Wow! The twists and turns kept me on the edge and turning pages! After all the twists, I did not see that coming at the end! Absolutely clever writing!

That’s it… worst ending ever!

After reading, The Good Sister, I was so excited to read Hepworth’s new novel, The Younger Wife. A domestic suspense surrounding a struggling family with two sisters whom their father marries a younger woman while his previous wife is suffering from dementia.

Unfortunately, this one doesn’t come close to the previous book I read of hers. This novel is a slow burn, characters were not very likable except maybe the one sister, Rachael. The narrators are unreliable but not in a good way. I felt strung around for way too long and I kept waiting for some surprising twists and turns but it never really happened. I felt the book was a bit unrealistic and portrayed the female characters and subject matter poorly. I could not believe that it ended the way it did. Up until the ending the book was nearly a 3 for me but that ending killed anything enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this story of Stephen Aston with a current wife, former wife, current fiancé and two daughters. The various POVs helped to move the story along although as I was getting more and more intrigued with one POV, that ended and another POV began along with shifting time periods.

There are plenty of secrets held by everyone and you learn small pieces throughout the story. The two daughters of Stephen along with his fiancé, all had disturbing events in their childhood and carried over as adults.

The book begins with the wedding of Stephen and Heather, you hear a scream, ambulances arrive and then the story goes back in various time periods for each of the characters. As the story twists and turns, you think you know what’s happening with each character and then left wondering which story is true?

I’m not so sure that I cared much for the characters but enjoyed that I didn’t know anything for sure about any of the characters. You think you know the ending but then Ms. Hepworth throws in some additional scenes and left me wondering – did that just happen? Which is the truth? Was there a horrible mistake or not?

I usually like things with a known ending but this left me wondering for a few days after reading and I decided to count that as a plus!

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing me with the new work to enjoy.

Entertaining read about a family in Australia. The father decides to marry his young interior decorator despite the fact that he is still married to his first wife. She is actually younger than his two daughters. Their mother suffers from dementia and lives in a special nursing facility. The father divorces his demented wife in order to marry the new younger woman. Lots of family drama, everyone has a secret past, nice short chapters.

I really tried to get into this one but it didn’t grab me from the start. I went as far as I could with very minimal interest or connection to the characters. This author is a bit or miss for me but this one was definitely more of a miss.

Thank you SMP for the gifted copy.

This is a really difficult review for me to write. I really wanted to like this book, and for the first few chapters, I did. As far as plot goes, I enjoyed this book. I was intrigued from the first chapter - a wedding, and someone grabs a candlestick, and it seems that someone gets clobbered by said candlestick. Who, and why? What led up to this event?

On the other hand, I found several things about this book extremely problematic, and the more I read, the more uncomfortable I felt. You have two sisters, and both have issues that are laughed off and ignored, but are quite serious. Nobody seems to care that one sister basically compulsively overeats, "eats her feelings" as it's described, and the other sister is clearly a kleptomaniac and has major anxiety issues, yet is made fun of several times. Not to mention her son clearly has something going on and that's laughed off until the very end of the book. Rachel has clearly been through some sort of major trauma, and it seems that everyone missed the signs? Then you have the descriptions of abuse, possible gaslighting, miscarriage, etc...Oh, and the entire plot point that the dad is still married to his wife that has dementia, meets someone, and decides to divorce the first wife to marry the new lady. I know this is the point of the book, but it just was super sketchy to me.

The worst part was the epilogue. WHY???? Why was that necessary? It took the book from 3.5 stars down to 2.5 for me. I was disgusted by it, to be honest. It should have been left alone after the last chapter.

Sally Hepworth is the Queen of the dysfunctional family genre! She never disappoints. The Younger Wife is an excellent read with characters that pull you in. Each character has their faults and when all are combined, you have one heck of a story!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've read and enjoyed a few books by Sally Hepworth - this genre of domestic suspense with a twist or two is just too much fun to read. The Younger Wife was no exception and I found a lot to love about this novel. It was easy to get to know the characters and root for the two sisters in this novel as well as their mother and entire situation. It was well written, and there was a sense of foreboding throughout. I found it hard to put down and devoured the whole thing in a matter of otherwise busy days.

There are a few trigger warnings to be aware of: domestic abuse, rape, miscarriage, alcoholism, murder, child abuse --- some of these to greater extents than others and not really a spoiler when considered generally.

I did feel that the ending lacked a little something but I was still wholly satisfied with the way it all wrapped up and the "future" we could see of these delightful characters and their families.

THank you so much to St Martins Press and MacMillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well. This was a huge miss. I wouldn't be able to recommend this book and I'm honestly pretty shocked. Lots of gaslighting... but not in a sexy fun way, in and I can't believe it was published way. I really hated the plot for this- a mother has dementia due to years of abuse. The characters were unlikable and put a bad taste in my mouth. The female characters were painted as delusional over-reractors and I don't feel any of these issues were handled with care.

Whew .. okay. I've sat with this book for a few days after reading because I'm so torn on my thoughts. I enjoyed 95% of this book... then the ending came and well ... not a fan. Let me start with what I did like. Great storyline, I loved most of the characters. Rachel was by far my favorite and really rooted for her. Tully cracked me up, but also I believed her struggles. I thought Sally Hepworth did a great job in writing this, it was engaging and I didn't want to put the book down. I think for 95% of the story she tackles sensitive subjects like abuse, eating disorders and mental health disorders with care and accuracy. I was pulled into the story, not sure how things would end.. So what happened the last 5%??? Well it was almost like the author did a 180 and just walked away from what could have been a four-five star read. I didn't care for the ''twist'' or the way the story concluded as a wrap up. It's hard to explain without spoilers but I felt it was an injustice to the characters. With that being said, I will definitely read more by Sally Hepworth. I truly did enjoy her writing style, This particular one just ended in a way that irked me.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy and provide my honest opinion.

I loved Sally Hepworth's The Good Sister so was excited to read this. And it did not disappoint. The character development was great from the start showing all of their quirks and weaknesses.

Well, that was a wedding to remember..

The younger wife starts out at the wedding of Stephen and Heather, when the newly married couple head off to finalize everything a scream rings out.

When Stephen, a successful doctor, announces his engagement to Heather, a woman near his daughters age, things begin to get heated. While his daughters want to support him and be happy for him out of their love for their father they struggle with this since their mother is still not only in the picture but also still legally married to their father.

While the first half of the book had me turning the pages as I learned about each character and their secrets about half way through I slowly began to lose interest as some things were drawn out a bit more than necessarily needed. Over all Id give this one 4☆.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book which allowed me early access.

I went into this book expecting one thing and was pleasantly surprised when this story went a completely different direction.

The women were well developed and easy to connect with. Even as they had things that made them less desirable, I still cared about what was going to happen to each of them and who among them was going to end up either dead or the one to make someone dead.

This is definitely a character driven story with a thin layer of menace running through it. I found myself caught up in the lives of each of these women when suddenly something would be casually hinted at that sent me spinning with contemplation. I picked and prodded at these characters, guessing as to what had happened, why it might have happened, and who might have done it, before I’d switch to someone else as the villain. I loved every minute of it.

This was unlike other psychological thrillers I’ve read. It had such a fresh feel to the writing and the creation of the story never felt heavy handed. Overall an enjoyable read that I could not put down!

Sally Hepworth has easily become one of my favorite authors. Her suspenseful stories have been captivating my attention. This book took a twist as I thought the younger wife would be the villain but it ended up being everyone in the family had secrets. The unraveling was a bit intense as this book was a bit of a slow burn. The ending didn't give much information, it lead you to create your own with your imagination. Thoroughly enjoyed this one and I look forward to more books by this author.

I really enjoy Sally Hepworth's writing, and this one was no exception. It is told from multiple POVS, but only has a few main characters so its easy to keep track of everyone and the story being told. After reading the description, I thought this would be similar to many other domestic thrillers I've read, but it actually ended up being quite different. I would classify this more as domestic suspense and not really a true thriller, as I was anxiously waiting for a twist that never came. Even as the ending came, I was waiting with baited breath for some huge twist, but it just never happened and I was left with a satisfying, yet simple ending. I really wanted to be shocked but I wasn't. I thought the characters were all really interesting and had good development, but I almost wish we had gotten a bit more of the sisters growing up. I think the ending also had a lot of missed opportunities to shock the reader that Sally just didn't take. Overall though I did really enjoy this. I loved the audio narration and it was a quick listen. I loved the overall theme of women empowerment, taking back our power, and trusting our instincts. Great messages in this. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Family drama to the max! The Younger Wife starts with the wedding of Stephen and Heather, in attendance are Stephen's two daughters, his ex-wife, Pam, who has advanced dementia and an unknown woman who sits in the back and doesn't want Stephen to know she's there. Pam wonders around during the ceremony and makes herself at home at the alter. After the ceremony, they all go into the Sacristy to sign the marriage certificate and someone is injured.

From here we go back in time and learn about all these people. This "close knit" family may not be the Upper Middle Class standard that everyone thinks they are. The oldest daughter, Tully is dealing with the fact that her husband made a bad investment and they now have to sell their home, oh and she's a kleptomaniac. Her sister, Rachel, is single, runs a bakery, and oh, she was raped when she was 16 and has never told anyone but eats when she gets stressed. Heather is younger than both of her soon-to-be daughters-in-law and her parents were alcoholics. Then there's Stephen, a successful brain surgeon and a real catch. Everyone thinks he's just wonderful, but is he? Or is he a control freak and abuser?

Is Heather going crazy? Why are the sisters so competitive with each other? This book was so well written I didn't want to put it down. I really cared about the characters, they certainly aren't perfect but they are sympathetic. I could have gotten to know them even more!

Thanks to Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another fantastic novel by Sally Hepworth!

I have loved all of this author's previous novels. Her last novel THE GOOD SISTER is one of my all time favorite novels. Needless to say, I was very excited to read this book.

At times, I wanted to slow down because I knew once it was over, I would likely have to wait quite a while for the author's next release. But I couldn't stop reading. I had an inkling about something and I HAD to find out if I was right. So I continued reading long (lonnng) into the night.

Tully and Rachel Aston are not happy that their father, Steven is about to be married again. One of their issues is that he is still married to their mother, Pamela. Pamela suffers from dementia and has been living in an assisted living facility. The other issue is that their father's fiancée, Heather is a much younger woman.
And Heather has secrets.

But she's not the only one.

Sooo many secrets!!

This was another winning domestic suspense novel from Sally Hepworth! . A terrific storyline with wonderful well-developed characters. SH's characters are always so interesting. Love 'em or hate 'em….they all make the story better. I really enjoyed the multiple points of view.


This novel was the perfect escape from reality that I needed. It kept me guessing and thoroughly entertained until the very last page.

Can't wait to see what's next from Sally Hepworth!!


Another fantastic novel by Sally Hepworth!

I have loved all of this author's previous novels. Her last novel THE GOOD SISTER is one of my all time favorites. Needless to say, I was very excited to read this book.

At times, I wanted to slow down because I knew once it was over, I would likely have to wait quite a while for the author's next release. But I couldn't stop reading. I had an inkling about something and I HAD to find out if I was right. So I continued reading long (lonnng) into the night.

Tully and Rachel Aston are not happy that their father, Steven is about to be married again. One of their issues is that he is still married to their mother, Pamela. Pamela suffers from dementia and has been living in an assisted living facility. The other issue is that their father's fiancée, Heather is a much younger woman.

Heather has secrets.

But she's not the only one.

Sooo many secrets!!

This was another winning domestic suspense novel from Sally Hepworth! A terrific storyline with wonderful well-developed characters. SH's characters are always so interesting. Love 'em or hate 'em….they all make the story better. I really enjoyed the multiple points of view.


This novel was the perfect escape from reality that I needed. It kept me guessing and thoroughly entertained until the very last page.

Can't wait to see what's next from Sally Hepworth!!



I'd like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars
I actually wouldn’t classify this book as a thriller - more of a domestic literary suspense. The topic is quite serious but a big part of the suspense so I won’t say anymore on that. Although others described it as edge of your seat, again I differed. I found it more character driven and slower paced. I think readers might be disappointed if they go in with expectations as a fast paced thriller because it wasn’t either. However, it was an interesting portrayal of dysfunctional family dynamics. My favourite character was actually Heather, the younger wife. She was elegant yet flawed in a sympathetic way.

The characters definitely come to life. They are vibrant beings the reader gets to know intimately, warts and all. They made the book engaging and relatable. There were even a few chuckles along the way.

Of course, there is the big reveal at the end. We know someone has been seriously hurt at the wedding, but we don’t know who, how or why. The ending wasn’t earth shattering but it wrapped things up nicely. I liked it.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am torn with this book. I enjoyed most of it. The Younger Wife tackles some very deep topics. For example: Rape, Kleptomania, Dementia, Gaslighting, Alcoholism and Domestic Abuse. And this book had a very fast pace. But, the ending... I am disappointed with the ending. You are still left with the question of Stephen...sort of. Was he an abuser. Maybe yes, maybe no. I guess what it boils down to is that when a person is being gaslighted they are constantly made to feel like they are the ones who are crazy and this book showed that in spades. In the way the author laid out the book, each chapter from a different point of view, and within those chapters told the story in a different way, and that kept the story moving. A solid 3.5 ⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Sally Hepworth for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Love, love, loved this book - I couldn't put it down and read it in one night! Sisters Rachel and Tully are dismayed that their father is going to marry his girlfriend who is younger than them - and he announces this while he is still married to their mother, who is suffering from dementia and lives in a home. The family dynamics are fascinating, and I found each of the characters to be likeable - yes, even the dad, Stephen, who makes everyone else in the family question what's real vs what's in their head. This made me think a lot about things I perceive vs know to be true, and I would highly recommend it!