Hepworth sure knows how to write a domestic suspense novel. Although I enjoyed The Good Sister more, her latest was another page-turner. Perhaps it’s because there’s a bit more going on with not only two sisters, but also a mother suffering from dementia while the dad prepares to marry a decades younger woman.

I graciously received an advance copy from NetGalley and St Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Though this book was good, it wasn't without its problems. The way some things were handled and the ending a bit too.... I'm not sure what I was supposed to believe by the end and it would make a good discussion book.

Natalie (Tully) and Rachel's father is marrying a women their age.... All while their mother suffers from dementia and is in a home.... Oh and still married to their father, Stephen!

I didn't like the whole Stephen/Heather relationship. It was based out of a horrible situation and I just don't know how some people are ok with it.

All characters have some secret they are hiding from all. The characters aren't always painted in the best light.

I love Sally's books and I'll read anything she writes but this is probably my last favorite.

Wow! This is my first Sally Hepworth novel, and it will not be my last. If you are looking for deep seeded family drama look no further than The Younger Wife. Hepworth tells the tale through Tully and Rachel, the two daughters, and their father's new extremely young fiancé, Heather. It starts off with a bang and you will be sprinting to the finish, I inhaled this book in a day. I ignored the family, stocked up on snacks, and made myself a comfy nest on the couch. There are secrets, so many dark secrets that are stemming from childhood traumas. Somehow everyone has been able to keep these secrets from one another for years. Will each character be able to tell their truths and see others for who they truly are before it is too late?

The story begins at their fathers wedding to Heather. When a tragedy strikes. None of the guests knows what has happened. But someone has been hurt or even worse killed. Is it an accident or something much more sinister? You are brought back to the months before the wedding. Leading you down a twisty road of lies and suspicions. All I need to say is do yourself a favor and read this book. Thank you to Sally Hepworth, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for this drama filled read.

It’s always a pleasure to read what Sally H writes! You never really know what it’s building up to though you have suspicions that sometimes turn out to be right and other times turn out to be wrong. The great thing is she always keeps you guessing and boy did this one keep ME guessing!

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022 after how much I loved her 2021 release, The Good Sister. Sadly, this was a MESS.

Did she just try to pull a trope out of a bag, but accidentally pulled out several and decided to go with trying to make all of them work because that’s what it seemed like.

I probably should’ve DNFed because I was getting some weird vibes just after chapter one. However, I kept going against my better judgement.

Mainly, if you have a loved one who currently has or had dementia or Alzheimer’s - just go ahead and take this one off your TBR because the way that was portrayed and used as a plot device here was disgusting.

Other things I’m so done with: the unstable female trope by way of either alcohol or gaslighting to make her seem unstable. To that point, so many plot points with the three POVs (Tully, Rachel, and Heather) were mishandled.

Throughout the book and especially the ending and the following epilogue, the perpetuation of the narrative that the abuse wasn’t real/was being imagined? Disgusting.

There are a lot of triggers since she attempted so many different tropes.

Just take care of yourself while reading this one and give your loved one with dementia a hug.

This hooked me from the first page and kept me wanting more. The book primarily focuses on three women, each wrestling her own demons. Two sisters and their younger future stepmom share a devotion to one man, but is he who he appears to be? This novel moves along and sweeps the reader along, rooting for these three young women.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Younger Wife by Dally Hepworth. A special thanks to St. Martin Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book all thoughts and opinions are my own.
A dramatic story about a family and all its secrets. When Stephen announces to his daughters Tully and Rachel that he’s getting married to a younger woman, Heather everyone is in shock. He is still married to their mother Pam. Pam has been moved to a care center due to the dementia she suffers from. Each one of the girls has their own issues. When things start happening and not adding up around Stephan’s history Rachel starts asking hard questions both from her father and herself. She finds that he was married before Pam and had never told his daughters or his soon to be wife.
After meeting with his ex wife and being told that he’s a dangerous man, Rachel starts to question big aspects of their family history. Had he abused her mother and damaged her brain? Was he abusing Heather and making her think she was crazy and imagining thing? The ending is shocking and not at all what I expected. It makes you as the reader question the things that you learned as facts through out the book. It was definitely an interesting read. This book comes out Tuesday, March 5th 2022.

First book I've read by the author, Sally Hepworth. From the description, I really wanted to read it. But it's not the best book I've read this year.
I felt like there were holes in the story. And there was no ending really to the story. So much of the story was left hanging.
The book was slow. I stayed with it because I kept waiting on it to get better. I didn't dislike the whole story. Just felt like things were left out and left hanging.

Sally Hepworth is such a great writer. Her books are smooth and seamless and easy to read, but also keep you turning pages and ignoring your family like no other. I enjoyed this story of a family of doubt and secrets so much. I loved how well she handled stories of abuse and gaslighting and mental health with care, but also in a way that made the reader want MORE. Tully, Rachel and Heather have a bond that none of them realize and fight for their future and better lives in ways none of them expected. Without spoiling any of the story, their combined and individual efforts to sort out the trauma in their lives is so good. Would provide excellent book club discussion!

I really enjoyed The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth and had high expectations for The Younger Wife. It started off strong with a wedding, lots of family drama, and it’s told in alternating narratives by three of the main characters. The ending felt abrupt and slightly absurd. I think fans looking for a page-turning drama will enjoy this, but it wasn’t really for me.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

I will begin this review with the ending, there was no ending. I hate spending time reading a novel and it just ends with no resolution. This fact contributed to my rating of only 2 stars.

The Astons are a family of Stephen, a successful doctor. Stephen was married to Pam. Pam is in a facility suffering from dementia. She had no say in the divorce.
Rachel and Tully are the daughters. Tully is married with a young son. Rachel is single. Heather is the younger wife, younger than Rachel and Tully.

Needless to say all of the characters have issues and they are unreliable narrators. Past incidents are alluded to, but did they really happen or are they figments of imagination.

My recommendation is to skip this book. If you want to read a Sally Hepworth novel, I recommend either The Good Sister or The Mother-in-Law.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. The review is my own.

This story was the perfect mix of family drama and slow burn suspense!

When Tully and Rachel learn of their father’s engagement, it comes as no surprise that they are caught off guard by the big news. For one, their father is still married, but his current wife and their mother suffers from dementia and can longer speak for herself. The other issue is Heather’s age…she is younger than both Tully and Rachel! Tully is not as open as Rachel is as far as getting to know Heather, but as the nuptials approach, family secrets begin to emerge and it appears Heather may not be the bad guy in all of this.

I was quite surprised by all of the secrets that were revealed in this story, but the biggest shocker came at the very end, and to be honest, I don’t know how I feel about the outcome of events. It’s funny how things can be taken out of context and spun to fit one’s agenda, but when others get hurt as a result, who is truly to blame?

Definitely recommending this one!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4630332685

This was my first Sally Hepworth book & I enjoyed it. I got to the end of the book & I’m still not sure what to think about Stephen and if he was gaslighting his wives so badly that it erased abuse in their minds or if he really could be taken at face value, This would be a great book to discuss at a book club.

I really enjoyed the characters all of which were flawed in their own way but were working on themselves. I think Tully & Rachel we’re my favourites. I appreciate all the different types of therapy that were brought up. The only character sections I thought could have been left out were the Fiona Arthur sections since they didn’t really add much to the story.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for letting me read this book. I enjoyed it!

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Stephen Aston and his fiancé Heather...who just so happens to be younger than both of his daughters. Oh and did I mention his wife is also among those in attendance?

This book starts off with a bang, or rather a thud, and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.

Stephen Aston is a successful doctor with a seemingly perfect life. A loving wife, two daughters, both successful in their own right, two grandsons, and a recently remodeled luxurious home. When his wife begins to show signs of dementia, possible cracks in their perfect marriage begin to seep out. Everyone's secrets are bubbling to the surface and each of them are questioning if the family members they've known and loved their whole lives are even they same people. Slowly but surely truths will be unearthed & by the time it's all said and done nobody will be left unscathed.

The story is told from the point of view of Stephen's two daughters, Rachel and Tully, as well as his fiancé Heather. There are also tidbits from a mysterious wedding guest. I really enjoyed the mix of characters. I was fortunate to have both an ARC as well as audiobook. Surprisingly, each of them had a different ending. I am still reeling and not sure which ending I preferred. Thank you to St Martins Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. 4 suspense filled stars.

Thank you for ARC of this book to review.

The book begins at a wedding. The wedding of Stephen and Heather. His daughters and ex-wife are attending the wedding. The reader quickly understands that something has happened as there is blood, screaming and an ambulance. Everyone at the wedding is required to provide their personal details to the police for an investigation. The story begins to unfold and we read about what happens at the wedding through a mystery character. The book is written in multiple viewpoints and over a number of different timelines. It was very clear and easy to follow. As the story unfolds the reader learns about the main characters who may have been hurt and potentially why they were hurt.

This is the first book I read by this author and I really enjoyed it. I kept wondering what happened was it a murder or an accident and who was hurt. It took quite a while in the book to get those answers. As the story progresses we learn about Pamela, Heather, Stephen, Rachel and Tully.

The book has me guessing and wondering and hoping as I read as to whom and what happened. I recommend this book and would rate it and 8. I heard mixed reviews on this but maybe if I read some of her books first I would feel differently.

There are some triggers in this book so if you are sensitive to triggers you will want to investigate further.

Sally Hepworth continues to wow me. If it weren't for life situations getting in the way I would have finished this book in one sitting. Dr. Stephen Aston is engaged to a younger woman (Heather) but before he can marry her, he has to divorce his current wife who suffers from dementia. Stephen's two daughter, that are older than Heather are a bit suspicious of Heather's intentions. Heather, is hiding a big secret and so are his daughters. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth is a slow burn thriller that is worth it in the end. There are so many characters in this story but I loved hearing the women's side to all that went on. I would definitely recommend this book to all who enjoy the genre and Sally Hepworth books.

Stephen Aston is a top heart surgeon and beloved by his colleagues. He is about to get married again to a woman who is younger than both of his daughters. But first, he must divorce his current wife who suffers from dementia.

Tully and Rachel Aston do not know how to feel about their father's new fiancee. They think she is after his money but both women have their own secrets and lives to worry about.

Heather has her own secrets that have not come out yet. What is the real reason she is marrying Stephen and does this have anything to do with her own past?

With all the secrets this family has and the alarming events that are taking place this story is a page turner despite its slow lead up. I was invested in all the characters and wanted to know what was really going on.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sally Hepworth continues to write fabulous propulsive domestic drama. Her latest novel involves a family with many secrets that slowly get revealed throughout the story. The novel starts with a wedding between the heart surgeon Dad and his much younger fiancee Heather. His daughters and ex-wife Pamela are attending the wedding, until something dramatic happens in the sacristy. The reader does not immediately find out what has happened, but instead is taken back one year to learn the events leading up to the wedding. It's a great story, told only like Sally Hepworth can. Many triggers abound so sensitive readers should research before they dig into this one.
Many thanks to #StMartinsPress and #Netgalley for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Family dysfunction at it’s worst?!? Don’t be too quick to assume you know anything about the lives of the Aston family!

Sisters Rachel and Tully are horrified to learn their father has just gotten engaged to a woman younger than they are. Their parents are actually still married but their father relays that he can be granted a divorce due to their mothers circumstances. Their mother Pam has Alzheimer’s and is living in a specialized care nursing home. Rachel then finds something shocking in her mother’s things, and that sets off a fantastical journey of uncovering the reason behind it, and if (in her mother’s state of mind) there’s any truth behind what her mother’s been blurting out. And the young fiancé, well she has her own secrets she’d prefer kept hidden.. one in particular that’s very disturbing.. I’m telling you.. wow. I’d keep that to myself too! The daughter’s also have secrets of their own. This is one of those stories that you think you know, but you don’t. I could of never imagined an ending quite like this one. I was completely STUNNED when the truth was revealed.. I just LOVED that ENDING TWIST! You can never really know what to believe or not under these circumstances, SH fooled me good. So much fun!

I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The queen of domestic drama has done it again with The Younger Wife. From the short chapters to the multiple POVs to the fast moving storyline, I was sucked in to this book and it wouldn’t let me go until I read the last page.

When Tully and Rachel’s dad announces he is marrying a much younger woman while still married to their mom who is in a care home for her dementia, questions begin flying. Heather must just be marrying him for his money, right? Can the sisters really form a relationship with a step-mom who is equal in age to them?

More questions arise when Rachel finds a water bottle filled with money in her mother’s things. Where did her mom get all this money? What was she planning to do with it? And who is Fiona Arthur - the name written on a slip of paper with the money?

The ending fell a little flat which kept it from being a 5 star book, but I was entertained the entire way through. Sally Hepworth continues her reign as the queen!