I really did not enjoy this book.

I think the author included a number of serious issues without any in-depth exploration. I mean even the whole premise of questioning whether abuse is occurring was really strange and uncomfortable to me. Blaming a crime on a patient with Alzheimer's was an odd choice as well.

I thoroughly enjoy a book that starts at the end and then chapters are told in multiple POV’s to bring you up to the ending. Where this book started and where it ended was not at all where I thought it was going and I loved that! Sally cleverly plays with your mind as you wonder if what some experience is real or in their minds. I was given an ARC of this by Net Galley and I truly appreciated the chance to read it before it comes out. The last few pages flipped the script once again…or did it? I’m left wondering and already chose this for my book club’s May pick as there will so many interesting theories to discuss. Thank you Net Galley and Sally Hepworth I look forward to reading your next book!

Another great read by Sally Hepworth. I couldn't put this book down and finished it in one day! Lots of drama, suspense, and twists that keeps you guessing. I enjoyed the character development! Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

I’ve enjoyed other books by the author and was looking forward to reading The Younger Wife. Unfortunately, after seeing some reviews I decided to look more at why it wasn’t working for others and ultimately decided this isn’t for me. It is hard for me to say much more since I haven’t read it myself but I saw enough to know that it wouldn’t be a good reading experience for me. I still look forward to seeing what Hepworth writes next but I’m going to pass on this one.

Harmful and distasteful. I will not be recommending this book and I’m shocked the author would use such sensitive issues in such a way.

This is a domestic suspense - NOT A THRILLER! I hate that every book is marked as a thriller if it has even the slightest bit of suspense. There is an open-ended ending that is left to reader interpretation - readers beware. There are 3 points of view that were all quite compelling, It was entertaining and interesting, but not very realistic.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

It pains me to write this review but, the content and plot are both incredibly harmful. I’m concerned for individuals who are/have been victims of domestic violence reading this and being triggered and gaslit.

I’ve been on a major major book rut lately—especially with thrillers. I’ve really struggled because I haven’t wanted to read anything from a psychopath’s perspective. I don’t want to read about how much you love murdering people or dissecting them.

This was THANKFULLY not that.

I would honestly categorize this book as a domestic suspense.

We are following two sisters, Tully and Rachel, and Heather, their dad’s new (and younger) wife.


The girls are baffled why their dad is marrying Heather so quickly after divorcing their mother. They see nothing wrong on the surface with Heather, but is that the truth?

Basically this family has secrets, and they’re struggling.
You’ll be lost for most of the book. Honestly, the ending was fairly vague so don’t read this if you want solid answers. The author lets you draw your own conclusion here.

I liked this more than I thought.


Trigger warning for sexual assault and miscarriage.

Thanks netgalley for this arc to review!!

This is the third book I've read from the author and this new release holds to her previous work, with complex characters navigating through their personal issues. It all begins in the present when a serious accident occurs at a family wedding.

From that introduction, the story then transitions to the past leading up to the wedding day, with three POVs.
*** Rachel - a baker who has used her career to manage her emotions (baking her feelings, and at times, eating them too).
*** Tully - Rache's sister who has an issue managing her own compulsion, stealing.
*** Heather - the soon-to-be stepmother to the two sisters, engaged to their dad, Stephen. Not to be outdone by the sisters, she has an issue with drinking.

Throughout the story, the sisters adjust to the addition of Heather to their already complex family - their mother, Pam, has just recently been put in a living facility to manage her dementia.

As the story unfolds, I had to wonder, is Heather the cause of both sisters spiraling, or is she actually the balm that can help them? Given Heather's own issues, it was never clear. However, collectively, the three characters begin to rely on one another, sharing their secrets. In addition, as they bonded, certain information was shared that was certainly related to the wedding incident. The who and why isn't as simple as I would have expected. And small revelations at the end make it all the more tragic.

The direction of this story was unexpected and overall, kept me engaged throughout. Another enjoyable read from this author.

Tully and Rachel are aghast when their father announces he is going to marry Heather, the woman he has been shacking up with; a woman younger than they are. And their mother, the woman he is still married to isn’t even dead yet! Granted their mother is in a senior mental health facility. The poor thing has Alzheimer’s, barely remembers any of them. The only good thing about Heather is she doesn’t seem happy with this announcement either. Heather doesn’t like the way Stephen sprang it on his daughters in a public place and with her there. She felt he should have spoken to them alone in private.
Things get even worse when Stephen tells them he wants them to help Heather with the wedding. She doesn’t have any family left and well they are her family now. You can imagine how Rachel and Tully feel. Rachel is a realist and wants her father’s love so she makes plans with Heather and tricks her sister into coming along. Tully is more volatile and not happy about any of this. The last straw is when they find out their mother has been invited to the wedding and reception. How insensitive of their father!
Everything is fine until the vows are exchanged, the couple is announced husband and wife, and all are invited into the sacristy for the paperwork part of a wedding, even the girls’ mother. What happens next will shock you!

I had never read Sally Hepworth before but I could see that the libraries loved her. Now I know why. Her novel was sharp, the writing moved along at a good pace, the characters were easily believable and ones you felt you knew. I’ve added Sally Hepworth to my favorite authors and hope you will too. Readers who like Sandie Jones and Megan Goldin will eat this book right up!

Robyn Heil, Buyer for Brodart Co.

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth

Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to read this novel.

I was 100% not expecting this book to go the route it did. I really enjoyed the pacing, the writing, and the plot. If you like quick paced, juicy domestic suspense novels, I would highly recommend this one!

I also did the audio narration, and thoroughly enjoyed all the different narrators. Thought it added very well to the story line and would suggest this one for audio if you are on the fence about it!

My major complaint is that I can’t stand to read about narcissistic men who beat their wives- even if the get what’s coming to them. This book is absolutely about that so the topic was just not something I enjoy reading about, which made this book kinda tough for me to get through. It is an extremely gripping novel and will, I’m sure, be a best seller.

I enjoyed this book from start to finish. It reminded me of "Three Wishes", which is one of my favorite books. The characters are so loveable with all of their quirks. A fun romance was woven into the storyline. I highly recommend this book.

"The Good Sister" was also written by Sally Hepworth. I rated that five stars as well. I will definitely look for more books written by Sally Hempworth.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

Hepworth keeps the pages turning with this suspenseful family drama that will have you reading, cover to cover, in one sitting. Patriarch, Stephen Aston, has just married his (much) younger girlfriend, while his wife walks around the chapel with a candle stick in hand. When the immediate family moves to a private space, the guests here a scream, there's blood and calls for a doctor, but what happened? The story quickly rewinds a year and we watch how this picture perfect family is seemingly falling apart at the seams. The story packs punch after punch as we build back up to the bloody wedding day.

The Younger Wife
By Sally Hepworth
Stephen is adored by everyone who knows him. He is getting remarried to a much younger woman (Heather) but his wife (Pam) is very much alive although she suffers from dementia.
Rachel (one of Stephen's daughters) has a few of her mother's items one of those is a hot water bottle. She finds out it is stuffed with money. No one seems to know how Pam ended up with the money or why. (In the end, we do find out the answer to this question) The daughters start thinking about their childhood and family dynamics. They begin asking questions that unravel what they thought was an ideal childhood.

This book was an easy read for me. I wasn't sure who was killed in the beginning but as the story went on it was pretty easy to figure out. I had a different ending in mind and honestly, I liked my ending better 🙈
Pick this book up if:
👰🏻‍♀️ you like easy to read thrillers
👰🏻‍♀️ uncovering family secrets are your type of reads
👰🏻‍♀️ you like who dun it novels
👰🏻‍♀️ you don't try to figure out the ending. You let the author take you on the journey

TW physical abuse

I have loved Sally Hepworth’s previous novels as she knows how to write family/domestic suspense. This is a well-paced family drama with complex characters and A LOT going on. As we get into the storyline, all of the main characters have issues going on in their personal lives and while some of these problems played into the main storytelling, others it felt like were a bit unnecessary and diluted the overall experience.

Throughout the book though, Hepworth does a great job of casting doubt and making the reader question everything they think they know. The ending left me wanting more but overall an enjoyable read. I will definitely pick up another Hepworth book!

One Liner: What’s with the ending?

Stephen Aston, a successful heart surgeon is marrying his girlfriend Heather, an interior designer. The only issue is that Heather is twenty-nine years younger than Stephen, and he is still married to his first wife.
Tully and Rachel are Stephen’s daughters, and needless to say, they are not happy with the situation. After all, Heather is younger than them, and their mother Pamela is in a nursing home, suffering from dementia.
As if the situation isn’t bad enough, every single person seems to be hiding something. Why did Rachel stop dating when she was sixteen despite being gorgeous? Why is Tully almost always on the verge of a mental breakdown, even though she has a loving husband and two adorable sons? What is Heather hiding about her past? Why do things seem to happen when Stephan is involved?

What I Like:
• The book is 350+ pages long but is fast-paced from the first word.
• The story comes from Rachel, Tully, and Heather’s limited third-person POVs and in the first-person POV of another character. However, the narration is not confusing at any point.
• Towards the second half, we’ll realize that the narrators are unreliable, but it was fun (to a point) trying to figure out what’s true and what’s not (until the end. More about it in the next section).
• Issues like domestic violence, rape, gaslighting, kleptomania, anxiety and mental health are the core themes in the book. However, it doesn’t get overwhelming or dramatic (at least to me).
• For a change, some leading men are actually good. That was nice to read in a domestic thriller.

What Didn’t Work for Me:
• None of the characters seemed fully developed. Only Rachel’s seems to be the best of all, though the resolution felt too easy. Tully gets a lot of space (more than Heather), and I still don’t know the reasons for most of her actions.
• Some issues are not explained and are left to the reader’s imagination. That would’ve been okay if not for the ending.
• Now… I hate that ending. The book was a 4-star despite not-so-good character development. But that ending just killed it. Twists are well and good until they don’t nullify the majority of what happened earlier.
• This one is downright vague and hints at the ‘aha! Tricked you!’ style of ending a book. I’ve never been a fan of ‘pull the rug’ or ‘punch in the face’ twists. No, thank you.
• Even if I ignore my personal bias, the ending has a major impact on the themes used in the book. It negates the gaslighting and experiences of women victimized by domestic abuse. That is something I cannot accept (especially from a women’s fiction author).
I still rate the book 3 stars for the pace and the fact that I did enjoy it, to a point.

To sum up, The Younger Wife is a quick read about messed-up women (who are not surprisingly connected to the same man), though I wish the ending was dealt with more care.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This isn’t my typical genre. I do like it but i’m more of a romance reader, so this wasn’t my best read. However, I did think the storyline was great!! Wouldn’t re-read but would recommend!

The first thing I love is a book written in multiple POV.

The second thing I love is a book by Sally Hepworth (big ‘The Mother-In-Law’ fan over here 🙋🏻‍♀️).

So, you can imagine how hyped I was to get my hands on a copy of this book! And it definitely did not disappoint. This is the kind of book that will pull you out of the biggest reading slump.

The book is narrated by 3 characters: Tully, Rachel, and Heather. Tully and Rachel’s father, Stephen, pursued a relationship with Heather, a woman younger than both Stephens adult children. As you can expect, it did not go over well for them. While Stephen is oblivious to his daughters feelings about Heather, he encourages Heather to get to know his girls.

All while this is happening, Rachel and Tully’s mom has just been admitted to a care facility for her worsening Dementia. Stephen is still technically married to her too… yikes!

Not to mention, each character has their own life issues intertwined in the book. Rachel has a hard time dating due to a traumatic past that nobody knows about. Tully and her husband are having financial issues and Tully is suffering from a habit she formed as a child that has made its way into her adult life. Heather has a dark past too. She does anything she can to keep who she was in her younger years hidden.

Once we get to the day of the wedding ceremony, not everyone makes it out alive… but who dunit?! And why?

Sally Hepworth is always exceeding my expectations as a writer. I could not put this book down! While obviously none of the characters were relatable to me, I felt connected to each of their stories. She does such a great job creating well-rounded characters and overall suspense. Also, bonus points for having short chapters!

I rated this 5 stars and would 1000% recommend this to a friend.

(I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review – Thank you Net Galley!)

Interior designer Heather Wisher is hired by Stephen and Pamela Aston to redo their home, but soon after starting, Pamela is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease. As Pam's condition deteriorates rapidly, she is put into a care facility, and Stephen and Heather end up for falling each other during the course of the home project, and Stephen decides to divorce Pam so he and Heather can get married. This doesn't sit well with Pam and Stephen's grown daughters, Tully and Rachel, who are older than Heather. Everyone in this upper middle-class family seems to have significant emotional and/or behavioral problems that they struggle to deal with and may hide unpleasant truths that go back decades. Told from the viewpoints of Heather, Rachel, Tully and a mysterious wedding guest, the story flows smoothly and keeps your interest throughout, it's a real page turner as you want to find out exactly what happened at the wedding and in the lives of each of these women. This would have been a 5 star book for me except that the ending felt too ambiguous.

Sally Hepworth has done it again! I plowed through this book in two sittings and only reluctantly put it down the first time (curse you adult responsibilities). This is a fast paced, multi-view story about a family who looks like they have it all but underneath they harbor a deep secret.

The story is told from the perspective of Rachel and Tully, daughters of Steven, who is marrying the titular character, Heather, AKA the younger wife. Heather also has POV chapters. It is quite easily to tell whose voice you're reading even if you didn't notice at the chapter header. It starts and ends with a wedding, where a heinous crime is committed, but whodunit?

Despite being younger than Steven by nearly 30 years, Heather is quite likeable and charming. I appreciate her wanting to have a family of her own, especially when her own childhood was such a disaster. She never attempts to mother the girls (especially since she is younger than they are) but genuinely wants to make a connection and enjoy a ready made family. Her taste of it years prior with a friend has given her such a longing. I have had two stepmothers, though thankfully none younger than myself, but I really appreciated how much Heather wanted to be part of the family without trying to dominant over everyone or replace their mother. And she never refers to the girls as a package deal, and appreciates Steven caring for his ex-wife who has severe dementia.

The character arcs in this book are great because they add suspense, develop thorough backgrounds but drop enough surprises to keep the reader engaged. Hepworth's ability to create edge of your seat, OMG I must know how this ends is delightful and I look forward to more of her books. I especially appreciated her touching on several issues that surely resonate with almost any female and the love and support offered to the characters in peril. There is so little of that anymore. Bravo!