Another great read from Sally Hepworth. Tully and Rachel are having lunch with their father, Stephen, and are meeting his new, younger girlfriend, Heather. And at this lunch Stephen announces his engagement to Heather. The only problem - Stephen is still married to Pam, Tully and Rachel's mother. Pam suffers from dementia and is currently living in a long-term care facility. All Stephen needs to do is divorce Pam, and then he can move on and marry Heather. This set up starts this twisty story that leaves the reader questioning everything.

Sure, Tully and Rachel are not happy that their father has moved on from their mother with a much younger woman. Tully has developed a nasty habit of shoplifting, and Rachel has gained some weight from eating her feelings after she suffered from sexual abuse when she was younger. Heather had a challenging childhood too, and maybe she looks at Stephen as everything her father never was. But strange accidents start to happen, and everyone starts to reexamine what happened in the past, and if their memories were exactly as they seem.

Each chapter of the book is told from a different character's perspective, alternating between Tully, Rachel, and Heather. Interspersed are scenes from Stephen and Heather's wedding where the reader sees the ceremony occur and then something happens off camera. I enjoyed the method of telling the story and appreciated the author's ability to lead the reader into many different directions. Hepworth keeps you guessing and leaves the ending open to interpretation.

This is the second Sally Hepworth book I have read and I am never disappointed! The characters and the storyline of The Younger Wife were so well written and the book kept me engaged all the way through. I enjoyed the back and forth storyline and the different perspectives portrayed throughout. This was a book that I wanted to come back to as soon as I could after putting it down each time...I couldn't wait to find more time to read.

The ending of this book may divide those who wanted a clearcut answer, but I loved this novel as I've come to love all Sally Hepworth's writing. The plot was clever and I found myself enthralled with Tully and Rachel's quirks. Nobody does complicated family dynamics like Hepworth!

I am so so bummed to give this book 2.5 stars (rounded up to 3). Up until the last 10-20 pages, it was my favorite Sally Hepworth novel. The pacing is excellent and the characters are complex and engaging. I found myself captivated by their outwardly perfect lives, their very well hidden secrets, and how each character comes to terms with their issues through the story.

The ending though… it really upset me. It wasn’t that it was ambiguous - I typically don’t like an open ending, but in this case, it was structurally well done. It was more the exact topic that she left open ended. It’s a topic that people doubt themselves on to begin with, and by casting doubt on the characters’s interpretation of the issue, real women facing this issue may doubt themselves. Why, Sally! Why!

Thank you to St. Martins for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. As always, another win from Sally Hepworth. I wasn't sure where the storyline would take me in the beginning; however, there were several moments of surprise that kept me guessing (and page-turning!) The story is told through multiple viewpoints; I'd come to the conclusion of one chapter, see the next name and had to keep reading. Highly recommend to anyone that enjoys a domestic thriller.

TW: rape, murder, infidelity, domestic abuse, substance abuse

The Younger Wife was definitely an anticipated read for me as I've enjoyed Sally Hepworth's work since I read The Family Next Door. The Younger Wife follows sisters, Tully and Rachel, as well as their soon to be step-mother, Heather grappling with the engagement and wedding. Heather is within the same age range as Tully and Rachel so they struggle very much with their fathers (Stephen) relationship, particularly because their mother (whom is still married to their father) who has advanced dementia is still alive. While Heather has secrets of her own, Rachel and Tully are determined to find out the truth of their family's secrets. Particularly as their mother can not reliably speak for herself. They are determined to find out who their father really is.

I tore through this fast paced book within a few hours. Unless I was otherwise occupied, I kept coming back because I needed to know more.

I really enjoyed the POV characters and found it interesting to see how each was perceiving their past as well as present interactions with Stephen.

It was certainly fast paced and kept me hooked. To be honest, I was happier with the ending before the final chapter. I think that's why I've rated the book at 3.5 stars rather than 4. Overall though, I would recommend this book to fans of Hepworth and/or family dramas.

This book gets your attention from the first line and hold it through the entire story. It isn’t often that a thriller peaks and holds my interest. There are times when I think I have read too many however; when a book like this comes along I am so thankful I have NOT given up on the genre.

I love a psychological thriller and I really enjoyed The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth! I truly do think she has the talent, skill, and way to wrap a story around you where you're sucked right into the characters lives. You're instantly pulled in. The Younger Wife was a fast paced domestic drama that revolves around three women's lives, with a lot going on! Yet it was almost too much going on? Everyone had their mess and not everyone's story felt concluded by the end for me. There were unresolved issues which is left to the interpreter for the ending. But it was a good amount of twists, breezy writing, and had characters that were complex!

This book totally didn’t take the direction that I thought it would. I expected a bunch of drama between Heather (the younger wife) and Tully & Rachel (the soon-to-be step daughters), and I was pleasantly surprised when that wasn't the case.

I had high expectations going into this book as I had just read The Good Sister and loved it. One thing you can guarantee about Hepworth is that her books are just easy reading! I really enjoyed the first half of the book and sped through it.

However, the last half of this book is where it lost me. I know what Hepworth was trying to do in the end, but it just didn’t work for me. There were many times that I was left scratching my head by the characters' actions. Most importantly, I don’t think she dealt with some really tough issues with as much care as she should have. In the end, this book just didn’t sit right with me.

There are a lot of trigger warnings for this one: early onset dementia, domestic abuse, rape, and eating disorders (to name a few).

First a huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review! I was so excited to get my hands on this book and it did not disappoint! No one does family drama like Sally Hepworth. There are no major twists and turns but the mystery builds as the reader questions the motivation, and sanity of every character. As the characters are doubting the unfolding events so is the reader! Make sure to grab this when it is published!

Rachel, Tully, and Heather MADE this book.
These ladies had such unique and incredible characteristics that made this book such a page-turner for me. It was EXACTLY the book I needed to read right now to keep my interest, and I was thrilled to have received an early copy thanks to St. Martin's Press.

How Hepworth wove the struggles of each woman with a vivid timeline among the various points of view was just incredible, her writing style kept me guessing even as I thought I had it all figured out. I devoured this book between performances at my teen's show choir competition, and it was the perfect book to read to keep me entertained between shows, each page had me wanting more!

Hepworth made me think, wondering what I would personally do in many of these situations, and got me thinking about the reality of how EACH of us has troubles that we don't share with the world and how those decisions can affect those around us. I'm in a place personally where I love the light and fluffy reads and they can be a great distraction, but books like this one with gritty, messy subject matters that don't portray each character as the perfect person really resonate with me. I encourage you to pick this one up if you love a good thriller that also makes you think about deeper subject matters and the complications of families full of secrets.

Stephen and Pam have been married for years with 2 adult children, Rachel and Tully. When Pam develops dementia and is put into a nursing home, Stephen divorces her and plans to marry Heather a women the same age as his daughters.

Everyone has secrets. Rachel, Tully and Heather and even Stephen. Has everything that Rachel and Tully believed growing up a lie? Is this why they have their own secrets to tell?

Sally Hepworth has done it again!! She has a way to tell a story to keep you second guessing until the very end! Great book to start off the new year!!

The Younger Wife is family drama and suspense at its best. It seems every other chapter contains a twist, a revelation, something you can’t quite get your head around. What is the truth? Who knows? Can they ever know? Tully and Rachel have secrets, but they don’t think their childhood, their happy home, could have anything to do with their problems. But how can their father Stephen start dating while their mother Pam is still his wife – and has just recently been placed in a care home with dementia? How can he divorce Pam and plan a wedding to Heather, the interior decorator (sorry, interior designer) he and Pam hired? And how can he and Heather go and visit Pam together, and how can he insist that it’s a good thing to want Pam present at their wedding? Why is Pam suddenly so fierce and negative about Stephen? So many questions. No easy answers.

Heather. Secrets and issues of her own. Not quite truthful about her past. Is she a gold digger or as in love with and mesmerized by Stephen as she appears to be?

And back to Stephen, who is at the center of it everything. Respected doctor, loved by all, mesmerizes everyone. Not ashamed of his relationship with Heather. He still loves Pam and always will but is grateful for this second chance at happiness.

This story is fantastic! There are so many characters with so much going on that you can’t predict anything. After a few chapters of discoveries and surprises you will be suspicious of everyone and everything. Are they too good to be true? Was there always really more under the surface than anyone saw, than anyone would have believed? Are Rachel and Tully – and Heather – just now seeing things for what they really are? Or is it possible that a word here and there, an unexplained action can sow the seeds of doubt where doubt is not warranted?

The Younger Wife is another amazingly thrilling novel to add to your Sally Hepworth collection. The characters are strong and well-developed, the pace is beyond fast and I guarantee once you pick it up you won’t be able to put it down. “Just one more chapter,” until you have to read straight through to the stunning conclusion. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. I recommend it and anything Sally Hepworth writes without hesitation. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book!

Domestic thrillers are always kind of hit or miss for me. Usually I find them too slow and I want a bit more action (does that make me a sociopath?? who knows).

This one, however, worked pretty well for me. We see this story through three women's eyes, which I think is an important point of the story. Each are grappling with their interactions with various men in their lives in different ways, but all tie back to Stephen-- Tully and Rachel's father, and Heather's soon to be husband. Usually thrillers aren't known for their expansive character development, but I thought Hepworth did a pretty good job of giving all three women different personalities and voices.

Usually I kind of hate a big reveal right at the beginning, but this one worked since there was still some ambiguity about what happened. Hepworth did a good job of pacing this and letting the mystery unfurl slowly. The chapters in this are very quick and I flew through this in a day.

The end will definitely be controversial for some people. I'm still trying to figure out what I think, but I ultimately think it was a pretty smart plot choice, given the context of the rest of the book. Definitely pick this one up and see for yourself!

I really enjoyed this book from start to finish! It begins with Prologue where a father Stephen Aston is getting married to a young wife Heather who is younger than his adult daughters Rachel and Sophie. However, he is still married to their mother who has dementia and lives in a care facility. In fact, she has been invited and attends Stephen's wedding. Something happens and someone gets killed. Bur who killed them and why? I don't want to give away too much, but this is an edge of your seat thriller. This is the first book I've read by Sally Hepworth, but I'll be reading more. Thanks to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and voluntarily review it.

The Ashton family has enough problems, and now their father has a young girlfriend, Heather, who he is going to marry.

What is he doing? Their mother is still living and is in a home for dementia patients?

The Ashton family includes two daughters - one is a kleptomaniac and married - another owns a business and doesn't have a partner, but she has a reason for that.

The addition of Heather who lies about her past doesn’t appear to be a good idea.

An unidentified narrator adds mystery and intrigue because you don’t know where this character fits into the mix.

The book starts out with the wedding and then a scream. What happened?

We follow the family and find out about each family member after the wedding and before Pamela the wife and mother is diagnosed with dementia.

Lots of twists, secrets, lies, and lots of drama.

Which family member doesn’t have secrets and just what are the secrets?

Sally Hepworth always keeps you turning the pages.

This is another engaging, thoughtful read. 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

I LOVE mysteries and read a ton of them, so I'm pretty picky, but I truly felt Sally Hepworth knocked this one out of the park. The characters of "The Younger Wife" were so richly drawn, you felt like you knew them instantly. I needed to keep turning pages to understand what would happen next with each of them and uncover the layers of truth. This was really a great read that I pretty much couldn't put down.

This was my first Sally Hepworth book and I was thrilled to receive an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest feedback (thank you Netgalley).

This book left me with mixed feelings due to how the women we depicted. Domestic Violence is a serious issue in our country and one that is often overlooked. I would have preferred to see the women standing up for themselves and not questioning what they know to be true.

Having said that, I will read more from this author because I have heard nothing but good things. I really liked the writing and plot development. The characters were well developed and real. There was an openness about their vulnerabilities that came shining through.

This was DNF for me. I had no idea what I was even trying to read, very strange writing and I just couldn't get into it.

Rating: 5/5 stars.

“The Younger Wife” by Sally Hepworth is a refreshing mystery novel that is one of my absolute favourite books ever. The beautiful story and intertwining of the three main characters is written so well, that it becomes easy to forget that at the core, there is a mystery to be solved. The author handles sensitive subject matter remarkably well, with humour injected throughout to diffuse the tension at just the right places.

The author seamlessly switches between the points of view of the three main women characters, who are each so fleshed-out and unique in their own ways, that never once was I confused as to who was the main subject of the chapter. Masterfully the baton is passed between suspects. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

I highly recommend this book to all adult readers, especially fans of mystery novels, and of Sally Hepworth’s previous publications.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book on NetGalley and have provided an honest review.*