This wasn't my favorite of Hepworth's books but I enjoyed it. This compelling family drama/mystery keeps you guessing but I was left with some unanswered questions. I've since read that the published version has a new ending so I'm going to buy the book to see if that improves my impression.

The prologue immediately grabbed my attention and I wanted to read more to see what happened at the wedding. The first few chapters was such a slow burn to me and I felt it was just a rambling of words. Upon getting to the middle of the book things started to pick up and I was really invested into the mystery. However, the ending just seemed really lackluster. I'm not even sure what I was expecting from the ending but it seemed like things were building up to some clever mystery or plot twists but we really didn't get anything.

What I love about the author's books though is her writing style. I always seem to get fully invested into the characters. The 3 POVs in The Younger Wife I feel were written really well with my favorite character being Rachel. I feel like she had a more complex story.

But even with that Tully,, Rachel, and Heather all had some sorts of trauma they were trying to deal with and questioning their sanity. I just feel like the book was just missing some details and wanted more from the ending.

Tully and Rachel Aston are each dealing with their mother's decline in health in their own ways. Tully, a kleptomaniac, has been stealing things for years. It gives her a sense of power that she can't get any other way. When her husband tells her that their financial situation has changed, she realizes that she has to change her ways or put her entire family in danger.

Rachel is a successful baker with her own business, but Rachel deals with her mother's health issues by eating her feelings. Which puts her business at risk.

They are both surprised when their father, Stephen, announces that he is in love with another woman, Heather. He will divorce their mother and marry Heather. Heather, who is young enough to be his daughter, never thought that she would find true love, but given her history, she is hyperaware of every move. The longer Heather is with Stephen, the more she realizes that he is not the perfect man she believed him to be. What will happen when Tully and Rachel discover their father is a flawed man?

The Younger Wife was a very compelling read. At first, I thought that Rachel and Tully behaved like spoiled brats. But the deeper I got into the book, the more I realized that their behavior is rooted in more than just their mother's illness. The Younger Wife tackles some pretty difficult topics. Compulsive behavior, eating disorders, mental illness, and domestic abuse. However, when it is all said and done, you will breathe a sigh of relief. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS

Bottom Line - Sally Hepworth has written an outstanding novel. While family relations are at the heart of the book, there is so much more to it. You will tear through the pages at breakneck speed.

Details:
The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
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Pages: 352
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 4/5/2022
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley
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When surgeon Stephen Aston introduces his new girlfriend to his two adult daughters, they aren't exactly thrilled. Not only is their new step-mother-to-be younger than they are, but their mother is still married to their father, very much alive though suffering from crippling dementia. Tully and Rachel have always thought of their father as the perfect dad and husband, but what is their father hiding? As Stephen's new wife Heather begins to see him in a new light, it becomes clear that everyone in this family has secrets to keep.

After loving The Good Sister, I was very excited to read this newest Sally Hepworth novel. However, this book didn't live up to the hype for me, and was disappointing in the end. In other novels I've read by Hepworth, the characters are what make them a page turner; in The Younger Wife, while I was interested to know what was going to happen, I just didn't empathize or connect with the characters as much. They didn't feel as real to me as those in The Good Sister or The Mother-in-Law did. I also didn't find the ending very satisfying, and overall didn't enjoy this as much as I hoped I would.

Oh boy you will be pleasantly surprised by this story. At first I didn’t like the two daughters or the new wife but by the end I was rooting for all three. The women in this story really become so empowered it was wonderful. So many lies and twists, this would make a good movie.

Sally Hepworth is a master storyteller. She is able to craft a story, keeping the reader engaged from beginning to end.

She is the queen of domestic suspense. Although this is not her best work in my opinion, I couldn't wait to get back to the story.

Told from 3 POVs, the audiobooks was perfectly narrated by 3 separate people which always makes for a better experience.

Another story with twists and turns from Sally Hepworth. This was a quick read and I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure how to review this one. I read an advanced copy that may differ from the final version....and it sounds like the final version might have a better, more definitive ending. (view spoiler)

The book focuses on Stephen Aston's wedding to his much younger girlfriend. His daughters, Rachel and Tully, are upset as their soon-to-be stepmother is younger than them. Also, their father has recently divorced their mom who has early onset dementia and she has been placed in a care home. However, there is a lot at play here, as there are many secrets within this family and it's sometimes tough to know what is real.

I would definitely read more from Hepworth, but this one didn't quite work for me. The story touches upon a lot of serious topics ((view spoiler)) and I don't think that they are always given the appropriate treatment.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Younger Wife follows surgeon Stephen Aston, through the eyes of the women in his life, his two daughters Tully and Rachel, as well as his much younger future bride, Heather. I thoroughly enjoyed this twisty domestic suspense! I couldn’t put it down or decide which of the characters to believe. It jumps back and forth between the wedding in the present and the three women over the course of the past year. If you enjoy psychological thrillers involving families, this one is for you!

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth was engaging and engrossing, and definitely kept me wondering. We are given a backstory of events leading up to a wedding. After many happy years together, the longtime wife of a successful surgeon has advanced dementia and is in a nursing home. The elderly - but still handsome and attractive - surgeon meets a lovely young woman, who is nearly the same age as his own adult daughters. They quickly fall in love. He makes a difficult decision to divorce his wife, and plans to marry his young now-fiancée. And here we are, now in the present, on their wedding day. What we know from the very beginning of The Younger Wife is, someone is violently attacked. But who is the culprit, who is the real victim here - and who is the ultimate villain?

I don’t like to give away twists, so this review will be spoiler free, and I’ll keep it as vague as possible. Most of the twists in this story were telegraphed and easy to work out. However, I will admit I did not see the ending coming. That is when my opinion of the book went from a perch fairly high up on a hill, to taking a nosedive to the very bottom.

My issue was the book’s last twist. Instead of finding it laudable, I felt it was infuriating and insulting to readers, particularly women who have been victims of abuse. I as a reader had been gaslit the entire book. I just felt sickened. I have read all Sally Hepworth’s previous books and enjoyed every one, but the ending was so distasteful to me that it ruined the entire book.

I know some will think that’s an overreaction to a work of fiction. However, in my view, it is dangerous to undermine the actual gaslighting that takes place so insidiously in abusive relationships. My reaction was compounded by the current climate in the US for women, the way public figures are treated when coming forward as domestic violence victims, and the strong possibility of women losing the autonomy to make decisions regarding their own reproductive organs. For this reason, I cannot rate the book well and am unsure if I would read another book by Sally Hepworth at this time.

Sally Hepworth has written another thriller about family and secrets that kept me guessing all the way through! With multiple points of view, the story is told through through the view of Tully, Rachel, and Heather. Each personality is so different that it is easy to keep track of while reading and their contributions to the story. I found myself invested in the story and each character's ARC; wanting to know how the story would play out. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

No need to read this review online Sally, I would never give you 1 or 2 stars, because I love every single word you write. Holy cow. You reeled me in with your stories several books ago and now I am a superfan reading all your backlist.

This was just fantastic. I read a ton of thrillers and I did not have this one figured out until I read the pivotal scene. I just absolutely adore the way Hepworth writes family dynamics. Wonderful job. If you haven't read anything of hers, go now and grab a book. This one is fantastic if you want to start here.

5 stars for this crazy romp that kept me guessing.

This book was very enjoyable and well written. I was able to envision every thing that was happening.

My Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐.5 / 5

A multi POV thriller about a heart surgeon Stephen Aston who is engaged to marry his interior decorator, Heather. The caveat is he is still married to current wife Pam who is currently suffering from Alzheimers. His two adult daughters Tully and Rachel are obviously suspicious of Heather’s motives and they aim to find out more about Heather’s past. The POV switches between the two daughters and Heather as well as Fiona & Pam.

The first 75% of the story is incredibly gripping and riveting despite the unlikable daughters. I could not stand Tully and her frustrating kleptomaniac tendencies, no matter how much she tried to explain her uncontrollable desires. Rachel, on the other hand, was more bearable, but the story of her past could have been explored more. Ultimately I was disappointed in the ending which could have been better. I think it tied into the author’s personal story, but for this thriller, it was a miss considering all the potential for Heather’s character.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: 3/5 Stars

The Younger Wife is a family drama centered around a well-known doctor and his new younger fiancé. When Stephen lets his daughters know of his plan to remarry, he unknowingly starts unraveling the fine threads that hold his family together and lead to a suspenseful ‘did he or didn’t he’ cautionary tale of trusting your instincts and the fine line between reality and fantasy.

I struggled with this one - it took me quite a bit of time to get into the story and to figure out where Hepworth was going. Once I did, I couldn’t put the novel down, however, I found myself exceedingly frustrated with the end and felt frustrated that I had wasted as much time as I had with the book.

This is not the story you want to read if you want a plot that is wrapped up neatly in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Sally Hepworth for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a wild ride that had some twists I didn’t see coming.
The storyline flowed easily and the characters were perfectly written. I didn’t find myself getting bored or my mind drifting.
Highly suggest picking this one up.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy.

An older heart surgeon with a younger wife. His two daughters don’t know what is going on. There’s lots of stuff secrets. This was a twisty story that I found interesting and kept me guessing. Another good one from Sally Hepworth.

I'm not typically a huge fan of thrillers so I'm not the expert on this one. I did end up liking it overall and it kept me turning pages.

I finished reading this book and literally said out loud to myself, “Wait. What??!”

Is this a story of unreliable narrators? Is it purely a story of gaslighting? Is it a survivors tale? Is everyone completely crazy?

I loved, loved, loved the puzzle of this book! I loved each of their stories (the underlying addiction stories), the trauma they all had survived, and honestly truly enjoyed all the character development.

The twists and turns of this story were so well executed and I literally couldn’t put it down!!

This was a decent thriller. There weren't enough twists, turns, or twists to push it up to four stars but still enjoyable. I enjoyed the audiobook!

It was amazing, the effect a father had on a person. A father was the benchmark that told you what to expect. What to accept. And, perhaps most importantly, what to believe about yourself.

I'd watch the movie (if they made one).

Heather, the younger wife, is getting married to her dream-man. He's kind, he's got two daughters around her age and a wife with dementia that he's divorcing.

His daughters are less than thrilled, no one really knows what the mother with dementia is even understanding about the situation?

It plays out in two storylines...one where we're following the wives and daughters in the months leading up to the wedding, and one where someone dies at the wedding and the guests are all speculating about what happened. It made for a great amount of suspense.

I loved the ending. I thought it was amazing....I'm seeing a lot of people upset about it, because it's too ambiguous? I didn't find it that way. Maybe I just decided what I wanted to, but I'm feeling pretty good about it. :)