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.

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you HTP, The Hive, Park Row, and Harlequin Audio for the gifted digital and audio copies!

The Younger Woman
Cate Ray
Publishing Date: February 25, 2025

🎧 Narrator: Hannah Curtis 🎧

The Younger Woman was a unique thriller in the sense that it was a slow burn and much more character focused. If you enjoy domestic thrillers that really dive into the mind and life of the characters, and don’t mind a slower build to the twisty action, you’ll really enjoy this one!

I found myself unsure how I actually felt about this book at points, and I think that’s largely due to the fact that there is such a sense of unease throughout as the characters all feel unreliable and untrustworthy. This is not an action packed thriller, but at the same time, I could not stop listening! I was totally gripped by the subtle suspense of it all and I needed to know how things were going to turn out. I was invested in Gabby and was totally rooting for her to stand up for herself, especially to her awful manipulative husband 😒

🎧 Hannah Curtis did a great job narrating this one! I flew through it over the course of two days and have zero regrets about reading this one with my ears.

THE YOUNGER WOMAN
Cate Ray
On sale February 25th, 2025

Gaby and Fred have just begun their lives as empty nesters when Gaby realizes she doesn’t love Fred anymore, in fact he hates him. She know he has cheated in the past and is probably doing it now and she wants out of the marriage.

Then she meets a young woman on one of Gaby’s darkest days, the day she has dropped her daughter off at university and her life is changed forever. As she continues to drink with this stranger and gets more and more drunk, she confesses she wishes Fred was dead.

Life begins to spiral out of control then and Gaby tries to take control while she can. Who is this woman, and why is she sending threatening texts to her?

From the author of GOOD HUSBANDS, comes a novel that has us watching our backs and wondering who to trust every minute.

quiet and cool suspense work with tension slowly building throughout from its baseline state all the way up to complete madness. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Big mistake. Gabby's tired of her husband (who is a louse, btw) but does she really wish he was dead? Problem is, she told Ellis, the beautiful younger woman she met in a bar, that she did. Now this was after a few drinks and without a sense of Ellis, who as it turns out has a secret. And now Gabby's well, no spoilers. This is a page turner that might start a little slow but then there's the twist. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This will be a perfect travel book.

This thriller comes out on February 25th and you will want to read it!

Cate loves her house, she was gifted it by her parents when they passed. And now her cheating husband wants to divorce her and talk half of the six million dollar house!

This book has twists you do not see coming and a surprise ending for sure!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was an easy fast read!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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This book was definitely unexpected, and went in a completely different direction. It was a really engaging read!

Gabby is finally an empty nester with her husband, Fred, and she has a nagging feeling that their marragie is done. One night she goes to a bar and she meets Ellis, an intriguing younger woman, and makes a reckless confession: she wishes her husband were dead. That turned out to be a huge mistake.

What follows is a tense, twist-filled game of cat and mouse that is hard to put down. Gabby’s choices will frustrate you, but you’ll understand them. And Ellis? She’s the kind of character who makes your pulse quicken every time she’s on the page. I did wish that the characters were a little better developed, so I can have more context as to why characters were a certain way. Maybe flashbacks to her life with Fred.

This thriller covers it all. Real-life struggles—marital tensions, buried desires, and the secrets we hide from those closest to us. Definitely recommend this fast paced thriller!

This book comes out February 25. Thanks to @htp_hive and @netgalley for an advnaced copy.

I finished this popcorn thriller in one sitting. While it was entertaining I did predict the twist pretty early on. It is worth the read if you are looking for a fast psychological thriller.

I loved this book and read it in one sitting. I could not put this book down.
This book was absolutely wild and I loved every minute.
The number of twists kept me wanting more! I didn't know what would happen next but it kept me on edge! This was probably one of the most twisted stories I've ever read.
Cate Ray’s atmospheric writing heightens the suspense, as she masterfully weaves tension. The psychological unraveling of the characters makes for an intense and unpredictable read.
The Younger Wife was an exciting story I very much enjoyed.

I loved this exciting read! Numerous jaw dropping twists help to increase suspense. This expertly crafted story grabs the reader and doesn't let go.

Editing Miscues Mar Otherwise Solid Suspense Story. The story told in this book really is quite solid. It may not work for *everyone*, but I found it enjoyable and it seemed to fit well enough with the characters as portrayed that nothing was so far "out there" as to be too distracting. There are several twists and turns and while I realized the link possibly before the author meant me to - or possibly much later than Ray meant me to, due to the aforementioned editing miscues - it wasn't anything that harmed my enjoyment of the tale. More of a "I know something you don't know" to hold over the main character until she finally realizes it herself.

But the editing miscues. Ugh. Not enough to deduct a star over, because it isn't really an "objective-ish" issue, but it absolutely marred my enjoyment of reading this book. Specifically, the way the timeline bounced around with little warning and with even less differentiation. Nothing about the way the text was formatted or the way these jumps into the past were written gave any indication beyond the "x time earlier" at the beginning of the chapter, and while that can (and has) worked in other books... for some reason it just *didn't* here, and I'm not overly sure why. It could absolutely be a "me" thing though, so read this book and see for yourself - and write your own review so I can have a more complete picture of whether or not this *is* a "me" thing. :)

Ultimately a solid story that shows promise for this author's continued career, but I do hope the editing issues can be resolved (or shown at least to be just a "me" problem).

Very much recommended.

The Younger Woman by Cate Ray is a thrilling and suspenseful domestic noir that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Gabby, a woman coming to terms with her empty nest and the realization that she no longer loves her husband, Fred, finds herself caught in a dangerous game of lies and manipulation when she confesses a dark secret to a mysterious younger woman named Ellis.

In a moment of vulnerability, Gabby drunkenly admits to wishing Fred dead, but when she later attempts to reconnect with Ellis, she discovers that the enigmatic stranger may not be who she claims to be. This sets off a chilling chain of events as Gabby uncovers unsettling truths about both Fred and Ellis, all while questioning her own role in the growing mystery.

Ray masterfully weaves a tale of psychological tension, blending domestic discontent with a web of secrets and deceit. The story explores themes of trust, betrayal, and the lengths people are willing to go to in order to protect or expose the truth. Gabby’s unraveling perception of her reality makes for a gripping read as she navigates the cat-and-mouse game of trying to uncover the truth while potentially becoming a pawn in a much larger and more dangerous scheme.

The Younger Woman is a sharp, fast-paced thriller that will keep readers guessing until the very last page. Ray’s expert plotting and complex characters make this a compelling read for fans of domestic suspense and psychological thrillers.

The Younger Woman by Cate Ray is a gripping mystery thriller that immediately drew me in and kept me on the edge of my seat until the final page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the Advance Reader Copy and Advance Listener Copy of this book.

I was so excited about the concept of this book from the description, but unfortunately this book feel very flat for me.

I didn't care about a single character, except for maybe the daughter Alice, and I found the stakes to be paper thin.

I felt that this was a slow burn that didn't have high enough stakes to keep someone interested. The FMC's inner dialogue and actions were very far fetched for me.

I did really love the way the narrator did the audiobook.

Wanted to love this so badly and was very disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting access to this book and audiobook

Unfortunately, I found this book to be too melodramatic. I thought the FMC was quite whiny. I am upset because I really wanted to like this book. Hannah Curtis does a good job with the narration of the audiobook, but I just couldn't find myself connecting with any of the characters, unfortunately.