Another great Hepworth novel on the books, literally! I really enjoyed The Younger Wife, although even as I write this review I find myself with several outstanding questions. Rachel and Tully stole the show for me, with a very close second going to their mother. Such fun and quirky characters to bring this book to life.

Hepworth has created another great story that focuses on family and secrets that have been held on to for far too long. Sisters Tully and Heather were great main characters as they were different but still likable in their own vulnerable ways. Seeds of doubt were well placed in the story so much so that I went back and forth around what the truth could be constantly, The only thing that I wished was different is a more definitive ending and more context in the last chapter as that wasn’t a character we got a lot a clear answers from during the story.

Interesting plot about a father, Stephen, his two adult daughters, Tully and Rachel, and his wife, Pam. who has dementia, who meets and falls in love with a younger woman, Heather. The story starts with an event that happens at Stephen’s wedding to Heather and the plot then goes back to the time leading up to the wedding. As the story unfolded from the perspectives of Tully, Rachel and Heather, I kept turning the pages trying to figure out just what was going on. Lots of interesting dysfunction, secrets, and lies. Unfortunately, after a great story build-up, the ending fell flat for me and was anticlimactic. A good read that, with a more satisfying ending, would have been a 5 star read for me. I enjoy Sally Hepworth’s novels, particularly her last, The Good Sister which was fabulous, and I am looking forward to her future books!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The first book I read by Sally Hepworth was The Good Sister, and I loved it so much, I knew I had to grab The Younger Wife when it showed up on Netgalley. 

I was NOT disappointed.

Tully is probably my favorite character, even though I relate more to Rachel. Both sisters fight anxiety on  a regular basis, but neither knows about the other's struggles. Tully, when she gets anxious, steals things. She's been like that since she was 11, and no one knows. She hides what she steals, then either donates the items, or throws them away. She doesn't steal because she needs the items, she does it for a sort of endorphin release.

Rachel eats her feelings. Something happened to her in her younger years, and she never dates. Instead, she runs a baking company, catering parties, weddings, and the like. She almost always has baked goods in her fridge, and they don't seem to last long.

I didn't like Stephen. Tully and Rachel's dad seems like a bit of a manipulative jerk. I really wanted Heather to figure out that he was a jerk, and leave him. Heather was your typical "living outside her means" type, but she didn't seem like she was deliberately malicious. I never felt like she was a threat to Rachel or Tully.

Sally's writing style is probably one of my favorite parts of her books. She has a wonderful knack for telling you a story, and getting you attached to characters, making you hate others, then BAM....

Suddenly, everything is different, and you don't know what to think anymore.

The Younger Wife in this case is no different. I spent much of the book thinking I knew what was going on, but I got more and more confused as the story went on, then thought I knew what happened again....

You get the idea. If you love books that confuse you all to heck, before giving you even the tinest bit of closure, you'll love any of Sally's books. Especially The Younger Wife. She has made it onto my "auto-buy" list, and that is no small feat.

Another great book by Sally Hepworth! As with The Mother-In-Law, allegiances aren't necessarily what one might think, and the skillful unveiling of the plot make for a compelling read. Two sisters, Tully and Rachel, and their soon-to-be step-mother, Heather, who is younger than they are, each tell their stories in (not strictly) alternating chapters, with a mystery narrator also making an occasional appearance. Each has her own problems; some of the characters are more understandable and sympathetic than others, but all the stories are interesting and held my attention. I did have some qualms about the ending, so I'd give the book 4.5 stars rather than the 5 I might have otherwise, although I'll still round it up to 5. Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book.

Hot dang did this book not disappoint!!! The short chapters and alternating storylines had me saying “just one more chapter” and before I knew it, like all Hepworth books, I ignored all adulting responsibilities and flew through The Younger Wife in a day.

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth is a domestic thriller/family drama that centers around two sisters, their father and much younger girlfriend/fiancé, mother with early onset severe dementia, and a mystery onlooker. The story starts out at the father’s wedding one year in the future where a shocking event happens and from that point on I was sucked into the twists and turns and building tension trying to figure it all out before the end of the book.

Giving this story a 4.5 stars, rounding up to 5 for bringing the major binge factor. Hepworth fans will love this one! The Younger Wife comes out April 2022. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for a honest review.

I have read and loved most of Sally Hepworth's previous books and was SO excited to preview this one. It did NOT disappoint. It was a great suspense story that kept my attention the whole way through.

This book is about two daughters whose father is getting remarried to a much younger woman, Heather. Although the daughter's mother is still alive, she suffers from dementia. The book deals with serious topics such as rape, domestic abuse, and eating disorders.

Overall, I loved the dual POV from Heather, Tully, and Rachel. I flew through the chapters and could not put this book down. I do wish the ending was a little more wrapped up and not up for speculation, however, overall a great read by a fabulous author.

When Steven Ashton introduces his grown daughters to his new girlfriend they aren't as pleased as he thought they would be especially since he is still married to their mother. His daughters believe she is after his money because of her age. When Steven divorces his wife, who has dementia, and announces his marriage to Heather secrets start to come to the surface but are they true?
Talk about a dysfunctional family and this story has it covered. I didn't really find the characters likeable and I didn't really like the ending although others may find it a twist.

I love Sally Hepworth's books, and this one did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the story line, and the twists and turns at the end were something I didn't see coming and made you think well after you were done. At times in the middle it seemed to drag on for a bit, but the ending was super satisfying. Good reminders on mental health and the ways we can judge and create stories, looking for ways to validate them.

Summery 

Stephen meets Heather while still being married to his wife that has dementia. Stephen has two daughters Rachel and Tully. When Stephen announced he and Heather are engaged the daughters are very unsure of what Heather is after with their dad being as Heather is younger than them. When they question him how he will do that while still being married to their mom. He just brushes it off saying ill divorce her.  Tully and Rachel start to wonder and start digging into their past after Rachel stumbles upon something in her mom's belongings. As everything unfolds more questions come up and the girls need answers. 


This is my first read for Sally Hepworth. I absolutely love that the main character is named after a winner of her Instagram competition. The first page had me pretty hooked then it just slowed way down for me, it took me till about chapter 10 to actually get into it fully, once I did, I didn't want to put it down. There are quite a few twists and turns and you don't know what's going to happen in the end very unpredictable. I am so happy with the ending. It could have just ended so differently. I don't want to spoil any of it. This is more of my style that I enjoy reading a little suspense quite a bit of family drama. Definitely recommend reading it. Thank you Net galley for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

Stephen is getting married again. One problem, he's still married. His wife suffers from dementia and she's in a home. Simply enough he'll just divorce her. Heather, the soon to be wife, is as young as Stephen's grown adult children. One look at her and they think she's in for the money. Heather has her own reasons for wanting to marry Stephen that she isn't revealing. The girls are determined to find the secrets of their family, only problem is mom can't really help with that, but she does have her ramblings here and there that may help with clues. How far will they go to figure it all out and what will be left when they do.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Even at the end of it, it still left me with some questions. If you are looking for a thriller that keeps your mind wondering what is going on and not many clear answers to your questions, this is it. Who was lying and who wasn't IDK either.
Thanks Net Galley for letting me read this one in exchange for a review!

This is such a twisty exploration of the human psyche. Are bad people completely bad, and do good people have a little bad in them? What is fact, and what is simply the way we see things? I loved every minute of it! So many wonderful characters flawed because of their past experiences. And the ending--oh, my!!

I enjoyed the timeline, starting in the present then going backwards and weaving bits and pieces of the present in until the end. While this is only my second Sally Hepworth book, I feel like this is classic Hepworth. If you enjoyed The Good Sister, you will love The Younger Wife! Thank you to St. Martin's Publishing Group for the digital ARC.

Sally Hepworth is a MASTER of DOMESTIC SUSPENSE/FAMILY DYNAMICS!

In the opening scene we find ourselves at a wedding, which is being described by an unnamed narrator, who confesses that she is a woman of a certain age, watching the man who still takes her breath away, marry a woman young enough to be his daughter.

Our narrator is shocked to also see Pamela in attendance. Married to Stephen Aston for 34 years, Pamela was divorced By Stephen, when she got dementia and was moved to a care facility, allowing him to marry again.

What a guy!

She is even more shocked when Pamela makes her way to the alter during the ceremony picking up a candlestick when she reaches the groom. .There is a scream, a thud, and someone ends up covered in blood.
But, who?

REWIND to one year earlier…when Stephen’s daughters, Tully and Rachel, are meeting their Dad’s new girlfriend, Heather, at a luncheon, for the first time.

From this point on, the story will unfold from the alternating perspectives of these three young women-yes, the “bride to be” gets her say, as well as Stephen’s two daughters.

Is it love??

Each woman has their secrets-some from the past and others in the present, and we get to hear them all, in this FAST PACED, UNPUTDOWNABLE drama, until the past catches up to the present, and we are back at the scene of the crime/wedding.

The last 7% is where this book gets controversial. I read it with several friends and we were divided on what MESSAGE we think the last chapters sent. No spoilers here-but how YOU interpret it-will determine how you feel about the ending. If you view it one way-you might be angry-if you view it the other way-as I did-you will be thinking-how CLEVER!

It was fun to discuss!! In fact, I just decided to round up!

4.5 ⭐️

Thank You to St. Martin’s Press for my early gifted copy! It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
AVAILABLE April 5, 2022.

Thank you NetGalley!
I really liked this book! It had me gripped from the beginning. There were several side plots that were interesting and tied in well to the main plot. It was exciting but also there was a lot of character building and relationship development. It was very dramatic and covered so many issues (maybe too many) but it was good and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

5⭐️ Read! Sally Hepworth is one of my favorite authors. I could not have been more excited to get the chance to read the ARC of The Younger Wife! It did not disappoint! The author’s character development is outstanding. She always does such a wonderful job of making the characters relatable and I always feel like I know somebody like that or I see some of myself in that character. I found myself getting attached to them! Next - on to the plot. An older man has plans to re-marry before he’s even divorced, as his current wife has dementia and is in assisted living?!? Talk about a twist! But it’s just beginning there. I don’t want to spoil anything - you’ll have to read it to find out! The ending was very fulfilling, but I also did have a couple lingering questions - in a good way. Thanks NetGalley & Sally Hepworth for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC!

I was really nervous about this one when I started it because from the first chapter there were women hating other women for absolutely no reason. If that had continued any farther into the book, this would have been a quick DNF.

However - this quickly turned into an extremely gripping and fast paced domestic thriller. I loved that the action and mystery started right away. This is definitely not a slow burn.

I highly recommend this one!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!

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Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. This is another solid book written by Sally Hepworth. I've also read The Good Sister and The Mother-in-Law by the same author and this did not disappoint. There's great character development and it was hard to put down! I'll read more by Hepworth in the future.

I am a huge Sally Hepworth fan. Her books are always enjoyable, and easy to get sucked into.

With that being said, The Younger Wife let me down a bit. Don't get me wrong, there was definitely the twist we all know to expect from Ms. Hepworth, but I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. What I love most about her writing style is that "last page" slap in the face that makes your jaw drop. This book didn't have that.

All in all, I read it very quickly and definitely enjoyed it. The Younger Wife just isn't quite my favorite Hepworth novel.

Two years ago, I gave The Mother-in-Law a 5-star rating. Will this one be as good?🤞
Answer: not as good, but still a really interesting and captivating read that I recommend!

Oh, how I like Hepworth's writing and the characters she creates! Her writing flows so easily and I particularly loved reading about Tully and Rachel, the two sisters with unique personnalities. As in The Mother-in-Law, it's a slow-burn and the plot is mainly about the dynamics between every character and the secrets they have for each other. In The Younger Wife, I feel like the mystery was less significant, so don't read this book thinking it will be suspenseful. Yes, there is a mystery, but it's clearly a family drama (a very good one!).

About the ending... The readers' opinions are mixed and I totally understand. I'm in the ''a-bit-disappointed team''. I'm not frustrated, but I was hoping for something different. All in all, this book confirms that I love this author and I'm sure going to read The Good Sister before the end of the year!📚

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Publication date 05 Apr 2022

Heather is getting married to Stephen, a well to do doctor. Pam is Stephen's ex wife, or she will be when they get divorced! Tully and Rachael are Stephen's grown daughters who see Heather as a gold digger, just wanting to marry their father for his status and money.
But then Pam says something that gives the daughters a new insight to their father and already Heather has discovered something she does not like about Stephen.
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.