This is my first title by this author. I enjoyed this book for the most part. It moved along quickly, the dialogue was well written, the characters were all relatable and if not likeable, you understood why.

So what didn't work for me? I had the nagging sensation I read the book, or at least a similar plot years ago. Also, one of the minor characters fell short for me. I understood why she was introduced but then it wasn't clear why she kept popping up and served no function.

Also, it is really never clear if the allegations were true. There was no actual evidence but the scene at the end clarified it in all their minds and justified the shocking event at the wedding. This is why I was unhappy with the ending. It was flimsy to me. I hope that I enjoy the next book I read by this author more than I did this one.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book. The opinions are obvuously mine and freely given.

I loved some of this authors books, and I love how its more character driven than plot driven, there are always POV's from other characters, and everything comes together so amazingly, its EPIC Sally Hepworth work, I really liked this book. This book was a page turner mainly because it kept me interested, what is going on here? the book starts at the end, and it got straight to the point. Not everything is as it seems, we have Stephen who is an older man, about to marry a younger woman Heather, then we meet his two grown daughters that have their own issues, and his wife who has dementia, its ALOT, but it kept me on my toes, I couldn't get enough.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read another gem written by this author.

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

3 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The writing is solid and the story is definitely intriguing. The ending, however, leaves a lot to be desired. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to spoil anything. What I will say is that I was expecting a big reveal or some crazy twist that never happened. I would still pick up Sally Hepworth’s next book.

I truly enjoyed “The Younger Wife” by Sally Hepworth. I was hooked from the beginning and loved getting to know each of the main characters. Each one has their own “history” that made me want to keep reading. The plot was intriguing and with heartbreaking moments. I would recommend this quick “who did it” read!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

Stephen, a heart surgeon in his sixties, is thrilled to be marrying Heather, an interior designer thirty years his junior. His two daughters, Tully (full-time mom and part-time kleptomaniac) and Rachel (a baker struggling with trauma from her past) are less than thrilled that their father is marrying a woman younger than they are, in no small part because their dad is still technically married to their mother, Pamela, an Alzheimer’s patient.

The time setting switches back and forth between the wedding day (at which something has gone horribly wrong) and one year earlier, when Rachel and Tully first heard the news of their father’s engagement. Point of view in the past rotates between Tully, Rachel, and Heather, and the wedding day is narrated by a character whose identity, and her relevance to the story, is slowly revealed over the course of the book. As the past and the wedding day draw closer together, dark secrets are slowly revealed, leading to a startling conclusion.

One of my biggest problems with this book is that I don’t care for the way the cliché of a fat girl eating her feelings was handled in this book. I think it’s possible to explore an overweight character’s food issues without devolving into cliché, but this book did not accomplish it. Speaking as a plus size woman myself, perhaps my food issues differ from Rachel’s, but this seems a lot more like a skinny person’s idea of what a fat person’s struggle looks like. That being said, I did like Rachel a lot, and her relationship with Darcy, and the way that he dealt with learning about not only her trauma but her coping mechanism.

My other big problem was the epilogue. We think we have the answer to the big question, but then the epilogue comes in and, depending on how you read it, either brings back all of our doubts or completely subverts what we thought we knew, confirming the opposite. If the circumstances were a little different, I’d probably be okay with that kind of twist ending. But not with this book. I don’t have a problem with unreliable narrators, but I didn’t care for the light that they were all painted in by the epilogue.

I’m going three stars for this one – It would have been four, but the epilogue was less of a cool twist and more of a profound annoyance.

Representation: characters with mental illness (anxiety, kleptomania, eating disorder, substance abuse disorder, PTSD)

CW: alcoholism, eating disorder, rape, domestic violence, gaslighting, domestic abuse

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ ½
Genre: Mystery Thriller

The Younger Wife is a story that follows three different women’s perspectives, Heather, Tully, and Rachel. Heather is the young wife who is marrying Stephen Aston, a heart surgeon who is much older than her. But to do that he needs first to divorce his current wife who suffers from dementia. Tully and Rachel are both Stephen’s daughters and they are shocked with their father’s decision of getting married especially to someone who is younger than them.

What I mentioned above is just the beginning of the story itself. As we dive into it more secrets are revealed. I really appreciate what the author did with the characters here. The narrators have distinguishable voices. They are unique characters. They face different circumstances and issues with their lives. Rachel faces difficulties with relationships, while her sister Tully’s main problem since childhood is being a kleptomaniac! Heather on the other hand has to deal with her alcohol addiction. Despite all these struggles and difficulties, they will also face more life-changing challenges.

I enjoyed reading this story and knowing the characters. I think the author has successfully used different kinds of addictions in this story be it, alcohol addiction, food addiction, or being a kleptomaniac. All these can be eye-opening subjects to readers and also triggers. So be careful as the story is filled with other triggers as well. The bigger part of the book was entertaining to read. I can’t say the same about the ending. I feel the story did need a better and stronger ending to go with all that initial buildup. I think it deserved that. However, I still enjoyed reading it if looking at the overall picture.

Many thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book.

The Younger wife was really good. I loved all the quirky characters. Tully and her sister Rachel both have their own demons to fight and then their dad drops a bomb on them. Who can you trust if not your own parents or can you

Hard to rate this one because I was enjoying it until the last 10% when I experienced one of the worst endings I have ever read.

The premise of the story is a family undergoing a transition of sorts. The mother has advanced dementia, has been moved into a nursing home type facility. The father, a physician in his 60's, falls for a much younger woman (around his adult daughter's ages) and proceeds to divorce his mentally limited wife to marry this much younger woman. Obviously the whole affair is distressing to the children, and the story documents this transition of their family model leading up to the wedding day.

I enjoyed the writing and storytelling element overall. The characters all have depth, layered and multidimensional with significant flaws/shortcomings. There are recounts of the past that make you question whether all is as seems or has their been foul play and gas lighting for years that was so subtly done it went unnoticed. There is a mystery woman/name that is woven into the story and you're convinced and eager to see how this is key to the plot. You're reading right along to find out what exactly happened on the wedding day that indicated tragedy for someone when the author seemingly decides that she's done with this story. Seriously, the events and ending happened so abruptly and with such little explanation and fanfare that I wondered if pages were missing. The ending was an epic letdown to say the least, which is disappointing because I was enjoying it up until then. I would not recommend this one overall if you like closure to your books.

Stephen Aston, a heart surgeon, contacts his two grown daughters wanting to have lunch with him. When Tully and Rachel arrive they are surprised to find Stephen there with another woman - Heather. They are even more shocked when Stephen & Heather announce their engagement....especially since Stephen is still married to their mom, Pam. Granted, Pam has dementia and is in a facility, but still. Stephen plans to divorce Pam so he can marry Heather and then she can be their new step-mom. The stress of all of this brings out secrets that everyone in the family, including Heather, have been hiding.
This is another good thriller by one of the authors that I love so much. There were lots of twists and turns, secrets to uncover and there were even a couple of really likeable characters to root for (Rachel & Tully). My only frustration was that there were some mysteries that didn't seem to get cleared up by the end of the book. Other than that, it was a great read.

4 stars but after that ending The Younger Wife deserves 5 stars.

The book starts out strong with the wedding of Stephen to a much younger woman Heather.

Stephen is a successful doctor and as he about to wed Heather (younger than his daughters) the tension mounts.

The pages fly by as you try to figure out what actually happened at the wedding.

Rachel and Tully are the two daughters and you can't help but feel for them and cheer them on.

Everyone has a secret.

Some more deadly than others.

The lights will stay on as you race to the conclusion which I never saw coming.

Sally Hepworth always tells a good story and gets you hooked from the beginning .

Put The Younger Wife to the top of your TBR pile; I just preordered a copy for my daughter.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for a fast paced read that was oh so good.

A fascinating story of family secrets, where nothing is what it seems and everything must be questioned. I'm still reeling from the ending!

THE HUSBAND
A heart surgeon at the top of his field, Stephen Aston is getting married again. But first he must divorce his current wife, even though she can no longer speak for herself.

THE DAUGHTERS
Tully and Rachel Aston look upon their father’s fiancée, Heather, as nothing but an interloper. Heather is younger than both of them. Clearly, she’s after their father’s money.

THE FORMER WIFE
With their mother in a precarious position, Tully and Rachel are determined to get to the
truth about their family’s secrets, the new wife closing in, and who their father really is.

THE YOUNGER WIFE
Heather has secrets of her own. Will getting to the truth unleash the most dangerous impulses
in all of them?

My Thoughts:

The story of The Younger Wife begins at a wedding: the joining of a man with a woman much younger, but with a very strange group of participants. First, we see the grown daughters, who are around the age of the bride, and the ex-wife who suffers from dementia. Before the day ends, something tragic happens, and then over the next pages, we read the “before” elements leading up to the event.

Alternating narrators take us through the months and years before, and we begin to see how convoluted things are in this family. The daughters have various disorders, from kleptomania to food issues. We are not sure if the potential bride is a liar or just good at keeping secrets.

By the end of the tale, I felt stunned by the unwinding of the lives of these characters. What to believe? I wasn’t sure I believed any of them. The story did keep me turning the pages, but for me, it earned 4.5 stars.

2.5/5 stars

⚠️TW: Rape, domestic abuse, kleptomania, alcoholism, and dementia

Tully and Rachel’s father Stephen Aston is a well-respected heart surgeon and is ecstatic to tell his daughters that he is getting married, the only catch, he needs to divorce his wife first. The girls’ mother Pam has advancing dementia and is now confined to a nursing home where each day her condition worsens. Enter Heather, Stephens significantly younger fiancée, Tully and Rachel have their doubts of Heather’s intentions. Everyone has secrets and slowly but surely, they begin to unravel to the point where no one can come back from.

•

Okay, let me just start off with that this is definitely going to be an unpopular opinion review 🙈 The beginning started out strong, I really enjoyed the way the author developed the story by going back and forth from the present (the wedding ceremony) and the past in alternating POV’s between Tully, Rachel and Heather, it captured my attention. As the story progressed, there was A LOT going on and I wish there was more structure, it just seemed like there were a lot of things being thrown at you and it was hard to keep up. I wish there was some more character development and more emphasis on the strength of these women who each endured their own individual trauma. Also, THE ENDING 🤦🏻‍♀️ I could see the direction the author was going in but the execution just fell flat for me. This story is a page turner that I would label more as a mystery than a thriller, for me it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I feel like this one will be a hit or miss for most people, there is a lot I can’t discuss without spoiling so if you have read this one my DM’s are wide open for discussion! Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This title will be released on April 5th, 2022.

Sally Hepworth never disappoints! I loved the slow burn of drama in this one. A younger wife and sisters with secrets to hide? Sign me up! Certainly in the running for the best of 2022. Thank you for this!

3.5
This is my first book by the author and I enjoyed it. It kept me engaged and turning the pages. It's a fast read with lots going on. In fact, lots and lots going on but it did make for an interesting, page turner of a story. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending so taking it down 1/2 star. I'm definitely interested in reading more from the author though.

Sally Hepworth has certainly found her niche in domestic thrillers. I enjoyed this book for it’s familial issues intertwined with so many real world, yet taboo subjects, like addiction, domestic abuse, mental health, sexual assault etc. I found Tully, Rachel, and Heather relatable and likeable. Massive praise for not making Heather the cliché “other woman” villain but instead allowing Tully and Rachel to accept her and respect her. Hepworth’s writing was as always clever and thought-provoking. My only issue with the story was the epilogue that introduced some ambiguity. I honestly was left feeling gaslighted by a book that was some what about gaslighting. I questioned whether Stephen was an abuser or not but then had to remind myself that he had abused Heather and therefore, no matter what the situation was between he and Pam, he was an abuser. I’m not sure what Hepworth was angling at with this ending, but I’d love to hear her thoughts and reasoning.

I usually love Sally Hepworth novels I feel so bad I did not enjoy this one. I had trouble telling who's POV I was reading. Admittedly I was in a reading slump when I was trying to read this so it might be on me,

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
Fiction. Light thriller or mystery. Potential domestic abuse triggers. Multiple POV’s.
Adult family generations centered around one man. His previous wife has Alzheimer’s. His fiancé is becoming friends with his adult daughters. The daughters lives are changing with the discovery of hidden money by their mother.

Interesting.
Tully has been stealing since she was a child. It’s not anything she needs or really wants but the feelings she gets. Add her husband losing their money and the children at the age where they argue everything, plus her getting remarried. Her stress level is high.
Rachel has her own issue from when she was in school. Her new delivery person throws an unexpected curve in her orderly life.
Fiancé Heather has secrets but more importantly her drinking seems to bother her future husband.
The story winds around these three with their daily lives, the interactions and finally dealing.

Each of the women brought out my empathy, my sorrow and my anger at what they experienced. But also my questions on why they reacted the way they did. I’m not walking in their shoes so can’t say I would have acted the same or differently but it was intriguing that all this drama is in one extended family.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

I was really into this book for most of it. I kept wanting to know more about the family and the connections within. I found I didn't really get the ending well. I wanted a more detailed ending. Still had me hooked though..

I was excited for the opportunity to read Sally Hepworth’s latest novel “The Younger Wife.” Last year, I read “The Good Sister” with my book club, and I enjoyed the story and then the group discussion of it so much that I borrowed “The Mother-in-Law” from the library not long after our meeting. However, I was also slightly apprehensive about this new novel—a cursory glance at some of the ratings showed that opinions were all over the place. After reading the book myself, I can now understand the mixed response.

Here’s the thing: Sally Hepworth knows what she’s doing with domestic thrillers. She’s a skilled writer. She can create protagonists who are relatable in a way that will draw on your sympathy but who also have personal weaknesses that play into the drama of the story. She can write supporting characters who appear charming at first but who then show a slight edge that makes you question their actions and intentions as events unfold. She knows at what points to toss in a little obstacle or character reveal to keep the plot moving and hold your interest. However, the issue with “The Younger Wife” is that it’s being positioned as a thriller, but it’s more of a melodrama. There aren’t that many plot twists, and the twists are a bit predictable, especially if you’ve read a Hepworth novel before. But that doesn’t mean the book is uninteresting.

The story is centered around the engagement and wedding of quietly lovely interior designer Heather Wisher and a former client of hers—older, charming, and kind Dr. Stephen Aston. There are four points-of-view: Stephen’s grown daughters Tully and Rachel, who deal with their anxiety over their father’s new relationship, their mother’s poor health, and other stressors in their lives in self-destructive ways; bride Heather, who is looking forward to living a peaceful, beautiful existence and leaving her unhappy past behind; and a mysterious wedding guest who doesn’t seem all that upset when something goes awry on the big day. So there’s definitely a lot of potential for drama. There’s just not a lot of suspense. And, disappointingly, there’s also not enough care and attention given to some serious issues brought up in this book.

“The Younger Wife” isn’t Sally Hepworth’s strongest work, but I still believe it would make a decent enough beach read or airplane book for a long flight. I can definitely understand why there’s disappointment in the execution of the story, but I’m still inclined to recommend it for someone looking for a distraction.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. My review was posted to Goodreads on March 23, 2022: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4374536504.