Sally does an amazing job at developing characters and I would say this is an extremely character driven plot. I love reading from multiple perspectives and this story has quite a few! It was easy to follow even with jumping back and forth in time and between 5 characters. As I have heard from many ARC readers, the original ending left a lot to be desired. I’m very happy to know that Sally took her readers thoughts into action and made a new ending more fitting of the overall story.

Thank you Netgalley for my free copy!

I have very mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, there are themes in this book that are important. Certain passages left me feeling very uncomfortable, which is not a bad thing. In order to develop compassion for others (and self), we need to expand our horizons and see life through different lenses. The author achieved this through the different POVs. I thought the story flowed really well and I was invested in the characters. My only complaint is the ending. I don't need the ending to be wrapped up in a pretty little bow, however, this ending fell a little flat to me. Not because it left a lot of room for interpretation, but because it felt unfinished. Like I was missing something. Maybe that was the intention of the author... All in all, I did enjoy this book.

Let’s talk expectations. The Younger Wife has been loosely marketed as a domestic “thriller.” It’s not a thriller at all. Even calling it suspense is, for me, pushing the boundaries. This is a complex domestic drama with an suspenseful undercurrent. If you’re expecting the fast pace of a thriller or the consistent edginess of suspense, you’ll likely be disappointed.

On to the story. First I want to mention that Sally Hepworth’s writing is always engaging, and this book is no different. She draws readers in with realistic characters dealing with real-life issues, providing depth and insight that helps us understand ourselves and each other.

But the story, well, I appreciate the undertaking, though I didn’t love the execution.

We have LOTS of heavy topics. Every single character here has a life-altering secret. For me, it was too much. One or two troubled characters are interesting, but all five is like the proverbial “everything but the kitchen sink.”

I figured everything out way ahead. The only suspense came in waiting for the characters to catch up.

All this leads me to my main issue with the story. I’ve grown weary of the plot device too many domestic dramas (suspense/thrillers) are using these days, in which no one in the family tells anyone or notices anything of relevance, ever. The only way this story works is if all four of these family members are completely, totally, utterly oblivious. How can you live in a home with three other people for decades, yet not observe anything of consequence, especially when so much is wrong?

Oh, and the epilogue? I hated it for reasons I can’t explain without spoilers.

Once again Sally Hepworth nails a emotional and suspenseful story. Her characters always have amazing depth. I feel so much for each character and what is going to happen in their story! This story kept me wondering what was going to happen! Smash hit!

I'm so conflicted about this book because I loved the first 80%ish of it, but HATED the last 20% of it! So much so that my rating is going to end up being a 2-star. I still would recommend it for the fun ride that most of it is, but, again, am majorly disappointed with the end. If the synopsis sounds interesting to you I would pick it up, just know that the ending might end up ruining it for you.

I did not read the entire book before it was archived, however, I was enjoying it and can definitely see readers of my library liking it. I did not get to the controversial ending...so I can't comment on it!

I enjoyed this book. I really like Hepworth’s writing. Definitely recommend!

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

An older man is at the alter, marrying a younger woman, while his former wife who suffers from Alzheimer's interrupts the ceremony. The older man's two daughters, Tully and Rachel, do all they can to keep their mom in her seat, but from an outsiders perspectives things come across a bit differently. Suddenly, there is a scream and then there is blood. Readers are then taken back in time, to meet Tully, Rachel, future new wife Heather, and one woman's viewpoint that could derail it all.

The Younger Wife is Sally Hepworth's take on a suburban thriller, without any of the laughs from The Good Sister. It's dark in a narcissistic, controlling way as two adult women begin to question their entire past as their father's new, younger wife brings up questions about who he really is. Sally Hepworth captures the pervasive nature of abuse and lies quite well, but it's difficult to read as the women fall prey to addictions and following men's lead. While I absolutely adored Rachel (I could have read a book just about her), I just barely stayed tuned to Tully's drama, and absolutely abhorred Heather. It made it a hard book to buy into, because common sense seems to be thrown out the window for this read and I just can't do that. It's entertaining, sure, and fast paced, but it's missing something.

Oh how I wish I had liked this one a little bit more. Upon initial completion it felt like a four star read, but it's quite a forgettable book with a messy plot. I've adjusted to three stars, though I think others will like it quite a bit more, especially since I understand the final chapter has been changed and I am basing my review off of an ARC copy.

Sally Hepworth writesintense books that keep me turning the pages. This one is full of quirky characters that are involved in some serious situations, but it is injected with her humor. Keeps you guessing!

Sally Hepworth - where were you going with this book? What did you want the reader to believe? What did you want the reader to take away from this book? I am not sure this book can be discussed intelligently without a good amount of bickering and “he said, she said and no, she meant that or maybe not” I am sure that to do this story justice it must be mulled over and turned around and looked at from many positions. I am equally sure that there will be many strong opinions regarding who was responsible and who was not and who was the imposter and who was the arbiter and who was the deceiver and who was perfectly nice and who is hiding behind their secrets. (Hint - they all are.) And I am almost positive that if you are an honest person you might admit that you are unsure of how this story ends.

Back to Sally Hepworth - well done, fully fleshed out characters who raise important issues without making heavy moral judgments that could distract. Life is messy and never more so than in this story. I thought the various points of view were effective and the maneuvering well plotted. Really good story even if I am unable to latch onto a definitive ending. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy.

Stephen Aston's daughters Tully and Rachel are shocked when their father announces he is getting remarried. Especially since he's still married to their mother, Pam, who suffers from dementia and resides in a care home. But Stephen is adamant he plans to divorce Pam and marry the much younger, Heather. Convinced Heather is only after their father's money, Tully and Rachel start trying to figure out Heather's end game. But the more they dig, the more secrets they undercover... of all kinds.

"The moment she laid eyes on Heather Wisher, Tully knew this woman was going to destroy their lives."

THE YOUNGER WIFE is a classic page turner--twisty and full of surprises. You are never sure which character to trust or believe. The book opens with an incident at Stephen and Heather's wedding, so we know something has happened... to someone. The rest of the book goes back in time, and while there certainly is a mystery in wondering what happened at the wedding, there is also a lot of character development as we learn about Heather, Tully, and Rachel. The book is told from their perspectives.

There are secrets aplenty in WIFE--we learn a lot about Stephen's daughters, and the book delves deep into their psyches. Many of their issues are serious, and the book covers dark topics such as mental health and sexual assault. WIFE is far more than a mystery, but also a multi-layered story. It's interesting and holds plenty of depth.

Heart surgeon Stephen Aston is about to get remarried after divorcing his wife, who is suffering from early-onset dementia. His adult daughters, Tully and Rachel, are less than thrilled that their father plans to marry Heather, a woman younger than both of them. While Tully and Rachel attempt to find out the truth behind family secrets, Heather continues to conceal secrets about her own life.

Told in short chapters through the three perspectives of Heather, Tully, and Rachel, the book was fast-paced and suspenseful. I love the way Sally Hepworth writes, and I was hooked on this page-turner immediately! Each of the women has a very real struggle they battle every day, and I appreciate their differences and flaws. Overall, I’d definitely recommend this book to fans of psychological thrillers!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my gifted copy!

Sally Hepworth has become a must read for me over the last few years. Her characters are always so well written, and this book is no exception. It was hard to put down, as the book alternates between the three main women. A lot of heavy topics are covered in this book from domestic abuse, rape, miscarriage, binge eating, alcoholism, murder. It was all handled really well.

My only gripe is that I had an early ARC edition, and my ending did not match with the rest of my book club. I think they got off better than I did. As my ending was very open ended with not as much closure. I can only assume that early feedback made her change it? Either way, this book was still enjoyable and I can’t wait for more from Hepworth.

Bottom Line: Read it!!!

**I received a copy of The Younger Wife from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

It's Heather and Stephen's wedding day. A few minutes after they're declared husband and wife, something happens behind closed doors. There are murmurs among the crowd... and then the ambulances arrive. Someone has been hurt... or worse killed. But who? and what happened?

Description

The Younger Wife is the story of the Aston family: Stephen, a well-known, wealthy, and successful surgeon; Pam, the ex-wife who suffers from dementia; Tully (Natalie,) the oldest daughter with the perfect life and perfect family; Rachel, the youngest and quirky daughter and sister who works as a baker, and Heather Wisher, the younger wife who is the newest addition to the family.

The layers to this family dynamic are deep. In the story, Tully and Rachel are introduced to their father's new fiance. Heather is polished and elegant, and she seems very excited to become part of Stephen's family, who is almost 30 years her senior. Tully and Rachel do not trust her. Not only there is a big age difference between them, but they met while Stephen was still married to their mother Pam, who had hired Heather to redecorate their family home. When Stephen announces his engagement, he also let his daughters know that he has decided to divorce their mother. Tully and Rachel are baffled by this decision, and the rift caused in the family uncovers the secrets that each family has been keeping from each other.

Review

Faithful to her writing style, Sally Hepworth delivers an engaging domestic thriller with a family enthralled in drama and secrets that will be revealed as the story unfolds.

The book is told from Heather, Tully, and Rachel's points of view, and each chapter alternates between their perspectives. This format tells a linear story with some flashbacks before Heather became Stephen's fiancee, and it paints a clear idea of how the family ended up in their current situation. The engagement sets in motion a series of events that ultimately become the main plot of the book, but former incidents also come in handy to create a well-crafted story with several storylines.

While there is some back and forth from past events to the current timeline, the flashbacks become important to understand the current state of affairs. For example, Pam and Stephen's relationship is explored in one of the flashbacks which reveals aspects of their marriage that become important later on. Also, Heather's life before she even met the Aston family reveals important information about her character and the choices she makes in her relationship with Stephen and his daughters. These flashbacks also give insight into Rachel and Tully's lives and the secrets they've been keeping from each other since childhood.

The thing that Hepworth does well is capturing family dynamic relationships while her characters are well-rounded and interesting in their own way. I found Rachel to be the most likable and relatable character, and reading about her trauma really broke my heart. I was glad that she was working through her own emotional issues as the story went on, and while I wish there had been more of a closure for her at the end, I was happy at least she got some positivity coming her way. Tully was exhausting! She was too intense for my liking, and her anxiety was too much to handle at some points. I couldn't feel much sympathy for her at first, but I softened to her life circumstances as more of her story was revealed. Heather was also hard to like at first, but I understood her choices more once I got to the chapters exploring her past. Finally, I was judging Stephen the hardest because I couldn't believe he would simply choose to divorce Pam to marry a younger woman. Based on Tully and Rachel's opinions of him, it seemed an out-of-character decision, so I had my doubts about what type of person Stephen really was from the beginning.

The plot and the pace in this book flow beautifully together. The story goes fast, and it's one of the types of books I couldn't put down. Even when some elements that were introduced were somewhat predictable, there were enough twists to keep the story interesting from beginning to end. At some points, I was in disbelief, and I couldn't wait to continue reading to figure out what would happen next. I must say that the ending was not very satisfying, and I was actually upset about it. I couldn't believe that the gaslighting twist would be so underwhelming and it kinda ruined the whole story for me. However, I've read that ARC editions have a different ending than the final edition. This happens sometimes with ARCs but overall, doesn't change my thoughts about the book. While I have read some spoilers with the updated ending, I still think it could have been handled better. As someone who truly loved The Good Sister and its ending, I wish Hepburn had taken a similar path for The Younger Wife. Overall, the story and plot are good but the ending was weak.

Other than the ending, I truly enjoyed the book, so I'm guessing the change would not have swayed my rating either way.

Wow, what a great domestic thriller! Rachel and Tully not only have to watch their mother succumb to Alzheimer’s but they also have to watch their father as he prepares to marry a women who is younger than the two of them. While looking deep into themselves they start to wonder if their father is the loving man that he portrays or if he hides some secret evil behavior. This story will have you guessing until the very end! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This thriller has a great setup; you are immediately dropped into the plot and it’s so fun to watch it unfold. Hepworth knows how to write domestic suspense with a page-turning plot and I devoured this quick read. I didn’t like the ending—it was vague and skirted some serious situations without addressing them. I have an advance review copy and I’ve read online that the final printing has a slightly different ending. I’m curious to know if it addresses the issues that bothered me. But this popcorn thriller is still an enjoyable ride.

I am obsessed with Hepworth's storytelling and adore her as a human. Following her on IG has been a pure treat the past few years.

The Younger Wife sucked me in and I could not stop reading. I think this is the first book in a while I've read in three days or less! She tends to have this impact on me with her books. I will admit, this was not my favorite Hepworth book. Yes, it absolutely sucked me in and I'm a sucker for multiple POVs within stories, but just wasn’t my all time favorite. I still very much enjoyed it though.

This story had a lot of dark storylines. So dark to where I had trouble with a few spots. I think depending on what mood readers are in will determine if they can or can't handle the content.

Do I think this is a quick read thriller?Absolutely. But research the content warnings before diving in.

Content warnings: domestic abuse, Alzheimer's, rape, gaslighting, miscarriage, infidelity

Overall 4 stars!

Thank you to the publisher for the copy - all opinions are my own.

This was a delightfully unique thriller that I just completely enjoyed. The pacing was perfect, and I love the way that Sally writes characters who are nuanced and a little messy in personality. This is just a wonderfully crafted slow burn, and you spend the entire book knowing something isn't quite right, but being not exactly sure where the story is going to go.

I completely enjoyed that the story gets told from multiple perspectives, and each chapter revealed a little bit more of the mystery before the entire thing comes crashing to a perfect conclusion. SO fun to read.

A must for summer to-read lists everywhere!

More of a family drama and less of a thriller, The Younger Wife was a page-turner, but I absolutely hated the ending. Unfortunately for me, the characters were quite unlikeable as well.

Never has a book made me question so hard the people that surround me. Nor has one made me question just how well I know my own mind! Sally Hepworth can do no wrong in my eyes. I love all of her books! This book was a super-fast, almost chilling read that I carried with me for an entire day because there was no way I was putting it down. And I always love a book that has family secrets! I cannot wait for Sally's next book!