Thanks for the advance review copy of "The Younger Woman." I was immediately captivated by the bright cover and subject matter. Ultimately, this book was a mixed bag for me. The characters fell flat for me, some felt rather vague to me, and they turned out to be important characters. I didn't really know enough about them to feel invested. The twist was good although I was confused for a few chapters.

This was my first book by this author, but I do look forward to read more from her. The story held my interest and at times it was a really good "page turning mystery." However, the plot kind of lost me towards the middle and end.

The Younger Woman
by Mandy Byatt
Arc:NetGalley
Publisher:@Avon Books UK, Avon
Pub Date 02 Feb 2023
#General Fiction (Adult) #Mystery & Thrillers

Lottie discover a body their cellar but who has killed this women is the cellar and why. We follow Lottie her husband Nick and their close friend's through this revelation. We follow Nick and his ways within the work environment and how he is around others. Hannah Lottie best friend is always there for her. It's a mystery to who this women in and how she ended up in the cellar.
A truly enjoyable read

The Younger Woman by Mandy Byatt is the first book I've read by this author. The synopsis sounded good and what drew me in; however, the pacing and storytelling were very slow. I did not really like any of the characters.

The story was told from different POVs, which got a bit confusing due to the formatting.

The ending was a good surprise, though. I may check out more books by this author. However, The Younger Woman fell a bit flat for me.

#NetGalley @AvonBooksUK

This one got me reading from the get go, wanting to know the ending! A brilliant thriller written and devoured.

"You shouldn't play around with people."

Despite Lottie's reproductive issues, which cause her to doubt her own femininity, Nick and Lottie seem to enjoy a happy marriage. More concern is brought on by the hiring of a new young female employee at Nick's company.

Finally, Lottie learns she is pregnant, but when she goes to the cottage in the country to celebrate Nick's birthday with him, she unintentionally discovers the attractive woman's dead body in the basement. a female who remarkably resembles Lottie.

Who is the killer, and what does this mean for their marriage? Can it still be saved?

The author skillfully maneuvers between different protagonists and periods, leaving the reader in constant tension until the end of the book.

Excellent reading!

Good book. Needs a little more oomph and the characters were a little one dimensional but would be a great beach read.

I quite enjoyed this book, a new author to me, it was well written although I did find it a bit slow in parts.

The characters were good and well described. For me personally it didn't keep me on the edge of my seat but overall I enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for this ARC which I would recommend.

I enjoyed the story very much, kept my attention all the way through. I haven't read this author before but will look for more books by her.

This story has been done so many times before. The way the author executed it was nothing new. It was slow and boring at times. It just needs a fresh perspective.

I wanted to get into this story, but I just could not. The characters were boring. The pace was slow. Although I can see the author trying very hard to make the plot interesting; however, the plotline has been done a hundred times over. What would have saved this story would have been if the characters were livelier.

Thank you to Avon Books UK, Avon and NetGalley for letting me read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

what a great read, a tense and pacey thriller from Mandy Byatt. The characters were beautifully developed and the plot was superbly crafted to keep you guessing and keep you turning the pages, so good I've just downloaded her other novel!

BOOM! This was explosive. I loved it. Couldn't put it down. An absolute whirlwind from start to finish. And that ending--WOW! Totally blew me away. I loved this twisty thriller.

Wow! I love discovering a new (to me) author. And I will definitely be following Mandy Byatt! She knocks this one out of the park. Such a great read that had me flipping pages long into the night. Awesome characters kept me engrossed from start to finish. So many secrets, lies and great reveals. And great big on the creep factor! Highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Thank you Avon Books and NetGalley for an early copy of The Younger Woman. This was such a captivating read, I couldn’t stop reading it but then what happened??????? That was the most confusing last chapters of a book I have ever read. My head is still spinning!!! Why did it end with sooooo many confusing parts when it was sooooo good for about 80%???? Not happy how it turned out, sooo confused.

I enjoyed this book and wish the author all the best with this book
I did not see the twist at the end of this book but loved it
thank you for the arc of this book to the publisher and netgalley

Eeessh what a nasty (albeit enjoyable) piece of work! A satisfying thriller in which every single character is despicable. 3.5 rounded up

Having read and very much enjoyed Mandy Byatt’s debut, Just Another Liar, I was very excited to read her next novel The Younger Woman and it certainly did not disappoint. The Younger Woman is just as tightly plotted as Byatt’s debut and had a twist that had me scrapping my jaw off the floor. Fans of physiological domestic thrillers will not want to miss out on this. 4.5 ⭐️

The Younger Woman is the kind of book that once finished you want to pick up and start again to see if you can find all the little clues that lead to the explosive twist. It’s really hard to say much about this book as it deserves to be read with as little prior knowledge as possible. It is, however, fair to say that this story starts with a bang, wherein which our female MC finds the body of a younger woman, who looks alarmingly like her, in the cellar of the holiday cottage she’s at with her husband.

As with her debut, Byatt has written The Younger Woman in such a way that it is impossible to put down. The chapters alternate between third person and first. In the third person chapters we follow Lottie, our female MC as she grows more paranoid about what’s going on with her husband Nick and why he is often never around. Whilst the first person chapters are from the perspective of the younger woman, who has her sights firmly set on seducing Nick. As prior noted, there is so much I’d love to say about this book, but I don’t want to give anything away. That said I can’t wait for others to read it so I can have a good discussion with them about it.

It’s fair to say that Mandy Byatt will be an autobuy author for me now for whenever I want an absolutely compulsive thriller.

This was a definite page turner and kept me up for a while as I had to finish it. So all in all I did thoroughly recommend.
I want to say a bit more about the things that I really liked but that is going to spoil the plot for people so won't.

What I did get confused about was the sisters - I struggled with that

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

Lottie and Nick appear to be the perfect couple, but they have their problems. With an extended circle of friends and family, are things always what they seem to be?

There are secrets and twists galore in this book, and following all the different narratives can take some getting used to. The writing style is sometimes a little off, but if you can plough through that then it’s an intriguing thriller with some good ideas.

The perfect airport purchase to read on the beach!

3.5* rounded up to 4*.

Thank you NetGalley.