Synopsis:

A heart surgeon at the prime of his career is getting married, but first he must divorce his current wife, even though she can no longer speak for herself. His daughters, think their father's fiancée, Heather, is after his money - she's younger than both of them. Heather has secrets of her own.

Review:

Sally Hepworth writes such great thrillers. This was a cast of characters - as expected, everyone has their own story/secrets/trauma which made for an interesting and page-turning read. The narration went between the two sisters and the fiancee. I mean whose family isn't at least a little bit dysfunctional ;)

Secrets And Lies, Oh My!, in the Domestic Thriller, THE YOUNGER WIFE by Sally Hepworth—with an ending I did not anticipate—Highly Recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with an eBook of THE YOUNGER WIFE at the request of an honest review.

WHY DID I PUT THIS OFF FOR SO LONG.
I thought I had previously read this book, maybe because I find Sally Hepworths titles and covers similar to each other.
However, I devoured this novel in one sitting and completely ate it up.

No one does domestic drama/thrillers like Sally! Wow. I would recommend this for anyone in a reading slump or someone looking for a quick bang. This was great.

Thank you so much for the ARC!

I’m disappointed I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I’ve really liked Hepworth’s other books. This one was fine, however I am getting tired of books being classified as mysteries/thrillers when really they’re just dysfunctional family dramas. So while it was okay, it’s just not what I signed up for. So why is it still a three star? Again, it was fine. I didn’t hate it and actually had sympathy for Heather. Rachel was my favourite and Tully was at times unbearable. Whenever it came time to switch to her perspective I dreaded reading on. So if you’re into family secrets and drama then this is going to be for you, but as mentioned just not 100% for me.

This one was pretty predictable. The overall storyline was just mediocre at best. The narrators were great! If you are a seasoned thriller reader I’d say skip this one just for predictability sake.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I couldn't put The Younger Wife down - I read it in two days. Unfortunately, I don't feel the ending did the book justice. The characters were quite interesting ... I couldn't understand Tully at all at first (much like her husband) but I did grow to understand her better. Heather's character was a breath of fresh air (the opposite of the evil stepmum). I would recommend this book to fans of Sally Hepworth. This is the fourth novel of hers I've read and in my opinion, The Good Sister was her best.

Family dynamics can be fraught and the dynamics found in The Younger Wife certainly seem on the cusp of trouble, but whose situation will bubble over first. Told in multiple POVs, each character stream is well rounded and intriguing. The story centers around a May-December romance that makes Tully and Rachel instantly suspicious of Heather. The build up seems languid at first, but each chapter drops a cliffhanger-ish nugget that reels the reader in. Hepworth does a masterful job of building suspense and keeping the reader guessing. She also creates complex and believable characters. Tully and Rachel are both flawed but sympathetic individuals, and the reader can't help but root for them. Heather is a more enigmatic character, but she is also well-developed.
The Younger Wife is a gripping and sly and a must read for mystery thriller fans.

Sally Hepworth is a master of writing mysterious family dramas, and The Younger Wife is no exception. Everyone in this story has significant personal struggles, which in themselves make for a strong plot. When coupled with the relational struggles amongst them, the result is a book that is irresistible, in an “I can’t believe someone would actually do that” sort of way. The pacing of the story is spot-on, never resulting in dead spots in the action. Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is the second book by Ms. Hepworth I have read. I’m enjoying her style of writing. It is a perfect quick read with lots of twists and turns. I did find it to start out on the slow side. I would classify the book more as a family drama than that of a thriller.

Thank you #NetGalley, #St.Martin’sPress, #SallyHepworth and #TheYoungerWife for the novel for giving my honest review.

I always enjoy Sally Hepworth's novels!! This one was no exception. Very suspenseful. I did not want to put it down once I started...great read !!
Stephen Aston appears to be a good person. But with all the stories his wives tell, is he a good person or are they crazy? His daughters, Tully and Rachel have their own issues, kleptomania and stress eating, that add to the suspense of the story. Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

It has been a while since I have read a book from this author and this is one I have had on my shelf for a while now. The book starts out at the wedding and goes back in time and ties in the backstory of some of the characters in a way to explain the way they are now. I did not really care for any of the characters and would have liked to see someone that I could at care about here. The wife was left very flat when all of a sudden she had a tragic past and that Stephen knew about it. This was completely off and made no sense to the plot. This book started out very compelling and really kept me guessing, however I felt that the ending was just left hanging. This author can write, however this one was just not fleshed out like my past read from her. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

Sally Hepworth is such a staple in my thriller/mystery TBRs. Her stories are always compelling without being over the top or ridiculous, she writes characters and relationships incredibly well, and the resolutions are always satisfying. This book is no different. I enjoyed the familial relationships in this book and the mystery held my attention the entire time.

Stephen Aston has a second chance at love after his wife develops dementia and moves into an assisted living facility. After falling in love with his interior designer, a woman younger than one of his daughters, he decides he cannot live without her. Stephen convinces his reluctant daughters to embrace his new relationship, then he divorces his demented wife and plans a wedding. But not everything is as it seems. Minutes after the ceremony ends, someone is dead...

The Younger Wife is one of my favorite Sally Hepworth novels, coming in just behind The Good Sister. It is a perfect binge read for the beach or a plane, and I was equally invested in all three female perspectives. I especially enjoyed how Hepworth slowly revealed the secrets within this seemingly perfect family, and the twists and turns near the end of the book were especially satisfying

I will say this book is pretty predictable after a notable shift about halfway through the story, but that predictability did not make this book any less propulsive. I couldn't stop turning pages until I was done!

I recommend The Younger Wife to fans of quick, suspenseful novels about family and relationships.

Definitely found myself questioning the narratives and guessing who had the right perspective in all of this. Was NOT prepared for the twist! Sally does it again.

This read was a little disappointing to me as I had really enjoyed her other books that I've read. It started out pretty strong and was a page turner that I couldn't tear through fast enough. I loved the premise of the storyline and everything was going fine until about the halfway point. Then everything was starting to feel like a big letdown as the ending had so much more potential. I will give it 3 stars because I did enjoy it for the most part but I can't get past how bad the ending was.

Thanks so much to St. Martins Press for the gifted copy for my honest review.

Sally Hepworth has a compelling writing style, and generally I am able to really connect with her characters, but for some reason this book was a miss for me. I definitely would recommend this as more of a domestic drama or mystery, and not as a thriller. The plot was really interesting, but the ending just really threw it off for me and it left me thinking "huh?" rather than surprising me with a twist or unveiling of a secret. I will definitely be reading Sally Hepworth's future books, but this one just wasn't a hit.

Sally Hepworth is the writer than I give credit to for helping me dive back in to my love of reading. The Soulmate has been one of my favorite books that she has written to date. There were many twists and turns that I did not see coming. You can get lost in another world with a new family while reading this book. Highly recommend.

Intense read and engrossing story. I definitely want to read more by this author. I would often lose time while reading this because I would sink so deeply into the story unfortunately I didn't realize how long I would read for

Thank you to @stmartinspress @netgalley for the #gifted copy of the book.

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth

I have come to enjoy Sally Hepworth's book as they are usually full of suspense and family drama. This one did not disappoint me. As I witnessed in this book, addiction comes in many forms.

Stephen Aston appears to be a good person, but is he really? His wives all have tales to tell, but are they crazy? Is he abusive? His daughters, Tully and Rachel have their own issues - kleptomania and stress eating.

Have you read a book that had the ending change from the ARC edition to the final version? I have to say this is the first book I have read where the ending changed when it was published and I am so glad it did. Since I have read both, I don't want to spoil it for you, but I still wish there had been more to the ending.

Sally Hepworth is always a winner for me, and The Younger Wife was no exception. I find that Hepworth writes very well-developed and interesting characters. Her novels are what many in the US call a “slow burn” but I prefer to think of them as character-driven suspense novels. Readers who are looking for action-packed plot-driven thrillers may not enjoy this as much as I did.

Read this if…

Readers who are fans of character-driven suspense novels will love this. Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Sarah Pekkanen (in her standalone work), Jane Harper, and Celeste Ng.

The Characters

Stephen Aston (the husband) is a heart surgeon who is divorcing his current wife Pam Aston (the former wife) so he can marry someone else.

Pam Aston is suffering from early onset dementia that has advanced to the point she is no longer able to recognize her daughters or retain many memories.

Pam and Stephen had two daughters during their marriage, Tully and Rachel (the daughters). Tully is married with two children of her own, and Rachel is perennially single.

Heather (the new wife) is the beautiful, young (younger than his daughters) fiancée who is marrying Stephen once his divorce goes through.

Plot and Structure

Stephen and Pam built a beautiful life together, with a stunning home, two daughters, and everything they could want thanks to Stephen’s career as a successful heart surgeon. But even money can’t stop the onset of dementia in Pam, robbing her of her memory and much of her cognitive functioning.

When the book opens, Stephen and his new paramour Heather are having lunch with his daughters Tully and Rachel to share the news that Stephen has proposed to Heather. Of course, there is the small issue that he is technically still married to Pam, though she is in a fulltime care facility. When he shares his plans to divorce Pam, Tully and Rachel are understandably stunned. It’s their mother, after all, and Heather is even younger than them.

Tully and Rachel have their own problems, though. Tully’s husband has recently made a bad investment and they may need to file for bankruptcy. Meanwhile Tully has a bit of a bad habit of shoplifting she’s been hiding for years. Rachel is unable to date, preferring solitude to dealing with trauma she has around men. Both sisters need their parents more than ever, just as they are losing not only their mother, but maybe their father as well.

And Heather has secrets of her own. Will this family be able to make it through, or will these changes and their secrets be enough to break them?

Told in alternating chapters from the perspective of daughters Tully and Rachel and new wife Heather, The Younger Wife delivers on building characters and relationships as the plot moves towards the wedding. There is also an unknown fourth narrator who is a guest at the wedding of Stephen and Heather that adds suspense and context to the central mystery.

Overall Thoughts

Before reading this I expected this to be about a gold-digging younger woman trying to steal a man away from his family, but that isn’t remotely what this book is about. Heather is incredibly likable and aware that this situation is awkward for Stephen and his daughters. She is respectful that they still miss their mother, and that she is quite young to be their step-mom. But Heather is deeply in love with Stephen and not because of his money or status, but because of their relationship.

Pam’s dementia is very advanced, to the point that she doesn’t recognize her daughters when they visit her, though she seems aware some of the time that she has daughters. Stephen is also committed to continuing Pam’s care, but he is ready to move on and find love again. Everyone is looking to keep Pam in the family, though she is no longer herself.

One of the most compelling parts of this book for me was actually the daughters Tully and Rachel. Both are dealing with separate mental health struggles, heightened by the stress of their mother’s disease and things going on in their individual lives. I felt both had great growth arcs across the book that were engaging and satisfying.

If you are wondering about the “thriller” in this psychological thriller, it comes in a slow-building mystery that is heightened by the unnamed narrator. I wouldn’t say there are any jaw-dropping twists here, but there is an ongoing mystery to this that has a delicious twist in the very end of the book.

Part of the mystery has to do with something of Pam’s that was hidden in the house and the girls happen to discover. As they look into it more, they are frustrated that they can’t just ask Pam herself. Pam is physically present but unable to retain any memories that seem to help them solve the mystery. Was Pam harboring a secret their whole lives? Or did they misunderstand what they found?

A compelling character-driven suspense novel with well-developed relationship dynamics, growth in the character arcs, and a delightful twist ending that rounded out the story perfectly.