Hard to rate this one because I was enjoying it until the last 10% when I experienced one of the worst endings I have ever read.

The premise of the story is a family undergoing a transition of sorts. The mother has advanced dementia, has been moved into a nursing home type facility. The father, a physician in his 60's, falls for a much younger woman (around his adult daughter's ages) and proceeds to divorce his mentally limited wife to marry this much younger woman. Obviously the whole affair is distressing to the children, and the story documents this transition of their family model leading up to the wedding day.

I enjoyed the writing and storytelling element overall. The characters all have depth, layered and multidimensional with significant flaws/shortcomings. There are recounts of the past that make you question whether all is as seems or has their been foul play and gas lighting for years that was so subtly done it went unnoticed. There is a mystery woman/name that is woven into the story and you're convinced and eager to see how this is key to the plot. You're reading right along to find out what exactly happened on the wedding day that indicated tragedy for someone when the author seemingly decides that she's done with this story. Seriously, the events and ending happened so abruptly and with such little explanation and fanfare that I wondered if pages were missing. The ending was an epic letdown to say the least, which is disappointing because I was enjoying it up until then. I would not recommend this one overall if you like closure to your books.

Stephen Aston, a heart surgeon, contacts his two grown daughters wanting to have lunch with him. When Tully and Rachel arrive they are surprised to find Stephen there with another woman - Heather. They are even more shocked when Stephen & Heather announce their engagement....especially since Stephen is still married to their mom, Pam. Granted, Pam has dementia and is in a facility, but still. Stephen plans to divorce Pam so he can marry Heather and then she can be their new step-mom. The stress of all of this brings out secrets that everyone in the family, including Heather, have been hiding.
This is another good thriller by one of the authors that I love so much. There were lots of twists and turns, secrets to uncover and there were even a couple of really likeable characters to root for (Rachel & Tully). My only frustration was that there were some mysteries that didn't seem to get cleared up by the end of the book. Other than that, it was a great read.

4 stars but after that ending The Younger Wife deserves 5 stars.

The book starts out strong with the wedding of Stephen to a much younger woman Heather.

Stephen is a successful doctor and as he about to wed Heather (younger than his daughters) the tension mounts.

The pages fly by as you try to figure out what actually happened at the wedding.

Rachel and Tully are the two daughters and you can't help but feel for them and cheer them on.

Everyone has a secret.

Some more deadly than others.

The lights will stay on as you race to the conclusion which I never saw coming.

Sally Hepworth always tells a good story and gets you hooked from the beginning .

Put The Younger Wife to the top of your TBR pile; I just preordered a copy for my daughter.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for a fast paced read that was oh so good.

A fascinating story of family secrets, where nothing is what it seems and everything must be questioned. I'm still reeling from the ending!

THE HUSBAND
A heart surgeon at the top of his field, Stephen Aston is getting married again. But first he must divorce his current wife, even though she can no longer speak for herself.

THE DAUGHTERS
Tully and Rachel Aston look upon their father’s fiancée, Heather, as nothing but an interloper. Heather is younger than both of them. Clearly, she’s after their father’s money.

THE FORMER WIFE
With their mother in a precarious position, Tully and Rachel are determined to get to the
truth about their family’s secrets, the new wife closing in, and who their father really is.

THE YOUNGER WIFE
Heather has secrets of her own. Will getting to the truth unleash the most dangerous impulses
in all of them?

My Thoughts:

The story of The Younger Wife begins at a wedding: the joining of a man with a woman much younger, but with a very strange group of participants. First, we see the grown daughters, who are around the age of the bride, and the ex-wife who suffers from dementia. Before the day ends, something tragic happens, and then over the next pages, we read the “before” elements leading up to the event.

Alternating narrators take us through the months and years before, and we begin to see how convoluted things are in this family. The daughters have various disorders, from kleptomania to food issues. We are not sure if the potential bride is a liar or just good at keeping secrets.

By the end of the tale, I felt stunned by the unwinding of the lives of these characters. What to believe? I wasn’t sure I believed any of them. The story did keep me turning the pages, but for me, it earned 4.5 stars.

2.5/5 stars

⚠️TW: Rape, domestic abuse, kleptomania, alcoholism, and dementia

Tully and Rachel’s father Stephen Aston is a well-respected heart surgeon and is ecstatic to tell his daughters that he is getting married, the only catch, he needs to divorce his wife first. The girls’ mother Pam has advancing dementia and is now confined to a nursing home where each day her condition worsens. Enter Heather, Stephens significantly younger fiancée, Tully and Rachel have their doubts of Heather’s intentions. Everyone has secrets and slowly but surely, they begin to unravel to the point where no one can come back from.

•

Okay, let me just start off with that this is definitely going to be an unpopular opinion review 🙈 The beginning started out strong, I really enjoyed the way the author developed the story by going back and forth from the present (the wedding ceremony) and the past in alternating POV’s between Tully, Rachel and Heather, it captured my attention. As the story progressed, there was A LOT going on and I wish there was more structure, it just seemed like there were a lot of things being thrown at you and it was hard to keep up. I wish there was some more character development and more emphasis on the strength of these women who each endured their own individual trauma. Also, THE ENDING 🤦🏻‍♀️ I could see the direction the author was going in but the execution just fell flat for me. This story is a page turner that I would label more as a mystery than a thriller, for me it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I feel like this one will be a hit or miss for most people, there is a lot I can’t discuss without spoiling so if you have read this one my DM’s are wide open for discussion! Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This title will be released on April 5th, 2022.

Sally Hepworth never disappoints! I loved the slow burn of drama in this one. A younger wife and sisters with secrets to hide? Sign me up! Certainly in the running for the best of 2022. Thank you for this!

3.5
This is my first book by the author and I enjoyed it. It kept me engaged and turning the pages. It's a fast read with lots going on. In fact, lots and lots going on but it did make for an interesting, page turner of a story. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending so taking it down 1/2 star. I'm definitely interested in reading more from the author though.

Sally Hepworth has certainly found her niche in domestic thrillers. I enjoyed this book for it’s familial issues intertwined with so many real world, yet taboo subjects, like addiction, domestic abuse, mental health, sexual assault etc. I found Tully, Rachel, and Heather relatable and likeable. Massive praise for not making Heather the cliché “other woman” villain but instead allowing Tully and Rachel to accept her and respect her. Hepworth’s writing was as always clever and thought-provoking. My only issue with the story was the epilogue that introduced some ambiguity. I honestly was left feeling gaslighted by a book that was some what about gaslighting. I questioned whether Stephen was an abuser or not but then had to remind myself that he had abused Heather and therefore, no matter what the situation was between he and Pam, he was an abuser. I’m not sure what Hepworth was angling at with this ending, but I’d love to hear her thoughts and reasoning.

I usually love Sally Hepworth novels I feel so bad I did not enjoy this one. I had trouble telling who's POV I was reading. Admittedly I was in a reading slump when I was trying to read this so it might be on me,

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
Fiction. Light thriller or mystery. Potential domestic abuse triggers. Multiple POV’s.
Adult family generations centered around one man. His previous wife has Alzheimer’s. His fiancé is becoming friends with his adult daughters. The daughters lives are changing with the discovery of hidden money by their mother.

Interesting.
Tully has been stealing since she was a child. It’s not anything she needs or really wants but the feelings she gets. Add her husband losing their money and the children at the age where they argue everything, plus her getting remarried. Her stress level is high.
Rachel has her own issue from when she was in school. Her new delivery person throws an unexpected curve in her orderly life.
Fiancé Heather has secrets but more importantly her drinking seems to bother her future husband.
The story winds around these three with their daily lives, the interactions and finally dealing.

Each of the women brought out my empathy, my sorrow and my anger at what they experienced. But also my questions on why they reacted the way they did. I’m not walking in their shoes so can’t say I would have acted the same or differently but it was intriguing that all this drama is in one extended family.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

I was really into this book for most of it. I kept wanting to know more about the family and the connections within. I found I didn't really get the ending well. I wanted a more detailed ending. Still had me hooked though..

I was excited for the opportunity to read Sally Hepworth’s latest novel “The Younger Wife.” Last year, I read “The Good Sister” with my book club, and I enjoyed the story and then the group discussion of it so much that I borrowed “The Mother-in-Law” from the library not long after our meeting. However, I was also slightly apprehensive about this new novel—a cursory glance at some of the ratings showed that opinions were all over the place. After reading the book myself, I can now understand the mixed response.

Here’s the thing: Sally Hepworth knows what she’s doing with domestic thrillers. She’s a skilled writer. She can create protagonists who are relatable in a way that will draw on your sympathy but who also have personal weaknesses that play into the drama of the story. She can write supporting characters who appear charming at first but who then show a slight edge that makes you question their actions and intentions as events unfold. She knows at what points to toss in a little obstacle or character reveal to keep the plot moving and hold your interest. However, the issue with “The Younger Wife” is that it’s being positioned as a thriller, but it’s more of a melodrama. There aren’t that many plot twists, and the twists are a bit predictable, especially if you’ve read a Hepworth novel before. But that doesn’t mean the book is uninteresting.

The story is centered around the engagement and wedding of quietly lovely interior designer Heather Wisher and a former client of hers—older, charming, and kind Dr. Stephen Aston. There are four points-of-view: Stephen’s grown daughters Tully and Rachel, who deal with their anxiety over their father’s new relationship, their mother’s poor health, and other stressors in their lives in self-destructive ways; bride Heather, who is looking forward to living a peaceful, beautiful existence and leaving her unhappy past behind; and a mysterious wedding guest who doesn’t seem all that upset when something goes awry on the big day. So there’s definitely a lot of potential for drama. There’s just not a lot of suspense. And, disappointingly, there’s also not enough care and attention given to some serious issues brought up in this book.

“The Younger Wife” isn’t Sally Hepworth’s strongest work, but I still believe it would make a decent enough beach read or airplane book for a long flight. I can definitely understand why there’s disappointment in the execution of the story, but I’m still inclined to recommend it for someone looking for a distraction.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. My review was posted to Goodreads on March 23, 2022: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4374536504.

I really enjoyed The Younger Wife. In fact I just bought another book by Sally Hepworth to read next.
If you enjoy books that keep you on your toes and constantly thinking, then this is a book for you. In fact, it still has me thinking and guessing after the book is over with.
Rachel’s and Tullys Mom was placed in a nursing home because of Alzheimer’s. When they were cleaning out her stuff, they found almost $100K hidden and had no clue where it came from. Their father who claims he loves his wife becomes engaged to a younger woman and divorces his ill wife. This cause more confusion in his daughters’ already complicated lives. Then they start seeing hints that he may have been abusive as a husband.
Is there Dad one of the good guys or could he be an abusive husband who beat his wife so much to cause Alzheimer’s? Did he abuse his previous wife they didn’t know about? Is his abusing his fiancé?
I really enjoyed the mystery.

4.5⭐️
I read the good sister last year and loved it. So I super excited about The Younger Wife!
The novel was well executed and the mysteries started almost from page 1.
I love the way Sally Hepworth writes. She has a special talent for creating mystery in all of her characters which I think makes the novel that much more suspenseful.
There was more than one thing going on and it had me going in so many directions. Great job Sally Hepworth! I can’t wait to read the next one.
I chose to listen to this book on audio and read it. The narrators were Barrie Kreinik, Caroline Lee, Jessica Douglas-Henry, and Zoe Carides. They were excellent and I highly recommend it.
Thanks Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.
I will post my review on Instagram, FB, Bookbub, Amazon, Goodreads and B&N.

With a title like The Younger Wife, you would expect the story to be about a younger wife.. right? This one isn’t, not completely. It’s more about how the family reacts to their father’s new fiancé, their own struggles and the possibility that their father is an abuser. There is a lot going on, with each character having their own crazy story, and then throw in a mother with dementia. Maybe too much?
I did not find the story thrilling or suspenseful, even though there is definitely bloodshed at the beginning of the book. I honestly didn’t care who had been killed, or why. I didn’t find the lead up that interesting. What I did like was Tully and Rachel. If it had just been a book about the sisters, as a simple fiction book, I would have loved it.
I did finish the book in one sitting. The chapters are short, usually with a tiny cliffhanger. I felt the book was a little rushed, and the ending flat.

I'm done with gaslighting (or supposed gaslighting), writers need to give this a break for a while. I'm also done with stupid women.

I went to a webinar in January where the author talked about her inspiration for this book (she discusses it in the author's note at the end). I thought it sounded like an intriguing concept and was anxious to see where she went with it. I have really liked the past few books of hers I read and was excited to read this latest offering.


The book starts with a wedding of an older man to a younger woman. His daughters are bridesmaids, and his ex-wife with Alzheimer's Disease is in attendance as well. The wedding party, along with the ex-wife who happens to be carrying a candlestick, heads to the back to sign the paperwork. A thud is heard and someone calls for an ambulance.

In general, there are some things I liked about the book, but I thought she did not go far enough with certain things, and went way too far with others. I liked the daughters, Tully and Rachel, but every single character in the book seems to have major issues that they have had for years and are just brushing them under the rug. Rachel's are very understandable and her story arc, while it could have been fleshed out and explored further, made the most sense and was my favorite part. Tully's kleptomania was drawn out way too long with too much time given to it in the narrative.

Now getting to the stupid women part--every single woman, when they are looking back and trying to determine whether or not Stephen is/was abusive, acted stupidly more than once. They didn't try to think for themselves. They took his word for everything. Around and around we went not knowing if the women were being gaslit, were drunk, were actually crazy, were stupid, or a combination of the above. I wish the author would have made at least one of them astute enough to get to the bottom of things, but all of the women were at least partially distracted by their issues.

Taken as a whole, I know that this was the very point of the book. It was to create this ambiguous situation where the reader has to determine what really happened. Hepworth is a fantastic writer, so I give her credit for the interesting way she created this puzzle. Yet, I just cannot get past that the men are all pretty much perfect and the women are all a mess.

I know I'm an outlier with my opinions for this book, I think it would make a good book club choice so that readers can discuss their thoughts and predictions.

Stephen Aston is a successful heart surgeon, who falls in love with his interior decorator, Heather, after his wife is put in a nursing home with late stage dementia. When his daughters Rachel and Tully meet the new girlfriend, their dad drops a bomb that they aren't just dating, but getting married. The sister's have a hard time picking a place in this family dynamic. When Rachel finds a big chunk of change in her moms belongings with a mysterious name attached comes into play doubt starts to come in that her dad wasn't this perfect man she always thought he was.

This book was fast pace. I couldn't put it down! I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and the dual timeline. Each character had major flaws and it lead for an entertaining story, but also a lot of trigger warnings for readers. Some of those include Kleptomania, Eating disorder, Rape, Domestic Abuse, and Financial dilemmas.

While I enjoyed the book up, the last chapter really threw off the whole book. The chapter is in there to plant a seed of doubt against their dad's abuse, but I didn't find it successful. I would have left it out all together as I don't think it added to the story. Or If she really wanted to put it in there I would have put it in the middle when our opinions were being made to plant the doubt then.

Overall, I'd give this a 3.5-3.75. Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 4/5!

📖🎧BOOK REVIEW🎧📖
🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
PUB DATE: April 5, 2022
AUDIO: 9 HRS 18 MIN
PAGES: 352

OH MY STARS! Have you read this author yet? If not, what are you waiting for?

My first book by Ms. Hepworth was “The Mother-in-Law” and she had me hooked from the first chapter! She is an auto-read for me and I don’t waste time reading the synopsis. I can always count on her for an excellent read. The books I’ve read have been built around domestic drama and dark family secrets and filled with plenty of havoc.

The Aston family is a prominent family with loads of juicy, secret skeletons in their closets! The father—Stephen—is a distinguished and well-loved doctor. His two daughters—Tully and Rachel—are grown and living happy lives. Or are they? Tully is a mental mess, with hidden issues that go back to early childhood. Rachel has her own secrets. She’s a successful businesswoman but doesn’t date…..ever.

Their mother—Pam—has dementia, and is living in a care facility. Poor Pam rarely recognizes anyone. And she forgot to share her secrets before they faded away.

And now there is a fiancee—Heather. Stephen throws everyone for a loop when he introduces them to Heather for the first time. And announces they are engaged. First of all, he’s still married to their mother. And second, Heather is younger than both daughters.

Excerpt:
“Their smiles are painted on, unconvincing, but then who would be pleased to see their father marry a woman young enough to be their sister? And while their mother looks on to boot.”

This is only a taste of the enticing secrets in this turmoil-filled thriller! I highly recommend.

I enjoyed both the audiobook and e-book. Sincere thanks to Macmillan Audio / St. Martin’s Press for this complimentary ARC that was provided through NetGalley. This review is my honest opinion.

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The Younger Wife was a little difficult for me to get into, but after several chapters the characters' personalities emerged and I was hooked. I think Sally Hepworth handled the tough subjects well. I liked how she didn't give a lot of detail, but it was still enough to feel emotionally connected to the character and understand things about them.

I would recommend this to fans of thrillers. I will be reading more of Sally Hepworth's books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.