Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the free book.
Sally Hepworth does it again. I just love her family drama/suspense books, and this was a fun one. Throughout the book, I was left wondering what is going on with the hot water bottle, and what has made this family the way that they are. I loved the three different POVs. This helped build the suspense and increase the hints on what was going on during the book. Also, I bet you can't read the prologue and not want to sit and finish the book in one sitting.
I was shocked, mad, and wowed through my reading experience. There is just so much here, and the layers of complexity help make it the type of story I have come to expect from Hepworth. She captures families and their drama so well, and this one is no exception.

The Younger Wife by S. Hepworth, published by St. Martin's Press is a complex story. Told in a multiple pov, the storyline keptme in suspense from the first page til the last sentence. Nothing is ever clear, the twists and turns are plentiful , I was kept guessing - and this mystery/thriller isn't what I was expecting. The author delivered a highly entertaing twisty read . The story of a family build on love, lies, betrayal, issues and even though there's kind of an hea for some of the characters, other are left hanging in the wind. I loved just everything about the book, 5 stars.

As always, Hepworth's characters are charming, nuanced, slightly absurd, and all the more realistic for it. My problem here is that, though I doubt this was the intention, it would be very easy to take away an overall message that's very...victim blamey? It isn't gaslighting if she's actually crazy? Don't necessarily believe victims? Not exactly any of those, really, but also not not those things, so.

And for the record: Believe women. I would rather defend a liar than silence a victim any day.

Took me a few chapters to get into but once I did, I flew through.

Tully and Rachel, daughters of Stephen, have perfect lives to the casual observer but, secrets on the inside. What secrets is Stephen keeping? It’s a good mix of was he or wasn’t he? And just when you think you’ve got it figured out, the last chapter makes you question it all over again.

Reading this book in its entirety in less than 1 day has left me with conflicting thoughts. The book certainly kept me captivated in that I had to read it to its conclusion and I wasn’t able to put it down! However, finishing the book left me with more questions than answers. The subject matter of the book is very serious so perhaps that’s the point. There are never any clear answers.

This novel is about three women, all in their thirties. Two are sisters. One is marrying their father, who may or may not be a psychopathic abuser. The ending is ambiguous. I had mixed feelings about this story. Let's start with the good: all of the main characters are three-dimensional. Heather, the soon-t0-be-stepmother, is moving on (we think) from a horrific childhood in which her father abused her mother and was clear-eyed and unapologetic about it. Tully (nickname for Natalie) has some kind of anxiety disorder. She's the mother of two boys and wife of a good man, an attorney, who made a bad investment and they're about to lose almost everything. She is a kleptomaniac. Her sister, Rachel, is a fantastic pastry chef who specializes in wedding cakes in the four-figure range. Unfortunately, Rachel has been eating her feelings ever since she was raped as a teen and told no one about it. In the novel, she finds a nice guy who, thankfully, dilutes the neuroticism of every other character in this wild story. Steven, the dad, is a surgeon, who may or may not be a dangerous sociopath, and the tension builds as the marriage draws near. Will Heather walk into a possibly dangerous situation or will she somehow open her eyes and see life as it really is? Will the daughters overcome their pathological burdens? The book is well-written, and I was riveted, but frankly, I'm not a fan of ambiguous endings, and was disappointed in that aspect. Still, a compelling read.

Thanks Netgalley for the early arc! SALLY how DO you do this again and again? Impeccable timing and twists you don’t see coming. Relatable characters and events that have you CERTAIN you know what’s up - and then whiplash! Loved the water bottle angle and the authors note at the end.

This book was ok at best! I have read all of Sally's books and unfortunately this is my least favorite. I wouldn't consider it any kind of thriller maybe more of a family drama.

Sally Hepworth is becoming one of my favorite go to authors for a suspenseful read. The Younger Wife is told through multiple viewpoints, and each character is fresh, flawed, and very real. I was pulled into this story and was kept wondering what the outcome would be for the two main mysteries. A really good read that will keep you turning the pages.

I tried my best to give the benefit of the the doubt to the author, by deciding that what I was reading was a sometimes funny and weird dark comedy of sorts. But it’s the “of sorts” that I found offensive. Specifically, I was stunned at how the author handled the very serious subject of physical abuse. As a victim of physical abuse in my long ago past, and as an always advocate for anyone who has ever been physically abused, I found it impossible to not speak out about how the subject of physical abuse was handled in this story.

While this is a fictional story, I still think it provides an obvious physical abuser with excuses for the abusive behavior. And worse yet, the story actually throws doubt on whether the abuse really happened or not. And I also felt like there was too much back-handed victim blaming.

The story is well-written, but the serious subject of physical abuse does not lend itself well to comedy. Anyone who has been on the receiving end of physical violence will certainly wince while reading the violent passages. I truly feel like the author should rethink the excuses made in the story that were designed to throw doubt on whether the abuse happened. For instance, someone is choked, but there are no hand marks around the neck. I actually was so upset at that passage that I had to stop reading for a day. If you have ever seen an abuser come up with a litany of excuses for their violent acts, blaming the victim is most probably number one on that list.

This book is set for publication in April of 2022. If there is still time to do so, I believe the author may be able to somewhat mitigate the issue, by making a few changes to the story and/or to add some sort of statement to readers to assuage the distress victims of physical abuse suffer from what feels like a bunch of excuses that feel like victim blaming. Just think what one of Larry Nasser’s victims might feel reading the excuses for the physical abuse in this story and how it feels to even suggest that the abuse never happened. It’s definitely a tricky endeavor to treat a very serious subject as comedic. There is a fine line involved and I think it was crossed in this story.

And for the record, I have read plenty of books that contain physical abuse subject matter. But this the first one I have read that actually provides excuses and throws doubt on whether any abuse actually took place. or not. And just because a romantic partner was drinking it’s not okay to yank her by the hair and carry on with even more physical violence. If the other person felt afraid, he could have called the police. He wasn’t afraid, he was angry! In addition, there was a blatant act of a prescribing/dispensing violation by a doctor in this story of providing a drug to his young partner, and then, surprise, his partner suffered a medical event, And yet, there was still an excuse provided for whether the abuse actually took place or not. Ugh!

Note: While it is my practice not to write negative reviews, the information I have provided here is not meant to be negative towards the writing itself. However, it is definitely negative as to how such a serious subject of physical abuse was handled in this story. I really want to believe that the author somehow didn’t realize how very egregious the victim-blaming message is in this story. One would hope an editor would have seen some issues. I hope the author will consider some revisions, because something as simple as that may save this story from offending physical abuse victims...and there are way too many of them in this world to count. And if any physical abuse victims respond to this saying it doesn’t bother them a bit, I would say they must be the lucky ones who escaped what most victims of abuse suffer. Think about Larry Nasser...one of his associates actually said, "Larry would never do anything inappropriate." If you haven’t already, read up on how many people did not believe the awful truth of Larry Nassar. My heart goes out to his victims who had to endure someone saying did that abuse “really” happen? Why? Because he was a licensed osteopathic physician?! Yes! it happened...and it happened over and over again.

It's been a long time since I stayed up all night reading a book.  4.5 stars, this author does not disappoint. 

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I won't rehash the storyline since its given in other reviews. But I loved this book. !! It was so different from other suspense type books, which alone made high stars from me. The very end especially was a huge twist i didn't see coming. I hope Sally Hepworth keeps up the good work. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Just finished reading “The Younger Wife” by Sally Hepworth and thoroughly enjoyed it! It had me hooked from the beginning and I didn’t want to put it down. The story opens at the wedding of a prominent doctor and his new wife while his former wife (who has dementia) watches. When the new couple (plus his daughters and former wife) go to sign the register, something dramatic happens. The story then goes back and forth to give the back story and how we ended up where we are. It was riveting and had you guessing from the get go. I highly recommend if you like thrillers. Definitely 5 stars.

CW: abuse (sexual, physical, and emotional), food binging

Having read The Mother-in-Law I was a bit more prepared for Sally Hepworth's latest book, which is less thriller/mystery and more domestic drama. With that expectation, I enjoyed reading The Younger Wife.

The main "mystery" of The Younger Wife is what exactly happened at the unconventional wedding of Stephen and Heather when the officiant comes yelling for a doctor with blood dripping from their clothes. Who was injured? And most importantly, who did it?

To be honest, I didn't find those questions to be my main motivation for reading. Rather, the main draw of this novel resides in the uncovering of the impulses, addictions, and trauma experienced by the three main women in Stephen's life: his two daughters, Tully and Rachel, and his bride, Heather, all of whom are in their mid-thirties.

What I found most refreshing about this book was that the "secrets" held by each person weren't drawn out until the very end. You weren't dragged along being frustrated that no one has been able to put two and two together, or blindsided when the truth finally gets revealed. Instead, the reader is almost immediately made aware of each person's unhealthy predilections and the cause of such. And even more refreshing is that these characters actually open up to each other so that you see them coming to terms with their issues vs. revealing them.

With such openness, I'm surprised how gripping this novel still felt. The chapters are quite short and always end making you want to know what happened next- is there such a thing as cliffhanging chapters? Either way, I became quite invested in Tully, Rachel, and Heather's stories and found each to be relatable.

With all that said, I was wavering between 3 or 4 stars simply because of the ending. I don't mind ambiguous endings but was left frustrated by this one. I think this was mostly because I couldn't figure out if I'd classify this as being an unreliable narrative situation or not. I was also left a bit wary in how it ended considering the major themes of abuse and unhealthy coping mechanisms.

All in all, a gripping domestic thriller that I very much enjoyed reading.

Massive thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sally Hepworth for this ARC.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4204815070?book_show_action=false

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review

Family drama of a man plans to remarry a younger wife despite he is still technically married to his first wife who has dementia. His grown children protest the marriage as sees it as a scam.

The younger wife has secrets that she is willing to keep secret but his children will be after her as a gold digger ready to pounce for their mother.

How far are you willing to go for the truth? Will it be worth it in a dysfunction family? An entertaining read.

At first it seems like this is a typical tale of an older man marrying a younger woman, to the dismay of his adult daughters who are the same age as their soon-to-be stepmother. This is anything but. Stephen is an accomplished doctor in his sixties, set to marry Heather, an interior designer in her thirties. She was hired to renovate the home of Stephen and his wife, Pam who slowly fell into the throes of dementia. Tully and Rachel are his adult daughters, also in their thirties - Tully is the older one, married with two young sons and quite anxious about most things while Rachel is single, gorgeous, and throws herself into her baking. Neither initially approves of the new relationship, but they actually come to like Heather soon after meeting her.

The story teases the wedding at the beginning from the point of view of an anonymous guest, and shifts back in time periodically to each of the characters leading up to the wedding. It becomes apparent from the multiple narratives that each of these characters have big secrets. We learn what they are soon enough, but it would spoil it to give any of them away. The bulk of the story soon centers around the true nature of one the characters. Everything seems to point one way, but doubts occasionally crop up, causing a lot of back and forth in each person's mind. As the reader, you'll likely find yourself rolling your eyes at the way some of the people hesitate in believing what they can plainly see happening. And that becomes part of the problem.

While the author throws in some curveballs that are designed to make the reader question everything they just read, that in itself ( to me, anyway) is a letdown. It's because of the seriousness of what is, or may not be, occurring. We're all familiar with gas lighting, and when a story lends credence towards that and victimized people believe they really are crazy, it's almost like condoning that sort of abusive behavior. It's hard to explain without giving any of the plot away. I don't think it takes away from the enjoyment of reading the book, which is a true page-turner, and it is hard for an author to achieve such an ambiguous ending without upsetting some readers. So I do understand that, and I do like the clever twist of perception you'll likely experience. But the true nature of these characters should have been clearly defined so that no one mistakes similar behavior in real life as acceptable.

However you feel about that, I guarantee you won't be able stop reading once you get started. The author has a way with presenting these characters and all of their faults so realistically, that you can picture yourself right there at their table, wrapped up in their daily dramas. I love that and the way the story just flows so effortlessly. I cannot wait to see what the author has in store next!

I absolutely loved Sally Hepworth’s “The Good Sister” so I snagged this one from NetGalley as soon as it was available. It was a quick read with a split narrative featuring two sisters and their father’s soon-to-be wife, who happens to be younger than both of them. Each character has her own secrets and flaws, and as the wedding date approaches, everything comes unraveled.

I enjoyed the premise but I felt like it was underdeveloped. Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say that I’ve worked with domestic violence survivors for a decade, and something about this narrative didn’t sit well with me. Hepworth could have done so much more with the pivotal moment in this story. I actually had to reread that chapter because I felt like I missed something, but I didn’t. Parts of the story reminded me of Colleen Hoover’s Verity. Maybe that’s why I felt like I couldn’t trust any of the characters.

The ending did not disappoint. This book would be an excellent choice for a book club because there’s so much room for speculation and discussion. I didn’t love it quite as much as The Good Sister, but overall it was an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sally Hepworth for this ARC.

"The Younger Wife" is a hard book to review because so much of what I want to talk about would involve spoiling surprises for other readers, which I do not want to do. Stephen Aston loves his wife, Pamela, but she has developed severe dementia and has to be in a skilled nursing facility for her own safety. Before the dementia became obvious, Stephen and Pamela had been planning to redo the interior of their home. Pamela had drawn up plans and collected fabric swatches. They hired a young interior designer, Heather Wisher. Because of Pamela's condition, Stephen was taking the lead on the remodel, and he and Heather fell in love. Making an already awkward situation even more awkward, Stephen and Pam have two adult daughters -- Rachel and Natalie (Tully) -- who are older than Heather.

The book starts off with the wedding of Stephen and Heather -- a wedding that is unconventional with the presence of the ex-wife (Pamela), who acts strangely during the ceremony due to her dementia. After the ceremony is over, the bridal party goes with the officiant to sign the registry and something tragic happens, but the guests (and the readers) can only speculate as to what has happened. The story then goes back a year to when Rachel and Tully meet Heather, and when Stephen and Heather announce their engagement. The book alternates between the lives of the daughters and Heather, as well as additional snippets about the wedding. Pamela, Stephen, Heather, Rachel and Tully all have secrets that will be exposed over the intervening year. The secrets will be life-altering for all of them. The most significant secret belongs to Pamela, whose dementia prevents her from explaining it, resulting in Rachel and Tully drawing their own conclusions, which causes them to reconsider everything they thought they knew about their father. Events between Heather and Stephen also cause Heather to wonder if she really knows the man she is planning to marry.

The characters are enjoyable and well developed. The secrets are creative and the author does a good job of portraying how each person's secret has shaped their life, and the ramifications of the secrets being revealed. The story is full of surprises and will leave the reader wondering if the characters suspicions are accurate or not. There are some very funny moments and some very touching moments. The truth behind Pamela's secret is one of the biggest surprises, as it led to a series of events that cannot be undone. "The Younger Wife" is well worth reading.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I think that we all have “go to” things that we access when we need comfort of some sort. That may be your most wash softened pajamas or a tub of Ben & Jerry’s depending on what unsettling situation is happening. In the case of a reading rut, I would suggest that some “go to” authors be on hand to tap. My definition of a “go to” author is one who reliably engages you from the first paragraph until the last. It is frustrating to find yourself picking up and putting down book after book not able to be engaged in the story. That was my situation when I picked up The Younger Wife. It was the perfect antidote and as usual Sally Hepworth delivered with some good storytelling. Thank you St. Martin’s and Netgalley for allowing me the hatch to escape my reading rut.

The Young Wife, by the incredibly talented Sally Hepworth, should come with a warning. Do not begin to read this book unless you intend to finish it in one sitting. And be sure to allow extra time to understand what you just read. You’ll need it. It’s a 5 star (and more) read. Here’s why:

The Young Wife starts and ends with a wedding. The story lies in between. Dr. Stephen Aston, a heart surgeon, is engaged. Beautiful interior designer Heather Wisher, one year younger that his younger daughter, is his fiancée. His daughters are Natalie (Tully), mother of two and married to a lawyer and Rachel, a baker. There are many more things to learn about these three women because it seems that no one has managed to be totally honest. And the fact that Stephen is still married to Pam, who has dementia, makes the situation unique.

The daughters are understandably worried and upset. Stephen is eager that everyone get along. Heather is not sure how she will fit in. Pam is blissfully ignorant. There are a lot of secrets here. Who is telling lies…and who is telling the truth?

The Young Wife is domestic drama at its best. Look for it on the best seller list, buy it from your local book store or visit your library. Thank you for this, Sally Hepworh.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sally Hepworth for this ARC.