I loved this book! Even after finishing it - I still do not know what to believe! It still has my second guessing who was good and who was evil!

This was my first Sally Hepworth book and it was so good! I am so lucky to have gotten this as a an ARC to review! I loved the multiple point of views and the story kept me intrigued the whole time.

I have come to love "domestic suspenses" and the build up to the always many twists and turns that the The Younger Wife had.

Thank you St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Another addictive psychological thriller from Sally Hepworth, who is fast becoming one of my favorite writers in this domestic suspense/psychological thriller genre. You may think you know who your parents really are, but the truth is that no one really knows what goes on behind closed doors. Every single person in this family is hiding something - but for different reasons. Highly recommend reading it or getting this as an audiobook.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Sally Hepworth is notorious for slow burn mysteries that encourage the reader not trust each family member at some point when reading.

In this story, Tully and Rachel are introductory to their dad’s new girlfriend. They quickly learn the two are engaged to be married. There is one catch - he is still married to their mother who lives in an assisted living home with dementia. Throughout the story, you truth about the family secrets and learn just who everyone is.

What I liked:
Short, quick chapters
Multiple POV
Lovable characters that you want to route for
I loved the ending (although controversial for some)

I feel like we could have a sequel to this book. There are so many storylines, I would love to hear how they play out.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martins Press, and Sally Hepworth for a pre-released arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Lies, secrets, neuroses, gaslighting -- they all come to play in this family drama by an author known for her domestic thrillers.

Sisters Tully and Rachel are finding it difficult to accept that their father -- who is technically still married to their mother who was recently diagnosed with dementia -- is engaged to a woman younger than they are. But they're trying, really. But when you have your own secret to keep, it's hard not to let your neuroses take over. And Heather, the young bride-to-be, is having her own difficulties. She's always wanted a family of her own to replace the horrid one she grew up with, but her secrets are catching up with her, too. This domestic drama comes to a head on the fateful wedding day, which will end with an ambulance ride and a lot of confused wedding guests...

Thoughts: I have yet to read Hepworth's previous books, but this one has me intrigued. The plot was fast-paced and the alternating POV helped keep my attention, as well. Everyone has secrets and the unhealthy ways they express them was also really interesting. Each of the sisters finds their own bit of happiness in the story, as well, which was a surprising little twist given the dark nature of the story. And the gaslighting was lit! (For lack of a better term... [shrug]) My only disappointment came at the end -- it was a little anticlimactic for me given the drama throughout the rest of the story, and I still had some unanswered questions. But this one is a perfect suspenseful beach read that's a perfect distraction.

I'm a fan of books by Sally Hepworth as she knows how to give characters such layered dimensions that you sometimes have to wonder just who that character really is?? This book was no different as she takes Rachel and Tully, along with their father Stephen and much younger fiance Heather, through relationships that are very complex. Secrets abound in this family, including trying to determine what Rachel & Tully's mom Pam, who is in a nursing home suffering with dementia, is really trying to tell them with her caustic comments. But they each have their own secrets that have been kept hidden for too long. And where does the name "Fiona Arthur" come into play as secrets are revealed. Deception and paranoia culminate in the death of a main character.....but which one?.....and by whom? Another question to rattle your brain --- is the ending the real ending?? Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #TheYoungerWife #NetGalley.

This story was captivating from the start. There are so many things to love about this book. I loved the multiple character perspectives in this novel. I also loved that Hepworth tried to unpack so many complex family dynamics and issues into one book from sexual assault to spousal abuse to familial money troubles. I think the overall sense of ambiguity I felt throughout this novel, contributed to why I enjoyed it so much and it kept me hooked. That being said, the ending just didn't make sense for me... and made me feel like I missed something super important...

The Younger Wife is a thriller/family drama told mostly from the POV of three women.

The book takes place in Australia. The story begins at a wedding. And then we go back a year. The main narrators are Rachel and Tully (sisters) and Heather (she is involved with their dad).

Rachel and Tully's mom Pamela is suffering from dementia. And their dad Stephen is a heart surgeon.

All three of the main narrators have major issues and secrets. And I really enjoyed all three POVs. I liked learning about Rachel's cake business. And I enjoyed seeing Tully with her young sons and husband. And I was interested to see if I could feel compassion for Heather.

I found the book very interesting. And I was curious to see what happened at the wedding (since it takes a while to get back to that point in time - although there are a few scenes from the present mixed in with the rest of the story).

I felt so bad for Pamela. And I was intrigued by Stephen. Especially because he thought that it was okay to find a new wife when he was still married!

Overall, this was an enjoyable fun thriller!

The Younger Wife didn't feel like a thriller to me. Now, if I knew these people in real life, their stories would be salacious, the talk of the town. But as a book, it didn't quite fit into the thriller, or even domestic thriller category for me. However, I still found The Younger Wife to be a satisfying read. I found the characters compelling and relatable and the story moved along at a nice click.

First we have Stephen, the patriarch of the family, who has a younger girlfriend, Heather. And by younger, I mean younger. It would certainly be strange if your father was dating someone younger that you. And the matriarch of the family? She's still alive and kicking. She's just lost her mind to dementia and resides in a nursing home. She doesn't recognize her husband or daughters anymore.

While some readers might view Stephen as a monster for divorcing her to marry a younger woman, I do think it's understandable. Yes, "until death do us part"..."in sickness and health." But I feel like there needs to be some fine print there.."as long as we recognize each other?" You know what I mean.

But the whole thing is complicated. And just like real people, Stephen, Heather and daughters Rachel and Tully have all kinds of emotional baggage, which Hepworth reveals one layer at a time. I found myself cheering the characters on and sharing in their anguish throughout the book. Special thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Brisk, intricate, and compulsive!

The Younger Wife is a compelling, character-driven thriller that takes you into the lives of the Aston family, Pamela, the matriarch and first wife who unfortunately suffers from early-onset dementia, Tully, the anxious daughter and mother of two who likes to pocket things that don’t belong to her, Rachel, the baker who indulges in food to escape the pain that lives inside her, and Stephen, the cardiac surgeon and seemingly perfect father and husband who is set to marry the soon to be second wife, Heather, who may have a drinking problem and is almost half his age.

The prose is tight and intense. The characters are tentative, damaged, and secretive. And the plot told from multiple perspectives unfolds briskly into a gripping tale full of twists, turns, surprises, familial drama, lies, mental illness, tragedy, and manipulation.

Once again, The Younger Wife has proven that when it comes to writing exceptionally complex, fast-paced, twisty, domestic thrillers with exceptional character development and nefarious storylines that highlight just how fine the line between real and imagined truly is, Hepworth is one of the best.

Wow what a ride! Another winner by Sally Hepworth. She really knows how to write domestic suspense. Twists and turns galore and an ending I didn’t see coming. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I have previously read 3 books by Sally Hepworth:
"The Family Next Door", "The Mother-in-Law" & "The Good Sister" & really enjoyed reading her twisty psychological books so I couldn't wait to request a copy of her latest book, "The Younger Wife".
There were so many twists & turns & the secrets were just incredible.
I can't wait to read what Ms. Hepworth decides to write next!

When Tully and Rachel’s father introduce them to his new, much younger fiancé, Heather, they know that something bad will happen. As Tully and Rachel try their best to be cordial with Heather, Heather is trying to get to know them as well.

But something else is brewing in Rachel that is not just the tension of her father marrying someone younger than her-it is figuring out what happened to her mother. Rachel begins to suspect that her father is abusive, but she can’t be sure and treads carefully with Tully, Heather, and her mother and father.

Everything comes to light though by the time the wedding rolls around and the truth reveals itself at the very last moment.

I enjoyed the multi-POV of this book!! It’s something I can always really enjoy in a book and this was a book where it worked super well. Heather, Tully, and Rachel all had different storylines and personalities which made it each POV very unique to read!

When sisters Tully and Rachel agree to have lunch with their father and his new girlfriend, they aren’t sure what to expect. He’s still married to their mother Pam, and although they have had to put her in a nursing home for her dementia, this still seems fast to them. Then, they meet her, Heather, who her parents had hired to redecorate their house. And it turns out that Heather is younger than both Tully and Rachel. And then, to top off their lunch, their dad announces that they’re getting married. Rachel and Tully are stunned.

Rachel is older. While she is incredibly beautiful, she doesn’t date. She’s a baker, running the business from her home and posting photos of her gorgeous wedding cakes and other treats online. When she needs to hire someone to do deliveries for her, she checks with the unemployment office and hires Darcy, who had been unemployed for well over a year. And when she shows up late for her first delivery, Rachel thinks she knows why she’s been unemployed for so long. And then Darcy turns up. And Darcy is a man. A very handsome man. A handsome man with a genuine talent for bad baking puns. But it made her smile, and Rachel couldn’t remember the last time she had smiled like that.

Tully is married with two young sons. But life is far from perfect. Her husband Sonny just lost a lot of money from a bad investment, and they have to sell their gorgeous house and downsize. Her older son is a happy guy, but her youngest has a lot of anxiety, and Tully has to give him extra attention to keep him moving forward. Which means that she spends her nights sleeping next to his bed while he adjusts to his big boy bed from his crib. She tries her best to be strong, but she has trouble staying away from the shops. Her husband always gets upset when he sees her new items, but she can’t tell him that it’s not costing him anything. She shoplifted it all.

Their mother had also shoplifted when she was younger, and even into her dementia. Their father mentioned that he had several things in his car that he’d been meaning to return, so Rachel offered to take care of that for him. But when she was going through the random things she was supposed to return, she found a hot water bottle in a crocheted case. Rachel liked it quite a bit and thought about using it, as a reminder of the times her mother used a hot water bottle to comfort her as a child. But when she opens it up, she finds that there’s cash in it. A lot of cash. Almost $100 thousand dollars. Why would her mother have that kind of cash around? What would she have used it for? How did she get it?

Rachel asks her father about the money, and then her mother, and then her sister, and while she doesn’t get the answers she was expecting, she does learn things about her family that makes her question everything and changes the entire dynamic of their family.

Sally Hepworth is back with The Younger Wife, a wild ride about family secrets, personal shame, and the path to a brighter future. Told in alternating perspectives from Rachel, Tully, and Heather, this story starts with the wedding and goes back to the luncheon where the sisters first met Heather for the story to unfold slowly. This novel is filled with heart, as these characters open up to new experiences and grow. There is some humor, lots of fun surprises, lots of cake, lots of wine, and lots of healing.

I found The Younger Wife to be like a domestic thriller wrapped in a warm hug. Watching these characters come together to heal their family was lovely, and the dark secrets that come out could tear these relationships apart but they don’t. While there was a lot of truths coming out and reckonings, like in a traditional thriller, there was also so much warmth in these characters as they faced their truths and pivoted to a new reality. These are characters I wanted to spend more time with, so it was a little disappointing when I got to the end, but I loved this book. It is another phenomenal book from Sally Hepworth, and I strongly recommend this one to anyone with a family!

Egalleys for The Younger Wife were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Domestic suspense and family secrets? Sign me up! I loved reading The Good Sister last year so this was one of my most anticipated reads and it didn’t disappoint!

This one is totally bingeworthy as I practically finished it in one sitting and devoured the short but concise chapters!

I enjoyed the complex and multilayered characters, the multiple POVs, alternating timelines and I ultimately just relished in Hepworth’s writing style!

As I was finishing this book up, a friend sent me a post from @taylorstailoredbooks mentioning that the finished copies had a modified ending from the ARCs and I was so curious to see if I could notice it. I finished it knowing that I throughly enjoyed it but chatting it out with Taylor gave me a whole new perspective and appreciation for Hepworth and her ability to adapt! The subtle change occurs in the epilogue and is so minor you may blink and miss it, but it does totally change things!

She’s a new auto buy author for me and I can’t wait to see what she does next!

Steven and Heather are getting married. Steven has two daughters, Rachel and Tully who are older than Heather! Steven is still married to their mother who is in a nursing home and has early onset dementia. He files for divorce without their mother knowing to get the show on the road with Heather.
•
I really was just not into this one. It had three different women’s perspectives which was cool but also had a lot of other things going on ( kleptomania, emotional abuse, physical abuse, eating disorders, and many other things). It just felt like so much at once and I didn’t like really any of the characters. I liked The Good Sister a lot and had higher hopes for this one!! This felt like more of a family drama and not the thriller I wished it was. I am excited to still check out The Mother-in-Law by this author soon

A humongous thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for approving me to read the ARC for The Younger Wife! This was my first @sallyhepworth and I absolutely LOVED IT!! 💛

I loved the way Sally wrote the characters. Often when I read suspense novels the characters have little to no redeeming qualities but I genuinely loved Hepworth’s characters and actively rooted for them! Except for you know who- you know who you are 😜 Her writing style is unique and enjoyable- love love love 🥰

Thanks a million to @taylorstailoredbooks for alerting me to the difference in the epilogue of the ARC vs. the pub copy! It’s seemingly small, but truthfully it made such a difference for me! It clarified sooo much and really solidified this novel as one I thoroughly enjoyed. 👏🏻

Can’t wait to chat about this with the FABULOUS Rover gang at the end of the month!! 💛 @thereadroversbookclub

Anytime Sally Hepworth puts out a new book I can’t wait to get my hands on it and I was so ready to get this newest book! I loved the premise and the characters. I love how Hepworth always makes you wonder who can be trusted and this one really fit the bill. The whole time I was questioning who was who and who I could trust. It’s a must read!

Sally Hepworth is one of my auto-read authors, and this book delivers with a dark story about the secrets we might keep, even from our closest loved ones. The dark part of this book is so quietly insidious with characters that have to question their own memories and interpretations of their experiences. All three women's perspectives are interesting, and it's easy to go into it on the defensive and assume you're supposed to dislike Heather, the younger wife of the title, but she in fact was most likely my favorite of the characters. If you've yet to read any books by the author, this is a fine place to start- but you wouldn't be disappointed by her backlist, either.

Stephen has married again, this time to the much younger Heather. His daughters are older than the bride. But his ex-wife is seemingly happy for them.
Everyone has a reason to be unhappy about this marriage, and everyone has a secret.
I love Sally Hepworth’s books, and this one was no different. I wish the ending was a bit more developed, but overall a solid read.