.

Told from the perspective of four women who are all connected by one man, The Younger Wife starts off with a murder mystery and just continues to ramp up the tension from there. I found the characters to have more depth than most thrillers I have read in the past year, and for that reason alone I am giving this a higher rating than I normally would.

Although I did figure out the twists very early on (it really isn't that thinly veiled and I tend to ruin every mystery by guessing too much at the beginning) I still found myself very engaged with watching it play out.

3.4999/5

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this title!

Absolutely fantastic! Could not put the book down. Going to recommend to everyone to check out this book!

Impactful and scandalous, Hepworth's latest novel will have readers reeling when they turn the final page.

I enjoyed this book. Sally Hepworth does a great job building suspense. I see that many people weren't happy with the ending but I was. I felt that this story had my questioning everything until the last page.

Everyone in Sally Hepworth’s The Younger Wife is keeping secrets. Cardiologist Stephen Aston is the patriarch of the family. He appears to have it all and is beloved by many, but appearances can be deceiving. His wife Pam is suffering from dementia and had to be moved to a nursing home. His daughters Tully and Rachel have their own deep dark secrets. Stephen’s soon-to-be new wife is younger than both of his daughters and she’s hiding a troubled past. This book started a little slow for me and the family is so completely dysfunctional that it’s a bit over the top. The story is told in alternating points of view of the main characters and jumps back and forth between past and present. It was just okay, not great. Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my least favorite favorite of Hepworths (they are all really good), but I gotta give it to her, what an intriguing and unique story line. Pam (mother of Tully & Rachel) is in a nursing home debilitated by Alzheimers. Tully and Rachel's father Stephen is planning to get married to a younger wife Heather, who happens to be the interior designer he and Pam hired to redo their home. I did love the opening scene at the wedding with first wife Pam there. I thought, where is this story going to go? Lots of intrigue and that's always a draw for me. There are the flash backs to Pam before she lost her memory, there's the underlying story of what happened to Heather before she met Stephen, and the drama of Tully and Rachel as they are certain Heather's after their father's money. Just a totally unique story.

I started reading this anticipating a thriller only to find out it was fiction following extended family storylines woven together. The book focuses on their relationships and self development. Character development was really well done and it was a smooth read.

*spoilers*

I just didn’t understand why the author wrote the ending the way she did. It was never really clear whether or not Stephen was abusive or if other characters- Heather, for instance, was imagining things. It would have been one thing to leave the book open ended with an alternate ending, but for Rachel to kill Stephen out of her belief that he was abusive and then never to know… it leaves the reader feeling “unfinished”. I really enjoyed the book up until the end.