This is my first read by Mandy Byatt and I enjoyed the novel. The blurb reads

"Lottie and Nick once had a dream marriage, but a series of failed IVF attempts has left Lottie feeling insecure, and her paranoia is further stoked by the arrival of a new starter at Nick’s firm. Nuala is the spitting image of a younger, more attractive Lottie, and Nick is paying her a lot of attention…
But then Lottie discovers she’s pregnant. A surprise getaway to their country cottage to celebrate Nick’s birthday will provide the perfect backdrop to give him the news and start to heal the rifts in their relationship.
Then, on the eve of Nick’s birthday, Lottie goes into the cellar, and what she finds makes her question everything.
Because there, in the corner of the cellar, is the body of a young woman.
A young woman who looks just like Lottie…"

This is a thrilling read and I enjoyed reading about Lottie and Nick and their major marriage problems.

After many failed attempts at getting pregnant Lottie actually happily discovers she is expecting her and Nick's child and they could not be happier. Nick and Lottie go away to an idyllic cottage and whilst Nick is out Lottie has to go into the cellar and this is where she finds something awful in the cellar.

I mean it could not get much worse could it - well yes it does, the woman who is in the cellar is basically a younger version of Lottie and this is a major issue.

So Lottie is now in a very awkward situation as the big question is who killed this woman and is Lottie safe in the house...with her husband!!

I enjoyed this novel and the thrills it brought, I did find some parts quite repetitive and slow moving but apart from this I would recommend to all who enjoy a phycological thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for allowing me a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This is such a clever book the twist totally caught me unawares!

The book is based around Nick and Lottie, happily married, who have been trying for a baby for a long time. When Nick’s PA retires and her replacement is the young, beautiful, redheaded Tasha she has nothing to worry about, does she?

The characters are intriguing and the story builds in tension throughout, you don’t want to put it down.

I’ve enjoyed both of the authors books and look forward to reading her next one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for the ARC.

Absolutely brilliant twisty thriller, couldn’t stop reading and amazing twists. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this book what a fantastic read, thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to an early copy of this novel.

Wow, what did I just read? Holy cow! This one is so twisty that you may get whiplash! Well paced, plotted and characters are well done. Smooth, easy reading and what a surprise!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon for this ARC!

So don’t make assumptions with this book and I went down a rabbit hole with this one but it’s a really good dark twisted read about a young wife who on the eve of her anniversary makes a dreadful discovery that could blow her world apart but is it really as simple as she thinks.

Having read and enjoyed Just Another Liar in 2022, I was looking forward to reading A Younger Woman.
Cleverly written and with a number of twists at the end, A Younger Woman centres on Lottie and Nick, a forty something couple who have been trying unsuccessfully to have a baby. The opening chapter, set in present day, deals with the good news that Lottie is now expecting, The event also coincides with the discovery of a body in the cellar of Nick’s parents’ holiday cottage in the Lake District. A body Lottie is convinced is Nick’s PA Tasha.
Told from Lottie and Tasha’s perspectives, the main story returns to the time when Tasha first joins Nick’s architectural practice as his PA. Lottie, a former actress who runs a drama group, is desperate to have a baby, but so far, even with IVF, this has not happened. She’s vulnerable and with the arrival of Tasha soon begins to suspect her husband is taking more than a professional interest in his new PA.
The story is carefully woven between Lottie’s growing concern and the brash, confident Tasha, determined to make Nick hers. It’s difficult to say any more without giving the plot away, but I found the twists and turns gripping and totally absorbing. Be prepared for the unexpected, as no one in A Younger Woman is quite what they seem and there's a clever plot twist at the very end that I didn't see coming. A tale of deceit, manipulation and murder. I was hooked from the very first page. Highly recommended and my first five star review of 2023.
I would like to thank Mandy Byatt, Avon Books and Netgalley for an ARC of The Younger Woman in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued from the start with this book and days after finishing it I was still thinking about it! It dew me in hook, line and sinker. I was convinced I knew where the story was going and how it would end. I cant say any more for fear of giving a spoiler. All I can say is I assumed too much !

What a fantastic book this was , best psychological thriller I’ve read in ages . Totally unexpected storyline that I didn’t guess .Hard to tell most of the way through who is the bad guy . Brilliant characters and great ending . I cannot wait to read more from this author , can’t rate this highly enough . Definitely 5 stars from me

What a brilliant thriller, I was absorbed in this book from start to finish, it had me running rings around myself with what was happening. Twists and turns a plenty and the ending was fabulous!

5 stars for a great thriller! I did not want to put this one down! It had plenty of twists and turns. I thought I had it figured out but I was not even close!

Wow! What an ending, the twist blew me away.
I loved this clever domestic thriller. I started it last night and found myself finishing it in one sitting.
The writing is fast paced and the characters are intriguing.
I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author in future.

The book starts with a body being found in the cellar by Lottie, she thinks it's the woman who might have been having an affair with her husband. The storyline goes back in time until it reaches this point again. I was enjoying the book, it was a slow burn read but very enjoyable.

Once the twist was revealed I ended up quite confused with the plot. I'm not sure if it was the many characters thrown together at the end or trying to work out who had done what but I couldn't make sense of it all. Not being sure who's point of view was being told at the beginning of the chapters didn't help either. I really wanted to love this because I loved the author's previous book.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Certainly very twisty but that’s almost it’s downfall in the end.
It was confusing and required far more concentration than I wanted to give it, I read for pleasure and when you feel like you need to reread parts as it’s not making sense it definitely takes away from that pleasure. The ending was a lot as well, again I’m not sure in a good way.

Wow! This one got me. Did not anticipate the twist. Boy did I ever hate the younger woman! Thank you so much to the publisher and to Netgalley for this ARC.

THE YOUNGER WOMAN
Mandy Byatt

Lottie, an aging actor. Married to Nick, the doting husband. Are struggling with infertility. When someone new starts at Nick's place of employment it sparks paranoia and jealousy within Lottie and unsettles their happy marriage.

When Lottie discovers she is pregnant she decides that their family cottage is the best place to tell him. While she is at the cottage she makes a shocking discovery that will send shockwaves through their marriage and will change everything as they know it forever.

This book doesn't exactly play nice. It has a few one-liners that target populations such as couples struggling with infertility, anyone over the age of 22, anyone with weight issues, and those in a committed relationship, it takes aim at Americans and does a better job at stereotyping than it ever could at characterization.

Which isn't its only downfall.

This book is not meant to be taken seriously. It's making fun of itself in a lot of places. I do hope that I'm catching the humor and not misreading it. This is why although I had an ok time with it-I cannot recommend it to any reader.

I knew what I was getting into when I requested it and enjoyed some of the commentaries on marriage and feminism. However, I didn’t feel that there was much to this book that would warrant sitting through the stand-up routine. The experience was like reading gossip headlines in the supermarket aisle.

Satirical or hurtful, not for me to decide here, and not worth it either way, skip this one!

THE YOUNGER WOMAN…⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK, Avon for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

The prologue drew me into the book and the storyline kept me intruiged throughout. Without giving away the story, all I will say is this is a very clever read. By the end I was tied up in knots as the red herrings kept coming. Great read
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for the opportunity to read this advanced copy, I'm under no obligation to leave my honest review

This was such a good read, really enjoyed it, it was one of those books that you really didn’t know where it was going to end up at, lots of mystery and intrigue which I love ..

The Younger Woman is a tense and gripping thriller that keeps the reader guessing. There are plenty of twists and turns as well as exploration of some difficult issues. I thoroughly enjoyed this well written story! 5 stars!

Woaaa never seen plot like this before, i got deceived!! Good job! First i think why this woman want to destroy a married, she so determined, almost delucional. Continue reading and i spechless woww just wowww..

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#TheYoungerWoman #MandyByatt #AvonBooksUK #NetGalley #ARC

This book is an absolute whirlwind of a thriller that will have you so ( wrongly) certain about what's going on..and won't let you put it down til you've finished it. The main characters Lottie and Nick draw you in to their easy relationship but unease starts to creep in quite quickly. The tension ramps up throughout the book- even the weather mirroring the twisty plot towards the end. There are lots of characters and several strands to this story which are cleverly woven together through time hops and reappearing settings. An absolute belter of a 2nd novel, a must read for 2023.