I’ve always liked Sally Hepworth, she writes domestic thrillers that leave you gasping. This book started out strong but I was so disappointed in the ending. I hear that the latest edition has an added paragraph that changes the ending. I’ll check it out.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

Sally Hepworth excels at writing family-centric domestic thrillers, and this book is no exception. In each of her works, she gives us carefully observed, often female family members and explores the intricacies of their personal lives and relationships with other members of their family. Typically, the narrator or narrator‘s are what one might consider the victim, so you as the reader are rooting for them every step of the way. Although this formula repeats in all three of her books that I’ve read, I’m not mad about it. Each book has been unique but consistent with her strong suits, delivering well developed plot and characters, tension, twists, and a great ending that packs a punch.

In this book, Heather is about to marry an older man named Stephen Aston. Stephen is a successful doctor with two adult daughters, and whose wife now has dementia. There are three rotating perspectives: Heather, and Stephen’s two daughters, Rachel and Tully. At first, Rachel and Tully simply don’t know how to process this quick remarriage. Their dad is still married to their mom, despite the fact that she’s living in a care home and rarely recognizes them. But as they start to warm to Heather, they both begin to confront their own traumas and neuroses. For Rachel, it’s addressing a trauma that happened to her as a teenager that she’s still unhealthily dealing with today. For Tully, it’s attempting to curb a risky anxiety coping mechanism she developed as a child. All the while, Heather is trying to navigate her new life as wealthy Stephen’s wife-to-be, rather than the daughter of an abusive, poor alcoholic that she grew up as.

I loved seeing the journey of each of these characters, although I did like some more than others. I know the ending is a bit controversial among reviewers on Goodreads, but I liked it. I thought it was a powerful manifestation of the consequences of lifelong gaslighting and trauma coming to light. The epilogue however? I have no idea how to deal with that.

Overall, I thought this was a good thriller, but moreover, a better exploration of a family and three complex women. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley!

The Younger Wife reveals that a renowned heart surgeon, Stephen Aston has announced that he will be getting married while still married to his current wife Pam. His adult daughters Tully and Rachel don't know what to make of it when they realize his new wife, Heather, is near their same age.

The other thing shocking to the sisters is that Heather was the interior designer for Pam and Stephen's home and that their father began to court Heather while their mother has been a nursing home suffering from dementia.

The family itself is far from perfect. Tully is a kleptomaniac with a skittish personality, and Rachel a respected baker that eats her feelings. Each of them have their secrets and as the wedding gets closer the sisters and the upcoming bride begin to wonder if maybe Stephen isn't as perfect as he seems.

Incidents happen leading Heather to believe that Stephen has intent to hurt her, much like her own father did to her mother when she was a child. It doesn't help that Pam seems determined to point out to everyone that Stephen is a monster. While the sisters struggle to contemplate whether their father is violent towards his wives or if the wives are just clumsy, the injuries continue leaving it harder to blur the line between what is reality and what is made up.

It doesn't help when Rachel meets up with her father's first wife and she confesses something to Rachel. Fiona, the first wife, claims that Stephen hurt her. Such a revelation makes Rachel wonder if maybe her mother had been trying to get away from her father. Especially after she is going through her mother's things and finds a hot water bottle with almost a hundred thousand dollars stuffed inside. Even more confusing is the shred of paper with her sister and Fiona's name written on it.

As the story progresses and the wedding gets ever closer the sisters deal with their own insecurities from Tully confronting her kleptomania and the loss of her home, to Rachel facing that her past has kept her from being able to truly heal and move on. Yet the past also leaves the two sisters and the younger wife to question the well being and intent of Stephen.

So on the wedding day when it all comes to a head, the end result is the death of one of them. Without giving away any spoilers the author brings the reader to three years earlier with a scene of Pam and her true reason for all the money in the hot water bottle and why Tully and Fiona's name were written on the scrap of paper. Another scene is the future in which Fiona writes to Rachel once more with a shocking revelation leaving everyone to question was it all real or just in their minds?

The Younger Wife to me was a pleasant surprise especially with the shocker of an ending that I did not see coming at all. I loved the delightful spin that literally pulled the rug out from under the readers feet and all they thought they knew. If you are a fan of family dramas and secrets that lead people to make unexpected choices then I would most certainly recommend the Younger Wife. Until next time, Happy Reading!

I enjoy reading thrillers, and since I had read books by this particular author before, I was pretty eager to read this book. When I read the blurb for The Younger Wife, I knew that I wanted to read it. But then I read the book, and while I liked it, I was very disappointed by the last half of the book.

The Younger Wife has a straightforward plotline with three characters: Heather, Tully, and Rachel. Heather is marrying Stephen, a well-known heart surgeon who is recently divorced from Pam, suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s. But something isn’t quite right with Heather’s relationship with Stephen, and the closer to the wedding date, the more apprehensive she becomes. When Rachel discovers a note, along with almost a hundred thousand dollars, stuffed into a hot water bottle, she realizes that the father she knew is a stranger. He could be responsible for her mother’s sudden decline.

Meanwhile, Tully is dealing with her demons. Everything will come crashing together at the wedding. And when it does, will the question be answered? Or will everything stay the same?

The author did an excellent job of amping up the psychological thriller angle of the book. The way she wrote Heather and Stephen’s scenes (all while Heather was tipsy) made me wonder if Heather was clumsy or if Stephen was behind everything. It wasn’t until Heather got seriously hurt and then announced her pregnancy and what happened after that, that I started believing Heather.

Speaking of Heather, I did start not liking or trusting her. It was how she met Stephen and how fast she fell for him. Of course, she was hiding something, and I was irritated that the author kept dragging it out. I did figure it out about halfway through the book, but I was still surprised when she told Stephen. And I did do an eye-roll with his response. But, by the end of the book, my opinion of her changed, and I liked her.

I liked Rachel, and I pitied her when the author revealed her past trauma. But I did kind of eye-roll with how fast Heather figured it out with the revealed clues. I wasn’t even thinking that when Heather asked Rachel. I also felt terrible that she couldn’t ask Stephen questions about several key things. I also felt horrible that her trauma had such a terrific hold on her, manifesting in an eating disorder.

I was not too fond of Tully. I feel bad saying this because she was such a hot mess for the entire book. But she was awful. If she had even been likable, I might have had a smidgen more sympathy for her. Honestly, I wasn’t surprised when she hit rock bottom towards the end of the book. I wish the author had done it sooner because Tully, after her arrest, was more likable and more relatable. She was still a hot mess, but she was getting help, and by the end of the book, she seemed so much more relaxed.

The wedding storyline and the aftermath were well written. The author kept me guessing what happened until almost the end of the book. I was completely surprised at who killed Stephen and what drove that person to do it. I did not expect that person to do anything.

As I mentioned above, I loved the book until the last half. Then I felt that the author did a 180 and tried to play mind games with the readers. I was not impressed with what she did and how she played everything off. I read those chapters, plus the letter written, with a wide-open mouth. I couldn’t believe what I was reading compared to the evidence given in the first half of the book.

I do want to warn you that several scenes might trigger someone. There are scenes of rape (not graphic), domestic abuse, miscarriage, eating disorders, kleptomania, nursing home abuse, alcoholism, and child abuse. If you think that any of these might trigger you, I strongly suggest not reading The Younger Wife.

I would recommend The Younger Wife to anyone over 21. There are several triggers, which are detailed in the paragraph above. There is also mild violence, language, and very mild sexual scenes.

I have mixed feelings about The Younger Wife. It's well written and draws you into the lives of the women involved. I enjoyed the deep dive into their lives. However, I was uncomfortable with how these women are presented. For the most part, the women are struggling with major issues while the men in their lives are presented as in control yet they have their own significant flaws. While intentional, it didn't sit well with me especially considering the serious subject matter involved. On the positive side, I did like the growth in the women and their relationships with each other.

The juxtaposition of deception versus confusion is used very effectively, and it kept me reading to find out what was really happening. This picture perfect family has some big secrets that provide many twists and turns.

Overall, the portrayal of women diminished my enjoyment of this book, but I'm still looking forward to seeing what Sally Hepworth does next. Hepworth's books always leave you with something to think about!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital copy of this book.

The Younger Wife – Hepworth
Sally Hepworth’s THE YOUNGER WIFE will tie you up in knots and every minute of it was a delight! Told from multiple points of view with several timeline jumps, this domestic thriller continues to establish Hepworth’s place at the top of readers’ TBR lists.
Every twist will have you questioning what you think you know about the story and the characters. Hepworth does a skilled job of creating characters that are flawed with lives that are perfectly dysfunctional they could be anyone you know. Then there is the ending. It will cause discussion and dissection for anyone who reads it, leaving the reader to ponder. Read and enjoy the ride!
Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#TheYoungerWife #SallyHepworth #StMartinsPress

Hepworth does it again. A suspense I could not put down.
This was just the book I needed to kick off summer. A family filled with loads of drama and heartache.
This will be a great beach read.

I went back and forth between reading and listening to this book. Sally Hepworth did such a great job with providing a window into the minds of her characters. This book kept me guessing on who done it, as well as who it was done to, until the very end. Sally is definitely an auto-read/listen for me from now on!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

The opening scene is a wedding which is narrated by an unknown party. The wedding is between Stephen Aston and his much younger fiance, Heather. The main cast of the wedding party is the bride and groom, the groom's recently ex wife Pam who has dementia and keeps wandering the church, carrying a candlestick, Stephen's daughters, Rachel and Tully, who look unhappy and who wouldn't be, Heather is only a few years younger than them. After the wedding the party goes to the back of the church to sign the marriage certificate and the wedding guests hear a blood curdling scream. The guests try to sort out what has occurred and many guesses are made. The story then goes back in time to come forward until we find out what really happened at the church.

I really wanted to love this book, I liked it, but just barely. The ending was such a let down that it ruined the rest of the book for me, there are so many ways it could have ended. This author usually writes a great thriller, I found this book not as good as the others. It was an okay read but nothing earthshattering. I would definitely check out more books by this author based on her other works.

Oh Sally Hepworth!! Why? Why? This book is one hot mess. Now whether it's a good, delicious hot mess of a psychological thriller for you or a bad hot mess of a jumbled story painting blame on the victim is up to the reader's interpretation. (And no judgement here in how you interpret this book). Obviously reviews are mixed. And for me, I'm middle of the road for this one.

First let me say, Sally Hepworth is a very gifted writer and I have loved her previous books. This one started out strong for me, a great opening, good storyline and then bam - I feel like I hit a brick wall. It's not just a story of does he or doesn't he, it turns into how dimwitted and messed up are these women. And they are the victims! So in the end, I wasn't pleased with how the women were portrayed in this novel.

Overall, it was an okay story. Not thrilled with how some of the characters were portrayed and the ending left me not full filled as a reader. So, middle of the road. While I probably won't recommend this particular book, I would recommend this author.

My thanks to Sally Hepworth, St. Martin's Press and netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoy Sally Hepworth's books. and her latest didn't disappoint. The Younger Wife had me hooked from page 1 and I didn't predict the ending. 5 stars!

I have to say that I think this is my favorite Sally Hepworth that I have read so far. I love reading any kind of story including something medical so the doctor aspect for me was an added bonus. There were a lot of characters in this and you got to learn about each of them and the struggles they were going through. I really enjoyed that aspect of this book as character development so often is lacking in many books. You didn't experience that in this story. You got to see their stories and how they all weave around the one main story of the thriller.

This is a page turner that will keep you up into the night feverishly turning the pages to get to the conclusion. I really enjoy Sally Hepworth as a writer and will continue to read her books.

The reason I really wanted to read this was because I really enjoy Sally Hepworth books. I have read a handful so far and was excited when this one came out also! Thank you NetGalley and Sally Hepworth for the advanced copy.

I like family dramas and this one was exactly that! I really like the author explores each character's personality and they seem like they could be real people. They aren't perfect, have flaws, and they have their own story within the bigger story.

This one starts with a wedding that turns sour. Well more than sour, but disasterous. I love how we know what happened but don't know who or why.

I liked the ending, though I know many had mixed feelings. I like that about an author tho. Makes you think!

Twisty and and lots of little dramas within a drama - so very enjoyable!

Another great thriller from Sally Hepworth. It was a slow burn for the first bit and then it all kept twisting and kept you guessing who met their demise at the wedding.

This book follows the lives of Rachel, Tully, Stephen, Heather and Pam, all dealing with their own issues in life but all intertwined without realizing it. The story opens at the wedding of Stephen and Heather leading to the ultimate unknown. Then the book backtracks to retell all the events leading up to the wedding. Told in multiple perspectives, the book starts off slow, but about half way in becomes faster paced, more interesting, and I could not put it down. While I thought I had nailed out what happened, the ending does leave you with a surprise you did not see coming.

This was not a thriller that it was supposedly marketed as, I would consider this more of a family drama than anything else with SOME mystery to it.
There were a lot of heavy topics talked about such as: rape, eating disorders, anxiety, kleptomania, verbal abuse, and domestic violence which I feel were all somewhat glossed over.
I didn't care for any of the characters and the ending wasn't neatly done as much as I like endings to be.

I finished this book about a month ago and have puzzled on how to write a review since. Typically Sally Hepworth is an Insta-buy for me, but this book was a bit different. I know she rewrote the ending which was smart as it was too open-ended. However there were a lot of emotionally impactful storylines that didn’t quite hit like they should have. They don’t seem to have been handled appropriately imo. For instance a sexual assault survivor who had gone through many traumatic years trying to heal herself with food is healed by the love of a man? Hmm. And a kleptomaniac character who does seek therapy but we never know the root of her issues. Just a lot of odd things. Otherwise I enjoyed the book! The mystery kept me interested!

If someone had asked me a week ago if I thought a hot water bottle would ever feature prominently in a compelling family drama/mystery, I’d probably have looked at them and said, “You mean those funny-looking pink rubbery things that my grandma used?” Well, that day has come and you’ll just have to read this to figure out where that silly-looking thing comes into play!

Stephen Aston is a well-respected heart surgeon in an unorthodox family situation. He’s just divorced his wife, Pam, who has advanced dementia, in order to marry their one-time interior designer, Heather, who’s younger than both of his daughters, Tully (Natalie) and Rachel. It’s a bizarre situation, but that’s how this family rolls and everyone seems willing to make it work. Think that’s weird? Stephen also invited Pam to his wedding. What?!

When the book opens with said wedding and something unexpected happens - the reader isn’t privy to what happened or who it involves until much later in the book, the story goes back to the months preceding the wedding, delving deeper into Rachel, Tully and Heather’s lives, and more indirectly, Stephen’s. ALL of these characters are complicated and fascinating in their own ways, and Hepworth is SO good at creating personalities and backstories that draw you in. I loved Rachel’s strength, Tully’s “quirks” and Heather’s vulnerability. Dysfunction abounds, but c’mon … that’s kinda what makes people more interesting, right?

Now, here’s the tricky part. I love when a book can fool me, and this one kept me guessing until the end, so kudos to Hepworth for that. What I have mixed feelings about, though, is the ending, which seems to be a sticking point for many readers, though I’ve heard she rewrote it, or at least parts of it, for the published version. As for this version, readers are interpreting it very differently, which is going to affect how they feel about events. In my interpretation, I didn’t like where it left certain characters and thought it was a little cruel after everything they’d been through. Did it ruin it? Absolutely not! It’s great domestic suspense and for the most part I loved it. I’ll be eager to see the published version to see how it affects my feelings!

★★★★ ½ (rounded down to 4)

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and author Sally Hepworth for this ARC. I’ve given my opinions freely and honestly. It’s now available.

UPDATE: I've just read the re-worked published ending, and I'm so pleased that it resolves the issue I had with it previously. It's a far more satisfying and realistic one, so thank you to Sally Hepworth for that!

I always look forward to Sally Hepworth's domestic thrillers! This story follows the points of view of Tully, Rachel, and Heather, and it seems everyone is hiding something. The book opens in the middle of the action at a wedding, then recounts the events leading up to it. As different issues came to light, I was able to put the pieces together quickly, though I was still surprised at the seemingly abrupt ending.
CW: dementia, abuse

I really wanted to like this one, but it was a bit slow for me. I ended up not finishing it. I definitely want to try her other books in the future.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy of this book.