Book: The Younger Woman
Author: Cate Ray
Rating: 2 Out of 5 Stars

I want to thank the publisher, Park Row, for sending me an ARC. I could not get into this one. It’s not a bad book, but it was not for me. It’s sad because I thought I would enjoy this one a lot.

In this one, we follow Gabby and Fred, who are adjusting to life as empty nesters when Gabby has a startling revelation: she can no longer stand her husband. One night, while at a bar, she meets a mysterious younger woman named Ellis. In a moment of drunken vulnerability, Gabby confesses her darkest thoughts—that she wishes Fred were dead. At first, Gabby dismisses the encounter as a fleeting, drunken mistake, but when she tries to find Ellis again, she discovers something unsettling. Ellis may not be who she claimed to be, and the truth behind their brief connection becomes more sinister than Gabby could have imagined. As Gabby digs deeper into Ellis's past and begins to question Fred's secrets, she finds herself caught in a dangerous web of deception. Trust becomes a fragile thing and the line between victim and perpetrator blurs. How far is Gabby willing to go to uncover the truth—and who will ultimately be the target in this high-stakes game of lies and manipulation?

The setup for this one was great. We have a couple, whose children have moved out and they now must adjust to that. Gabby struggles with this. She goes out and gets drunk. While drunk, she comes to realize something, something that she had never truly felt before: she hates her husband and wants him gone. Not only does she realize this, but she tells, Ellis, who is a complete stranger about it. It’s supposed to be a drunken moment and that’s all. However, the more time passes, the more Gabby realizes that she may be in too deep. This is something that normally pulls me right in with thrillers. I love the idea of two people coming together and plotting, only for one of them not to be so serious about it. I love the idea of cat and mouse, which is what we have here. Gabby digs and digs. The further she gets in, the more she comes to realize that this whole situation is more complicated. Lines are blurred and she must work through all of this to figure it out.

This is where my engagement stopped with the story. I had a difficult time connecting with the story and the characters. It felt like something was missing from the story to drive it home. I felt like there were a lot of good things in here, but I didn’t feel it. The emotional impact that I was expecting from this book was not there. For example, I knew what Gabby was supposed to be feeling. She is a mom struggling with her children moving out and it has caused some emotional roller coaster, but if we hadn’t been told that, I don’t think I would have known. I know this is what drives Gabby’s actions, but the punch was not there. It felt like she was even disconnected from what was going on. I would have liked to see this all fleshed out a bit more.

I think that is why I had a very difficult time getting into this story. I could not get connected with what was happening. Normally, thrillers pull me right in. I love the rush I get whenever I am reading one, but I did not get that with this one. I wanted to because the setup is amazing.

Overall, this was a miss for me.

This book comes on February 25, 2025.

Always remember your conversations - especially with strangers!!

Gabby finds out she made a grave mistake one night by saying things she shouldn't have.

As Gabby and Fred say goodbye to their daughter, Gabby realizes she won’t be able to handle being an empty nester with Fred.

To ease her sorrow, Gabby heads to a bar, has too much to drink, and tells a total stranger, Ellis, that she can’t find later, that she wishes her husband was dead.

Things turn weird because Gabby can’t remember a thing from that night but feels someone is watching her. She gets messages from someone she thinks is the mysterious Ellis, but can’t seem to get in touch with her.

A friend’s husband then confirms that Fred has been cheating on Gabby for years with a younger woman. Could this woman be Ellis?

Find out what happens as we slowly follow what is going on.

I do have to say I was wondering why the book went back to when one of the characters was younger, but it is an essential part of the story.

THE YOUNGER WOMAN gets intense as the book ends and things get wrapped up.

Find out what will haunt Gabby for the rest of her life in this creative, evasive, slow burn thriller. 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

“The Younger Woman” by Cate Ray is a domestic thriller. Gabby, an empty nester, realizes that she hates her husband. After too many drinks, Gabby’s tongue loosens and she informs Ellis, a stranger, that if her husband were dead, that would be best. As soon as I read that, I wondered if this book was going to be an updated version of “Stranger on a Train,” but - no, it wasn’t. It turns out that Ellis wasn’t who she presented to be (though from the initial meeting I think Gabby wasn’t thinking too straight anyway) and things begin to unfold and unravel. For me, this book had a few too many negatives (a bit unrealistic and I couldn’t really trust any of the characters), but I could see this in a dramatized format and being rather interesting to view.

Thanks for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. It was a great read with many twists and turns. It kept me hooked right until the end.

This was a fun, thrilling ride right from the beginning. The author did a great job of immediately making the reader feel sympathy for Gabby and her plight; dislike and disgust for Fred; and questions about Ellis' motives. Truth be told, parts of the marriage struggles hit a little too close to home and sounded a whole lot like my ex-husband- but I really felt that added to making the characters all that more believable and realistic. I think readers will be able to figure out who Ellis is and what her intentions are before the ending, as I was able to do; it didn't detract from the book in any way, thankfully. I also believe that it will appeal to a wide variety of readers, but I will also be recommending it, all the same. I look forward to reading what Cate Ray writes next.

A woman’s confession about her husband sparks a dangerous cat-and-mouse game in this riveting domestic thriller!! Great read! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, a great who done it and a few crazy twists and turns! The story was very interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Now that Gabby is an empty nester, she realizes she hates her husband. When she meets a stranger, Ellis, she divulges this after too many drinks and says she wishes he was dead. After Gabby tries to track Ellis down but it seems she may not be who she says she is.

This one didn’t pick up for me until the very end when it was revealed what was going on. It was slower paced through out, which sometimes is okay, but I kept feeling like I was missing something. It just didn’t have that connect for me. I did like how the past ended up connecting with the present.

“Because there’s something I’m missing - have been missing right from the start. And until I know what it is, the possibility of it is going to terrorize me.”

The Younger Woman comes out 2/25.

A newly empty nester comes to terms that she's no longer in love with her husband, especially since she can no longer trust him. After drinking a bit too much, Gabby tells a stranger she wishes her husband were dead and soon realizes that this new person she's confided also isn't as truthful as she initially thought.

I thought this was a fast paced thriller. I loved the back story of Gabby's beloved home and the question of who Ellis really is.

I found this book to be a bit unrealistic and maybe a bit dramatic at the end, but I think it would make for an amazing action packed movie.

My heart broke for the children characters, but didn't care for them as adults.

All in all, a good, fast paced thriller.

Oh dear , I ended up DNF'ing this one sadly , I really wanted to enjoy this one as I liked Good Husbands.

What threw me off was the main character Gabby , she has just dropped off their daughter to University and now her and her husband Fred are empty nesters ( and I can totally relate I am there currently ) ...BUT what gave me the ick was instantly Gabby is crying , then thinking how much she hates her husband and how can she leave him. Then with in 24 hours she meets for cocktails with her BFF , and her friend has to leave quickly so Gabby stays behind when a young woman not much older than her daughter befriends her and instantly Gabby is telling her all her dark secrets and she is almost infatuated with the young woman calling her lollipop in her head, admiring her big hard firm breasts and legs , she even tells us in her head I know i'm unhinged ... like ok really , it gave me the ick and being a mother of grown daughters I found this woman repulsive and could not relate, it felt wrong .

I LOVE a good unhinged character read, but unfortunately this one got under my skin.

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

Respectfully Another Read by Angie

#TheYoungerWoman #NetGalley
A fun read.
The Younger Woman by Cate Ray is a tantalizing domestic thriller that explores the boundaries of trust, marriage, and the dangerous consequences of careless words. Gabby, who is grappling with her dissatisfaction in her long marriage to Fred, makes an offhand, drunken confession to a stranger, sparking a chain of events that spirals out of control. Her chance meeting with the younger, enigmatic Ellis becomes the catalyst for a dark, tense cat-and-mouse game filled with deception, manipulation, and buried secrets.
Likes :-
1 Intriguing Premise: The book’s core premise—a chance confession to a mysterious stranger—is gripping from the outset. It hooks readers into a web of suspense, making them question how far one moment of recklessness can go.
2 Psychological Tension: The novel shines in its ability to create a constant sense of unease. Cate Ray builds suspense through Gabby's increasingly desperate attempts to understand Ellis’ identity and motives. The psychological tension is palpable as Gabby’s sense of reality is tested.
Overall :- The Younger Woman is a riveting domestic thriller that will keep readers questioning the motivations of its characters until the final pages. With its intriguing premise, complex character dynamics, and an undercurrent of psychological suspense, it explores the devastating consequences of secrets and betrayal. Although it has some pacing issues, Cate Ray delivers a tense, twisty story that will appeal to fans of domestic thrillers looking for a dark and engaging read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing Park Row for giving me an advance copy.

Good Husbands was one of my favorites, and I was worried how Cate Ray would beat that, but boy oh boy did she! This book was phenomenal! It should defiantly be made into a show series. It was fantastic! Loved it from chapter one. Add to your TBR reading friends!