Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an ALC of The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth!
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This is my third book by this author and generally, I like her stories. I especially enjoyed her previous novel, [book:The Good Sister|53137974]. However, The Younger Wife didn't land in the same manner and I found myself a little baffled by the ending. In fact, I delayed writing this review because I am still unsure of what to make of that weird finish...
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While the beginning of the book had me intrigued and wondering what was up, the middle to end lost me. It felt anticlimactic and contrived. There were also a lot of issues and triggers in the story that never felt fully addressed or handled all that well.
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I am not giving up on Hepworth, but this isn't one I recommend :(.

Not as thrilling as I expected. I still have lots of unanswered questions and I prefer to have the mystery solved but there’s still a mystery present. I did like the narration being of local dialect which really helps to immerse you in the setting.

If someone seems too good to be true, they are. Or aren't they?! This thriller starts off with an event that immediately pulls you in. Just when you think you have it figured out, a new twist arises. The characters are flawed but mostly really relatable. Some will say that the ending was a letdown, others will argue that it was superb. And that is the mark of an entertaining read!

Sally Hepworth's books can always be counted on to pull me in, keep me hooked until the last page and provide some interesting twists. The Younger Wife follows right along with the others and I was pulled in from the beginning.

This book provides a little bit of everything -- troubled family drama, anxiety that presents in different ways, dealing with dementia in a parent, the father moving on with a much younger woman, bankruptcy, sexual assault, abuse, alcoholism, gossipy neighbors and so much more.

The story revolves around the lives of the Astons -- Stephen and his daughters, Tully and Rachel. In addition, there is his soon to be ex-wife, Pamela who is suffering from dementia and his girlfriend, Heather who is younger than his daughters. Tied into all of this is a mysterious narrator that pops in and out of the story. You don't find out who that is until towards the end. It's all a quite salacious and inventive tale that keeps the reader guessing the whole time trying to figure out which theory is right.

It's a fun and twisty story. However, it does touch on some serious issues that can't be taken lightly. The Younger Wife is well-written and is definitely another hit for this author.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The audio version of this book was outstanding. With a full cast of narrators, it gave the book the feel of a full production and kept me completed immersed in the storyline. I enjoyed the audio so much, I drove around the block a few extra times when I didn't want to turn the audiobook off in my car. It was a joy to listen to. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of this book. This in no way affects my review, all opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book even though it dealt with the difficult topic of gaslighting. I loved Tully and Rachel and was drawn in with changing of the characters perspectives throughout the story. Sally Hepworth writes dysfunctional families so well!

I listed to this book on audio and liked that their were a variety of readers so that I could easily identify the characters since I usually prefer to always read on Kindle or in book format.

I'm a Sally Hepworth fan and when I saw a new one was coming out, I was excited that I was picked to read from NetGalley (thank you!). Every single character was unreliable making it difficult to know who was trustworthy or not. When I first read "Younger Wife" as the title, I thought it would be similar to a Mrs. Parrish type book, but this one really dug into the lives of the daughters as well as both wives. The different narrator voices/stories were a bit difficult to follow but I think that's common among all audiobooks - sometimes that's why hardcopy is a bit easier. There are some trigger warning topics - related to abuse, miscarriage, etc. that some might want to know about ahead of time - but many thrillers are on the line about that so this isn't one of a kind. I thought it was a solid domestic-type thriller and I would recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth.

Tully and Rachel are both terrified to learn that their dad is marrying another woman even though he is still not divorced from their mother who has Alzheimer's. Add insult to injury, their new "step-mom" is significantly younger than their dad, making her more of a peer than a mother figure. It would be hard for most people to consider her intentions pure, and not just gold digging.

Heather is Stephen's new fiance and thrilled to be a part of a healthy new family. She doesn't want anyone to know that her past is actually riddled with abuse and shame. But are her new step daughters going to ever warm up to her? And is Stephen the warm and kind man that he has convinced her that he is?

I have mixed feelings about this book. First, maybe I'm too desensitized by books that present abuse as super raw, loveless, and overt. I would never generalize what abuse looks like because it's specific to each situation, but I think what the author was trying to do was to present a more subtle version of it, one full of gaslighting and love bombing. Plus, I think it's easy to forget that one of the things that deeply complicates abuse is how much love is woven within it. I appreciate being offered that perspective, while at the same time, frustrated that I too felt to be on unstable ground throughout the story.

I really wanted to like this book but knew from the first few chapters that it wasn't for me. The characters were just not very likable.

Stephen Aston is getting married!…..again. Heather is 29 years his junior and younger than both his daughters, Rachel and Tully. The story opens at their wedding with a mystery narrator and the celebration surprisingly goes awry. We quickly rewind one year and get to hear the events leading up to the wedding from the POV of Heather, Rachel, and Tully. The more you read, the more complex each character and their relationships become. Is Heather really just with Stephen for his money? Why is Rachel so immersed in her work? Will Tully be able to deal with all the new changes in her life? And what the hell happened at the wedding?!

I love how this story is written and Sally does an amazing job making each of these women completely relatable. They all have flaws and secrets and problems just like you and me. I quickly found something I could relate to with each of them. The story itself was well written and easy to follow even though there were 3 (sometimes 4 😉) different points of view.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I had the pleasure of listening to the audio version of this book and each narrator embraced their roles and did a wonderful job bringing each character to life! Thank you to #netgalley #sallyhepworth and #macmillanaudio for providing me with an ARC of this audio book in exchange for my honest review.

THE YOUNGER WIFE by sally Hepworth released April 2022. The younger wife is an excellent book. You are two quirky adult sisters with an Alzheimer’s mother who’s father just announced his engagement to a woman who is the same age as you. What about your wife? Why does she have Alzheimer’s, why does one daughter steal, one daughter not date and the engaged woman have secrets. Read this book. You won’t be sorry

I loved listening to the audio version! I absolutely loved the narrator. She was so engaging, and the different voices she used was perfect! The last audio I listened to had a ton of characters and I didn’t care for the narrator. This was such a breath of fresh air, and I throughly enjoyed this! This was a fun story too. I loved the different viewpoints. I wish we would have gotten a chapter from Stephen though!

Thank you so much for my gifted audiobook in exchange for a honest review.

Entertaining read about a family in Australia. The father decides to marry his young interior decorator despite the fact that he is still married to his first wife. She is actually younger than his two daughters. Their mother suffers from dementia and lives in a special nursing facility. The father divorces his demented wife in order to marry the new younger woman. Lots of family drama, everyone has a secret past, nice short chapters and great narrators for the different characters. Perfect book to listen to.

Everything about the front end of this book had me intrigued and curious... moving along with all the twists and turns of a mystery/thriller and the drama of life for these two sisters and their father's younger wife. Until the end. That's when things fell apart, and became frustrating and unreal. Loved the book, except for the unsatisfying last 4 chapters! Would give 4 stars until the end, and ended up giving a 2 star rating. Wanted to give more stars, but just can't get there.

*Thanks, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.

Thank you to @netgalley for this free ALC. Definitely a thriller from out in left field, in a good way. Totally original story and propulsive to the end. Really enjoyed! Narrator was great! Liked how she changed up her voice for the different characters.

Wow, this was a suspenseful family drama! This was my first novel written by this author, and now I want to check out all the books on her backlist.

Stephen Aston is a doctor who is engaged to Heather, who is young enough to be his daughter and has a dark past. His wife, Pam, whom he's not officially divorced, is in a nursing home with dementia. Stephen and Pam have two daughters together, Tully and Rachel, who could not be more different and both have buried secrets of their own.

The story is told in multiple points of view to give the reader some backstory prior to the main event, which is Stephen and Heather's wedding day, which honestly is one of the best parts of the book. I loved the audio version of this book. The narrator was great, and I was eager to keep listening.

The book had just the right amount of characters. I can't stand it when books have so many supporting characters that it becomes confusing and hard to keep up with. There are characters I loved and some I loved to hate.

I knocked off a star because the ending just fell flat for me. I don't want to give anything away, but I just feel like it could have ended a bit differently and been a much more solid 5-star read. I would not deter anyone from reading this book based on that alone. It's still a solid family drama worth reading.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

The Younger Wife, by Sally Hepworth

***Thank you to MacMillan Audio, NetGalley for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for honest review. Expected date of release: 4/5/22***

Now I know I'm not an eloquent and brilliant book reviewer but I can certainly tell you what's up :)

This book hits the ground running with some major drama at a wedding of Daddy marrying a woman as young as his daughters, starting you off with a "whodunnit" (or more like a "whathappened"). And the book does a great job of having you repeatedly changing your mind once you're sure you now what went down.

I do love a good "family fiction" book with multi-generational trauma and troubled pasts. This book bounces between the two adult daughters, one married and tired mom of 2 young kids and one who has sworn off dating and is a successful baker, and the younger wife in the months and weeks leading up to the wedding. I do like that the book normalizes (and emphasizes the effectiveness of) therapy and recognizes the different ways trauma you experience growing up can express itself in adulthood. And you watch these characters learn and grow and get a better understanding of each other, it's very gripping.

The only complaint I have is the book sometimes wraps up frankly terrible or criminal acts a little too easily, logical repercussions for actions just go out the window.

Overall, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Family drama to the max! The Younger Wife starts with the wedding of Stephen and Heather, in attendance are Stephen's two daughters, his ex-wife, Pam, who has advanced dementia and an unknown woman who sits in the back and doesn't want Stephen to know she's there. Pam wonders around during the ceremony and makes herself at home at the alter. After the ceremony, they all go into the Sacristy to sign the marriage certificate and someone is injured.

From here we go back in time and learn about all these people. This "close knit" family may not be the Upper Middle Class standard that everyone thinks they are. The oldest daughter, Tully is dealing with the fact that her husband made a bad investment and they now have to sell their home, oh and she's a kleptomaniac. Her sister, Rachel, is single, runs a bakery, and oh, she was raped when she was 16 and has never told anyone but eats when she gets stressed. Heather is younger than both of her soon-to-be daughters-in-law and her parents were alcoholics. Then there's Stephen, a successful brain surgeon and a real catch. Everyone thinks he's just wonderful, but is he? Or is he a control freak and abuser?

Is Heather going crazy? Why are the sisters so competitive with each other? This book was so well written I didn't want to put it down. I really cared about the characters, they certainly aren't perfect but they are sympathetic. I could have gotten to know them even more!

The Younger Wife was a good listen. There were different voices which helped with the various POV's. Thanks to Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 ⭐️
This one was super good! This is the second book I’ve read by this author and she definitely knows how to write a thriller that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat!

3.5 stars
I actually wouldn’t classify this book as a thriller - more of a domestic literary suspense. The topic is quite serious but a big part of the suspense so I won’t say anymore on that. Although others described it as edge of your seat, again I differed. I found it more character driven and slower paced. I think readers might be disappointed if they go in with expectations as a fast paced thriller because it wasn’t either. However, it was an interesting portrayal of dysfunctional family dynamics. My favourite character was actually Heather, the younger wife. She was elegant yet flawed in a sympathetic way.

The characters definitely come to life. They are vibrant beings the reader gets to know intimately, warts and all. They made the book engaging and relatable. There were even a few chuckles along the way.

Of course, there is the big reveal at the end. We know someone has been seriously hurt at the wedding, but we don’t know who, how or why. The ending wasn’t earth shattering but it wrapped things up nicely. I liked it.

The audio was fabulous. The three narrators did a marvellous job of portraying each of the main characters. Lots of expression and personality in the performances.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

April 5th is pub day for The Younger Wife! I’ve read a few Sally Hepworth books which have been hit or miss.

Loved
The Good Sister
The Mother in law which I loved.

Did not like
The Family Next door… and adding
The Younger Wife

Stephen Aston is getting married again. The only problem is, he's still married to his first wife, even though she is in a care facility for dementia. After his daughters’ protest he proceeds with the divorce and wedding planning. Heather, his fiancé, is the same age as his daughters but she doesn’t mind. She’s looking forward to finally having a family. Secrets will be revealed all culminating at the big event…the wedding.

If you like domestic suspense, family drama and secrets this is probably the book for you. Unfortunately this was too slow for me and it didn’t feel like too much happened. You get some side plots which are meh. The twists aren’t too twisty. Maybe I’m suffering from thriller burnout 🤷🏽‍♀️