This one was just middle of the road for me. I don't think I'd necessarily classify it as a thriller, but more like a family drama/suspense or mystery.

We follow three women: Rachel and Tully who are sisters in their 30s, as well as Heather who is 30 and in a relationship with Rachel and Tully's father Stephen.

Each character has their own struggles that they're dealing with, and we are trying to figure out what is exactly going on in this family. There are certain situations where the narrator isn't quite sure what happened, upon reflection of the situation. So they're trying to piece together what happened vs what they remember. Then there are a few mysteries surrounding this novel, as we get flashes into the future from another perspective.

Overall, this book was enjoyable, just not quite what I was expecting. However nothing really stuck out to me and I'll probably forget the details of this book really quickly.

I think if you're going into this expecting a thriller, you'll probably be a bit disappointed. But if you're going into this for the family drama, then you'll probably really enjoy this one.

Sally Hepworth is a master at the art of family drama and dysfunction. This newest work is no exception. I devoured this novel in one sitting.

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth had me captivated from the begin! I loved the family drama & all the characters…I loved hearing all of there stories! Great read! I would recommend this book!

4 out of 5 stars - Sally Hepworth has done it again!

Really enjoyed this book! Fast-paced suspense novel that I couldn't put down and kept me guessing!

Thank you to Sally Hepworth, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #TheYoungerWife

I read this book and listened to the audio version some months later, not realizing until I was fairly far along in the audiobook that I'd already read the story. Then I had to keep going because the audio version was engaging and I didn't remember what happened. (Does this suggest I am reading too many novels? Possibly.)

In any case, I loved the audio version; there is something about an Australian accent that makes every story seem more interesting, and this book used four narrators, all of whom did an impressive job.

There are a lot of slow reveals in this novel, and I don't want to give anything away, but I appreciated very much the feminist sisterhood that eventually forms among all the women, a surprise I didn't see coming in the beginning of the novel when several of the women seem pitted against one another. I also felt deeply the ways in which women are made to doubt themselves and to hide the harm that is done to them, to hope that pretending a bad thing didn't happen will be the same as if the bad thing never happened. I appreciated that there was a deliciously good guy in this novel to counter all the villains. I loved how the sisters grow closer by revealing their secret traumas to one another, and I love that the younger wife is a fully developed character, never a caricature. I also laughed out loud many times throughout the book, despite its serious subject matter. This was just all around a most enjoyable story, in which every twist was believable.

I'm grateful to Netgalley, McMillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for giving me a free ARC and audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. (less)

The Younger Wife is, as others have indicated, less of a thriller and more a domestic/family drama. There are certainly some mystery elements, but we see a lot more about relationships and family dynamics.

This book does contain some content on sexual assault and domestic abuse (emotional and physical).

I read the ARC provided to me by the publisher, then I learned that the ending had been changed so I read that before reviewing. The published version seems a more suitable way to cap off this story, so it honestly raises my rating a bit.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the complimentary digital review copy of this title.

This is only my second Sally Hepworth novel and maybe expectations were too high based on how much I loved The Good Sister. Still trying to figure out why, but this one fell flat for me.

It had much of what I enjoyed in the previous mentioned novel, fast paced, twisty plot and unreliable narrators. This novel had a lot of the 'rich people behaving badly' theme and I have discovered that isn't something I enjoy in my novels. If that's catnip for you as a reader, pick this one up.

Without spoilers, I'm going to guess the ending is tripping up a bunch of readers. I wasn't a fan. I don't need everything tied up in a neat bow and I don't need to like the characters. This one just felt like a non-ending. Like a 'we have arrived at the appropriate page count and it's time to wrap it up' ending.

This one didn't work for me, but I am absolutely going to keep reading Hepworth's novels simply on the strength of the Good Sister.

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth was a fun domestic suspense! I read this one a few months ago and enjoyed it.

I read The Good Sister by this author last year and loved Hepworth’s flair for character and story development. In both that book and The Younger Wife, the plot twists are subtle but the story changes enough to have me second-guessing each character.

I really like how Hepworth writes each character with enough detail that I feel like I fully know them. Having multiple POVs, and characters with multiple issues going on, keeps me turning pages. Or in this case, keeps me listening, since I did most of it on audio.

I’m excited for The Soulmate!

This was my first novel by Sally Hepworth and it definitely will not be my last. I was intrigued from the very beginning. The book starts out on the day of the wedding and things quickly take a turn for the worst and then rewind to how it all began. The book is told in alternating POVs of Tully, Rachel, and Heather. With each chapter new details are revealed and each one is more twisted than the last. In addition to the main plot line, each of the women have additional things going on in their own lives that have an effect on the story. Each woman is dealing with things from the past that are affecting their present lives and it really added depth to their characters. This book definitely kept me guessing on how it was going to end and when the final twist was revealed I will admit that I was shocked! Overall I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more from Sally Hepworth in the future.

I love Sally Hepworth’s books and this one was no different. It draws you in with the story of a family. The matriarch has dementia and her husband, an affluent doctor has moved on and is engaged to their interior designer. Both of the daughters have issues of their own and you will find yourself cheering for them. The characters are likeable and well-developed. Spoiler: If you like a firm, solid ending- this might not be the book for you. It is what kept it from being a 5 star for me. I read that this book actually has alternate endings in the ARC, Australia and the US.

This book was such a quick read for me! I was absolutely not expecting the ending and it left me mind blown!

Sally Hepworth does it again! I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a thriller!

I am a big Sally Hepworth fan. I enjoyed this one a lot! I'm not sure if I liked this one or The Good Sister better. I love that her stories are always full of drama and suspense. There's always something going on in the family's past that comes back to cause the events of the present. There are twists and turns and all kinds of things that lead me to guess incorrectly as to what's going on. I can't wait to read more Sally Hepworth books in the future!

I can't get enough of Sally Hepworth. Her sense of humor, writing style, storylines. She's perfect. I loved the character Tully, she's a hot mess. This story follows two sisters, one is a kleptomaniac, and the other is a hot mess with secrets of her own. Their mother has Alzheimer's and is living in an Assisted Living facility. Their father is marrying a woman with her crazy past not to mention she is "The Younger Wife", much younger. A little twist here, the mother and father are still married and the daughters are a bit pissed that Dad is getting married. Of course chaos insues as it always does in Sally's novels and its fun, sad, and thoroughly enjoyable.

I love Sally Hepworth and I was so excited about this book. I did enjoy it but I think there were some parts that dragged.

It took me a while to get into it but once I did was pretty hooked. I will definitely be on the look out for more by this author!

The first thriller I've read in a while that was worth reading in one sitting. What a ride! I couldn't put it down! 4.5 stars. Definitely an auto-buy author for me.

R E V I E W
The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫/5

Lately, my reading time has concentrated on Tolkien's Middle Earth works, but the past two weekends I've carved out some time to read other books and write some long overdue reviews.

Today was beautiful, so I spent the afternoon reading the last half of The Younger Wife! I've enjoyed Hepworth's previous work, and this did not disappoint. What a great read! One that is still making me think... "I wonder..." Highly recommended if you enjoy psychological thrillers.

There are some tough subjects covered, SA, DV, dementia. I found many of the passages on dementia poignant and true to my experience of walking this road with my mother.

I received a digital review copy from #netgalley, but all opinions are my own.

#bookreview #reviewcopy #ebook #ebookreader #readerofinstagram #thrillerbook #readoutside

I knew I could always count on Sally Hepworth to deliver a novel worth reading and alas, she has done it again! I really loved this book and have already recommended it to several people.

Wow, wow, and wow. An unputdownable domestic thriller that had my heart racing and my blood pumping. A+++

Sally Hepworth can do no wrong. Every book just gets a little bit better than the last. For me, this was a top notch read! I was hooked from the first page. Definitely an auto buy Author!