A pretty fast moving book, at first I did wonder what was going on but about half way through the book I guessed what was going on and why. I also thought some of the whys and parts added to the story where not explained but I enjoyed the authors writing and found it a quick read.

Gabby has finally reached her limit. After years of a turbulent marriage with Fred and now with her daughter off at college, leaving no reason to stay for the kids - she’s ready for a change. One evening, while out on her own, Gabby is approached by a young woman who introduces herself in a most unexpected way. The stranger reveals that she specializes in seducing men like Fred to swindle them, offering Gabby a chance to take revenge. Despite her deep-seated fear of losing the house she holds dear in the divorce, Gabby wrestles with the idea before ultimately deciding to end her marriage. However, her resolve is shaken when she later encounters Fred walking arm-in-arm with that same intriguing woman, leaving her to question the true motives behind this chance meeting.

Told from two perspectives, this novel is a winding journey full of twists. The pace starts off deliberately slow, gradually building tension until the ending hits you with a powerful punch. The narrative excels in capturing the messy, complicated relationships between the characters, who are rendered with such depth and emotion that they feel incredibly real. The ever-present sense of foreboding kept me glued to every page. I honestly couldn’t put it down. If you enjoy a suspenseful, multi-layered thriller that steadily ratchets up the stakes, this book is a must-read. I’m already looking forward to what Cate Ray has in store next.

Honestly, I had an amazing time with this audio ARC! I was invested and I loved the narrator.

The story follows our protagonist, Gabby and her seemingly tumultuous relationship with her husband Fred. The pair have been married for a long time and that marriage has been continuously tested – mostly due to infidelity. Naturally, this has caused some paranoia and resentment in the relationship, so when Gabby goes out one night and meets an alluring younger woman who reminds her of everything Fred loves – she is immediately swept away by jealousy, awe and intrigue. She starts spilling secrets she maybe shouldn't have and this younger woman continuously makes herself present in Gabby's life – but why? The book jumps timelines and delves into Gabby's past, her generational trauma, and the possibility of breaking the pattern.

While I feel as though there were several other twisty, exciting and thrilling conclusions the story could have ended on – it was an enjoyable time! I love an unreliable narrator and the story is paced well-enough to keep you invested and never bored.

Despite an intriguing premise, I really struggled with the pacing. I love thrillers, but the slowness of the plot made it extremely difficult for me to get invested in. Once it picked up at the end and all the pieces officially came together, I didn’t have the “need to know” mentality that I love from thrillers.

Thanks to NetGalley & "Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row" for the chance to read this book!

The title of the book had me very excited, thought I was getting a much different story with this one, Not that I was disappointed to be fair, it was just more of a slow burn than I was expecting. I'm more of a fast paced thriller type of girl, So I will say it took me a little longer than I would have preferred to read this book, at one point I had to convince myself to see it through to the end.. personally for me I wasn't too excited about any of the characters, Didn't really care how it panned out for them in the end. It was hard not to feel anything but sorry for the main character and obviously her daughter, but honestly by the end I just couldn't stand any of them. So it was a bust for me but hey was still happy to have the chance to give it a go!

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows a woman who is an empty nester. With her kids gone, she realizes that she hates her husband and wants a divorce. When she meets a woman and tells her that she wants her husband dead, things quickly unravel.

I was not a big fan of this one. I liked the narrator and I thought this one started out strong.

However, I did not like a single character in this one. Everyone just stood up for the cheating husband and it was just annoying me. The main character also made stupid decisions and was just annoying.

I also felt like the flashbacks were just not necessary and took away from the story. I just didn’t like those chapters. I think the story just dragged on a bit.

Unfortunately this one was not for me but I hope others love it.

Having plenty of experience with horrible men myself, I felt that I should have related more with the protagonist here in that aspect, at least. It started becoming a little too cliché and blaming women for men's bad choices got on my nerves. However, this is a book and not reality. On that note, this was a good domestic thriller. Twisty, with an intense cat and mouse chase and a solid ending. Three and a half stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, for this ARC.

3.5 stars

Many thanks to The Hive, Park Row, and NetGalley for the gifted copy of The Younger Woman by Cate Ray. I enjoyed this thriller. Anytime there's a domestic thriller with twisted spouses and unreliable characters you can count on me to read it.

Gabby - a woman who has woken up and realized after her children fly the nest that she really can't stand her husband. While out one night Gabby indulges a bit too much and ends up drunkingly telling a stranger at a bar that she would love for her husband to be dead. This stranger takes things into her own hands and odd things begin happening after Gabby's fated meeting with this stranger. Some things should never be spoken out loud because you just never know who you are really talking to.

This book was very twisty - cat and mouse games from beginning to end. I did figure out the major plot twist about 75% into the book. Even though I had guessed correctly I still enjoyed this fast paced domestic thriller.

The title alone made me want to read this and the first chapter pulled me in right away. We’ve got two women—one’s the jaded wife, the other’s this mysterious younger woman—and they’re both tied to the same guy’s super shocking death. Like, dramaaa. Right away, I was invested because, hello, secrets and betrayal? Ummmm duh.

I was living for the slow-burn suspense, and Cate Ray totally nailed the whole “do we ever really know someone?” vibe. The characters felt super real—messy, complicated, and kinda shady in the best way. I kept switching sides, like, “Wait, who do I trust?!” Some twists I totally saw coming, but a few actually got me, which, love that for me.

If I had to nitpick, the middle got a teeny bit slow in spots, and I wanted just a liiittle more urgency. But overall? This was such a solid psychological thriller, and I was fully obsessed till the end.

I love this author and I love books featuring middle aged women, as I am one, but sadly this book did not work for me. I am not one of those older women who feels bad about it, and my husband is not a creep. I also love and support gold diggers (go girls). All in all I could not relate and I kind of hated the protagonist.
I would just leave the guy and go do my own thing.

I read this author's previous novel and really enjoyed it and loved her writing. Sadly this book missed the mark. I could not feel empathy or have even basic interest in the main character. There was a degree of bitterness in the story that should have worked, considering the storyline, but perhaps I didn't relate to her enough for that feeling to land home with me, she just felt so one-dimensional. Or perhaps it felt like the writer was trying too hard to paint all men as diabolical cheats. The premise was so very tired - cheating husband with middle aged wife and roving eye for younger women. The set up of the younger woman was so far-fetched and implausible and the constant "gold diggers" references got very repetitive and felt dated. I felt this book should have been written fifteen years ago; it was all so cliche! As for the backstory of her childhood (you guessed it - cheating father with younger woman - yawn!) I skipped a lot of that. Much of it felt like filler to me though it did connect eventually in a very predictable way. I thought there must surely be a clever twist at the end but it never came. I struggled to read the last 10% because it went off the deep end of ridiculous. All in all, this was an epic fail for me. This writer's good writing was not in evidence this time around. And given how many super clever psychological thrillers there are out there, this one can't come close. But do give her first book a try as it was along the same lines of men behaving badly but it was better done than this one.

Cate Ray’s The Younger Woman is a compelling, thought-provoking novel that tackles the complexities of relationships, infidelity, and the emotional challenges of being caught in the middle of a love triangle. With well-drawn characters, a sharp narrative, and a strong emotional core, Ray delivers a gripping story that is both entertaining and insightful.

The novel follows the journey of the protagonist, who finds herself in an affair with a much older man. As the story unfolds, the dynamics of the relationship are explored from multiple perspectives, including that of the wife and the younger woman herself. The way Ray shifts between these viewpoints gives the narrative depth and provides a nuanced exploration of the emotions and motivations behind each character’s actions.

Ray’s writing is engaging and intelligent, capturing the internal conflicts and desires of the characters with authenticity. The emotional tension between the characters is palpable, and the story dives into the complexities of self-worth, love, and betrayal. The pacing is strong, with enough twists and turns to keep the reader intrigued while still allowing for meaningful character development.

The character of the younger woman is particularly well-developed, with Ray giving her a complexity that makes her more than just a "villain" or a simple love interest. Her journey of self-discovery and her struggles with guilt and desire are both relatable and engrossing. The other characters, particularly the wife, are equally well-written, making the story feel balanced and multifaceted.

While the novel succeeds in building tension and emotional complexity, some readers may find the story’s themes familiar, particularly for fans of relationship dramas. The resolution, while satisfying, could feel a bit predictable to those accustomed to this genre, though the emotional payoff remains strong.

Overall, The Younger Woman is a captivating novel that offers an insightful exploration of human emotions and relationships. Cate Ray's sharp writing and well-crafted characters make this an enjoyable read for fans of psychological dramas and complex relationship stories. It’s a novel that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

3..5/5 stars—The Younger Woman is a slow-burn, domestic thriller. I went into it thinking it would be about a conniving younger woman breaking up a marriage, but it was more of a family drama across generations. There weren't many twists and turns until the end, but it held my attention enough to keep reading. Read if you enjoy:

-Generational stories
- First and third person POVs
-Domestic thrillers
-Books about marital problems

To start, a not so friendly PSA that if the man cheats it is not the woman’s fault!! Yikes on the bikes the men in this book loved to blame the wrong person! Anyway, I loved this until about 80% of the way and then everything went to shit. Character growth came to a deafening halt and I got more and more frustrated. Ugh, so much potential wasted and for what? What was the message? I guess I’ll never know…

The Younger Woman was a wild ride from start to finish. Gabby’s sudden confession in a drunken haze sets off a dangerous chain of events that kept me hooked. The suspense around Ellis and the secrets surrounding Gabby’s marriage had me constantly second-guessing everyone’s motives. The twists were well-placed, and I found myself really empathizing with Gabby’s confusion and paranoia. While I enjoyed the unpredictable plot, some of the pacing felt a bit uneven. Still, it’s a tense, compelling thriller that I couldn’t put down!

Huge thank you to HTP Books for the ARC!

I was so excited for this one after I really enjoyed Cate Ray's previous book, Good Husbands.

I guess Cate really enjoys writing about dirty cheating spouses- LOL

I really wanted to love this one and while it was overall interesting, I feel like the synopsis gave so much of it away, I wish I had gone in blind.

I do love her writing though and hope that this is a huge success.

Imagine feeling desperate about becoming an empty nester, but instead of that, you’re consumed by the thought that you despise your husband. This feeling even leads you to entertain dark thoughts.

After a few drinks, Gabby starts talking to a stranger named Ellis. She talks about her husband, Fred, and how she’s repulsed by him, even wishing him dead. Was it the drink talking, or is this something Gabby genuinely wishes would happen? Ellis takes this literally, and they open a Pandora’s box.

Fred has no idea what’s about to hit him. In fact, nefariousness isn’t just Gabby’s problem. Fred isn’t a saint. Secrets, lies, and manipulation intertwine as Gabby, Fred, and Ellis follow crazy paths that could end things for at least one of them.

Although this book was a bit of a slow start, this intense thriller really captured my attention. Then factor in an extra layer due to the spectacular narration by Hannah Curtis. Her performance truly brought this thrilling book to life.

Many thanks to Park Row and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I liked the premise for this book, of an older woman complaining about her husband to a young stranger in a bar only for her to turn out to be the one her husband is having an affair with. It felt slow moving, I didn't particularly care for the protagonist and I didn't love the neighbor. I tried to stick this one out but ended up DNF'ing at 70% - I just didn't care about the story at all. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest opinions. This was a miss for me.

The Younger Woman by Cate Ray is a twisty cat and mouse slow burn that will have you hooked!

When Gabby and Fred find themselves empty nesters, Gabby realizes that the love she once had for Fred has disappeared. Sick of the lies and the cheating Gabby wants out. When one night in a bar Gabby meets Ellis, an intriguing young woman, and strikes up a friendship of some sorts. Growing increasingly more drunk as the night goes on, Gabby says something that will change the course of her life forever. She wishes that Fred was dead. From that point on life as Gabby knows it takes a dark dive when she finds out that the enigmatic young woman at the bar may not be who she says she is. So who is Ellis really? And just what is she hiding?

This was a slow burn but it is loaded with suspense and tension until the end! I love the way Ray writes her characters, making them feel very complex, real and full of emotions. The ominous sense of unease throughout this book is addicting and I didn't want to put it down. Highly recommend this twisty page turner! Looking forward to more from Cate Ray!

Thank you to NetGalley, Cate Ray, and Harlequin Trade Publishing / Park Row Books for this ARC. Expected release date is February 25th 2025.

Okay, so I’ve finished this amazing thriller yesturday. I had to gather my thoughts for this review because it literally blew me away. All the twists at the end, it was so worth it. Great cat-mouse chasing all over a nasty divorce! A must to read ASAP! @cateraywriter thank you for the ARC. This beauty will be hitting the stores on 25th.