Hepworth does it again!! An intriguing and well written thriller-ish book! Not too scary but fully enraptured me! This one has a little bit of a deeper element with more well rounded character development. Loved it!

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth gives us multiple viewpoints into the new relationship between a younger woman, Heather, and older man, Stephen and his two daughters, Rachel and Natalie (who just so happen to be around the age of his new girlfriend). The book explores the dynamic of familial ties, the ways that we cope with trauma, and how sometimes we turn a blind eye to things.

I really enjoyed 95% of this book and really did NOT enjoy the last 5%. I thought Sally wrote some wonderful characters who felt real and spouses or partners that love others despite their addictions (and always seeking to understand), but the whole potential false accusation narrative that takes place in very final pages portion of the book is frustrating. Why include it? What did it add to the book? For me, just frustration.

This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC.

I don't really know what to say about this book, or honestly how to review it. First of all, I was under the impression that it was a thriller. A thriller, it was not. It was definitely a domestic drama. We follow two sisters, Tully and Rachel, who have not been close over the years, and their father, Stephen, a doctor, in his 60's, is marrying a much younger woman, Heather. Pam, Rachel and Tully's mum is in a rest home suffering from dementia. It just all sets up as a very awkward scenario with Pam is an included and wanted guest ex's wedding. Stories about each of the sisters unfold, all relating to some kind of trauma. Rachel deals with her pain with gorging on food and Tully, a kleptomaniac. Through the midst of the stories of Rachel and Tully, we are also introduced to Heather's past, which was also very traumatic. Somewhere along the line, the story twists into the direction of Stephen being an abuser. Is he or isn't he? Did he, or did he not abuse mum? Did he or didn't he try to kill his new fiance? The ending of this book just ruined it all for me. There was no resolution to the story, and as a reader, you are left wondering what really happened. I told myself when I finished, "this is it?, why did I just spend 3 days reading this"!? I also really didn't like the impression it gave off of women who had been through trauma in their life, almost as if they will always be confused or at odds with what is really happening, and somehow will always be out of touch with reality. I am sad to say that Sally Hempworth has disappointed me a second time, as I did not like, The Good Sister either by her.

This book is filled with family secrets and - for me - an unresolved ending, although I think some people may disagree.
Stephen divorced his wife when she went into an extended mental care facility for dementia and is now marrying the much younger interior decorator he met while still married to Pam. That's the opening scene in the book.
The story next goes back a few months and is told in revolving POV between the 3 women in the book, Tully and Rachel, Pam's daughters, and Heather, the soon-to-be- new wife.
What Sally Hepworth gives is through their narratives are very different glimpses of their everyday lives and backstories that hint of what is to come in the ending - an ending I didn't predict ( which is always wonderful for me as a reader.)
Having said that, I am left with questions. I can't state what they are because I hate spoilers, but if you read the book I wonder if you will feel the story is unresolved as I did.
All in all a masterful telling of a story filled with family drama - present and past.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ecopy for my Kindle.
I have read all of the author's books and enjoyed all of them. But this one left me "hanging." I am confused as to the "real truth" about Stephen?

4 Stars

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review the latest book by one of my favorite authors. It did not disappoint.

A slow domestic suspense/family drama.

Stephen Aston is getting married again. 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--even if his adult daughters protest.

Tully and Rachel Aston look upon Heather as nothing but an interloper. Heather is the same age as Rachel and even younger than Tully. Clearly she's a golddigger and after their father's money. Heather has secrets that she's keeping close, and reasons of her own for wanting to marry Stephen.

With their mother unable to speak for herself, 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. But will getting to the truth unleash the most dangerous impulses...in all of them?

perhaps this book wasn't for me. none of the characters felt credible to me; a barely functioning kleptomaniac? a binge eater that is magically sexy to everyone? a super hot, funny, sensitive man that is nothing beyond that? & the supposedly "twist" ending, really isn't one. this read was fast but clunky as hell.

I enjoy books where all of the characters can get under your skin but still make you root for them. The Younger Wife fits that bill. None of the protagonists are reliable (or terribly likable), and throughout the book I wanted to scream “communication, people!” Still, I like Hepworth’s writing, and anyone who enjoys realistic/family fiction with a hint of mystery might like this. It would be a good beach read.

I did not end up enjoying this title as much as I thought I would. The hype for this book was large, but did not fit into my personal reading style.

I didn't read any reviews of this book before starting but had seen a comment about people being disappointed in the ending. Reading along, I was mostly enjoying this story of a very dysfunctional family. Was it all believable? No. The daughters both have nearly lifelong secrets no one else knows anything about. The mother suffers from dementia. The father is remarrying while wife #1 is still alive and, of course, to a much younger woman. I enjoyed how the story was told. It begins with the wedding and an incident the reader gets more information on as the book goes along. We get bits and pieces of everyone's backstory, leading up to the big reveal... or not. The ending is... lacking. It just seemed to end as if the author got tired of writing and just stopped and decided the reader could just figure it all out on their own. While most of the book had my attention, I can't recommend it based on the frustrating ending alone.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Younger Wife hooked me from the start. It’s about three women and the relationships between them.

Tully and Rachel are sisters whose dad is marrying Heather, a woman their age. The catch? Their mother is still alive, but she has dementia. As the three women move through life and start to get to know one another, secrets come out and it turns out Stephen (Tully’s and Rachel’s dad and Heather’s fiancé) might not be who he says he is.

Told in three narratives this book is sure to hook you and keep you guessing until the end.

Sally Hepworth is an auto-buy author for me, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

I almost didn’t read this one because I found The Good Sister to be so scary but I did anyway and I am so glad! This was fantastic, by far my favorite of the two, but still dark and twisty/turny just like you’d expect. Very strong Liane Moriarty vibes in my opinion. Will definitely be recommending to friends!

Sally Hepworth books are such fun reads, I can't put them down! Compulsively unputdownable! Great twists to boot! She is easily one of my favorite authors!

I am a Sally Hepworth superfan and am here to tell you that her newest book, The Younger Wife, is her best yet! I was lucky to get an early copy and I could not put it down. She is the queen of domestic suspense and creating complex characters that you are invested in. I rarely have to force myself to stop reading and go to bed, but I had to with this one. It is soo good! ❤

Quick synopsis:
Heather is set to marry Stephen, a much older, wealthy man. She has tried her whole life to escape her traumatic past and not repeat the mistakes of her parents. As she finally reaches her goal, there are two problems: Stephen's daughters are the same age as her and are having trouble accepting the relationship. And Stephen is married to someone else. 🤷🏼‍♀️

This story is told from four points of view: the two daughters, the fiance, and a wedding guest. The main characters all are dealing with unique problems but are all connected in a way. I was so interested to see how the story ended. I also LOVED the Bluey references. My kids are obsessed with that show! Sally crushed this one. Put it on your radar and grab it in the Spring! 💕

This was a 3.5 star for me .
It started of strong. Sally Hemsworth has a way of drawing you into these characters life and wanting to find out more and waiting for the big reveal . Sadly the ending is where it fell flat for me would of wanted something more exciting but nonetheless I still enjoyed this book.

I love everything I've read by Sally Hepworth, and this book is no exception. She has a great style that builds suspense throughout a story and I always love the "big reveal". Well written and a good domestic thriller again from this author.

A seemingly kind and gentle older man who has been caring for his wife with Alzheimer's announces to his two daughters that he is marrying a young woman. Appearances can be deceiving, and this novel takes a sharp turn in another direction. We follow events from the point of view of his daughters and his fiancee. The story moves between the past and present, and there are many surprises in the story. We gain a deeper understanding of each character and why they face certain struggles in their lives. I liked the fact that the author continued on after the 'ending' of the story to give the reader the rest of the story. I have read all of Sally Hepworth's novels and was not disappointed! I highly recommend!

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

4.5 stars. Another solid read from Sally Hepworth. She is great with her twists and turns! Rachel and Tully’s father announces he’s marrying Heather, a woman a couple of years younger than them. At the same time, their mother is experiencing profound dimmentia and is living in a nurse facility. Secrets will be revealed, and Hepworth will leave you guessing until the very end!

Sally Hepworth's The Younger Wife is another domestic thriller. This story highlights family dysfunction and the repercussions of how a seemingly functional family discovers some hard truths about the picture perfect family they thought they had.

This was a good book that kept you wondering what was going on, but not always in a good way. It was a little more confusing than suspenseful. It also seemed similar to her previous stories. I am starting to think her writing style may just not be for me. The characters were okay, but they are not developed well at the beginning so it takes a little time to become invested in the story. It was good enough to keep me reading, but nothing that blew me away.