Cover Image: The Younger Wife

The Younger Wife

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Member Reviews

I have been reading Advanced Reader Copies for years so I am prepared for some alterations prior to it being in its published form. I will often listen to the audio version when published to compare with usually only minor changes to people's names for example, addition or subtraction of sentences. This book had a very different ending from ARC copy and what went to print. This book was also first published in Australia and I understand that it also underwent the same transformations. To avoid spoilers I will just comment that verbal and physical abuse are addressed in this novel and the changes relate to how the story is resolved, if there is one.

It is narrated from different POV with addresses the women involved with Stephen Ashton, a heart surgeon, who is looking to remarry yet again at age 60 to Heather Wisher, a much younger woman at 34 years old who was hired as their interior designer. Meanwhile, Stephen is getting a divorce from Pamela whose health is declining due to Alzheimer's disease. It is difficult to write a spoiler free review given that both versions I've read lead down a confusing path. One version aimed to address some unresolved questions that weren't clear in the other version. It really felt like two different books in the end for me. Basically, all the women in the novel have encountered some sort of abuse whether revealed and discussed or ignored. There is a final twist in the end with the epilogue which occurs 3 years prior to the story which I don't think clarified the plot for me in anyway.

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This book is a good story but I would classify it as a thriller. I enjoy almost everything Sally Hepworth writes. I have this one 3 stars out of 5. It was more of a family drama book which isn’t what I was expecting.
I would suggest this book to people who have liked the authors other work and those who like family drama books that have a mystery and slight thriller aspects.
Thank you to netgalley for an arc of this book to read and honestly review.

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Wow! This was an excellent thriller. This is my second Sally Hepworth book after 2023’s The Soulmate and I liked this one better. Loved the not knowing where the story was going. The beginning had me instantly hooked. I got this in 2022 from NetGalley and I absolutely regret not reading this sooner. Her other books are going on my TBR.

**Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**

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Oh the mixed feelings. I was engrossed throughout most of the book. Watching everyone's secrets unravel and being reminded that things are not always as they seem. Rachel was very much the oldest daughter in terms of personality. She was outwardly calm cool and collected and taking care of everything that needed taking care of. Tully definitely had youngest daughter vibes with being labeled as dramatic and maybe a bit attention seeking. As we got to know Heather I developed a soft spot for her, just trying to have a family, better than what she grew up with. The whole book was a tragic really, dementia is such a difficult thing to navigate, Steven's abuse and gaslighting. I think the writing was great and all of the characters were distinct and stayed that way through out the whole story. The ending felt a little anticlimactic. When you start a book with a murder and work back from there I expected a few more surprises. Overall not bad, but no big twist like I have expected.

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I recently dove into my first Sally Hepworth novel and was impressed by her storytelling prowess. However, I've been mulling over whether to give it a 3.5 or 4-star rating. While I found the narrative engaging, I couldn't shake the feeling that I needed more closure with certain characters and perhaps a bit more development in the story itself. The book starts with a dramatic wedding event, which immediately drew me in. From there, the plot delves into the lives of the bride, Heather, her much older groom, Stephen, and his daughters, Rachel and Natalie (also known as Tully). Hepworth's writing style is captivating, and her author's notes about the inspiration behind the story add a nice touch. Although I wasn't entirely satisfied with the ending, I remained thoroughly engrossed throughout, ultimately rating it a solid 4 stars.

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I enjoyed this! I thought it was an engaging, suspenseful thriller. I definitely recommend for Sally Hepworth fans and fans of the genre.

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initial thoughts: I received an ARC from NetGalley a long time ago for this book, and am just getting around to reading it.

I did get the original ending, which was not great. glad to read that the ending from the ARC to finished copies was updated.

overall, I didn’t connect with the characters in this book as much as I have with Sally’s other books, which was a disappointment.

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While the multiple POVs made this book fun to read, I think it was too corny for a full five star review.

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This was quite a wild ride and boy oh boy the ending threw me for a loop for sure! I loved how the story was told and how we got to know each of the characters so well.

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Twisty, with characters that you both want to root for and also shake some sense into them. Communication is always at a deficit in thrillers but this one takes the cake for sure. A picture perfect family that is the literal opposite and several mysteries kind of wrapped together. Told in alternating flashbacks from different points of view, with a bit of an open-ended finish.

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TW sexual assault of minor
👩🏻‍🍳 baker
🎂 eating feelings
👨🏻‍⚕️ respected doctor/dad
❓early onset dementia
👰‍♀️💍 young wife
💦 hot water bottle
💰 hidden money
👜 stealing items
🕯️ candlestick
💒 wedding mystery

I absolutely loved this book! The whole time I was trying to figure out what was happening and who was telling the truth. It was my first Sally Hepworth book and it will most definitely not be my last.

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Sally Hepworth never disappoints! This family drama is told from multiple viewpoints, and the different viewpoints are used to build the backstory, as well as let the reader know of all the secrets being kept. This is a fast read!

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This was a really fast paced page turner. I read this in one day Interesting and different dynamic of a younger woman marrying into a family where her stepdaughters will be a few years older, and the former wife is still the wife. This book not for the faint of heart as it contains topics of abuse, anxiety and kleptomania My second read by this Author and won't be my last
Thank you to Netgalley, St Martin's Press and the Author Sally Hepworth for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of "The Younger Wife" by Sally Hepworth. It was good, but not as good as her others.

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Any time I hear Sally Hepworth has a new book, I am excited to start it. I have read this book and found some pieces confusing. There seems to be so many storylines intersecting and I recall when finishing I felt disappointed by the ending.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review. I enjoyed the time I spent reading this book as I have with previous books by the author.

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This is the first novel I've read by Sally Hepworth, and it won't be my last.
The Younger Wife was a well paced suspense told in multiple POV. The characters were well developed, and their dynamics were interesting.
The only part of the story that had me feeling slightly disappointed was the ending.

If you're in the mood for a domestic drama, check this one out.


[TW: Violence, SA, trauma, dementia]

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Synopsis:

A heart surgeon at the prime of his career is getting married, but first he must divorce his current wife, even though she can no longer speak for herself. His daughters, think their father's fiancée, Heather, is after his money - she's younger than both of them. Heather has secrets of her own.

Review:

Sally Hepworth writes such great thrillers. This was a cast of characters - as expected, everyone has their own story/secrets/trauma which made for an interesting and page-turning read. The narration went between the two sisters and the fiancee. I mean whose family isn't at least a little bit dysfunctional ;)

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Secrets And Lies, Oh My!, in the Domestic Thriller, THE YOUNGER WIFE by Sally Hepworth—with an ending I did not anticipate—Highly Recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with an eBook of THE YOUNGER WIFE at the request of an honest review.

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WHY DID I PUT THIS OFF FOR SO LONG.
I thought I had previously read this book, maybe because I find Sally Hepworths titles and covers similar to each other.
However, I devoured this novel in one sitting and completely ate it up.

No one does domestic drama/thrillers like Sally! Wow. I would recommend this for anyone in a reading slump or someone looking for a quick bang. This was great.

Thank you so much for the ARC!

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