The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth is the first book I have read by this author. Told from multiple points of view, from women of similar age. Two sisters whose mother suffers from dementia and is placed in a nursing home while their father grows close to an interior designer who is helping redesign his home and his life. They become engaged, with the book starting at the wedding and going back in time to show how they got there and why.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley.

CONTENT WARNING: blood, domestic violence, sexual assault, alcoholism, anxiety, murder

This book had me reading as fast as I could and making a bunch of guesses to figure out what was actually going on! It was a quick read, and thank goodness for that or I would have exploded from anticipation and curiosity. After reading The Good Sister, I was excited to start this one, and it certainly didn’t let me down.

This family is so messed up, it made me glad that my family is just weird and not like this. Kind of like when I watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Stephen is still married to Pam, his wife of 38 years, but she’s got dementia, and he’s fallen in love with a woman who is half his age … and younger than both of his adult daughters.

We get chapters in the POV of several of the women involved, jumping seamlessly back and forth between Tully, Rachel, Heather, and a woman who isn’t named until closer to the end of the story. It starts with a shocking event at the wedding, then jumps back to the past, so we can get a better perspective of what led up to it from the three main women in the story. I found myself hooked from the very start, waiting as patiently as I could to find out what actually happened at the wedding and why.

Hepworth has mastered the difficult task of taking four separate voices and making them all sound different enough that I never questioned who was narrating. Each of the narrators was exceptionally compelling, even if they weren’t all necessarily likable. In fact, I really struggled with Tully’s chapters at first — she struggles with anxiety, and is repeatedly described using terms that aren’t sensitive, both by herself and the people around her. But as the story went on, I found myself warming to her. Rachel struggles with her own issues, primarily burying a trauma that occurred long ago, principally by binge eating. Heather is a whole other can of worms, and naturally, I was suspicious of her character, even though it was hard to maintain that suspicion the longer I read.

It felt like there were frequently mentions of Rachel’s weight, although each time it was also offset with how pretty she was. I think the mental health rep was a little better, and discussed an issue that I haven’t seen in any books before, and I liked how treatment was addressed throughout the story. Hepworth also talks about the emotional toll that having a loved one with dementia can take on people — where both Rachel and Tully weren’t able to connect with their mother the way that they used to, and how upsetting it was to visit someone who might remember you one day but not the next, as well as the personality changes that came along with dementia.

But more importantly, at the heart of the story was a mystery, full of narrators that weren’t necessarily reliable. It forced me to question everyone involved, and although I spent a lot of time wondering what had actually happened in the beginning, I also found myself very intrigued by the characters and the personal growth they showed throughout the story — because let me tell you, these women all go through massive growth.

Overall, this was a great book that I carried around with me all day long — I couldn’t stop reading it. And it was full of plot twists! While I accurately predicted a couple of them, there were way more that caught me by surprise. I never got bored, and the pacing was on point. Definitely an enjoyable and surprising read, and I highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed this pulse-pounding psychological thriller full of family drama. The story was written in multiple point of views, which really helped with the pacing and sense of foreboding. Also, the story started out with the day of the wedding when something terrible happened, and readers know that someone in the family is seriously injured, but they do not know which family member. Then it goes backwards to the first time the adult children meet their father's much younger wife-to-be and forward from there. The way it was written was unique and resfreshing. I loved it and Sally Hepworth has outdone herself with this one!

Hepworth brings expertly crafted characters into this dysfunctional psychological domestic thriller. The story follows two sisters, Tully and Rachel and their new soon-to-be stepom Heather. Heather is younger than them by a year so they are obviously miffed, but expected to play nice. I loved getting to know each daughter, especially Rachel. She found baking as a way to cope with her trauma and made a thriving business from her honed skills. If only she could keep from eating her products when she is stressed. Tully was less likeable but she redeems herself toward the end. Heather, a daily drinker, was a little flighty and jumpy and that added to the drama.

Lots of issues were addressed in this one: rape, eating disorders, kleptomania, dementia, infidelity, domestic abuse, alcoholism to name a few. So we have lots of unreliable characters that end up feeding off eachothers' suspicions that lead to a shocking ending. Hepworth is a master of domestic thrillers so keep your eye for this one next month!

I usually enjoy Sally Hepworth's books and this was no exception. My only issue with the book is that the plot felt a little too familiar at times and the book became a little predictable.

Overall, I enjoyed the reading experience and will continue reading this author.

Worst Ending Ever

The Younger Wife begins with a wedding between Heather and Stephen. When they are signing their marriage certificate, a scream rings out. The book then takes us back one year before the wedding and begins to rotate between three perspectives: the two daughters of Stephen (Tully/Natalie and Rachel) and the bride (Heather).

The reason that I wanted to read this book so badly is that the author, Sally Hepworth, wrote The Good Sister. The characters in The Good Sister were so lovable, and I was laughing out loud so much. That set of characters has stayed with me ever since (and I read about 140 books per year!).
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However, The Younger Wife didn’t have as compelling characters. About 60-75% through the book, there was one spot which was laugh out loud funny. The three characters in the book have very dark backstories (although one does have some dad jokes thrown in), but this book really could have used some humor to lighten up the characters. Plus, who doesn’t love to laugh? Sadly, no magical characters in The Younger Wife as in The Good Sister.

The Younger Wife is a solid three-star book up until the end. This is the worst ending that I have ever read. If I actually purchased this book, I would be asking for a refund. On the Amazon page for The Younger Wives, the About the Author section states: “Sally’s novels as ‘women’s fiction at its finest’”. This is not women’s literature at its finest. Without giving away any spoilers, this is women’s literature at its worst.

The Younger Wife is a fast read about a family with many secrets. Two sisters, Rachel and Tully are dealing with their mother’s dementia - she is in a nursing home. And they are now dealing with their father divorcing her and marrying Heather - who is around the same age as the sisters. Lots of drama with twists and turns as we get to the wedding and secrets are revealed.

Read this if you love:
📖 family drama
📖 suspense and secrets
📖 alternating POVs

The Younger Wife will be out on April 5, 2022. Thanks to St Martins Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Four Stars

This is the fourth book I've read from this author. She has been on my radar for awhile now as a reliably good read and continues her streak with this one.

Heather Wisher is a young interior designer working with an older couple, Stephen and Pam Aston. During her tenure she becomes close to both of them, but it becomes quite evident that Stephen's wife has signs of dementia. Pam winds up in a nursing home while Heather and Stephen bond, as they work together redesigning his home. While the project began with Pam's design vision it wound up transitioning to the clean lines that Stephen preferred. Now Stephen and Heather are engaged to be married, despite their age difference. Stephen is a heart surgeon and his money picture represents a lifestyle that Heather aspired to, coming from both humble and scandalous beginnings. She tells everyone her parents are dead, but in fact her father is in prison for strangling her mother to death years ago. Alcoholism was also prevalent during Heather's upbringing, and is a trait that she also struggles with.

The family palette is rounded out by Stephen's two adult daughters, Rachel and Tully. Each has separate issues such as kleptomania and a fetish for baking- both used to cope with anxiety. I loved reading about the character of Rachel in particular. Although she didn't have the grand home, her dwelling (although modest) was very inviting and a meeting place for wonderful food, wine and homemade desserts. In fact, Rachel specialized in wedding cakes, owning her own baking business. She also had a dark secret involving an incident that took place when she was sixteen that halted this beautiful girl from dating men ever since.

The book begins with Heather and Stephen's wedding which culminates with emergency services having to be called, then rewinds backward to unwrap the mystery of who got hurt and why. The author deftly maintains the tension and mystery throughout the book. There wasn't a big "Aha!" moment at the end for me and I was left somewhat mystified, unsure and unfulfilled. I was like, "Oh...Okay." But the ride was still good!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press who provided an advance reader's copy via NetGalley.

While the character development is spot on, I was not impressed by the story line. (I did very much enjoy the story at the end about her aunt- and the inspiration.) I feel like she is one of the queen of twists, and this one fell a bit short for me.

Great domestic thriller - reminded me of Liane Moriarty. Three unreliable points of view keep you guessing until the end.

This book was SO GOOD!
The way it started with a murder and then backtracked several months really set the tone for the story. I loved the multiple POV which keeps you on your toes. We get to see sides from both daughters, the younger wife, and a secret guest.

I was left questioning the motives of each character and wondering who was the guilty party. There were so many little twists to this story that kept me hooked until the end. And that ending was such a shocker.

I’m a huge fan of domestic thrillers and this one didn’t disappoint.

Damn. Why did it have to end that way 😒

This is my second novel by Hepworth and just like The Good Sister I flew through this. Her writing style is easy to devour and her characters are easy to get to know. For the first 90% of the book I would rate this a 4 star and was just waiting for an exceptional ending to solve the mystery and being it up to a 5. Unfortunately this was one of the worst book endings ever and was so ambiguous in the worst way. So that forces me to bring my rating down by a star. I can’t say much about this book without giving spoilers but just want to reiterate how much I hated that ending.

4.5/5

Fascinating psychological thriller that has you questioning who and what you can believe right up to the very end. Speaking of the end, if you've read the reviews, you know it's ambiguous enough that you'll wonder what and who you can believe. The strength of the novel is just how well the characters gaslight each other and the reader. There were several times I doubted what I had just read and maybe thought I was jumping to conclusions. Thrilling!

There are some drawbacks, i.e. all the characters have some sort of "issue" that's overwhelming enough to make their character arc seem unrealistic, but the storyline is so interesting that you look past it. You're never truly given the romantic backstory of the couple getting married and you wondering as the book progresses what brought them together. And Darcy, sweet, perfect, corny Darcy is too saccharine, and made even more so when integrated into this crowd. His addition to the story just highlights how bonkers everyone else is.

This would be a fascinating book club selection as I think the ending would be a great discussion point when combined with society's view of domestic violence victims.

The Younger Wife, by Sally Hepworth, is an interesting family drama with an evocative, essential message that comes through at the end…one definitely worth considering.

Each member of the Aston family has their own issues and ghosts from the past that they are battling. When Stephen Aston, the heart-surgeon, leader of the clan announces his engagement to a much younger woman, while still married to his wife who is in the grips of Alzheimer’s, his two daughters are appalled and rightly concerned. But Stephen is such a good guy, as everyone will attest, and always able to persuade everyone to see things his way. When Heather, the new fiancé, begins frequently falling and injuring herself, questions arise, questions that beget more questions. The mystery is begins.

Similar to her previous novels, The Younger Wife is definitely not a thriller, but it is a compulsive domestic drama with an intriguing and captivating mystery. This story concludes with some speculation, but I think the message is fairly clear and one that will leave you wide-eyed. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and had a hard time putting the book down. Sally Hepworth’s books are compelling, easily readable and always thought-provoking.

I love a good family drama! I loved the characters in this book- and all their quirky flaws. I love how they all were able to come together in the end. Great book.

The Younger Wife is a family based, domestic suspense novel. I didn't like either sister to start, but both grew on me. Never liked the dad or the younger wife. There is some unreliable narrator action, along with gaslighting, neither of which I cared for. I did like how the sisters grew closer and worked on their issues, although overall I wished some of the plot threads went deeper. I wasn't wild about the ending. Only an average read for me, not terrible but not anything that will stay with me.

I absolutely flew through The Younger Wife. I would pick it up to start reading and it would feel like only minutes had passed before I looked up and realized I was halfway through the book! Tully, Heather, and Rachael were three very compelling characters that helped the story flow so quickly. There is not a lot I can say without giving away the ending but wow, I'm still trying to figure that one out! Loved it!

This book was not exactly what I expected.
I had anticipated a murder/revenge plot by adult children seeking to prevent their father’s marriage to a much younger woman. Not quite. There is an act of violence introduced early in the novel,but we don’t find out who did what to whom.until near the end. So there is a mystery component but the heart of the story are the deeply held secrets each family withholds from the others.
Although many serious topics are broached, there is a light frothy tone to much of the book.
This book most reminds me most of Liane Moriarty, in part because it takes place in upper middle class Australia. It does have a similar tone to Big Little Lies and The Husband’s Secret.
This book is eminently readable although at times it was a bit heavy handed with its psychological insights.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc.

Oh Sally! You won’t find your 1 star review here!

Multiple POVs, well built characters and a believable story makes The Younger Wife compelling.

With a large difference in age between Stephen and Heather, his new young fiancé, daughters Rachel and Tully speculate on Heather’s motives in this new relationship. Their mother, Pamela, has advanced dementia and is still married to Stephen when he announces his engagement to Heather. Secrets abound among the family members and slowly each come to light. Secrets can be dangerous and even life threatening in this case.

As with the other books I have read by Ms. Hepworth, I fell deep into the comfort zone while reading the story. For moments I can convince myself that I am reading a family saga and then I notice a shift in how I feel about a character, doubt sets in, and then I stay up late because I can’t put the book down.

I love the real life inspiration for part of the story and it sounds just like something someone in Sally’s family tree would do after watching her hilarious and heart warming videos.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. The Younger Wife publishes April 5, 2022.

I enjoyed this book and when I thought I had everything figured out, it turns out I didn't. I have enjoy thrillers but only when they are unpredictable and this one was great!