In The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth, Stephen Aston, a distinguished heart surgeon has found love again after his wife, Pam, is diagnosed with dementia. Stephen's daughters, Tully and Rachel, are uncomfortable with the age gap between Stephen and his fiancée, Heather, as she is closer in age to them.

Everyone has secrets in this book, from kleptomania to sexual assault to a murderer as a parent to stashed money. Pam, in her dementia, makes accusations about Stephen that makes everyone question who he really is.

Hepworth takes you on a wild ride and leaves you questioning who the victim is...

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the second book that I have read by Sally Hepworth and I can't wait to read more. She writes books that grip you and won't let you go. Her books deal with family drama and contain twists and turns that leave you wondering if you really know what is going on. In The Younger Wife, you meet two daughters that are not happy to meet their dad's new girlfriend. She is a few years younger than they are and their parents are still married. Their mother has dementia and odd things begin to happen. The daughters have their own issues to deal with as family secrets come to life and the drama increases. Will they be able to accept their new stepmother into their lives? Will they all be able to live a peaceful life together?

“It’s funny how desperately the brain will seek an answer if it doesn’t have one. Not knowing is not a restful state. I know this.”

THE HUSBAND. A heart surgeon at the top of his field, Stephen Aston is getting remarried. He just has to divorce his debilitated wife first. THE DAUGHTERS. Tully and Rachel are both older than their soon to be stepmother and they see her as nothing more than a gold digger. THE FORMER WIFE. Locked away in a home and slowly losing her memory, she holds the key to the family secrets. If only she could remember. THE YOUNGER WIFE. Heather has a secret of her own.

Wheeeee this was one hell of a ride. I absolutely adored The Good Sister, which I read in October 2020. Like so much so that I can still vividly remember and picture the main characters and the plot line. And that’s saying a lot based on the sheer volume of books I read. So I was very excited to receive the ARC’s of The Younger Wife.

This book did not disappoint! The audio was fantastic with its full cast of narrators. I always appreciate different narrators when a story has many POV. It really helps to keep the characters straight.

This book was fast paced with quick and short chapters and, although there is a who-done-it element, the actual characters and their growth held my interest more than the mystery factor. Overall a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley, St Martins Press, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm really not sure how I felt about this book. I enjoyed The Good Sister, but this one was hard to enjoy. There was a lot of backstory that flipped between 3 characters that all have issues, alcohol, food, shoplifting. The groom to be seems to be an abuser, but Heather (the fiance) isn't sure if he is or not. I got confused frequently and found it hard to get back to reading it. I was glad to see it end but even that was confusing!

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

The Younger Wife ~ Sally Hepworth

🙏🏼 Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an eARC copy of this book!

▪️READ IF:
* Baking helps distract you from your troubles.
* Someone in your family is not who they seem.
* You stash cold hard cash in the most unlikely of places.

▪️SUMMARY: Rachel and Tully are surprised to hear that dad has a new girlfriend but the fact that she is much younger isn’t the shocking part. Their dad is still married to their mom who is living in a care facility with Alzheimer’s.

Their relationship sets in motion a tailspin filled with money, murder, and family secrets. Everyone has something to hide - Tully, Rachel, girlfriend Heather, dad Stephen, and even their mother Pamela. Thanks to the younger wife, this family will never be the same again.

▪️REVIEW: So, I’m a but indifferent on this one…I liked it enough to finish it but I didn’t like it enough to feel anything once it was all said and done. It was good. Interesting characters (some more likable than others), short chapters told in alternating perspectives, a few surprises, and a strong writerly voice in Hepworth. My issues lie in the bigger picture. There are larger themes of abuse and rape that are handled in a weird way and I found that this not only took away from the plot, but also made the story a bit unbelievable. Final thoughts - read it…or don’t. Not sure it will make a difference either way.

"Just because we can't prove it doesn't mean it isn't true - what if we got confused some how - it's the doubt that's the worse, I wish we had proof"

Synopsis: 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?

Personal Review: 3.75 Stars

This was a great book to kick of Sexual Assault Awareness month, so trigger warning. First things first, I have adored every Sally Hepworth book that I have been able to read. This was no exception, for the first 85 percent of the book. I loved the multiple points of view of the daughters- Tully and Rachel, as well as the younger wife Heather. This book is categorized as domestic suspense and is Hepworth's usual compulsive read for the majority of the book. The author did an excellent job building up the characters, their relationships and the family dynamics. She did a great job dealing with a plethora of mental health issues - sexual assault, kleptomania, depression, domestic abuse, and anxiety to name a few.

Here is my issue - the ending didn't tie up enough loose ends to make sense in my head - perhaps the author was attempting to pull a Verity or Gone Girl move, but it was ill executed. The twists and turns, while predictable, kept me guessing, but I spent the majority of the ending re-reading because I was confused. While I enjoy an open-ended finale for a book - this one left me thoroughly confused. I feel like she let the male figure who was in charge of the assaults off the hook to easily and didn't hold him accountable for his actions.

While this was not my favorite Hepworth book, I did enjoy the read and it kept me captivated and intrigued until the ending. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I must be biased when it comes to Sally Hepworth novels, because I have adored every book she’s written. The Younger Wife, similar to her previous novels, is a fast-paced, domestic suspense read that left me guessing. The Younger Wife is written in alternating viewpoints, which Hepworth does with such skill. I found myself eager to see every viewpoint, which is what propelled me through the book so quickly. Each character has their own flaws and backstories, and the way their stories meld together to unearth various flaws in the overarching plot was engrossing. I appreciated that The Younger Wife didn’t wrap itself up in a bow at its conclusion, but this seems to be a source of contention for many readers.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced readers copy of this one. I’ll be recommending to all my reader friends.

Make sure to read TW’s before reading this one.

“Perhaps the very worst people still had some good in them. And perhaps the very best had some bad.”

Quick Summary: THE YOUNGER WIFE opens up at Heather and Stephen’s wedding. Stephen, the sixty-year-old father of Tully and Rachel, is marrying a woman the same age as his daughters. Meanwhile, his ex-wife Pam, sits in the pews with advanced dementia. When Heather, Stephen, and family walk into the next room to sign the marriage docs a scream pierces the air…

First of all, if my dad pulled some shit and divorced my mom with dementia to marry some gal my age I would be pissed. So from the jump, I felt sympathy for Tully & Rachel. I never really understood how their dad expected them to be immediately accepting of his new engagement with Heather. He raised red flags from the beginning lol.

THE YOUNGER WIFE is told through Heather, Tully, and Rachel's POV. The book goes back and forth between the wedding and days leading up to and after the wedding. I enjoyed the multiple POVs and short chapters. It helped keep the story moving and allowed more insight into what motivated each of them.

However, I felt that the ambiguous ending left a few too many loose ends. There was quite a bit of gaslighting in this book and I felt it required a well-defined conclusion.

Overall, this one was just ok. It was my first book by Sally Hepworth but I’m eager to read some of her others that people love. I recommend THE YOUNGER WIFE for fans of domestic suspense.

Stephen Aston is still quite a catch in his 60's. Trim, fit, charismatic, and oh so caring and handsome. It's no wonder a woman who is young enough to be his daughter has accepted his marriage proposal. Especially considering that he can provide the kind of life she's only dreamed of. No, not just his money, but acceptance, social standing, fitting in, being part of a normal family. Of course he's not entirely perfect, or surely he would stand by his wedding vows instead of divorcing his current wife now that she is ill. At least he's been a wonderful father to his two grown daughters. Or has he? He couldn't have anything to do with all their struggles and emotional problems could he?

Having enjoyed several of this author's previous titles I was pleased to accept an invitation from St. Martin's Press to read an advance copy of her newest novel.
I have seen this book classified as a thriller, and as suspense, but in my humble opinion I would file it under General Fiction/Domestic Drama/ leaning towards Women's Fiction.
This is heavy on the dysfunctional family aspect, juicier than an episode of Desperate Housewives and I'm totally here for it. I loved both daughters and their poor mom Pam who suffers dementia. Even the too young replacement bride grew on me, and trying to figure out if Stephen was a good guy or a bad guy really kept me on my toes right to the final page.
If you are in the mood for a scandalous good time with loads of secrets to uncover, grab yourself a copy. You've been invited to the wedding of The Younger Wife.

I previously read Sally Hepworth’s The Good Sister, and one thing I liked about her writing is that she delves into seemingly mundane family relationships. Also, while she writes psychological thrillers, they aren’t intensely twisted which can sometimes be a welcome kind of mystery.

Similar to The Good Sister, the villain of the story is pretty obvious from the onset in The Younger Wife. The book is comprised of short chapters from varying perspectives of Tully, Rachel, Heather, and an unknown wedding guest. Opening with the wedding, the chapters then jump back and forth from past to present leading up to the wedding. Heather is “the younger wife,” marrying Stephen who appears to be perfect in every way – a respected doctor, a loving husband despite his ex-wife Pam having dementia, and a doting father to his two daughters Tully and Rachel.

Tully, Rachel, and Heather all have their own issues stemming from childhood that I actually think warrant their own novels. Tully and Rachel’s issues, in particular, I thought would’ve been more relevant to the overall story as they tried to uncover who their father might really be. In uncovering their shared history, I thought there would be more substance to how their upbringing and parents caused some of their trauma. While I liked the characters and the book overall, I’m not sure how I feel about the end. It felt unfinished and left me with more questions than answers, though I think that was likely the point.

One random, unrelated thing that caught me a little by surprise (though I’m not sure why) was the casual references to Covid-19 and how the characters’ lifestyles had changed because of the pandemic. Don’t get me wrong, it made complete sense. I just did a little double-take when I read the first reference because it was a stark reminder that this will forever be a part of our history now and, for decades to come, books will be referencing this pandemic the same way that all other major current events are woven into narratives.

In another twisty story, Sally Hepworth manages to keep readers intrigued and wanting more. Some of the plot elements were a tad predictable, but they still worked. The least likable character for me was Heather, and I felt that the character of Stephen just needed a little more. Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I am looking forward to the next one by this author.

Title: The Younger Wife
Author: Sally Hepworth
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"The Younger Wife" by Sally Hepworth

My Assessment:

'The Younger Wife' was quite interesting in how this author lays it all out for the reader. As a result, one will not be bored because every page is an engaging read from start to finish...definitely a page-turner!

Imagine...having two daughters [Rachel & Tully] who are adults...in their thirties. Along with that having a wife [Pamela] who is being divorced by her husband Stephen, but wait...she has advanced dementia and is living in a care facility. And there is more to this concoction...that is going on...the husband [Stephen], who is 60 years old, a doctor, is now engaged to a younger lady [Heather] that is even younger than his two daughters!!! So we are given the POVs of all of the women.

OK, you know this story is going to be good? Or what can one expect of this kind of read? Well, it will be a lot going on...so you will have to keep up all of the secrets and surprises that have been well hidden that start coming out. For example, what was really going on with Stephen? Were their mind games being played between these women?

Stephen invites his daughters to a luncheon to meet Heather, his fiance, and the story starts. However, the novel does open at the wedding, and the story will continue around it.

We find each of the ladies has their own personal issues...Rachel...food accession, Tully...shoplifting, Heather...alcohol...Pamela...ill from Alzheimer's... and Stephen...well, that's another issue all by itself. Oh, was there another wife? How will this all come out for them to learn about this engagement? Will, there be a wedding/marriage, and what is going on in the story? The memory of it all, trauma, and the drama will be significant in the story that will profoundly affect one's perceptions and beliefs of it all.

One will be captivated by this story because there are so many twists and turns that by the end, one will probably be shaking their head and left saying, WHAT??? Yes, what is true and what is not! So, if I have caught your interest at all...you must pick up this novel and see for yourself how this author unfolds this story for the reader. One will definitely feel 'who was the victim or the culprit?


Thank you, NetGalley and St Martin's Press, for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Huge amount of thanks to NetGalley and St Martina press for an advance copy of this book!
I love a good family drama with a mystery and thrills thrown in. Grabbing my attention from the beginning with the wedding of an older man to a much younger woman and ending with a dead body before the first chapter ended, I knew it was going to be a great book.
Our older man has two daughters and of course they want to find out exactly why a woman their age is marrying their father. As they dig into her life, they end up finding out much more than they bargained for.
Sally Hepworth does it again, y’all! Book comes out tomorrow (4/5) so make sure you grab a copy!

This spectacular novel starts with a wedding and ends with a dead groom.

Stephen a 60 something physician is to marry Heather a women younger than his two daughters, But, first he must divorcee his current wife Pam. Pam is suffering from Alzheimer's..

The Aston family have issues. Tilly likes to shoplift, Rachael drinks too much, Heather has a dark past she is trying to keep a secret.

During a recent visit with Pam her daughters Tilly and Rachael hear Pam say she was sorry she married Stephen that he abused her. They were not sure how to take their mom's comments. Many times in the past they thought Pam's injuries were due to Pam being accident prone.

Heather wakes up the next morning after a girls night out with Tilly and Rachael to find Stephen with a black eye and a scratch on his face and she has a injured arm. She drank too much and did not have a clear memory. But more happens to question if Stephen is abusive.

Lots of fun surprises. The ending was not my favorite. But it did make you think.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin Publication the opportunity to read and give an honest review.

I was so excited to read The Younger Wife after reading The Good Sister last year! This story is told from the perspective of sisters, Tully and Rachel, and Heather, their dad, Stephen's, soon to be new wife. With the news of the upcoming marriage, Tully and Rachel must get to know their new “mom” but each of the women have their own set of problems. Tully steals, Rachel binge-eats, Heather drinks a little too much. As for Stephen, well, you need read and figure out if he has a problem or not. I loved the unreliable narrators and how we have to try to determine what is and isn’t true. Another part of the story that was interesting is Tully and Rachel’s mom, Pam. She is currently suffering from progressive dementia and makes shocking claims about Stephen at times. The many layers and storylines of the book all tied in well with one another. The fast-paced writing kept me on the edge of my seat trying to guess what was going to happen and how the story got to the opening wedding scene. I enjoyed the story so much, but the ending was a bit of a shock. I think it was wild to leave the readers with the ending that was written. Some readers may not like the ending but I enjoyed quite enjoyed the guessing aspect of it.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my digital copy to review.

Tully and Rachel try to come to terms with their father’s new fiancé as their mother battles dementia. This is a fast paced story where everyone is hiding something. Great plot, well developed characters, and an ending that will leave you speechless.

A must read!

Many thanks to Sally Hepworth, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for access to this amazing ARC.

Stephen, an older gentleman, wants to marry Heather, a much younger woman....the only problem Stephen is still married to Pam, the mother of his children who is currently suffering from dementia. Tully and Rachel, his daughters are none too impressed with this recent development. The father that they thought they knew would never do this to their mother, right?! Wrong! Throw in the discovery of a hot water bottle filled with cash that Rachel finds amongst her mother's things and you have plenty of questions that are begging to be answered.

The story is told from three POVs of the women in Stephen's life, who all have their own respective issues. Heather, the younger wife, with daddy issues...she seemingly can't handle her alcohol, loses time, and sometimes has accidents that she can't really recall all that well when she is around Stephen. Tully is struggling with impending financial ruin after her husband made some bad investments and has an illegal compulsion that she just can't quit. Rachel is an up and coming baker who suffered trauma while younger and binge eats to deal with stress.

I definitely cared more about the women in the story (their motivations, their histories, their anxieties) than good ol' Stephen. This is a novel that relies on the gaslighting of women, which has become a bit tiresome to me these days. It was a quick read and one that I couldn't put down, but overall I just "liked" it. Rating: 3 stars.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my advanced listening and reader copies for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hepworth is a must read author for me and I always enjoy her novels. I hate to play favorites, but The Younger Wife takes the cake for me. Family drama, suspense, quirky characters, and a plot that made me second guess myself the entire way through really sealed the deal for me!

The novel opens at Stephen and Heather's wedding, a seemingly happy affair. But when the happy couple, Stephen's ex wife, and his two daughters exit the church to finalize the paperwork after the ceremony, the guests hear an awful thud and a blood curdling scream. Unclear who is the victim, who is the perpetrator (if there is one), or what possibly happened behind closed doors, the book slowly reveals through each character what led to that fateful day.

I could not put this novel down. Told from various perspectives and alternating between the lead up to the wedding day and the wedding itself, I just couldn't get enough. I loved the family drama, bizarre relationships, flawed characters, and all of the secrets. Everyone seemed to be hiding something and it kept me second guessing myself even after I flipped the final page.

Hepworth always ties in important themes and unique subplots and The Younger Wife is no different. Between Heather's possible alcoholism and troubled past, Tully's kleptomania, Rachel's trauma from being raped, and their mother's dementia, each character was relatable and human on their own and as a group, formed a really gripping cast.

As in true Hepworth style, much of this novel reads as a contemporary fiction. But under the surface, something is brewing and nothing is as it seems.

If you've enjoyed Hepworth's prior novels or just love a solid family drama, this is one that cannot be missed.

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

The Younger Wife by a new to me author Sally Hepworth. I gave the book a try because it had a intriguing storyline. But it was only an okay book for me not a top read. I'm glad I read it and will try other books by author.

Stephen Aston is getting remarried! The only problem is, he's still married to his first wife, even though she is in a care facility for dementia. But he'll take care of that easily, by divorcing her. Heather is the same age as Stephen's daughters and clearly she's a gold digger who is after their father's money. Heather has secrets that she's keeping close, and reasons of her own for wanting to marry Stephen.

if domestic family drama is your thing, then this is the book for you! The pacing was a slow build and the characters drove the story. There wasn't a lot of action, but it was always about planting seeds of doubt in the readers mind. Not quite a five star read as I felt the ending was slightly rushed and wrapped up too quickly.