The Younger Wife is the first Sally Hepworth novel I have read and I can’t wait to read more of her backlist ASAP. This book had me hooked from the first 20 pages and I was so intrigued the entire time. I would say it is more of a creepy literary fiction novel than a traditional thriller but it definitely gave me chills. This story follows an upper-middle class family as their dad decides to remarry their interior designer… while his wife is still alive in a dementia care facility. Despite their seemingly perfect lives, each family member holds secrets close to their chest. Told from the point of view of Tully and Rachel, the two daughters, and Heather, the younger wife, this tale will have you questioning everything and every man you know. Be sure to pick this one up when it hits shelves on April 5th and thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my review!

I began this book under the impression I was going to read a thriller but apparently, it's categorized as a domestic suspense. If I had been aware of that beforehand, I might have tempered my expectations.

What I enjoyed:
-Sally Hepworth's ability to write flawed characters.
-The character development. We get to embark on each characters' journey. When we start the book, we meet three flawed women, who, as the book progresses, face the demons that have been plaguing them.

What I didn't like:
-This may be my fault as I thought I was reading a different genre, but I felt as if this was too slow of a burn.
-For the majority of the book, I was under the impression that one of the points-of-view was an unreliable narrator. There is a lot of ambiguity on the true nature of one of the characters and I would have preferred if the last chapter provided confirmation one way or another, instead of adding to the vagueness.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an e-arc of THE YOUNGER WIFE by @sallyhepworth in exchange for an honest review. This one publishes April 5,2022!

I read The Good Sister last year and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to read this one! While I don’t think it’s necessarily a thriller, I did still enjoy it. I would call this more family drama, with a side of thriller. There is still a murder, so there’s the feeling of trying to figure out who the killer is, AND who was killed, because as the reader, we aren’t given any of this information.

I really enjoyed how this book tackles anxiety, both in adults, and how it shows up in young children. Also, how events in one’s past can shape who they are in adulthood, and how each of us are in control of how we accept what has happened to us.

I have a few of Sally’s backlist books on my shelf and I’m excited to read them! If you are a fan of her books, I recommend this book, just know I don’t really think it’s a “true” thriller.

I love this read! Sally Hepworth does an excellent job of giving us realistic and believable characters, an interesting story line, and pacing that kept me turning pages into the wee hours of the night!

Stephen, a well-known heart surgeon is planning to get married again to a younger woman (surprise, surprise), Heather. Heather is younger than his two daughters Rachel and Tully, who don't mind Heather so much as the fact that their dad is still married to their mother!

The story is told from the POVs of the women, Heather, Rachel, Tully, their mother, and an unknown voice. As each woman tells her story, we learn about personal secrets and issues that affect their lives and choices. As the women begin to deal with their issues, they begin to question what they think they know about Stephen. I really enjoyed the focus on the individual women and watching them deal with their issues and take back their power.

I don't want to disclose any more and ruin an entertaining read!

My sincere thanks to Ms. Hepworth and St. Martin's Press who allowed me to read an e-arc of this book scheduled for publication 4/5/22 via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

This was my second Sally Hepworth book, and I am definitely a fan!
Her ability to develop characters that draw an emotional response from me is pure bliss.
I highly enjoyed the tidbits of reveals from each character; giving up just enough that I know they are damaged, but still want the whole story.
I wasn't a big fan of the ending, but that has more to do with me than the actual writing.
Make sure you read the author's notes at the end, very interesting how this book came about.
Much love to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for my DRC.

The first half of this book I would categorize fully in the family drama bucket, with the second half adding in a touch of domestic suspense. I always find Sally Hepworth writes the most memorable characters and that was once again the case here. There were parts of it that were easy to predict, but definitely plenty of things I didn’t expect at the end. I didn’t love the epilogue and didn’t think it was necessary, but it does give the reader a lot to think about and would make for a great discussion with a buddy read or book club. This definitely is a slow burn character driven read, but I think readers will really enjoy spending some time with this dysfunctional family. 4/5⭐️

Thanks to @StMartinsPress @Sallyheporth and @Netgalley for the eARC

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
#seventeenthbookof2022 #arc

CW: domestic violence, discussion of rape, alcohol abuse, kleptomania, binge eating, dementia, gaslighting, mental health struggles

This book starts out with a bang: someone is seriously injured at a wedding. You don’t know who, and you don’t know who’s perspective you’re reading. I was immediately in. I had to know what happened behind the closed doors of the sacristy.

The story then jumps back in time a year, and alternates between a few different perspectives: Rachel and Tully, two sisters, and Heather, the titular younger wife who will marry their father. And of course, the mysterious perspective from the prologue.

I enjoyed the different POVs and liked Heather more than I expected. I appreciated the discussion and normalization of therapy. This was a pretty quick read and it zipped the story along. I feel like the ending was a tiny bit rushed, and this was definitely not a thriller, but it was a solid suspenseful read.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advance copy. (Pub date 4/5/22)

#theyoungerwife #sallyhepworth

I thought this was a solid read. Sometimes I struggle with alternating perspectives, but I actually enjoyed the three perspectives of the sisters + the new wife. I don't think this was as much a thriller as it was a family drama, but I still enjoyed it.

The Good Sister was a fabulous read with unique, well-developed characters, so when I saw The Younger Wife announced, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I was thrilled to dive into this one.

From Goodreads:

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?

I really enjoyed this one.

Hepworth's writing is engrossing. This story is told in alternating POVs and each voice worked really well, even if readers will probably pick a favorite early on. Tully, Rachel, and Heather are delightfully executed. Navigating their relationships fell more into the drama category for me and reminded me a bit of The Stepmom or Firefly Lane, so I think readers who cross genres will definitely find this enjoyable.

Overall, The Younger Wife is a quick, suspenseful read with plenty of family drama and taut twists that will keep you turning pages.

Thank you to St. Martin's and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Netgalley and Sally Hepworth for letting me be an early reader. This book publishes on April 5.

I didn’t love this one as much as I adored The Good Sister. This storyline is one I’ve read before and I didn’t feel like this one came with any accompanying wow factor. I don’t want to give anything away about the plot but the way every man was portrayed as perfect and every woman has mental health issues was a little tiring. I can’t wait to discuss this one so please send me a message so we can talk about it!

This is the actual synopsis. I can’t even write one up without ruining the story.

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?

Oh gosh, really enjoyed this one! Took about 25% of the book to be very invested in the plot and the who-dun-it but then couldn't put it down! I love a mystery/thriller with a psychological twist.

A completely guilty pleasure read for me. I loved this unique premise of a story-line and was completely pulled in right from the start. The short chapters and the dedication of each being about only one character, really makes this a quick, "one more chapter", read. I'm not the type of person who tries to figure out the "whodunnit" in books; so I appreciated how each character was built up to create the atmosphere of the drama. Twisty and turny, keeps this book interesting. Although, many reviewers didn't care for the ending, I gasped as I read the last chapter! The ending itself would make a fun book club discussion.
Thank you NetGalley, for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'm seeing a lot of 4 and 5 star reviews, so maybe I'm just looking too deeply, but there were a lot of things about this book that didn't sit right with me and ultimately I couldn't get past them.

First, it's 2022 - when are we going to stop writing crazy/drunk/hysterical women? I am so over the trope. Every man in this book was painted as the picture of perfection while every single woman had mental health issues, or was an alcoholic, or was just imagining things in her head. Second, this book contains some very serious (and potentially triggering) content and I thought it was handled terribly. Rape, disordered eating, gaslighting, domestic abuse, emotional manipulation, all of it was spoken of in a very blasé way (if even spoken of at all, ahem *gaslighting*). A character with major issues with anxiety is repeatedly called "neurotic" and I just wonder how no one around her sees that it could be a bigger issue. Another character hasn't dated a single person since she was 16 and eats her feelings to the point of shame - again, it goes unnoticed by everyone around her. Instead, they talk about how she's gained some weight.

Don't even get me started on the epilogue. I was already like wtf while reading this book, but then the epilogue happened and I was pretty disgusted. The epilogue's only purpose in this book was shock value and a jaw dropping reaction, but honestly it upset me. It feeds into the doubt that surrounds survivors of abuse and it didn't sit well with me at all. If the content throughout the book had been handled with more care and compassion, I could have possibly let it slide. But this entire book was pretty gross to me and that ending was problematic.

Another note about the ending, I just don't buy it. Hard to say without giving spoilers, but this character has MANY red flags throughout the book and the fact that we are supposed to completely change our minds about them is a nope for me.

I have loved this author's previous work and I will still read her books in the future, but this one just didn't work for me at all.

Sally Hepworth has a way of bringing her characters alive. This book is character driven, you learn about all their dramas and flaws, and you cannot help feeling bad for Tully and your heart breaking for Rachel. The short chapters make it easy to read 'just one more,' one after the other. I really enjoyed it and will definitely recommend it to my friends.

Thanks Sally Hepworth, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

I've loved every single Sally Hepworth book I've ever read so I was super excited to read this one. I wasn't disappointed. I liked the different points of view. Sally knows how to weave a perfect tale. I can't wait to read her next one.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

THE YOUNGER WIFE
by Sally Hepworth
Published by St Martin's Press
Date: April 5 2022

Tully and Rachel are sisters and love their parents. So when their dad Stephen announces one day that he is getting married to a younger woman while still married to his current wife with dementia Pam..this doesn't go over well.
This is a family drama and there are several plots going on at once. Not all are resolved however the main storyline plot is. I enjoyed the story and found it to be a good read.

I really enjoyed the audiobook of The Younger Wife! I really liked all of the narrators and I enjoyed the multiple perspectives of Heather, Rachel, Talie and the unknown woman. There were so many details in Rachel, Heather, and Talie's story lines. I was constantly questioning with Heather if Steven was abusive or if Heather was slowly losing her mind. Talie's story line and her kleptomania and Rachel's eating disorder all made it seem like there was something about their family/personal life they hadn't considered.

I'm not sure this had the same twist as I typically expect from a Sally Hepworth book, but I still enjoyed it. I will always read any new releases from Hepworth.

I actually really enjoyed most of the book! I liked that even though this was a thriller majority of the characters were likeable. It was easy to understand each of their struggles and why they were going into certain experiences and reacting the way that they were. I loved how we got a snippet of the wedding at the very beginning of the book and we spent the whole time trying to figure out what happened at the wedding and how we got there. I loved the multiple perspectives and how we were able to see everyone's thoughts on what was happening. I just wish there was a little more that we could have seen at the end of the book. It just felt like everything wrapped a little too well and I think I just wanted a little more from the ending.

OK - this one was hard to read. I gave it 4 stars because I liked the concept, and I liked how the chapters fluctuated between being narrated by the different characters. What a concept, to divorce your wife who is suffering from Alzheimer's and still alive, because you've found love again. And, your new wife is younger than your grown daughters. And, you're a doctor who is much respected so no one would ever accuse you of any abuse...but maybe you are abusive and super manipulative as well so those you abuse don't even recognize you are at fault. All the parts of this book added up to a great read, but I did not enjoy the ending, At all. Too open ended. Otherwise, a great book.

What would you do if you just found out that your father has just proposed to his girlfriend that is roughly the same age as you, after having your mother that he is still married to put in a nursing home for dementia?

I'd tell you what I'd do but I don't want the authorities to come a knockin'.

That's the situation that Tully and her sister Rachel find themselves in. On top of that they have their own set of unique problems that they are dealing with. For Tully that is shoplifting and for Rachel that is food and the need to *eat* her feelings.

Heather, the younger wife, seems nice enough but what could she possibly see in a sixty year old man? This is the question that the sisters are asking themselves.

Once the blissful wedding day arrives it will be known that not everyone will make it to the cocktail hour. Who did what, and to whom is the question?

As always Hepworth has managed to write a page-turner. This woman is a born writer and can spin stories that either capture your attention, capture your heart, or both. A feat many will never accomplish. I'll admit this is my least favorite of the three books of hers I've read but the other two were 5 stars all the way and are firmly sitting on my favorites shelf so I don't say that as an insult to the author.

If there is one thing I knew from other reviewers before starting this is that it had a controversial ending. An ending that downright pissed off some and delighted others for the WTF moment it caused them and I totally get where both sides are coming from. My verdict: I didn't love it and I didn't like the message it seemed to be sending. To discuss this more in depth would spoil the entire novel so I will leave it at that.

Even though this offering won't be added to my favorites shelf it's still a worthy and entertaining book and I will be first in line for whatever Hepworth thinks up next. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my complimentary copy.