Loved this book! such an entertaining thriller, and I liked it even more than the good sister. will always read sally hepsworth

This book was so good! I want to see more from this author in the future!! I couldn't put this book down. What a page turner!!!

As always, Sally Hepworth does not disappoint! Well written, engaging, and an easy read. Heather, the younger wife, is getting married to Stephen. Stephen’s daughters are the same age as Heather. The book is told from differing viewpoints, and each character is well developed and very real. Things aren’t quite what they seem, and it keeps you guessing until the very end! I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it, and it was an amazing page turner.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of this book.

Traveling With T's Thoughts:

I have been a fan of Sally Hepworth for many years- from her emotional books to her more recent thriller type books.

I started The Younger Wife right before I went on a mini vacation to Biloxi, MS and then sat by the pool for 2 days and finished it. I was VERY intrigued by the storyline- how Sally had laid out the story.

One thing you have to know before I go any further in this review- while I received a paper ARC, I read the Netgalley ARC and the endings are different. After finishing the book, I chatted with another blogger about the ending and while we both felt the ending left us with some questions, we soon realized that we had read different versions of the book. So I went and found my paper ARC and that ending, which is the finished copy ending from my understanding, leaves you with less questions (imo).

What I Liked:

The cover! I have always loved Sally’s covers and this is no exception.

Heather. I loved her determination.

The layout of the book- the current time and time leading up to current time kept me flipping pages.

Bottom line: For me, while I think I wanted certain parts of the book more explicitly stated as to “yes, this happened”, I can see how fun it would be to discuss the characters and their motivations in a book club.

Is Stephen the best husband and father or not? Is he gaslighting all the women in his life? Is he an abuser or misunderstood? I’m not real sure I know the answer even after finishing the book, so although this could have been really awesome, the ending is so frustrating that it lowers my final impression for me.

The opening scenes of this book grabbed my attention immediately: at the end of a wedding ceremony an emergency takes place behind closed doors with the entire wedding party, an ambulance is called and we're left to wonder what happened. The rest of the story unfolds pretty slowly. I'm usually a big fan of family dramas but this one was filled with too many issues. Both daughters were living with major life issues that went completely undetected by their parents. The father was a picture perfect surgeon with a very dark side. The mother is living with dementia. And the younger wife enters the story with her own giant case of baggage. I think there was way too much going on here and not enough time given to more interesting storylines.

Mini Review:
Per usual, Sally Hepworth had me on the edge of my seat! Complex family dynamics, unusual suspects, quirks with each character....
While this one was slightly more tame than my favorites of hers, it was an enjoyable read. I read somewhere that the ending was changed from early editions, so I was pleased with the ending in the version I read!

There’s something magic about the books that @sallyhepworth writes. Always expertly paced, mind-bendy, psychological thrillers with off-beat (and oft lovable) characters with complex family dynamics. I can’t help everytime one of her books falls in my hands to eat. it. up. ⁣
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The Younger Wife is no different. It follows two sisters and their father’s new and far younger fiancée. Like most books I love, nothing is as it seems. ⁣
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This book has gotten some mixed reviews but I really enjoyed it and related with the characters. Despite this being a thriller, Hepworth always creates fully fleshed characters that are flawed but lovable. This was an easy read that was hard to put down. It discusses some difficult subject matter at times so if you are worried about triggers, DM me. ⁣
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Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the opportunity to read this one. It’s out now!

This book started a little slow for me- I was not quite sure the direction it was going to take but about 1/4 of the way in things started to pick up speed! It took a turn I was not expecting and was very much a satisfying read. If you. are looking for something to pick up and read in one sitting (because you can't stop turning the pages) This is it!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is my first Hepworth novel, but I loved it! This is a multiple view point book, which is my favorite, and short chapters, which I also enjoy. The story was very twisty and I was never quite sure where we were going on the journey. I do wish there was some more character development, I wanted to get a little deeper with the characters, but that's just because the story was so compelling. Highly recommend!!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this novel!

I loved this book and absolutely devoured it! Sally Hepworth is a fantastic writer, and just like her other novels, this one kept me guessing. I truly felt like I had no clue what was going to happen- which I LOVE in a thriller! Would definitely recommend this (and all of her other books as well!)

Oh how I loved this book! My goal for 2022 was to read books by authors new to me, and Sally Hepworth did not disappoint me. This family drama is realistic and relatable on so many levels. I have to say I never liked Stephen from the beginning. I think I saw through his shenanigans based on my experience. The sisterly bond between Tully and Rachel and their love for Pam was endearing. Heather was definitely not the villain here. I will definitely be recommending this book to others and will be on the lookout for more Sally Hepworth books. Great book!

While I didn't feel like this was as thrilling as I expected, it is still a captivating read about a hot mess family. Lots of secrets and lots of drama. ⭐⭐⭐

This was the March Book Club book for The Read Rovers. You can find them on Instagram.

Trigger Warning: Domestic Violence

I really enjoyed this story. The whole time the author has you thinking that the ex wife is crazy when really that's not the case at all.

When the current wife starts to feel like she's going crazy you begin to realize what's going on.

Later when you find out who the narrator of the story is your mind is blown and the story all starts to make sense.

I love a good book that messes with your head and I loved chatting with this author for the Rovers meeting.

Tully and Rachel Aston are beside themselves when their father Stephen tells them he has proposed to a woman named Heather. For one thing, Stephen's bride-to-be is younger than they are. Much more importantly, however, he is still married to their mother! Their mother is living in a home and is suffering from advanced dementia.

Quite naturally, Tully and Rachel are outraged on their mother's behalf, even if she has reached the point that she doesn't recognize any of them. With regard to all of the characters in this newest book by Sally Hepworth, they are all quite flawed. In fact, more than one of them has a secret, and if said secret is revealed, everything could come toppling down.

I loved this story because there was a lot of misdirection involved. This kept my riveted page after page, culminating with a surprising conclusion.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please also see my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/_swM80KdZVQ

This book was so tricky for me! I ADORE Sally Hepworth's writing style. I sank into this book and read it in two sittings (a flight to Florida and the flight home.) It was that delicious airplane read that keeps you turning the pages and forgetting that you're stuffed in a flying box with a ton of strangers and not enough leg room. This was one hundred percent a five star read for me, until I got to the end, and then the story fell of the rails for me. It was really unsettling, and not in the good, make you think kind of way. I wanted to wait to write this review until the book officially came out so I could read the end of the final copy. It was better than the ARC, but I still wanted more from it. I'll keep reading Hepworth's books though, because despite that end, it was still an enjoyable read for me overall.

Thank you for the chance to preview this novel for our store! We are all quickly becoming big Sally Hepworth fans and we are constantly restocking this title. A well paced, wonderful story!

Very clever! I really enjoyed this one. It was my first Sally Hepworth book and I’m already itching to read another one. I loved the writing style!

I absolutely loved this book! I found it hard to put down. I highly recommend reading it! You won’t be disappointed.

This story involves four major characters, Stephen Aston, a heart surgeon that is getting married again, but he must first divorce his current wife. Pamela, the current wife, is unable to speak for herself. Heather, the younger wife, has secrets of her own. And the daughters, Tully and Rachel Aston, believe that Heather is an interloper and he is only after their father's money.

The suspense of this story had me turning the pages to get to what happens next. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the characters and the way each of them told the story. This is a really well written domestic drama.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.