The Younger Wife is the third book written by Sally Hepworth that I have read! If you love edge of the seat thrillers with lots of twists, be sure to read this novel. There are so many twists and turns in this novel that I did not want to put in down even to go to sleep! The summary of the novel starts by describing The Husband who is a top cardiac surgeon, who is getting married but needs to divorce his current wife. Then there are the 2 daughters, Rachel and Natalie, who both have secrets stemming from their childhood. The Former Wife, who has secrets of her own and then The Younger Wife......what is her motivation? Each of the characters have secrets and flaws. I loved this book! I intend to read more of Ms. Hepworth's novels. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Stephen Aston is a successful doctor, a husband, and the father of two women, Tully and Rachel. He wants nothing more than to be a loving husband to Heather, but he must get a divorce from his wife Pam, who is herself battling Alzheimer's. ⁣⁣
Tully and Rachel love their father and want him to be happy, but they aren’t too happy with his choice to remarry, especially to a woman who is younger than they are. Hiding their own individual secrets, the daughters are determined to uncover the secrets that seem to have been buried by their parents.⁣⁣
Heather is a woman in love and excited to begin a new chapter in her life. Wishing for acceptance and a family, Heather is desperate to keep her secrets hidden.⁣⁣

Wow! The Younger Wife was such a page-turner for me, as I desperately wanted to know the truth about Stephen and the members of his family. The events are seen through the eyes of multiple characters, which brings with it many perspectives that ultimately come together so well in the end. I loved the mysteries and questions surrounding this family and the ways in which they overcame many of the challenges they faced. The ending is, in my opinion, perfect for the story; it shows the importance of perspectives and personal histories.⁣⁣

I highly recommend The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth, available April 5th. Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for gifting to me an electronic early copy of The Younger Wife, given in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.

👰👨I liked it, even the ending🙃

4.5🌟 stars
I really liked the way this Melbourne-set story was structured, with a major drama to start and then the timeline shifts to the past working its way bit by bit to the leading scene and then the astonishing reveal of what actually occurred at the end of Stephen and Heather's wedding ceremony. It kept me eagerly reading right until the open-to-interpretation conclusion. I don't think the fact that different readers will have varying views on this family's history detracts at all from a very good read.

True, it's also a family with a lot of emotional problems and I noted early on that I just could not understand or really like Tully, Stephen and Pam's married daughter. She's a spoiled basket case and it took until the very end of the book for me to warm up to her. Her sister Rachel's anxiety is easier to understand. But each character is distinct and adds pieces to the family picture that hides so many questions and secrets. The story is told from several female points of view and, as a result, I felt I did not get to know the men in their lives as well. This does however, keep Stephen an enigmatic figure throughout.

The writing is succinct, no nonsense or unnecessary desciption, and therefore easy to read. I also like stories like this with short chapters; I find I am driven to read just another, then another, ... and the pages fly by. Hepburn is an author whose work is new to me; I will be looking for more by her.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Sally Hepworth tells another great story with her new novel, The Younger Wife. Like Hepworth's other novels,The Younger Wife is filled with interesting characters and a suspenseful plot. Stephen is a married surgeon with two grown daughters. His wife has Alzheimer's disease and she is living in a memory care facility. Stephen falls in love with thirty-four year old Heather who is younger than both of his daughters and twenty-nine years Stephen's junior. Tully and Rachel are bothered by Heather's age but also stunned that Stephen openly has a girlfriend while married to their mother. The story is told in alternating viewpoints from the three younger women and everyone in the novel is carrying a dark secret. Hepworth's character development is superb and this causes the reader's loyalties to shift. Suspenseful and insightful is once again Hepworth's winning combination. The Younger Wife is a must read.

Another great thriller from Ms. Hepworth. I read this all practically in one sitting on a long car ride. I could have put it down, but I didn't want to! It kept moving - and while maybe it didn't keep you guessing til the end, the characters and pace really had you glued. Tully and Rachel's father is getting married to a girl younger than them, and only recently divorced their dimentia-riddled mother. In all of this family turmoil, family secrets start to be unearthed and the two daughters have to figure out who to trust. I really, really enjoyed this thriller/family drama.

Is it cliche to say that a book grabbed me from the very beginning? Irrelevant. Because that’s exactly what this one did!

Picture it: It’s the prologue, and we’re at a wedding. There’s a scream, and then, blood on a white pantsuit!

Have your attention now, do I? Good!

Just like that, we’re off and running! We’re catapulted back in time, back to when we’re properly introduced to our main characters: Tully and Rachel—two ladies who aren’t too pleased at the fact that their father is divorcing their invalid mother to marry a much younger woman—and Heather, the father’s soon-to-be new wife. In alternating chapters, we are given the varying perspectives of these three women. Of course, they all have secrets. No one is what she seems. Sooner rather than later, you’ll start doubting everything you think you know.

For pacing that races with locomotive speed, characters who bleed red flags, and an ending that will shake your very foundation, I highly recommend that you grab this book immediately.

Wow, another hit from Sally Hepworth. I LOVED the Good Sister, and was really excited to be approved for a review copy of this book, and it did not disappoint. I see a lot of reviewers talking about the ending, and while I certainly don't want to give any spoilers, I quite enjoyed it. This book had me seriously HOOKED. One of the best thrillers of the year hands-down and what I'm guessing will be an instant bestseller. FANTASTIC audiobook, great characters with very unique but real problems, and amazingly written relationships.

Wow. This is a book that I will remember for a long time. Something happens at the wedding of a man in his 60's and his young fiancée. I receive a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I love that the book is driven by the characters and told from the two daughters' and the fiancée's point of view. The three of them are complex characters. While I am anxious to know what actually happened, the story is so much better as we get to know the main characters. Interspersed in the story, we get glimpses of the wedding events which keeps me glued to the story.

3.5 stars rounded up!

I am obsessed with Hepworth’s storytelling. She sucked me in and I could not stop reading. I think this is the first book in a while I’ve read in three days or less! I haven’t been in a full blown slump, but reading hasn’t been a top choice throughout the last few days but this one got me hooked.

I will say, this was not my favorite Hepworth book. Yes, it absolutely sucked me in and I’m a sucker for multiple POVs within stories, but there was something kind of icky about this book that I’m not sure I can explain too well.

Content warnings: domestic abuse, Alzheimer’s, rape, gaslighting, miscarriage, infidelity

This story had a lot of dark storylines. So dark to where I had trouble with a few spots. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve read very dark books no issues, but there was something so realistic for me I had trouble. I think depending on what mood readers are in will determine if they can or can’t handle the content.

Do I think this is a quick read thriller? Absolutely. But I do want readers to research the content warnings before diving in.

Big thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC and Macmillan audio for the ALC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Have you ever read a book that just messed with your mind so much that you're not sure how to accurately describe what just happened? That's exactly how I feel right now.

This turned out to be a truly fascinating book. You don't know who to trust, you second guess things that happened and in the end you're still left asking what the f**k just happened! I can't wait to read something else by this author. I've heard of her before but this is my first experience reading her books and I'm in shock and awe.

Read this book if you're a fan of (1) family dramas, (2) multiple POV and (3) books that make you second guess everything you think you know.

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Rachel and her sister Tully meet their dad for lunch with his new girlfriend, Heather, who was s have his age. When he announces that they are engaged, their first thought is of their mom who is in a facility dealing with Alzheimer's.
The book is told by Rachel, Tully and Heather. I thought the book was very hard to get into but I did enjoy it once I did.

This is the second book by Sally Hepworth that I’ve read, and I of course thought this one was very good as well! This book was a very suspenseful family drama with so many components from each character. Told in the POV of three women, the future stepmother Heather, and the two daughters, Tully and Rachel, it was great to be able to see what was happening behind the scenes for each character. I’m a sucker for a story with multiple viewpoints! Each character has secrets to hide, and, in the end, all the secrets come out in the very explosive ending! I knew the plot was building up to something good, but the ending shocked me.

A big thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Sally Hepworth for allowing me to listen to this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Hepworth may very well be my favorite author. She writes thrillers that are exciting but not gruesome, relationships that are nuanced but relatable, storylines that are familiar but not overdone, and she does it all in a style all her own. She is in her own league which, consequently, sets a very high bar for her novels. This novel didn’t quite hit that high bar for me. It’s a fine thriller; it just isn’t her best.
For me, Hepworth shines most in how she writes relationships and this is where the novel fell short for me. The relationships weren’t as complex or interesting as her other novels. In fact, they were pretty standard for a thriller - pretty young woman from a modest upbringing falls in a love with a rich and well respected man who has two daughters who aren’t wild about this new romance. There was great potential for a classic Hepworth relationship (the older wife and the younger wife) but that never came to fruition for me even though the foundation was right there-a missed opportunity to make the novel much more interesting. Likewise, gaslighting is such a common thriller trope and it was used heavily in this novel. Hepworth previously used gaslighting brilliantly in one of her previous novels, so I was surprised that she used it again, particularly in such a banal manner.
Listen, it’s still a good thriller - fast paced, buried secrets, unreliable narrators, and ambiguous conclusions. It’s just not as good as “The Mother in Law,” “The Good Sister” or “The Secrets of Midwives.” It just goes to show you how amazing of a writer she is that an intriguing, keep you guessing thriller is just an “ok” novel for her.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really like that this story was told from three womens point of views. ⁣
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Heather is marrying Rachel and Tullys father Steven, she’s younger than the girls, and their mother is in a nursing home with early onset dementia and still technically married to their dad. He files for divorce without their mum really knowing to marry Heather.⁣
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There are a lot of things going on; kleptomania, emotional abuse, physical abuse, a history of rape, anxiety in a child, eating disorders and delusions. ⁣
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Most of the characters are unreliable due to past triggers. They lead you to believe one thing but then sometimes say things that make you second guess the character.⁣
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This is a family drama, that consists of quite a bit of lying and gaslighting and you’re left as a reader feeling like you were gaslit and unsure of the wedding. ⁣

I received an e-copy and audiobook and really enjoyed the narration. It truly brought out the different personalities of the sisters and Heather.
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Thank you @stmartinspress for an ARC for my honest review. ⁣
3.5/4⭐️

When Tully and Rachel find out their father, Stephen, is marrying a <i>much</i> younger woman, they are immediately suspicious. Their parents are still married (albeit their mother Pam is in a home with dementia) and Heather and Stephen’s relationship has moved quite fast.

<i>The Younger Wife</i> is told from Tully, Rachel and Heather’s perspectives. All have some sort of secret and all are very concerned about Stephen and his past. This novel was a quick read with an easy wrap-up. I felt it glazed over some issues (Rachel’s) and spent more than enough time on others (Tully’s). 2.5 ⭐️

The Younger Wife starts out with an incredible prologue: it’s Heather and Stephen’s wedding day, and on what should be a happy occasion, a young woman lets out a scream and her white pantsuit is covered in blood.

This book is a domestic suspense novel filled with family drama. Heather, our book’s younger wife, is younger than Stephen’s daughters, but she’s in love. Stephen’s daughters, Tully and Rachel, definitely aren’t sure about welcoming Heather into the family. Probably because Stephen is still married to Pam, although she has advanced dementia and is in a care facility. The daughters have their own coping mechanisms to deal with the news of the upcoming nuptials (as well as the other hard parts of life): Tully is a kleptomaniac and Rachel bakes and eats. But something happens at the wedding, and we get to start a year earlier and work our way up to the wedding to see what’s really going on.

Discovering what happened past and present in this quirky family was fun. There really is so much drama and the family members have a whole slew of issues. I loved the storyline with the hot water bottle and thought it was fun that it was connected back to the dedication at the beginning. The full-cast narration was great, and I switched back and forth between audio and the physical book. Barrie Kreinik, Caroline Lee, Jessica Douglas-Henry, and Zoe Carides did a wonderful job voicing this story.

There are lots of trigger warnings in this book, so be sure to look them up before starting. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the advance copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

The Younger Wife is the third book I’ve read from Sally Hepworth. Sally’s books seem to be a mixed bag for me. The Younger Wife explores strained familial relationships, social class, gaslighting, and finding the truth. Overall, this was an entertaining read. I liked the various POVs and the writing style. The middle dragged a bit, but it was interesting to see how the ending came together. Also the author connected a scene in the book to something that happened to her in real life which was pretty cool. I’d recommend reading this if you loved her other books. This was 3.5 stars for me.

I seem to have the same issue with this book as a lot of other people….I enjoyed it overall until the end. Sally Hepworth’s books are more like dramas with thriller aspects. In this one we’re following two sisters when their dad gets engaged to a woman their age while he’s still married to his wife with dementia. It switches POVs between these 3 women as we uncover the drama in their lives. I was overall underwhelmed with the ending because it was pretty much what I thought the entire time and it’s been done before. But that wasn’t even my issue with the book my issue was that this book has a heavy subject matter of domestic violence that really did not portray women well and did not sit right with me. Proceed with caution and I sure as hell hope they changed the ending a bit for the final copy.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Sally Hepworth book and I really enjoyed it. The writing is fantastic and sucks you in quickly with characters you NEED to know more about! Starting off with the wedding and something bad happening but all we know so far is the rumors of the guests. I loved that every character had their own story line of what was going on with them and how these things are affecting the events that are happening. I loved the uncertainty I felt as a I read and tried to put all those pieces together! The ending was great, I'm still left thinking about it and what do I know, if thats the truth.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for my e arc for review!

When Tully and Rachel's mother develops Alzheimer's and their father, Stephen, decides to re-marry a woman younger than both of them, it's bound to raise some ill will. I loved this fast paced mystery. Each of the characters has something to hide and the reveals were well done. It kept me guessing the whole way through and I found the ending to be perfect.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a pre-release of this novel. My review was voluntary and all opinions are my own.