Meet the Aston family. Stephen is a successful doctor in his 60’s, and is getting remarried to the much younger Heather. Rachel and Tully are leery to meet their new soon to be stepmother, who happens to be the same age as they are. To complicate family matters further, Rachel and Tully’s mother Pam (and Stephen’s recent ex-wife) is presently residing in a nursing home as she has advanced dementia. The drama comes to a head at the beginning of the book, when some sort of accident occurs in the church immediately following Stephen and Heather’s wedding ceremony.

The book jumps back in time as events unfold leading up to the wedding day. Heather has left behind a complicated past prior to meeting Stephen, and Rachel and Tully are each secretly dealing with their own complex life issues. After a large sum of money is mysteriously found in their mother’s things, questions arise in regards to their father, and suddenly suspicions are running rampant amongst all three women.

I really enjoyed this book! I find Hepworth’s writing style to be very engaging, making it for a fast paced read. I love a good family drama, and the mystery element thrown in made for a fun ride. The only downside for me was the fairly ambiguous ending. I prefer more concise endings to my mysteries and thrillers, but this one didn’t have that. It would make for a great book club discussion!

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC! Sally Hepworth is quickly becoming the queen of the family drama and The Younger Wife was no exception. I read this book in a day and loved every minute of it. A wonderful recipe composed of a heaping scoop of family drama, a dash of mystery and suspense, with just a pinch of romance - the perfect combination that made this read a solid 5 stars for me and has officially landed Sally Hepworth on my list of 1-click buys!

This story largely centers around three well-developed female characters. Tully and Rachel are sisters attempting to navigate through their own difficulties and histories while also managing the changing landscape of their family – including their mother’s decent into dementia and their father’s re-marriage to the much younger Heather. The three female leads – Rachel, Tully and Heather – were all very well developed and while some aspects of their characterization were extreme, they were still highly relatable to any woman trying to juggle life, their own self-image, and their image as perceived by others. I related to each character in some way.

Ms. Hepworth always has a way of leaving just enough unanswered that you fool yourself in to believing it’s “one-more chapter” until all hope, and sleep, is lost and you’re turning the last page. This was absolutely no exception and I am already (im)patiently waiting for the next!

Another hit by Sally Hepworth!

This is one of those books where you don't know who to trust and everyone seems so reliable and unreliable at the same time. I enjoyed this book very much, however, based on the title and the description, I was expecting more of a secret from Heather than from Stephen. That may have been done to encourage more questioning of motives, but it made me wonder if I was missing something.

As a counselor, I appreciated how the mental health counseling was encouraged in this book and was written in a very positive light to help and support multiple characters.

I cannot wait to read more from this author!

This was an engaging read. I thought I had read something by Sally Hepworth previously but I hadn't so this is a new to me author that I will definitely be reading again.

The whole family had issues to work through aside from the father deciding to marry a younger woman while his wife is still alive suffering from dementia in a home. I enjoyed getting more about each character as the story progressed and changed my mind about how I felt about them several times. There were many twists and unanswered questions until the very end. I'm not sure I loved the ending because there were still some unanswered questions. I really appreciated the author's note explaining where the idea for the story came from.

Not what I was expecting at all! I spent this whole story wavering in my thoughts. I didn’t know who to believe or what was actually happening.

A few intersecting plots keep you on your toes and a bit off balance.

I do have to say Tully’s parts were a little annoying, but I think it’s just because of my headspace right now.

The ending was brilliant as it was written to keep the story going in your thoughts long after you’ve finished with the book.

I guess this book is technically a domestic thriller, but it’s very light on the ‘thriller’ while being gratuitously heavy-handed with the ‘domestic’… a/k/a it’s basically just another family drama. Domestic thrillers tend to be super hit or miss for me and this was definitely a miss, especially thanks to the incredibly vague and unsatisfying ending.

Stephen is getting married again to a much younger woman; while he's still married to his current wife, who has dementia. Not surprisingly, his daughters, who are near the same age as his fiance, are none too happy about the engagement..

I picked this up expecting a super sinister, dark thriller, and this just wasn't it. I'm not sure where the marketing is going wrong with some of these thrillers lately, but this was absolutely just a family drama. It was messy, chaotic, and if we are looking for this kind of storyline here - okay, you got it. But if I want that twisty, suspenseful, what-is-gonna-pop-out-next-kinda-thriller, this didn't pass the bar.

50% in, I just couldn't do it anymore, and opted to ask a friend what happened, who concluded that it was, in fact, just a family drama.

I think that fans of Hepworth will like this, and personally, I love Hepworth as a person, and want to support her. Overall though; this just wasn't for me - I need something a little more dark and suspenseful.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book. Character development was good. The plot was very interesting. Not a lot of typos.

I have loved Sally Hepworths previous books so was thrilled to dive into this one. Her writing is the perfect level of suspense for me- an entertaining combo of family drama, mystery and intrigue. She keeps you turning the pages while also giving you the details I often long for in the "thriller" genre.

I especially enjoyed how she incorporated so much into this one- romance, addiction, parenting struggles, aging parents, and more. While I did see the ending of this one coming, that didn't stop me from fully enjoying my reading experience.

Sally Hepworth's books never disappoint and are quickly becoming my go-to "get back into reading" recommendation, and I highly suggest adding this one to your 2022 TBR list!

4.5/5 stars

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my gifted copy.

I have loved every Sally Hepworth book I have read. I pick them up and I quickly finish them. They just flow for me and I am always intrigued by the plot. The Younger Wife is no exception.

This is the complicated story of Stephen and Pam, their daughters Tully and Rachel, and Stephen's girlfriend, Heather. Are you with me so far? Stephen is about to marry Heather who is a bit younger than his daughters. He is a fine upstanding man in the community who is a doctor and is about to divorce his wife Pam, who has Alzheimers, to make this possible.

Are Tully and Rachel ok with it? Oh - there is so much Tully and Rachel are not ok with.

This book just keeps going with the complications and twists and even a murder (Let me just say it has something to do with the sacristy and a candlestick...) and I just hung on for the whole ride. In classic Hepworth style - it is written with humor and snark and great plot. I am pretty sure you will love it.

Wow! This is spectacular novel with impactful, scandalous opening scene at the wedding, slow burn- character driven- balanced pace with impeccable psychological character analysis which powered by three narrators who are suffering from different mental health issues and look the part by hiding their struggling pasts.

And the mind blowing conclusion of the story made us remember we’re reading another remarkable story of ultra talented, extremely brilliant author!

For 2021, her novel “good sister” was on my top 3 favorite thrillers list and this one already guaranteed its place at my top 3 thriller reads of 2022! ( you may think it is early to decide but when you get the taste of great literature you already know other books can hardly outshine its brilliance)

The story starts at the wedding ceremony of charming and successful doctor Stephen Aston. He marries with a beautiful and very young woman: actually she’s at his half age and she’s even younger than her two daughters. But who cares the age when you find your real soul mate?

An uninvited guest narrates the opening scene: she might be middle aged woman and till the first half we don’t learn who she’s and what her intentions to attend this wedding. But it seems like she knows a lot about Stephen and her family.

Then we realize Stephen’s ex wife Pam also attended the wedding and after Stephen and his new wife tell their wows, she follows the couple to the back alongside with daughters and grand kids. Then a young woman’s scream cuts the entire cacophony! The celebrant reappears as her face is ashen and her pantsuit is covered in blood.

Then we go one year back to witness Stephen’s dinner with her eldest daughter Tully and younger daughter Rachel to introduce them his new girlfriend/ soon to be wife Heather !

They met when he hired her as interior designer to remodel their house he was living with his wife Pam. But as soon as his wife Pam’s dementia deteriorated, he reluctantly sent her the nursing home where she still lives without recognizing any of her family members. Thankfully Heather gives her entire support to console the poor/ heartbroken doctor and now Stephen declares he’s gonna divorce Tully and Rachel’s mother to marry his beautiful girlfriend.

Of course her daughters find this decision too soon and get suspicious about Heather’s motives: she might be a golddigger who is after his father’s money.

As we read the POVs of three women we realize both of them deal with serious issues, keeping secrets from each other.

Tully’s husband lost his money to a real wrong investment : they can loss their house and everything they cared for. But Tully hides more serious mental condition till her teenage years just like Rachel who never dates with anyone, acting gluttonous to cover another traumatic secret about her teenage years. Heather’s mental state is also fragile because she lies about her past and her family and dear Stephen is so worried about her alcohol consumption level.

In the meantime we return to the present time and learn what happened during the wedding ceremony.

This is amazing psychological thriller keep you hooked up till the end! I liked how the author wrapped up the entire execution! She’s fantastic storyteller!

No more clues! I already gave too much away! I highly recommend this unputdownable read by giving my shiny five stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

I loved this book! I wish I'd had the time to read it all in one sitting and I was frustrated when I had to work or was literally too sleepy to hold my eyes open. The dynamic between Stephen and Pam, the parents of Tully and Rachel, and then the new wife Heather. Each person has their own issues and Sally Hepworth dives into each one. Hepworth wins again with this novel with the twist at the end. Just when you think you know what's going on....

thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book in advance.

Sally Hepworth is the queen of suspense and this newest book proves it again. It will keep you interested until the very last page, and that’s a hint to make sure you read the epilogue!!

Sisters Tully and Rachel have their own demons to face and their dad announces he is going to divorce their mom who is in a home with advanced dementia, and marry Heather. Who is younger than Tully and Rachel. After some odd things happen, and a hot water bottle with $100,000 makes an appearance, Rachel becomes obsessed in finding out why their mom had so much money hidden.

The ending was good!!! Revenge? Vindication? A selfless act?

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of The Younger Wife. Being the first book I’ve read by Sally Hepsworth I wasn’t sure what to expect. The description really is what drew me in. This story is packed with so much suspense and emotion. You find out very quickly that every one has a secret they are desperately protecting. Stephens daughters are suspicious and accusing from the start. This will keep you guessing until the very end.

I wish I could have liked this more but I think I am slowly getting over these so-called "unputdownable" (is that even a real word??) books. I predicted the ending and I hate when that happens.

Sally Hepworth has a true talent for crafting characters who practically leap from the pages as full-formed people. Throw in a whodunnit that soon challenges all your immediate guesses, and you have a story that's truly unputdownable. Another easy-to-recommend title by one of my favorite authors.

(With thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read & review early!)

One of my favorite reads of 2021 to date! This book kept you guessing unt the end and the characters of Tully, Rachel and Heather really kept you invested. Tully and Rachel's dad Stephen is marrying a much younger woman (Heather) but they start to suspect that their father is physically abusive. On Stephen and Heather's wedding day someone is injured. Who and why? Are their fears about their dad correct? Highly recommend this book! Much thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and author for an advanced readers copy of this book!

A fun twist on the “dad is marring someone my age” trope. She returns to the dementia plot of her (unrelated) earlier book for the mother. It really literally kept you guessing until the end. Was the dad abusive? Odd things happen but are they as they appear?

I read it in a single afternoon at the beach.

This book was really enjoyable and kept me engaged the entire time. The characters were very different from most books I've read. The dynamics and personalities are engaging. I got goosebumps reading how Sally Hepworth personalized some of the characters in the book. Great read I look forward to more work by Sally!!!

Omg!!! This book is a must read, top 2021 book for me!!! Rachel, heather and Tully are a trifecta you don’t want to miss out on!! Highly recommend and so happy I got to read an early copy!! Huge book hangover!!