I have been a fan of Sally Hepworth and was happy to get a chance to read an advanced reader’s copy of her latest book. This book drew me in and I was pretty sure it would be a four star book. However, I was very disappointed in the ending. I have to say I felt a bit cheated and I think the ending could be viewed as invalidating the terrible things that these women endured. I won’t say more as I don’t want to spoil things for the readers of this book. Turned out to be a three star rating.

While I was impressed with how such flawed characters dealt with their issues in a mature way...this story fell so flat. Why is it even called 'Younger Wife' when she played a secondary role to all the other characters? The same ending could have resulted yet in a different setting even if the new, younger wife was not a part of the story. The ending was so confusing so was he abusive or not, why did the daughter hesitate telling her dad about the attack when she was younger !?!? Many points were raised but never addressed.

Loved the characters; each was very unique. I found the book engaging and hard to put down. I was expecting a big POW! reveal at the end, but instead Hepworth casually gives us some information and leaves us to stew and wonder. Initially I was annoyed that I wasn't plainly told what kind of person Stephen was, but as I keep thinking about the ending, I think it was very effective and frankly maybe a little better than that big POW we've come to expect. It's made me keep thinking about the book as I try to decide for myself what was really going on.

The Younger Wife is an intriguing read. I thought I had a good idea as to how the story would go and the perception I would have of the younger wife, Heather. The book challenges the way in which people place blame, make assumptions and judgements. From the outside the family appeared to have it all together, to be the ideal family. But as we go progress farther into the story we see cracks forming letting us know all is not as it seems. The author explores seeking professional help for traumatic events and mental health issues as a positive, appropriate response much in the same way that one would seek medical attention for a broken bone which is excellent. Childhood and early adulthood experiences and the way in which they shape and influence our perceptions to relationships as adults is also a large focus of the book. The author leaves clues as to what happened at the wedding and weaves ideas as to what lead up to it throughout the book. Interestingly, the author leaves a question in the readers minds as to whether the characters assumptions were correct and whether the end was justified.

Thank you to NetGallery for letting me read this book, I loved it!!I haven't read a book from Sally Hepworth that I didn't like. I liked how you think you have things figured out and then she throws more at you and then you have to rethink things through.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review -
What happens when your dad marries a younger woman and needs to divorce his wife who is suffering from dementia, and then you find out he has done this before. Is the younger woman a gold digger? Why does mom have a bag of money? Does dementia come from beatings? Is dad abusive? The sisters aim to find answers to all but will they find the true answers in time. A domestic thriller with a shocking ending!

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my first ARC experience ! 🙏🏻

This was definitely solid on the domestic suspense front. But based on the description, I went in expecting more of a thriller, so I ended up being a bit let down 🤷🏼‍♀️

One thing that always grinds my gears is an “ambiguous ending” that is more so just…tricking the reader/retroactive continuity? IMO the reveal should ultimately make sense with what was previously presented to the reader. That’s not to say I want to be able to see twists coming. I just want that awesome “OH SHIT” moment when everything finally adds up, and you can’t help but flip back to previous pages to reconcile all the hints! 🤯

Overall it was an entertaining read and easy to get through, however, I wish it had a more satisfying/“aha” ending. Also, this book needs like an entire page of trigger warnings 😳

This book was gripping. I was sucked in and could not put it down! The concept was so unique, I loved this book.

The Younger Wife tells the story of Stephen Aston. He is about to get married to a much younger woman, Heather. As if that wasn't scandalous enough...he's still married to his wife, Pam. Pam has advanced dementia and Stephen plans to divorce her. Stephen's daughters, Tully and Rachel, aren't thrilled about the idea, but want to see their father happy. As the story unfolds Aston family secrets begin to come to light and everything is not as it seems.

This book was amazing!! Sally Hepworth knocked it out of the park again. Her style of storytelling is right up my alley (I felt like I was being gaslit along with the characters). I devoured this book in 2 days. I couldn't put it down. The plot, characters, and every twist and turn were so compelling. I was kept guessing until the very last sentence. Do yourself a favor and read this immediately.

I was given this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

Hmmm

I just finished and enjoyed "The Good Sister" and for no reason expected this to be better. The plot was very good. You have the younger girlfriend who comes from a troubled, poor background. The much older successful heart surgeon who divorces his Alzheimer-ridden wife to marry the girl, who is younger than one of his daughters. A trying to be perfect but flawed daughter, Another daughter who has deep issues that are later disclosed. An extremely handsome but long-term unemployed mysterious man who the second daughter is attracted to. A mystery woman's name found in a hot water bottle full of cash,

I spent the book trying to figure out who the "bad guy" was and what twist would come at the end. But nothing happened. I read the last few pages twice thinking I missed something..

The book was great until the end. Or lack of end in my opinion.

I flew through this book as it alternated between Heather, the younger wife to-be, and Tully and Rachel, daughters of Stephen - Heather's fiancé. With each woman's secrets slowing coming to the surface and Stephen's character coming into question, every character becomes a suspect in tragedy that unfolds at Stephen and Heather's ceremony.
I appreciated that a each of the characters were unreliable, but not appallingly so. Just enough that as a reader I questioned everyone as a suspect. I found myself feeling exactly how these three women did throughout the book as I went back and forth between wondering if Stephen was a good man who was the victim of assumptions, or if he truly was a devious character. Nothing was obvious, and it was that element that drew me in and kept me thinking (and reading!).
I can't recommend adding this one to you TBR enough!

The title alone sets a prejudicial tone for this book.  
   Successful doctor Dad meets a young woman in the same age bracket as his two daughters and falls in love. Sounds about right but then you add that she was an interior decorator hired by the wife who is starting with signs of dementia and now it gets interesting. The dementia worsens, mom needs full time institutional care and Dad decides to divorce her and marry the young honey. Can this really happen?
   Now the two daughters aren’t without their fair share of issues…all of which relate to their father who they held to such high esteem. After a brain scan shows some oddities, the daughters are now looking for signs they may have missed that show dad was abusing mom.  Hidden money, a strange woman’s name, all those bruises add up to assumptions by everyone.
   The wedding scene was intense what with all the parties on the altar: bride, groom, grandkids, daughters, ex-wife. How could you possibly think this would produce a happy ending. It doesn’t.
   But then there was the epilogue……...
   This family drama mystery had so many twists it kept the reader engaged till the very end.

I really enjoyed this novel. Sally Hepworth not only gives me the suspense I want in a book, but also taps into some deeper, darker mental health topics. Hepworth shows us the deep effects of childhood trauma and how everything is not always as it seems on the outside. I really enjoyed the twists and the unexpected ending. Overall an awesome read and everything I love in a Sally Hepworth Novel!

A huge thank you to @netgally and @stmartinspress for my early copy of this book.

This book had some good twists and reveals, but there was something about it that I didn't like. I think it bothered me that it took the characters so long to figure out the twist when I was able to spot it really early on. The characters were also mostly unlikeable and although I felt bad for them about certain things, I just couldn't care too deeply about any of them.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read a book for an honest review. I always feel a bit indebted when I receive a book for free for an honest review but that is what we both agreed to. So an older man wants to marry a woman younger than his two daughters, but he happens to still be married to his wife who has dementia. All the women have dramatic & serious issues. All the men in this story are fabulous, no real problems at all. Men all fine, women all messed up. The ending, well I don't even know what to say about the ending. I did finish the book. Possible triggers for women: rape victim, abused women both physically and mentally, kleptomania, children from abused family, abusive fathers, dead parents. Oh and lets throw in a bit about covid being responsible for business failure.

First of all, did this thriller tick all the boxes for what I love in books I read? A younger woman older woman messy relationship? Tick! A man previously married? Check. A previous relationship coming back to haunt him again? Check. Did this thriller satisfy my craving for another fast paced thriller? Absolutely! And the plot twist? Double check.

Dr Ashton is tired of being an unmarried man so when opportunity arises to marry his very young fiancé, he takes it of course. But with marriage comes consequences and unfortunately not everyone can have their fairytale happy ending.
Something even more messed up? Dr Ashton is actually already married, but plans on divorcing his wife who has dementia.

Honestly, this thriller really did it for me. It really really did. In hindsight, I love reading about dark and twisted pasts and relationships that hinder many prospects in someone’s life, I think that’s why I loved this book so much. These characters are complex, they are flawed and they have issues. But that’s what makes this more the more interesting. All I really want to do is re read this to grasp the concept and what I was reading.

This was thrilling and equally as exciting. I wasn’t able to put this down and as an author I’ve read previously from, the title being the mother in law, this will absolutely not be the last book I read from this author and she surprises me every time and I cannot wait to pick up more from this author! 5 out of 5 stars it was a pleasure to read.

Ever since I read The Good Sister, I've kept my eye out for Sally Hepworth books. She's an exceptional writer, turning mysteries on its head, and gives the reader unreliable narrators who aren't necessarily struggling with mental illness or addiction. So when I saw The Younger Wife, I was very excited to read it.

Again, Hepworth takes a trope and turns it on its head. This one features Stephen who is marrying a woman younger than his daughters while his ex is in a care facility due to dementia. His daughters Tully and Rachel understandably want nothing to do with Heather and view her as a gold-digger, but Heather isn't all that she seems. She has secrets of her own--as do Tully and Rachel. But they start looking at Stephen differently than as a beloved father and respected doctor when comments from their mother raise questions. And together with Heather, they're wondering if Stephen is hiding a dark side of his own.

So some of the secrets were obvious (Rachel), others were intriguing, one was a giant red herring, and overall, the resiliency of Rachel and Tully was powerful. To see them join forces with Heather and their mom was clever and understandable. I loved that the story wasn't back and white, but a lovely shade of grey, asking the reader the question "what would you do?". Great book.

4.5 stars. The Younger Wife is about the Aston family. Stephen, the father, is getting married again...but he's still married to Pam (the girls' mother). Pam was recently put in a home as her early onset dementia worsened considerably. Tully, the oldest daughter, looks like she has the perfect family. But her husband recently lost most of their money and there's something going on with her youngest son. Rachel, the younger daughter, is beautiful and has a thriving cake business but hasn't dated since she was in her teens. To make matters worse, Stephen's new girlfriend is younger than both of his daughters. Everyone has secrets and trying to get answers about the past is especially difficult with Pam's dementia. The story is told mainly from 3 POVS - Heather, Tully, and Rachel with a mystery wedding guest mixed in occasionally.

I really enjoyed this story - the chapters were pretty short so I kept thinking I'd read "just one more" to find out some answers. We didn't really get all of the answers by the end of the book, which sometimes I hate but I thought really worked in this case. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sally Hepworth gives us another great book to ponder on long after you read the last sentence. How well do you really know a dear family member? When doubts are raised do you trust your gut or go with what others have said? Are your memories false? Or did you have it right the first time? An excellent read with a terrific twist. That ending!!! Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this fabulous ARC.

The novel primarily follows 3 POV’s. 2 daughters & the young girlfriend of a heart surgeon. All the events are leading up to the wedding, in which an incident occurs. Randomly throughout the book is a wedding scene at the end of the chapter, which I thought was a little confusing and jarring. I kept wishing the wedding scenes were their own chapter. Each of the 2 daughters and the girlfriend have some troubles in their past & all determine how they respond to situations in the book. Unfortunately, I didn’t find this book to be very twisty & had it figured out pretty early in. However, it was a very addictive & quick read & I wanted to know what was going to happen!