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!

eh this one was a miss for me. This was not a thriller. More like a family drama with an inkling of a mystery. The beginning drew you in and the ending was surprising yet satisfying. But, I was so bored in the middle and I did not like a single character. They were so boring and annoying. Didn't work for me, but I'm definitely in the minority.

I was able to get this as a ‘Read Now’ on @netgalley. Thank you to the publisher St. Martin’s Press.

First, I have to say how much I adore the author and from the note I can see this story was personally inspired by her beloved Aunt.

However, for me personally, I couldn’t get past all the trauma each character had in this book. I know that somewhat comes with the territory of this genre, but it still felt so unnecessary and unresolved.

CW: rape, alcoholism, depression, eating disorder, gaslighting, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, Alzheimer’s, anxiety, kleptomania.

It was a lot. Then the ending. BUT I hear it was changed in the new print copy that went for sale!

If it’s true that “we’re only as sick as our secrets,” then the sicknesses piling up in the affluent Aston family in The Younger Wife… 2.5⭐️

I will still read this author again ❤️

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Heather is a young interior designer, who upon first meeting her new client, physician, Stephen Aston, is impressed with the man's patience with his wife struggling with dementia. He treats his wife with such care, always including her in the meetings regarding the project and seeking her input, in spite of her struggles. Heather can't help but warm to the gentleman.

Stephen is also quite taken with Heather. She's young, beautiful and is always kind and open with him. Stephen's two adult daughters, Tully and Rachel, are taken aback when their father confirms to them that he is now in a relationship with Heather. What about Mom?!

Heather is younger than the two girls. She must be after Dad's money, what could they possibly have in common? Stephen pushes his daughters to get to know Heather and frankly, they're a little curious about her themselves, so they agree. That's what I will leave you with. Well, that and the fact that this is a bit of a murder mystery...

I listened to the audiobook for The Younger Wife and definitely recommend that medium. There are different narrators for the various perspectives and it made me feel like I was actually part of the action. The drama level is a bit reality television, but who doesn't love that as a bit of a guilty pleasure?

I found the drama to be completely addicting, but more than that, this story turned out to be grander than the petty squabbles I anticipated given the set-up. From the vague description of the narrative given above, you may think this will go a certain way, but Hepworth actually gave me something unexpected. I was impressed with that. Also, Hepworth loosely explores some powerful real world issues in this that I think would make it an excellent choice to read with friends, or a book group. There's definitely plenty of topics to discuss while reading this one.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. This is the second novel I have read from Sally Hepworth and it's definitely safe to say that I will happily pick up anything else she writes!!

So this book wasn't what I was expecting and that is a good thing. You can't predict this book and what is going to happen at the end. Sally does a great job going between the three main characters in the book and also bouncing between the present and a year ago. I enjoyed reading all three sides to this story. This book does have some good suspense and trying to figure out what is going on. This book will keep you reading until the end.

I reviewed this book all over on April 17. review below, again.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Sally Hepworth, and publisher St. Martin's Press. I have read The Younger Wife of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. Sally Hepworth is an author I love, and this novel is no exception to that. I am always pleased to recommend her work to friends and family.

That said, The blending of this family was painful to watch. Steven is a very successful heart surgeon, his wife Pam is, just recently. dying in a nursing home with dementia. Their daughters Heather and Tully are both married, and Tully is the mother of two young sons, Miles and Locky.

And now Steven is marrying the interior designer he and his wife Pam hired in better days to help with furnishing their new home. Just as soon as the divorce comes through. Heather is younger than either of Steven's and Pam's daughters, an independent businesswoman and considers herself both blessed and worthy of her upcoming marriage to Steven. And in retrospect, she truly is.

Netgalley
Pub date April 5, 2022
St Martin's Press

Reviewed on April 17, 2022, at Goodreads, Netgalley, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, and Kobo.

Ah!! This book is such a wild ride!

The Younger Wife follows the stories of three women - Heather, Tully, and Rachel. The story begins at Heather‘s wedding to Stephen (Rachel and Tully’s father) and the first chapter of the book reveals that someone is injured, but the reader doesn’t know who. Then the story goes back in time one year and in alternating viewpoints, Heather, Tully, and Rachel tell the story of the year leading up to the moment in the chapel.

Marketed as a thriller, I’m not sure I would really describe it that way. This story is one that touched my heart but is ultimately a story of survival and learning to trust yourself above all else. A lot of deep issues here - abuse, alcoholism, anxiety - and I felt like Hepworth did a pretty good job at bringing these issues into the story. I did feel like there were a few minor inconsistencies, and I wish the timeline had been more consistent, but I loved the story and the characters were beautifully written.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This one was phenomenal! It starts with a wedding - and something has happened. A call for a doctor and blood on a suit - and you know it must be juicy!

From there, the characters were so easy to get to know and love. Tully is a worrying wreck, having the most unrealistic high expectations of herself, she's finding unsafe ways to cope with her worry and stress. Rachel is sweet and mellow and is dealing with stress and anxiety in an equally unheatlhy way. These two women were so easy to identify with - in the times of covid and uncertainty, they were refreshing in their imperfections. The plot was so good, it made it hard to stop reading. With each new chapter, I had a new guess on what could have happened and by whom.

Until the ending. So I am going to middle of the road this one and give it 3 stars. I read the ARC, which I'm hearing is a different ending than the actual story. Since I have a feeling I know what's changed, then I would really give this one 4 stars - but since I didn't read that copy, I'm going to stay safe and do 3. If that ending stayed, I would have rated it 1 star.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.