I finished reading this book and literally said out loud to myself, “Wait. What??!”

Is this a story of unreliable narrators? Is it purely a story of gaslighting? Is it a survivors tale? Is everyone completely crazy?

I loved, loved, loved the puzzle of this book! I loved each of their stories (the underlying addiction stories), the trauma they all had survived, and honestly truly enjoyed all the character development.

The twists and turns of this story were so well executed and I literally couldn’t put it down!!

This was a decent thriller. There weren't enough twists, turns, or twists to push it up to four stars but still enjoyable. I enjoyed the audiobook!

It was amazing, the effect a father had on a person. A father was the benchmark that told you what to expect. What to accept. And, perhaps most importantly, what to believe about yourself.

I'd watch the movie (if they made one).

Heather, the younger wife, is getting married to her dream-man. He's kind, he's got two daughters around her age and a wife with dementia that he's divorcing.

His daughters are less than thrilled, no one really knows what the mother with dementia is even understanding about the situation?

It plays out in two storylines...one where we're following the wives and daughters in the months leading up to the wedding, and one where someone dies at the wedding and the guests are all speculating about what happened. It made for a great amount of suspense.

I loved the ending. I thought it was amazing....I'm seeing a lot of people upset about it, because it's too ambiguous? I didn't find it that way. Maybe I just decided what I wanted to, but I'm feeling pretty good about it. :)

Absolutely Riveting! A 'can't put down page turner' that will have you hooked from the very first line.

QUICK TAKE: an easy, breezy domestic suspense novel about sisters struggling to connect with their father's much younger fiancee. I thought Sally did a nice job with the main narrative while giving each of the character's their own fully-fleshed out story and drama. The twist at the end wasn't unexpected, but I thought was successfully executed. I had heard an earlier draft of the book's ending was a bit more open-ended than Hepworth intended and readers took issue with it. I did not read that draft of the book and can not speak to that ending, but I have no issue recommending the finished version I was sent.

This was my first time reading a Sally Hepworth novel and I am kicking myself for not having done so sooner!

I always enjoy a multi-pov story. Typically two povs, when done well, are some of my favorite stories to dive into - but Hepworth kicked it up with three. Not going to lie, when I first realized we were going to be diving into three povs, I was concerned. To date, I haven’t seen one done well; but this was phenomenal.

The book kicks right off at a wedding turned bloody- quite literally. I found the twists and turns to be believable. Three women’s lives are turned upside down as they try to muddle through natural ups and downs in life, while something sinister is occurring just beneath the surface. Who is a target, who has been hurt, and the the possible reasons behind it all.

The ending…I loved and hated it all at once.

TW: Miscarriage, Rape, Domestic Abuse, Physical & Mental Abuse, Gaslighting, Substance Abuse.

📌 Pub Date: April 19, 2022

I was given an ARC of this story to read; but thoughts and opinions are all my own. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read this book!

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I thoroughly enjoyed Hepworths writing style in all of her books I’ve read but was BLOWN away by her last release, The Good Sister so I was super excited for this one!

While I still loved the writing style in The Younger Wife, it fell quite short for me. I found the storyline very predictable, and did not like the ending much. While I did see that she had changed the epilogue in the finished copy, I’ve discussed with friends who have read the finished copy of the book and I feel leaving the epilogue out altogether would have been the better option!

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve enjoyed the author’s last few books, so I was looking forward to this one. I enjoyed the characters and the depth that was added by their issues they weee facing. The main story was a bit confusing and hard to follow at times. Definitely not my favorite book by Hepworth.

Rachel and Tully are given shattering news by their father. While he still cares for their mother who has declined enough to be placed in a dementia ward, their father Steven has fallen in love and plans to marry Heather-a much younger woman. Rachel and Tully are at first very disinclined to like Heather but they slowly warm up. But when Heather starts to question her experiences with her new fiancee (are they real or alcohol induced imaginings?) and Rachel and Tully hear things from their mother about their dad that cause them to wonder if the marriage wasn't so idyllic after all (is there truth there or is the dementia causing her to misremember?) they start to wonder if they really know Steven at all. What follows is a pretty wild ride that will have you waffling back and forth on what might really be going on with this family. It will also make you wonder about your own relationships and whether that promise of in both sickness and health rings true or not. I honestly had this at a 3 star read but when I read the end it left me flabbergasted enough to raise it to a well deserved four stars. More subtly suspenseful than I am used to but worth the read.

I liked the multiple POV. I must say that while I thought I had a few things figured out, I was also not sure it wasn’t going to go in a totally different direction by the end too. It definitely kept me on my toes throughout. I also enjoyed the relationship between the women in the story.

I had an issue with the way the ending was resolved. I also wish the character with dementia had been written a bit differently. I felt as she were often treated as a child and not treated as any person with a mental illness should be.

I am looking forward to reading other books by Sally Hepworth now.

An interesting page turner about families and secrets.

When a father decides to marry a younger woman, his daughters are concerned about the wife to be. Their mother is still alive and dealing with dementia but does she know more than they realize.

THE HUSBAND
A heart surgeon at the top of his field, Stephen Aston is getting married again. But first he must divorce his current wife, even though she can no longer speak for herself.

THE DAUGHTERS
Tully and Rachel Aston look upon their father’s fiancée, Heather, as nothing but an interloper. Heather is younger than both of them. Clearly, she’s after their father’s money.

THE FORMER WIFE
With their mother in a precarious position, Tully and Rachel are determined to get to the
truth about their family’s secrets, the new wife closing in, and who their father really is.

THE YOUNGER WIFE
Heather has secrets of her own. Will getting to the truth unleash the most dangerous impulses
in all of them?

SUCH A FANTASTIC domestic suspense! I absolutely loved this one , so many , secrets, lies, and twists that kept me turning the pages.

I liked this one but am under the impression that the ARC vs store sold copies are different - so I find it hard to leave an honest review with that knowledge.

I really like Sally Hepworth’s writing. I look forward to every new book she releases because I know it will be a captivating book.

The Younger Wife kept me on the edge of my seat, I finished it in less than 2 days because I had to know how it was going to end. Stephen is still married to his current wife (with dementia), his 2 daughters are older new woman he wants to marry, this is just a set up for disaster! Anyway, the plot was great and I loved the book. It was a solid 4-4.5 stars for me.

***Thank you Netgalley & St Martins Press for an ARC copy in return for an honest review***

This is a multi genre story. Part dysfunctional family drama, part mystery, part thriller and well a hefty dose of creepy darkness. Stephen has invited his daughters out to lunch. He then proceeds to introduce his adult daughters to Heather, a woman younger woman they are and share with their very exciting happy news. They’re getting married! One small hiccup…he is still married to his wife, the mother of his children who is in a care facility suffering from dementia. The author weaves an interesting story. The sisters are not happy and have a gut feeling that Heather doesn’t have the purest of intentions. Then they start to wonder about their father. So many questions, so many people with nefarious intentions. There isn’t a decent person in the story, but that is what makes it so dark and yet compelling. Also at times what makes it somewhat obvious. Still overall a good book to read with the lights on.

I am a fan of Sally Hepworth, she is a pro at writing domestic thrillers that have me glued to my kindle. She has mastered the formula for the domestic thriller genre and she followed it in The Younger Wife. I look forward to reading more from Sally!

I overall enjoyed this one. I think that the ending was a little hit or miss for some people however the overall story was solid. Looking forward to what Sally writes next. Thanks for the opportunity!

I just gave this book to a patron a few days ago to check out and told her she would not be able to put it down. She was back in 3 days and said she stayed up late to finish it. Sally kept you guessing, and I was wrong! Loved this book.

Rachel and Tully's father, Stephen, is getting married again, to a woman younger than them. Heather seems nice enough, but Stephen is still married to their mother, Pam. Granted, Pam has dementia and can't even remember her own children, but still. Stephen is a prominent doctor and wealthy, well liked by everyone. Heather is definitely benefitting from the marriage.
While going through her mother's things, Rachel finds a hot water bottle with thousands of dollars and a note. Where did her mother get so much money? Why did she have it hidden? Pam isn't the only one with secrets. Rachel, Tully, Heather, and Stephen all have their own as well.
Sally Hepworth has always been one of my favorite authors. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love the character development, we learn so much about each person. I wasn't thrilled with the ending, but it wasn't horrible, just a bit anticlimactic. The book does touch on some serious subjects but I didn't feel it did justice to them all.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

The Younger Wife was my first Sally Hepworth read, and I’ll start by saying this, I’ve heard that the ending changed for publication (WHICH IS A GOOD THING) but I’m reviewing the ARC.

Family drama isn’t typically my thing, but I did find myself enjoying reading about Tully, Rachel, and Heather. For some reason I kept getting the names confused 🤷🏼‍♀️ which I’ve actually seen others feel the same way.

I like the idea that sometimes you don’t truly know your family members & that everyone can have their own secrets. I didn’t love that every family member had such a tragic, serious past that created such huge problems for them in the present.

The ARC ending left me so upset. There wasn’t any justice for the women and it just made me so sad. I have heard that the ending was changed and created a far more closed ending that provided a lot more positivity for all characters involved.

I would like to recommend the published version, but do need to warn that there are TONS of TW for literally everything - so please please please DM me if you have any questions or concerns before reading this.

For the copy I read, I’d give 3 ⭐️ for the first 3/4 of the book!

Thank you to @netgalley for the review copy!

Link : https://www.instagram.com/p/CdbCxkgLV9L/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=