Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy to review. I enjoyed the narrators of the audiobook. Something about the story felt very familiar. I couldn’t really get into it. I’m not sure why. I don’t like that the end didn’t completely resolve one question.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars. This was my first Sally Hepworth book, but it won’t be the last. Stephen is a successful doctor, who is looking forward to marrying Heather. A couple problems stand in the way. Heather is younger than both of his daughters, Tully and Rachel, and neither seems happy to welcome a new stepmom. Also, Stephen is still married to his wife, Pam. Pam has dementia and has been placed in an assisted living home. The story follows 3 POVs- Heather, Tully, and Rachel. Each has their own problems and trauma that they are working through. The book starts with the wedding of Stephen and Heather, but someone is injured and an ambulance is called. The book periodically checks in on the wedding scene, but ultimately you don’t find out who was hurt or how until the end. I thought the ending tied things up pretty well. My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

It's hit or miss with me and this author. I really loved her last book, The Good Sister. I listened to it and I think that helped me enjoy it more. The narrator was wonderful. When I saw she was one of the narrators in this book, I really wanted to listen! All the narrators were women--sisters Tully and Rachel and Heather, their father's younger wife. All of the narrators were good and they helped me to enjoy it as much as I did. It kept my interest, but I can't say it will stick with me long term.

Tully and Rachel's father, Stephen, is about to get married again to a woman younger than they are. It begins at their wedding. A shocking incident occurs, but we don't know who or what exactly. It was an intriguing start to the story, but unfortunately got extremely slow thereafter. We go back one year earlier to when the sisters meet Heather.

Tully, Rachel and Heather have their issues. We learn in depth about what they are through their narrative in the book. While each were interesting enough, I wasn't wowed by any of it. Heather's was the most interesting to me. Tully just frustrated me with her issues and her husband. I felt her reaction to her husband's shocking admission was lacking. Like other reviewers have stated, it seemed all the women had issues or were unreliable while the men came off as perfect. The unreliable narrator trope is getting somewhat tiring.

I am not sure how I feel about the ending. It's open-ended, leaving the reader to question things. I prefer my endings to be more resolved and not leave a bad taste. Also, this is more domestic drama than thriller or suspense.

Thank you to Macmillian Audio, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my advanced listening and reader copies.

Guys, I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again, I LOVE Sally Hepworth and I’m so glad I’ve still got some backlist to get into.

I did not love THE YOUNGER WIFE. Now, I was hooked and I devoured it in just a few days… but the ending… ugh, the ending. I don’t know how to get into it without spoilers, so I’ll just say that while I think I get what she was trying to do — and honestly, my first reaction was wide-eyed excitement — upon further reflection, I’m not okay with how it ended. Hepworth was playing fast and loose with some really serious topics and I think the ending was irresponsible.

Now, I read an eArc of the story and I heard a rumor that the actual complete version makes some adjustments. Perhaps I’ll try to get a hold of a copy to see, but as I read it… oof.

Will I read Sally Hepworth again? For sure. But I’m a little disappointed in this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free review copy of this book.

Reading Between the Wines book review #23/135 for 2022:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: The Younger Wife
Author: Sally Hepworth
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers | Women's Fiction
RELEASES on April 5, 2022!!!

Sipping thoughts: I love Sally Hepworth’s books. This time last year, I was writing a review on The Good Sister which was in my top 5 books of 2021. The Younger Wife fell a little bit short for me at the end. I loved every part of it right up to the end. I think it would have been a 4 star for me. I loved the short chapters and multiple POV’s. It read more like a family drama/mystery than a thriller. Even with my dislike of the ending I think the rest of the book kept my interest and had me wanting to read past my bedtime. I cannot wait for the next Hepworth release.

Cheers and thank you to @StMartinsPress and @NetGalley for an advanced copy of @TheYoungerWife.

#TheYoungerWife #SallyHepworth #StMartinsPress #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #WomensFiction

This is an enjoyable read.There we're as many things that I loved about this book as there were things that I didn't love.

The beginning truly had me hooked. I was so intrigued by the initial events, all I wanted was to read more and find out what happened. However, I feel like I was let down a little. I did really love the multiple
POVs. Each of the three women through which the story was told made me appreciate the suspense and build/up throughout.

However, I felt slightly let down. I really did not love the ending of this book. As great of a job as Hepworth does discussing triggering
topics, I just hated the ending.

Whoa still not sure what to believe and I finished the book a couple hours ago!

I loved the way the story changed pov’s every chapter and went from the wedding to months prior and worked it’s way to meet. All the characters had some issue or flaw which made most of them more likable.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC.

This was so great. I became a fan of Sally Hepworth after reading The Good Sister a few months ago, and I"m happy to say that although I enjoyed that one, I thought this book was even better. I loved the multiple points of view; they were well done and and I was never confused with who was who. My favorite thing was how Sally Hepworth was able to make three characters who were each dealing with some pretty heavy emotional stuff without making the story feel bogged down with TOO much going on. I won't go into specifics because I don't want to spoil anything, but I part of why I love her books is because she does such a good job writing characters that have (in my opinion) lesser known mental health struggles, and I just think she both does a great job writing them with both accuracy and empathy. I also love how in her books it isn't exactly obvious at first that something is wrong...it creeps up slowly, and all of a sudden, you're feeling a certain way and the characters are feeling a certain way but you don't even know when it happened. It's great.

Anyway, high praise for this book and I'd definitely recommend. It was a quick read that I didn't want to put down and thoroughly enjoyed. Can't wait to read what else Sally Hepworth puts out!

This book starts off with the wedding of Stephen and Heather, with his daughters Tully and Rachel and his ex-wife/their mother who has Alzheimer's in attendance. The five of them go into the back room to sign the registry when there is a loud crash and emergency services are called.

This is the first of Sally Hepworth's books that I've read and I was unfortunately expecting more of a thriller, but felt like this was a family drama.

I appreciated the short chapters and multiple perspectives. It kept the book moving forward quickly.

The book wraps up leaving the conclusion a little too open ended for my liking. I understand why the author did this, but it's just not my fave.

I loved hearing where the inspiration for this book came from in the Author's Note, it definitely makes this a special book for the author.

It was fine.

I think Sally Hepworth fans or fans of recently published thrillers will really enjoy this one! For me, it was a just a bit on the slow side, in terms of the central plot. On the other hand, it felt like there was A LOT going on - and I didn't feel like all the plots were all addressed in a way that provided closure. (Also...it felt like the sexual assault backstory was just added in because - it didn't add anything to the storyline.)

And that ending? What? It was so inconclusive...and not in a good, Inception, kind of way. Just in a...huh? way.

I don’t know if it was the feel of the book and writing that made me think of Moriarty so much. Or maybe it was the periodic chapters written from a completely outside perspective (that you don’t really come to find out who until around the climax of the book). Maybe it’s as a combination of both. But I loved it!
But I have not ever read a book by Sally Hepworth before, and I thought this was the PERFECT place to start. I seriously loved all of it. It was such a page turner. Somehow it’s as a mystery and a domestic family story and a story of sisters and a romance all at once. There was not that one character that you hated. Not a bit. I loved them all. I loved Tully and Rachel as sisters. I loved the endearment and heartbreak of Pam. I loved how genuine Heather was (which was refreshing). I LOVED Darcy. I even loved Sonny. What great character development. I seriously couldn’t stop listening. And the mystery was great. Enough of a twist that I saw parts coming but not even piece. And I felt completely satisfied by the end. Very well done. I guess I need to go back and read more by this author!

I found this to be another very readable book by Sally Hepworth. It was engaging and entertaining, which is what I was going for. I enjoyed Hepworth's writing style.

The story is told from the perspective of four different women, all with a relationship to Stephen Aston: Tully (older daughter), Rachel (younger daughter), Heather (wife-to-be), and a mystery woman at the wedding. The book begins near the end of the story. Stephen Aston has just divorced his wife and the mother of his children, who has dementia and is living in a care home, and married a woman the same age as his younger daughter. The wedding party has gone out back to sign the marriage documents when a scream is heard and someone calls for a doctor. The rest of the book is finding out what happened in the back room and how the characters ended up in that situation.

This is a story where you know what is happening before the characters figure it out. So, you need to do a bit of waiting while they catch up. However, I found that the characters all had their own issues that would have naturally distracted them from the truth.

I've seen a lot of discussion regarding the ending of this book. I did not find it to be disappointing. I think the story was leading there. I do think you will have to suspend your disbelief a bit, but that is to be expected with this type of story. Overall, I really liked the way Hepworth pulled it all together.

Once again, I will be interested to read more Hepworth's work in the future.

This was an entertaining, quick read about a dysfunctional family trying to come to terms with their past and the impact it has had on their lives. It all starts at the wedding of Stephen and Heather when something unknown happens, causing 911 to be called. We then go back in time to the year leading up to the wedding. Each chapter focuses on either Heather or one of Stephen’s adult daughters, Tully and Rachel. The alternating perspectives allows you to learn more about the internal demons they are each living with. It’s pretty much all included – dementia, alcoholism, eating disorders, rape, kleptomania, and both verbal and physical abuse. In addition, throughout the book Stephen’s personality and actions are in question leaving the reader to wonder just what kind of man he truly is. We then come full circle back to the wedding to find out just what happened. Afterwards, revelations are just kind of thrown at you and that is where the book didn’t work for me. I think if the ending had been written differently, it probably would have been more of a 4-star book. I still really enjoyed the majority of the book, but the ending was a disappointment.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for gifting me with an advanced copy to read and provide an honest review.

I think I have read all of Sally Hepworth’s books and loved most of them. I definitely enjoyed this book. But first, I read a lot of the reviews first and I do agree about the ending which leaves the reader deciding what the truth really is. Back to the book which starts with the prologue of the wedding, where there is an accident and you really don’t know who was hurt. Just lots of blood. We then go back in time to a year before. The book is mainly narrated by Tully, Rachel and Heather. Tully and Rachel are the daughters of Stephen, a prominent doctor and Heather is the women Stephen meets and plans to marry who is younger than his daughters. Their mom has advanced dementia and is in a nursing home. I really liked Rachel. The main theme here is abuse??? of their father to woman. I don’t want to give away any spoilers. Stephen divorces their mother who really has advanced dementia. The books really ends with the reader left to decide what the ending is. What is the truth about Stephen. That is why I gave the book 4 stars and not 5 stars because I like endings where you really know what is the truth. I want to thank net galley and the publisher for this ARC of this book for an honest review. All in all I do recommend this book in spite of the ending which is left to the readers to decide what the truth is.

The Younger Wife
by Sally Hepworth
Pub Date: April 5, 2022
St. Martin's Press
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC. This author was new to me, but I will be reading more. I liked that one of the characters, Heather, was the name of a real person who won an Instagram campaign. How fun!!
I enjoyed this book! It was a fun mystery thriller.
4 stars

I've only read a few of Hepworth's other novels, but I know she's great at family dramas. There was plenty of drama happening in this book right from the start. However, some of the choices the characters make drive made me feel as though they were stupid. And the gaslighting theme the world, especially authors, has decided to run with lately is getting on my nerves. Then the ending came and I was let down. Overall, I'm in the minority for my feelings about this story. If you are looking for a slow burn, character driven story this is worth picking up.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC!

Y'all what a wild wild story! What I loved the most about "The Younger Wife" is that the ending is going to be one you walk away from wondering if you really have it figured out or not. Can you say without a doubt who the villain is in this novel? Heck, is there even a villain? Do you side with the girls, Stephen or Heather? Hepworth gives us a very twisted tale in this book.

The family drama is thick and complicated in this novel, and I'm here for it. Give me a flawed family with problems in every nook and cranny. When a new wife enters the picture, Tully and Rachel soon uncovered that their parents have a marriage coated in secrets. What unfolds is growth for the sisters, a better understanding of what came before, and the unraveling of what could be once the truth is out.

Or is it? This one is going to keep you guessing from start to finish

This is such an interesting book! The writer excels in character development, relayed carefully as the book progresses. The story is told from the perspectives of Tully, Rachel and Heather in an expertly crafted plot. I could not put this book down!

The book begins with a murder at Stephen and Heather’s wedding. There is a scream while the couple are signing the register and later a body is removed. This part of the story is told by someone other than one of the central characters. Who is murdered, and by whom is not disclosed until later in the book.

Without giving too much away, the characters each suffer from a psychological disorder which for me really amped up the impact of this book. Each woman carries a secret, unbeknownst to others. These secrets are slowly revealed at appropriate moments to keep the reader riveted.

The concept of this book was founded in part by the author’s own experience with her Great-Aunt. If you love psychological mysteries/thrillers or women’s fiction I highly recommend The Younger Wife.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the #gifted eARC.

I really wanted to love this book. I’m such a fan of Sally Hepworth and was so excited when I was approved for this eARC. Unfortunately, I think the way that she handled some sensitive and triggering topics was in really poor taste and used as a shock factor/plot twist.

Mental health and domestic abuse should never be minimized or ignored.

I can’t go into it more without giving away the plot but if you’ve read this one and want to talk about it, my DMs are open.

There are a lot of trigger warnings which I’ll leave below but be warned they do contain spoilers.

Even though this book did not work for me, I will continue to read Sally’s books and I hope that her next book works better for me.
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cw: gaslighting, domestic abuse, alcoholism, kleptomania, miscarriage, dementia, death of a parent, rape

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CbxhiCerHeO/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4612100009?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Not sure if it was my mood or if there truly is a pacing issue, but this book, even if it is considered a "slow-burn" just moved way too slow for me to stay invested in the characters or the story.