Three women, all vastly different but all broken in their own ways. Tully, the older sister with more quirks than one can name and a severe case of kleptomania; Rachel, the younger sister who’s coping with a triggering past in an unhealthy way; and Heather, youngest of all three but the others’ soon-to-be step mother. Stephen, father to Tully and Rachel and future husband of Heather, seems like the perfect man. Dedicated dad, partner, and surgeon; he is the perfect man - so why does Tully and Rachel’s mother Pam keep hinting otherwise?

This is my third Sally Helpworth book and my new favorite. She makes such eccentric, fascinating characters and storylines that are quick, twisty, and shocking.

The Younger Wife tells the story of an older man who marries a younger woman. However, his first wife is battling dementia. I found that this novel gave me Jane Eyre vibes. The story is full of twists and turns! It was a very thrilling ride and kept me on the edge of my seat! The only thing that I did not like was the ending. I was disappointed in how it ended. Still, this novel was very well-written and was fast-paced! I recommend this fans of Paula Hawkins, A. J. Finn, and Gillian Flynn!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my review.

A good book, it held my attention to the end. I always enjoy reading Sally Hepworth books!

There was definitely more to think about after reading this than during the process. It took me a second to come to my conclusion as the book ended, and I'm not so sure I like it. I did enjoy the variety of personalities and that it made me think. (3.75/5)

I literally read this book in one sitting and thought to myself oh my. I really enjoyed the book, but I didn't like a single one of the characters. I couldn't find a redeemable quality in any of them. The book is fast paced but it did put me in mind of the B. Smith situation, wowsers!

But Wait, There’s More!

Amended Review for the April 5, 2022 Published Edition:

That I’ve remained invested after reading an advance copy attests to the intriguing storyline. The preliminary release left unanswered questions causing varied interpretations by readers

I was of the opinion that an advocate for women wouldn’t deliberately cast a shadow on a victim’s claim to abuse - no matter how unreliable. I also speculated on whether Sally Hepworth was creating a gaslighting experience for the reader correlating with what the characters were seeing and hearing.

Did I correctly interpret the message she wanted to convey? Or were my friends with opposing opinions correct and I was over thinking?

The debate gains more clarity with this final version and I think many will enjoy it. If you've read the ARC, you might want to look again for a more complete perspective.

The crafty telling remains, combining author connotation with overt drama. On the surface, you think you’re reading about a troubled family, but there's more to it.

Thank you to Christina for discussing this with me by direct message after reading the ARC. I wondered why I viewed the outcome one way and others the complete opposite and I was happy to discover a like mind.

This is my favorite Sally Hepworth novel and I purchased a hardcover to accompany my copy of The Mother in Law already on my shelf. It can also be borrowed from many local libraries.

My Original Review of the Advanced Reader Copy (Edited for brevity):

Rachel and Tully are roped into meeting their future step-mother against their better judgment.

Their father, sixty year old Stephen wants everyone to be family, but Rachel and Tully aren’t on board with accepting a gorgeous interloper who’s closer to their age than their dad’s.

Most everyone in this story came with heavy baggage and the compilation of phobias caused me to feel a little anxious myself while reading about these neurotic folks.

A few comedic sequences involving Tully’s son provided respite while she questioned her parenting skills. A sensitive child on the cusp of three, he was grappling with life changes which “produced” unexpected results. Poor little guy was a treasure in the midst of noxiousness.

Was it murder or not?

The ending will surely be uniquely interpreted by each reader. From early reviews and my own spirited discussion with friends, I foresee many debates. Which is desirable in my opinion, as the lively repartee enhanced my reading experience.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin’s Press for my advance electronic copy due to publish on April 5, 2022.
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Such a fun, fast page turning read! Dad gets a new fiancé, who is about half his age, and close to both of his daughter's age. Of course, he hopes they will all get along and become close friends, but it never happens like that. Also, in order to marry his new fiancé, he must first divorce his wife, who is still alive, and suffering from severe dementia. I really thought I had this book pegged. But the last third of the book just threw me for loop after twisty loop. There was a couple times I had to put the book down for a second to let my brain catch up, but then immediately picked it back up to keep finishing it. I really enjoyed this book, and cannot wait to read more Sally Hepworth!

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the ARC!

Soooooooooo good! Filled with twists and surprises, I couldn’t wait to see what was next. It kept me reading all night.

There’s a lot more taking place than a simple mystery/thriller scenario.

My only complaint would be the ending. I think I expected it to be more of a feminist end than what we got. Very disappointing. For this reason, I deducted a star. From 4 to 3.

Love me a Sally Hepworth book. She writes such great family dramas and this is no different. I actually ended up LOVING the person I was meant to hate. Haha. Super fast read!

Is Stephen Aston, a respected heart surgeon, an abuser and a proficient gaslighter? That’s the crux of the story of The Younger Wife. We are told the story by a few different women: adult daughters Rachel and Tully; Heather, the titular younger wife; and a woman named Fiona. Rachel and Tully’s mother, Pamela, can’t tell her own story, as she has advanced dementia. Both daughters have significant issues they’ve been dealing with. Now they’re faced with the prospect of their 60-something father wanting to marry a women their own age, if he can divorce Pamela, that is. I found the story pretty interesting, but wouldn’t call this a thriller. Maybe more a family drama. In addition to the possible abuse and gaslighting, this book covers a lot of serious topics including: sexual attacks, kleptomania, anxiety, alcoholism, financial problems, and long-term unemployment.

NOTE: I had access to an advance readers copy of this book (Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press) but, being a bit late with my reading, I saw other reviewers talking about a big change in the ending of this book, so I held off reading it until I could get a copy of the published version from my public library. Once I read the published version, I went back and read the last few chapters of my advance copy and sure enough, there’s been a big change. I much prefer the revised, published version!

I have become a fan of Sally Hepworth's writing. My husband and I actually read the books together or listen to them on audio together.

Stephen is getting remarried after his divorce from his current wife who is facing extreme alzheimer's complications. Tully and Rachel are his two daughters and are actually older than his new wife, Heather. Of course when a young woman marries an older man she must be after money. But what does it mean when she already has her own money? Can Tully and Rachel really welcome this stranger into their lives all while dealing with their own personal issues. And on top of that, why did the marriage officiant come screaming out of the office during the wedding, while covered in blood?

This story is told through the perspectives of Heather, Rachel, Tully and a mysterious other woman. Each woman has their own personal trauma that they are dealing with so be ready for some heavy topics to be discussed in this one. Nothing seems to be off limits topic wise including assault, alcoholism, abuse, death, alzheimer's. The story opens with a view of the wedding day and how someone's blood is all over the marriage officiant. The audience is left to decide who was hurt and who did the assault: the new wife, the husband, the ex-wife, the daughters. Everyone is a suspect.

I really liked the multliple perspectives as well as the issues that each woman is facing in the story. There are many different issues to be addressed, but Hepworth does so in a way that allows them to intertwine, overlap, and mesh very well together. A pretty quick feeling read with lots of suspense. Highly recommend.

I had high hopes with this being my second book to read by Sally Hepworth. Sadly it did not live up. It had potential but it was hard for me to finish (I even took a break for a few months and read other books during that time).
I wouldn’t call this a thriller but more of a who done it and why.

I'm such a fan of this author and loved her previous 2 books that I read. I was super excited when I was approved for an ARC from @netgalley, Thank you!

This one opens up with a prologue that immediately draws you in right before a wedding that seems to have some secrets and drama going on. We have Tully and her sister Rachel attended with their mother as a guest. Their father is the groom marrying Heather, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝑾𝒊𝒇𝒆, younger than both Tully and Rachel. Then, we have a mystery person in the background. Sounds crazy already, right?

The two sisters of course aren't feeling their father's fiancé and would like to find some secrets about her. Well everyone has some secrets of their own and we weave through the POV's of the three women, Tully, Rachel, and Heather to find out what's going on in everyone's lives. One of my main questions was, "Who was this mystery person!"

The story was quite interesting as we figure out the twists and turns we're taken on, but it wasn't a huge psychological thriller for me. I was looking for a bigger "pearl clutching" moment and didn't get that. Don't get me wrong. The story wasn't bad, I just didn't get they crazy I was anticipating or wanting in a psychological thriller.

One quote I felt rang true is:

"What happens in our childhood shapes us--our ability to relate to people, to manage our emotions, to control our impulses."

This was a decent mystery/thriller, but unfortunately none of the twists were all that surprising or original. I expected more of an “aha!” moment at the very end in particular, but there isn’t one unfortunately. I feel like the ending added almost nothing to the story.

I thought it was paced well and the characters were intriguing enough, so that’s why I’m still giving this 4 stars and not a lower rating.

**thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review**

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth is a slow burn suspenseful read that keeps you asking, "What exactly happened in that room?", until the very end. The husband. The daughters. The former wife. The new younger wife. Full of tense conversations and loaded with secrets, I mean, don't we all have secrets? While I was most definitely hooked, this read fell fairly flat for me. I give this one 3.5 stars out of 5. Will round up to 4 when reviewing on Amazon and B&N.

*reviews awaiting approval on retail sites.
* review being posted on Instagram this week.

Sally Hepworth did it again. When daughters Tully and Rachel meet their father's much younger future wife, the last thing they expect to learn is that he is going to marry her! He's just recently divorced their mother after a long marriage due to her dementia. As the story unfolds, we learn of deeper issues within each character. But when it comes to the wedding, somebody won't make it out alive.

This book is so well written and very hard to put down. It has a thriller that keeps you wondering. The ending is difficult to accept. This is a story that will stay with you after you finish. Should come with a trigger warning.

Sally Hepworth’s latest novel is a bit less of a thriller than it is a domestic drama with a lot of suspense. But I still enjoyed it and felt fully engaged in the story. The different characters all felt fully realized and complex, and I was totally along for the ride. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian for the advanced copy. Sally Hepworth’s latest novel is a bit less of a thriller than it is a domestic drama with a lot of suspense. But I still very much enjoyed it. The different characters all felt fully realized and complex, and I was totally along for the ride. However, I was a bit disappointed by the somewhat underwhelming ending. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian for the advanced copy.

This story follows multiple points of view; we have a wedding guest, the bride and the brides two step daughters. The book starts with a wedding and we know that an accident has occurred and then the story jumps back in time where the bride is meeting her future step daughters for the first time. Heather is marrying Stephen whom she met while redecorating his house that he was sharing with his current wife who is suffering from dementia. Heather meets Stephen's two adult daughters who are the same age her. Tully is married and has two children but her family is hiding money problems as well as other secrets. The Other sister, Rachel is single but still trying to deal with a trauma that happened to her when she was 16 that no one knows about. The story follows Heather trying to befriend Tully and Rachel while all three woman are trying to deal with their own personal struggles. I really enjoyed this one and couldn't put it down, I needed to know what happened next in every chapter. If you enjoy domestic thrillers than I would recommend picking this one up! Thank you St. Martin's Press for my gifted copy for review.

OH my GOD...... I"m done with gaslighting. I can't handle this anymore in books. I also am so turned off by using the "stupid women" in their books.

Oh my gosh... I can't with the themes anymore. Women acting "crazy" drinking. All the women looking back on Stephen..... not questioning if he was actually abusive. Women never thought for themselves, always taking his word for things. Around and around we went..... were the women being gaslighted, drunk, were stupid, or just combination of everything.

I see what the author was trying to do create confusion to the reader so we can try and figure out the story. I've read earlier works by Hepworth and really enjoyed them. BUT, THIS?! Oh my god this was awful in my opinion.

I can't take another story where the women are perceived as bat shit crazy with added alcohol/drug issues, and mental health.

NO thank you.

2/5 stars

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my arc.