Stephen has four major women in his life….Tully (daughter), Rachel (daughter), Heather (engaged) and Pam (soon to be ex-wife) with memory loss The novel begins at the wedding of Stephen and Heather then switches between timelines to develop characters and the storyline. Unfortunately, it didn’t keep my attention, many parts were very unrealistic. There were definitely parts of the novel I liked, but as I whole is was just okay.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a fast-paced thriller/family drama from Sally Hepworth.

Tully and Rachel’s father announced he is marrying a new, younger wife, despite the fact that he is still married to their ailing mother. As some potentially sinister secrets begin to emerge about their father, the daughters try to uncover the truth about his past.

The novel switches point-of-view between the main characters, which moved the book along quickly and kept things interesting. Like others have noted, the ending left a lot of questions for us (still processing whether we are satisfied with it or not!). The book also touches on a lot of themes which may be troubling for some readers. Overall, it was a good read and definitely kept us guessing!

3.5 🌟
I feel slightly jipped....this was such a good book with great character development and details, but the ending leaves me wondering and I hate that so much!
I honestly think Heather was my favorite character followed by Rachel. In my mind and ending Steven is guilty, but I guess I'll never know for sure.

Sally Hepworth has become an instant add to my TBR List! This story kept me guessing until the very end and I loved the back and forth chapters/perspectives that were shared.

Sally Hepworth is a master at writing books that hook you in and keep you reading well into the night! This book does just that! Family secrets abound in this suspenseful novel. Each of the main characters are flawed, have secrets they’ve not shared and cope the best they can. This is one of those books that you just can’t put down because you’ve been sucked into the drama. You have to know the answers to all the questions that have been swirling around in your head since the opening scene at Stephen and Heather’s wedding. This book keeps you guessing till the end and yet even when you’ve gotten there, you’re still not sure you know everything you wanted to know. Honestly I don’t think that’s a bad thing!

THE YOUNGER WIFE - SALLY HEPWORTH
4⭐
PLOT -
Stephon Aston is getting married to Heather a younger woman..even you her than his daughters Rachel and Tully.
But first he has to divorce his current wife who is suffering from Dementia
When Rachel finds some secret pertaining to her family and Heather also has her own secret past. What will happen when the truth is out...leading to dangerous impulses from all!!

MY THOUGHTS -
This one is more like domestic drama with a hint of suspense and not your typical thriller but having said that the alternating POVs, short chapters make it difficult to put down.
There are a lot of issues like dementia , physical and emotional abuse , kleptomania, rape all woven well in the story.
Would suggest to go in blind...a slow family drama which will be a quick read.
Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's press for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

"The Younger Wife," by Sally Hepworth, is set in Melbourne, Australia. Dr. Stephen Aston is a handsome and respected cardiac surgeon in his sixties. His wife, Pamela, is in a nursing home, suffering from dementia. Before Pam's condition deteriorated, Pam and Stephen had hired Heather Wisher, an interior designer, to redecorate their home. Now, much to everyone's surprise, Stephen is planning to marry thirty-four-year-old Heather, who is even younger than Stephen's daughters, Rachel and Natalie (Tully).

Although this novel has humorous passages, it is by no means lighthearted. Rachel has kept a dark secret from her family since she was an adolescent; Tully is an emotional wreck who engages in self-destructive behavior; Heather had a traumatic childhood that she has tried, in vain, to forget. The most troubling aspect of "The Younger Wife," however, centers on Stephen's temperament. There are hints that he may not be as decent and honorable as he seems.

Hepworth effectively uses such familiar devices as alternating viewpoints and flashbacks to give us a well-rounded picture of her dysfunctional characters. The author's lively dialogue and intriguing plot hold our interest, but certain aspects of the story do not ring true. For example, Hepworth pairs Rachel up with a one-dimensional hunk who is incredibly compassionate and understanding. Furthermore, Tully has a serious psychological condition that Hepworth deals with superficially and unconvincingly. Finally, the author stuns us with an ambiguous ending that—whether intentionally or not—suggests that females who complain about domestic abuse may be hysterical and/or delusional.

Is there a doctor in the house?! Who did what with the candlestick in the sacristy??

These are the answers we ask from the start of Sally Hepworth’s latest domestic drama, The Younger Wife.

We are following around a year in the lives of the Aston family. Stephen, the father and doctor, is the obvious patriarch. I’m assuming he’s in his late 50’s. His daughters, Rachel, an amazing baker, and Tully, a spoiled but lovable kleptomaniac.

We start out knowing there will be a wedding between Stephen and the new lady in his life, Heather, that is slightly younger than his daughters. But wait, there’s more! Stephen is still married to the mother of his children. She is in a care home with dementia.

The narrators are Heather, Tully, Rachel, and a mysterious wedding guest who is watching the drama unfold. Someone doesn’t make it out of this wedding alive!

This author is always able to weave serious issues into her stories, like early onset dementia, domestic violence and abuse, gaslighting, parental abuse, alcoholism, and more. She does this gracefully without it feeling like an afternoon special.

It starts off with a lot of character building that sucks you in pretty quickly. Rachel, the baker, is standoffish with men and we find out why. Tully, though wealthy and seemingly happy, suffers severe anxiety and kleptomania. Heather, the younger wife, by all accounts is genuine and despite having obvious father issues, just wants a family and to be loved, even if it’s in an unconventional way.

This book will make you ask yourself if it’s possible to really know anyone. Is it possible that your parents weren’t who you thought they were? Is it possible those little doubts you were placed there intentionally? Are we doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past or can we learn and do better?

This unfolded flawlessly without narrators repeating themselves or the others and it leaves you with a lot to think about. It’s not a heart-pulsing thriller, it’s a slow burn domestic drama and without a bit of filler. It was great, from start to finish.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced release copy to read in exchange for an honest review!

This thriller was a quick read, told from multiple perspectives. The story begins at a wedding where a suspected act of violence occurs. The narration then jumps back to a year prior with sisters Tully and Rachel voicing chapters, interspersed with chapters by Heather (the girlfriend of the sisters’ dad). There is also an unknown narrator who tells the story of the wedding day in bits and pieces throughout the novel.

It was difficult when reading to know who, if any, of the narrators to trust as the characters themselves doubted their own perceptions of things. This added to the palpable tension throughout the book making it easy to keep reading just “one more chapter” to find out what would happen next.

I enjoyed the simple complexity of the novel. There was a lot going on in the story yet it was written in a way that was easy to follow. There were I suppose a few “twists”’in the novel, yet none were earth shattering in their impact on the story itself.

This was my first novel by this author and it will not be my last. Her writing was easy to read and the story held my interest.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #St.Martin’sPress for an ARC of #TheYoungerWife by #SallyHepworth in exchange for an honest review. The views expressed above are completely my own.

The Younger Wife was not what I expected. The description doesn’t really do it justice. This is a story of family and trust. The younger wife in this tale, Heather, is not a horrible person stealing an old man. She is a young woman who trusts. The daughters are not just mistrusting brats, angry at the young woman stealing their fathers. They are complex women working through their own issues and trying to accept what is happening to them.

When Steven’s wife’s dementia has progressed to the point of requiring constant care, he falls in love with his decorator. His daughters Rachel and Tally try to come to terms with their father divorcing their mother while she wastes away in a home.

But this book was about trust and abuse. But it is also about relationships. Is there anything behind the stories and memories or are they false? Is anyone being gaslit? Or are most of the women here just crazy? Finished this one in one afternoon just to find out.

I have read Sally Hepworth's work before and loved it. This one is no exception. There are some let's say "interesting" characters in this one.

Steven is father to Rachel and Tully. He is about to get married to a much younger Heather. After he divorces the girls mother that is. She is in a care facility with dementia.

The premise: loved it
The characters: loved some, loved to hate others. Almost all are in need of a good therapist.
How the story was told: loved it
How it ended: I'll leave that up to you to decide.

Perfect book for a book club to dissect and discuss.

Can't wait for the next book by Hepworth.

Thanks to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc

✨ The Title/Cover Draw:
I really enjoyed The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth and wanted to read more by this author.

💜 What I liked:
This book follows a family that all has quirks and issues and their father is getting remarried. She’s the same age as his daughter’s so that isn’t ideal at the surface. Someone gets injured at his wedding and this book expands on who and why. There are some great discussions on assault and coping mechanisms here as well.

😱 What I didn’t like:
There were a lot of clues dropped that were not utilized. I felt like the ending was not as clear or realized as it could have been. But I have to say that it was a story that did stick with me!

🚦 My face at the end: 🤓

💭 Reasons to Read:
1. Wedding Injury
2. Trauma and Coping Mechanisms
3. Family Disfunction



🕧 Mini-Summary:
A wedding gone wrong holds many family secrets. Who was the injured party and what lies in the past to destroy everything?

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Received from Netgalley.

💯 For more details on the books we read, be sure to follow me on TikTok (@zaineylaney) or check out our Podcast - Elated Geek!

THE YOUNGER WIFE is trademark Sally Hepworth: whip smart, heart gripping, elegantly wrought, and so very wise. The final straw breaking a family's perfect facade is the father's decision to divorce his dementia-lost wife to marry a woman younger than his two adult daughters. Between Heather, Tully, and Rachel, past and present are woven brilliantly in a gripping story that drew me in and did not let me go until the final words. As in all her work, Hepworth charges straight for the heart of who we are and how we live and love our complicated lives. I received an early copy of this book and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Holy cow I love Sally Hepworth. I love the way her mind works, because everything she writes is perfection.

This is a thriller, but also a family drama. But also a family suspense. It’s a little bit of everything that totally works.

I highly recommend this to anyone that loved her precious works!

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth

Published: April 5, 2022
St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 348
Genre: Domestic Thriller
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Sally Hepworth is the bestselling author of The Secrets of Midwives (2015), The Things We Keep (2016), The Mother's Promise (2017), The Family Next Door (2018), and The Mother In Law (April 2019). Sally's books have been labelled “enchanting” by The Herald Sun, “smart and engaging” by Publisher’s Weekly, and New York Times bestselling authors Liane Moriarty and Emily Giffin have praised Sally’s novels as “women’s fiction at its finest” and “totally absorbing.” Sally's novels are available worldwide in English and have been translated into 10+ languages. Sally lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her husband and three children.

“Where I come from, we call that survival.”

Tully and Rachel grew up with two loving parents. Their lives weren’t perfect, but they were close. When Pam was diagnosed with dementia, the family was devastated. The last thing they ever expected was for Stephen to announce he intended to marry someone else.

Whoa. This was brilliant! The plot was fantastic! I enjoyed every aspect.

The characters were all well done. Tully with her neurosis, Rachel with her secret, Pam becoming a shadow of her former self. Stephen with his guilt over falling in love again, and Heather with her trauma.

The twists in this were fast and furious. It was like a carefully constructed domino course; as soon as one was tipped, the rest quickly followed.

I enjoyed how this played out, and I found the reveal to be well done. I enjoyed the writing and how the story was told.

I loved the buildup and how things appeared. I also love that this novel was so positive regarding therapy and addressing one’s traumas.

Secrets, coincidence, and speculation will lead to unexpected and deadly consequences.

There are a whole lot of dysfunctional
relationships and people in this book which is part of what makes it fascinating. Abuse and rape are key situations. People doubt themselves, suspect each other and can’t figure out what’s going on.

Physician and father, Stephen, has a new, much-younger fiancée, while still married to his dementia-addled wife. His daughters are bemused. The girlfriend is trying to figure out how she fits in.

The story is intriguing and the book just flows so smoothly that it’s over before you realize it. I found the characters interesting and the fact that the book is told from several points of view, primarily those of the daughters - Tully and Rachel - and the new fiancée Heather makes all the uncertainty and mystery that much richer.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending which seemed too sudden and conclusive without enough explanation for me. But overall this was a quick and compelling book.

3.5 stars.

I was excited to read this after reading The Good Sister last year, but this one didn’t impress me as much.

While it’s coined as a domestic suspense novel, it’s very family drama. You can guess by the title, the situation in which a younger wife may play with daughters a similar age!

It was slow to start for me but picked up a bit; when it did, the short chapters I was there for 100%. I really enjoyed that all of the women were enduring some sort of hardship, many of which they had been dealing with for years. Rachel in particular was my favorite character; I loved her character growth and her baking had me craving cupcakes hardddd. I also really enjoyed her story with her delivery man! Tully, the kleptomaniac sister was a bit frazzled for me though and the other characters weren’t super lovable to me.

While I like that we didn’t uncover ALL of the secrets and the full details of the prologue until the end, I didn’t feel like the twists were really there. In fact the ending rubbed me the wrong way, and the hot water bottle final story in the end was underwhelming to me.

Trigger Warnings ⚠️: Rape, Abuse, Dementia, Alcoholism, Miscarriage

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a free copy of this ARC in return for an honest review!

An enjoyable suspense about a younger woman, Heather who is marrying an older man, Stephen. The book opens with a flashback at the wedding with someone being hurt at the wedding ceremony - you just don't know who it is that is hurt, who did the hurting, and how bad it really is. The other peculiar thing you find out is that Stephen's ex-wife, Pam, whom he has recently divorced and suffers from dementia, is at the wedding. The novel continues on to tell the stories of Stephen and Pam's two daughters. We also learn about Heather and how she came to be the new woman in Stephen's life. There are flashbacks of the wedding intertwined throughout the novel. It keeps you guessing who would want to hurt someone in the wedding party. Did they really do it? Was it murder, or not?
I really liked this Sally Hepworth novel!

I was on the edge of my seat for this entire book! There are so many characters with secrets and I never knew who to trust. The book opens with the wedding ceremony to the younger wife and then goes to the past where most of the book takes place. The story is told from multiple narrators and I loved this for this book because it revealed secrets. I’ll be honest that when I finished the book I had to sit back and digest what I just read. It’s a fantastic book!!!

This is a hard book to rate! I was so engrossed in the story. I found the family drama really interesting and the writing so engaging. I liked all the characters (that I was supposed to like) and the ending had a crazy twist, which I really enjoy in thrillers. However, the twist was controversial and I agree with the criticism. The first 90% I thought was a 5 star read but the ending bumped it down to 4.

This is the story of Stephen, a prominent cardiologist who is married to Pam and they have two daughters, Tully and Rachel. Pam and Stephen hire an interior decorator just as Pam’s early onset dementia takes over. Stephen and the interior decorator, Heather end up falling in love and getting married and at their wedding a crime occurs. The book takes off from there going back in time, revealing tidbits as the wedding approaches.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.