This is my 7th book I’ve read by Sally Hepworth. Some I’ve rated 2 stars and some I’ve rated 5 stars. This one I’m rating 3 stars. I devoured this book pretty quick but the ending left me completely confused and I don’t even know why! Stephen is married to Pam who has Alzheimer’s and he meets another woman and decides to marry her, a much younger woman! Lots of drama brought in with his daughters who are even younger than the new wife. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am a longtime fan of Sally Hepworth, and was thrilled to have the opportunity to read and review The Younger Wife through NetGalley. In this story a wealthy older gentleman is engaged to marry a younger woman, raising controversy within the family. Pretty typical stuff. The twist......he's still married to his first wife who is in a care facility due to dementia. I would consider this a domestic suspense novel. The further I read into the novel, the more details were revealed, and the more I found myself guessing about the motives of the characters. I enjoyed this one all the way through, and I think any fan of Sally Hepworth's novels will not be disappointed!

2.5 stars

This book was from a "new to me" author that I was given the opportunity to review as an ARC. The summary sounded interesting so I thought, "Why not?" I guess this falls under the Psychological Thriller genre and those books always seem to be hit or miss for me. This one was more on the "miss" side, but it did have it moments.

The premise surrounds a family that looks perfect from the outside but when you start looking at each person individually, the truth is that they are falling apart. I don't want to give away any spoilers so let's just say that each of the family members have their own issues and some of these issues are pretty substantial. The event that leads to the culmination or climax event is the upcoming marriage of the father - Dr. Stephen Aston - to a new and ""younger" woman. Why is that an issue? Well, because the father is still married to his original wife (the mother of his children) and his wife still happens to be alive. She has just been put in a "home" because she suffers from dementia. The family consists of the father, two adult daughters (one of whom is married with small children), the original wife and the new and younger woman.

The book is told from various POV's and honestly, I didn't really like any of the characters. That is always a warning flag for me because if I am not given anybody to root for, what is the purpose of the book? As the countdown to the wedding gets closer and closer, things begin to fall apart - not just for one of the family members, but each one of them seem to be unraveling at an accelerating pace.

The ending was supposed to be a kind of "ah-ha" or at least a "shocking" moment, but the way that it was written actually nullified everything that the author was attempting to do. The ending is muddled and unclear, and the reader is left wondering.

As I said in the beginning, it had its moments, but unfortunately for me - it wasn't enough for me.

I have read all of Hepworths books, and loved them all. And this one didn’t disappoint! I’ve always been a fan of her writing style, and the way she brings her characters to life
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone!
Thanks for giving me the chance to read it!!

Leave it to Sally Hepworth to tackle some tough topics and wrap it in a bow with an entertaining story as well as some provocative characters. I have read every one of Hepworth's books and loved every one. The minute that I finished it, I posted an Instastory giving it 5 stars.

Two sisters and their father’s new, young girlfriend, are coming to terms with each other and their childhood traumas They are all trying to find a path forward for themselves, their immediate families, and their extended families. Meanwhile, everyone is keeping secrets of their own that can make everyone’s world fall apart.
The Younger Wife was told from multiple points of view, the two daughters Tully and Racheal, as well as the young wife Heather, and a mysterious 4th person. From all perspectives, Hepworth did a wonderful job of building suspense and maintaining it right to the end of the novel.
The use of Australian lingo really helped set the scene. Words like 'woke' and ‘stickybeak’ (the latter of which I had to look up) definitely added to the story. As did the silly baking jokes made by Darcy (Rachael’s delivery person), such as ‘muffin compares to you,’ made for some light comic relief.
The aspect that holds this book back from a five-star rating is the reliance on character stereotypes instead of character development. Though there was some characterization in the book, it could have been more in-depth.
Overall, I would recommend this book to almost anyone.
Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I couldn’t put it down. There were a number of main characters which made for an interesting read. The number of troublesome pasts/presents for each character was a bit unrealistic although I understand that the author had that in there to illuminate the problem she wanted us to be aware of. And, all of the characters were realistic.. it is, simply stated, a very good story with lots of twists and turns

Stephan Astons is marrying a younger woman. Problem is, he already has a wife, living in a facility, with dementia. His two adult daughters are very close in age with his soon to be younger wife and they are very suspicious. Everyone is on edge and hiding something.
The twists weren’t all that shocking and there was a lot of sub-plot info that didn’t seem necessary, but I still enjoyed the book enough. It was a fairly quick read.

Received netgalley arc in exchange for honest review

I found this story to be well written and enjoyable. The plot is quite relatable, and what would you do if your wife was in a care facility for dementia? There is a bit of suspense, and you will try and think if the "Younger wife" is there for good or bad... and the ending also has a great twist!

I love getting approved for Sally Hepworth books and The Younger Wife was no exception. The story of Heather and the Aston family is filled with mystery, antics, questions and an array of issues. I loved this story and as usual I found myself guessing at the outcome which I had wrong! Twists and turns all throughout, I couldn't put this one down!

The latest Sally Hepworth will keep you reading. There are several train wrecks going on at the same time. I enjoyed learning more about kleptomania. I thought some of the stories would merge a little better with the overall background of mom and dad but it just didn’t happen for me.

I was a HUGE fan of Sally Hepworth’s last book, The Good Sister, so was beyond thrilled to get my hands on an early copy of her upcoming release, The Younger Wife, scheduled for publication in April 2022 (thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress). ⁣
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Similar to other Hepworth books I’ve read, this one falls squarely in the “domestic thriller” category with solid character development, alternating points of view, unreliable narrators, and a suspicious death in the opening pages. And this is the first book I’ve read that actually references the pandemic as opposed to just pretending our worlds haven’t revolved around it for the past two years so bravo for addressing that big ‘ole green virusy elephant in the room. 🙃⁣
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I really enjoyed this one and found it to be an enjoyable, quick read that will leave you questioning everything. And that ending is on point. 👌🏽⁣
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CW: domestic violence, addiction, mental health

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth is a good read! The style and story remind me of Liane Moriarty, not only because it takes place in Australia, but because the story is family-centered with a compelling family story. The Younger Wife centers around Stephen Aston, his two grown daughters, Rachel and Tully, their mother, Pam, and Stephen's new fiancee/wife, Heather. Stephen is in his 60s and his wife, Pam, suffers from dementia and Alzheimers. Heather, an interior designer, meets Pam and Stephen when the couple decide to remodel their house. During the course of the remodel, Pam gets worse and needs to be put in a nursing home and Stephen and Heather fall in love. Heather is 30+ years Stephen's junior, younger, in fact, than his two daughters. We follow each of the characters as they navigate these new turns of events in their lives.

Hepworth does a great job of engaging the reader from the start. We begin with Stephen and Heather's wedding and some type of crime. Then we flash back to when Heather meets Rachel and Tully and delve more into the daughters' lives. As the book progresses, we learn many pieces of their childhood and the current challenges each daughter faces. Without going into too much detail to avoid spoiling the story, let's just say things were not and are not as idyllic as we are initially led to believe.

The story grips the reader and doesn't let go, even at the end. I was left contemplating the end of the story for some time. Hepworth's ending is vague enough to allow for some interpretation, but thorough enough to avoid feeling like a cop out ending. Overall, The Younger Wife is a great read.

Trigger warnings: discussion of rape and domestic abuse.

Thanks to #NetGalley for an #ARC of #TheYoungerWife from #SallyHepworth

So this is my first time reading some thing from this author. I thought the book was adequate. I don’t know if this will make me want to read her other works. I didn’t like the representation of a kleptomaniac, I thought how she is described the sensation and how it’s uncontrollable, was perfect. I also like that it was set an a non-western country. It definitely reminded me of house of my friends talk in Australia, so I found that super exciting. Other than that this plot just didn’t set or rise above some of my other stories that I’ve read.

I was drawn in immediately, but by the half way mark things became different. More of a Women's Fiction and less of a psychological thriller which is ok, but did not work for me.
I'd like to thank NetGalley, St Martin Publishing and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book which publishes April 5. 2022

Sally Hepworth is back with another thriller of a tale!

This book is about two sisters. Tully and Rachel Aston. Both have issues they cope with in different but not especially healthy ways. Their adored mother has just moved into an Alzheimer’s facility. Forgetting things, even those closest to her. But there are some things she won’t forget.

Father, Stephen is getting married again. But he may want to get a divorce from his current wife, Pam, the one he placed in a care home.

When he springs Heather on the girls at a lunch, they are stunned. She’s almost the same age as the. And they are sure she is a gold digger. And to be fair, she is very full of secrets herself. And she has her own reasons for marrying the daddy.

As Rachel is cleaning out her mother’s things she finds of all things a hot water bottle full of a lot of cash and a slip of paper. Tully. Fiona Arthur. And this is enough to send Rachel and Tully digging through their mother’s life and figuring out maybe their father is a monster.

Even Heather isn’t quite sure if he is or isn’t. But at the wedding, it’s all handled quite nicely for the. But was it? Was he a monster or was this a misunderstanding? What a wicked ending!

I am looking forward to her next puzzling mystery!

NetGalley/April 5th, 2022 by St. Martin’s Press

Are you in the mood for a psychological thriller/ women’s fiction book that features characters you will care about and enough mystery and quirkiness to keep you enthralled, written by a well-known bestselling Australian author with a string of earlier successful novels? No not THAT writer, I mean Sally Hepworth. I’m delighted to add her as a new favorite writer to my “go-to reads” list and I look forward to reading her six earlier books.

“The Younger Wife” shows us the lives of an upper-middle class Australian family. Dad Stephen is a heart doctor, married to Pam and they have two adult daughters. They live in a beautiful home in a lovely upscale neighborhood. As does younger daughter Natalie, known as “Tully”. She is married and has 2 adorable young boys. Rachel the older sister, is beautiful and runs her own baked goods business. Everything is perfect…until you get to know these folks.
The problems begin `right away, when something unexpectedly horrible happens at a family wedding.

The story alternates between the two daughters, and Heather, the young fiancé of Stephen. Author Hepworth is a clear, deft and compelling storyteller. Each narrator, as well as Pam (who suffers from dementia) has serious issues. The author makes sure that the reader sees that these women are more than their problems, and they feel like friends by the end of the book. The biggest problem is about abuse, specifically is Stephen a kind, intelligent, loving and caring parent, spouse and lover or is he a violent and abusive man?

I read this book as fast as I could! What a story! In addition to the mystery at the wedding and the unknowns about Stephen, I really enjoyed the depth of the characters. Highly recommend. Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC! This is my honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a gifted copy of The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth. All opinions are my own.

Stephen Aston's family isn't quite sure how to handle the fact that he's getting married to a much younger women especially since his current wife is still alive. His daughters do not want to get to know Heather. They feel loyal to their mother who is in a care facility with dementia.

I am a huge Sally Hepworth fan and this one did not disappoint. I love her twists and turns that leave you wondering if you really know what is going on with the characters. The story is a dual timleline split between before the wedding and during the wedding to keep you guessing.

I really enjoyed this one and look forward to the next book by Sally Hepworth.

Mystery & Thrillers
Women's Fiction
Release Date: April 5, 2022

Stephen Aston is in the process of divorcing his first wife – after decades of marriage – in order to marry a much younger one. Not an uncommon plot, necessarily, but here, his current wife is living in a nursing home for people with dementia. Stephen’s two adult daughters—with their own deeply-repressed issues—not only can’t figure out why he is rushing to the altar with someone their age, but also don’t understand why their mother has started telling them how horrible Stephen has been to her throughout their marriage. Is Stephen the loving and supportive father and husband they always believed him to be, or is something else going on?

The premise of this was interesting – what kind of person moves his long-time Alzheimer’s-stricken wife into a care facility, divorces her, and then marries someone closer in age to his daughters than himself? Is he gaslighting all the women in his life who think that something is suspect in this situation or does trouble just coincidentally seem to follow this particular family?

While all the suspense really revolves around Stephen and his interactions with every other character, the main characters in this book are really the daughters – Tully and Rachel – and the new wife – Heather, as everything is told exclusively from their three perspectives. This helps keep the mystery and suspense going until the end, but the three women sometimes read more as to caricatures than actual people. This may have helped keep enough relatively hidden to allow for a couple of twists here and there, but unfortunately, it also made me care a lot less about what was happening to any of them and at some point, just kept reading to get to the end and see if I was correct about where it was ultimately going.

I’d recommend this book if you want a fast suspense novel that you don’t want to have to think to hard about or concentrate too much on, but if you’re looking for a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat trying to guess what might come next, unfortunately, this doesn’t really fit the bill.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.

Not the wedding of your dreams!

New wife, new life?

I was into this one from the beginning, compulsively readable, as most of her novels are for me.

The novel opens with the wedding ceremony. A successful doctor, Stephen Aston is marrying a much, much younger women, Heather. Stephen's two daughters are older than Heather! The daughters are leary of her. Tully thinks she looks like "a viper poised to strike."

Ooh..... we have an uninvited wedding guest! Who also narrates the opening chapter.

We get the POV's of all the women. This leads to a lot of secrets being revealed, heavy issues involving their personal anxieties and how they feel towards their parents. They aren't the "normal" family as the father joked once saying, "That horse bolted for this family long ago." I enjoyed the humor sprinkled here and there.

Now to that ending! I know exactly how I felt, but you may feel differently. Either way, it is very dramatic and may lead to some engaging conversations.