Ok, I couldn’t put this one down. Two sisters, a mom with dementia , a dad with a new fiancé younger than them… what could go wrong? Mental health issues stemming from childhood traumas for one, and the story just keeps getting better from there. Hepworth’s. Characters are flawed and secretive, her plot captivating until you get your answers at the bitter end. Did I mention, I could not put this one down!

My favorite parts of this book relate to a study in family dynamics and an acknowledgement that everything is not always how it seems. I found it to be slow paced, but interesting. I especially enjoyed the interaction between Rachel and Tully, the sisters in this novel. The "reveals" were disappointing and predictable, so that docked this one a couple points. I just am not a huge fan of some of the tropes in this one. However, the characters still made it a worthwhile read.

Tully and Rachel Aston are astounded when their father, Stephen, announces that he is going to marry his much younger girlfriend Heather. The thing is, he is still married to their mother, who is in a care facility with dementia. When all is said and done, will the sisters be able to find common ground with their soon to be stepmother?

The Younger Wife is told in alternating perspectives, which is meant to keep the reader guessing. Personally, I do not like this approach because the connection to the characters is harder to feel. The dysfunctional family aspect is nothing new to this author, as previous books deal with these type of issues. The Younger Wife is not one of my favorites, as I do not particularly like any of the characters. Each character has a side plot and a story to tell, which takes away from the overall effect of the mystery surrounding the event that starts the book. For these reasons, I hesitate to recommend The Younger Wife to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to read and review this book was entirely my own.

This is a fantastic book. Totally captivating and I read it quickly. Great characters that were developed well. I can't recommend enough.

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth is a 2022 St. Martin’s Press publication.

Stephen, a doctor in his sixties, divorced his wife, Pam, who was admitted to a nursing home after her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Stephen then plans to marry, Heather, a much younger woman….

These developments shook Stephen’s daughters, Tully and Rachel, each of whom is dealing with issues such as comfort eating and kleptomania, which are, of course, symptoms of much deeper problems.

But as they listen to their mother’s strange pronouncements, and discover some shocking, unexplainable things in Pam’s possessions, the sisters may be faced with even darker revelations…

Then, as the big day finally arrives something goes horribly awry…

This book is certainly written with Hepworth’s signature style and hooked me in right away. I was invested in the story, though I was confused about a few things here and there, but I decided to just go with it because I knew the situation was coming to a head and I was very curious about what exactly happened and whodunit.

There was no way to truly know how things would turn out, and I must admit I was still a little confused by some things and even read the epilogue a couple of times.

But I suppose it doesn’t matter all that much, as I still managed to get the gist of things, but I’m not entirely sure how I feel about the presentation.

It could be the author was trying to avoid graphic details and left it to the reader to read between the lines, but it deflated the tension and makes the conclusion a bit anti-climactic- at least for me, it did.

I really like this author, but this one was a head-scratcher for me. I liked it okay, I suppose, but it definitely didn’t not wow me, nor will it leave a lingering impression, I’m afraid.

Overall, I’m still undecided on this one, and I don’t think further meditation on it will tip the scales on way or the other, so I’ll ride the fence with a middle of the road three stars.

After bingeing waaaay too many thrillers in a row I thought I had definitely burned myself out. But The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth caught my attention from the start and kept me up all night reading to the finish.

Told from the perspective of four women who are all connected by one man, The Younger Wife starts off with a murder mystery and just continues to ramp up the tension from there. I found the characters to have more depth than most thrillers I have read in the past year, and for that reason alone I am giving this a higher rating than I normally would.

Although I did figure out the twists very early on (it really isn't that thinly veiled and I tend to ruin every mystery by guessing too much at the beginning) I still found myself very engaged with watching it play out.

3.4999/5

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this title!

Absolutely fantastic! Could not put the book down. Going to recommend to everyone to check out this book!

Impactful and scandalous, Hepworth's latest novel will have readers reeling when they turn the final page.

I enjoyed this book. Sally Hepworth does a great job building suspense. I see that many people weren't happy with the ending but I was. I felt that this story had my questioning everything until the last page.

Everyone in Sally Hepworth’s The Younger Wife is keeping secrets. Cardiologist Stephen Aston is the patriarch of the family. He appears to have it all and is beloved by many, but appearances can be deceiving. His wife Pam is suffering from dementia and had to be moved to a nursing home. His daughters Tully and Rachel have their own deep dark secrets. Stephen’s soon-to-be new wife is younger than both of his daughters and she’s hiding a troubled past. This book started a little slow for me and the family is so completely dysfunctional that it’s a bit over the top. The story is told in alternating points of view of the main characters and jumps back and forth between past and present. It was just okay, not great. Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my least favorite favorite of Hepworths (they are all really good), but I gotta give it to her, what an intriguing and unique story line. Pam (mother of Tully & Rachel) is in a nursing home debilitated by Alzheimers. Tully and Rachel's father Stephen is planning to get married to a younger wife Heather, who happens to be the interior designer he and Pam hired to redo their home. I did love the opening scene at the wedding with first wife Pam there. I thought, where is this story going to go? Lots of intrigue and that's always a draw for me. There are the flash backs to Pam before she lost her memory, there's the underlying story of what happened to Heather before she met Stephen, and the drama of Tully and Rachel as they are certain Heather's after their father's money. Just a totally unique story.

I started reading this anticipating a thriller only to find out it was fiction following extended family storylines woven together. The book focuses on their relationships and self development. Character development was really well done and it was a smooth read.

*spoilers*

I just didn’t understand why the author wrote the ending the way she did. It was never really clear whether or not Stephen was abusive or if other characters- Heather, for instance, was imagining things. It would have been one thing to leave the book open ended with an alternate ending, but for Rachel to kill Stephen out of her belief that he was abusive and then never to know… it leaves the reader feeling “unfinished”. I really enjoyed the book up until the end.

I’ll read everything by Sally Hepworth. There’s always a mystery, but I wouldn’t call it a mystery or thriller. It’s more like dark literary fiction, with a bit of domestic suspense. Her books remind me of slightly darker Liane Moriarity.
The Younger Wife follows the perspectives of the two daughters and very young fiancée of Stephen, as they struggle to figure out their lives and their relationships. I found it compulsively readable.

The first quarter of this book was intriguing. The opening scene hooked me and pulled me in. I did enjoy each womans individual srories and the sisters relationship. However the rest of it so boring! I feel like I wasted a few days of my life.

I’ve been a fan of Sally Hepworth’s domestic thrillers for a few years.


I loved the twists and turns we learn about as the story unfolds and could not put it down. What I loved most about this book were the all the relationships between the characters.

Suspenseful, twisted, and well written. I didn’t love the ending, but I also did not see it coming.

A suspenseful read from an amazing writer.. I highly recommend all of Sally's books! Stephen Aston is getting married again to Heather, but he's still married to his first wife who is in a assisted living facility for dementia. His daughters Tully and Rachel look at Heather as nothing but an interference. They are determined to get to the truth about all the family’s secrets. And will.getting to the truth fix matters or just cause the most dangerous impulses come out in all of them?
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

This was a miss for me. I thought the plot line was not delved out and the characters were all kinda annoying and I didn't relate to anyone or like anyone. I thought the ending was a little ridiculous and had some major trigger warnings that were just randomly thrown in.

I typically love her books and this was somewhat of a let down. I didn’t love it but also didn’t hate it. It was just okay. I thought some things seemed far fetched and didn’t make sense plus I had it figured out early where it was all leading and that tends to ruin a story for me.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Thanks for the ARC. What can I say? I didn't want to put this book down once I started reading it. I did but could not wait to get back to reading it. I loved it. Will recommend!

I received this book as an ARC from @NetGalley and I really enjoyed it. The story follows two sisters, Rachel and Tully, who are in disbelief as they find out their father is dating someone who is younger than they are. Without any spoilers, some shady things begin to happen that make the family question everything they know about their father. The story had felt a bit predictable to me in the beginning, but towards the end, I began to question all of my predictions and thoughts. 4/5 ⭐️’s