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allyssa_r's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
taurusbooklover's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This was my first introduction to the writing of Sally and I really enjoyed it, I was hooked on the storyline right from the first chapter!
It is a contemporary family drama with a domestic thriller woven in which I found totally captivating and had me wanting to keep reading to try and unravel the mystery.
Each chapter is told from a different female characters perspective who each has their own trauma to overcome, seemingly a secondary storyline from the main one at times.
I would suggest a Trigger Warning for this book as it contains themes of domestic abuse, gaslighting, rape, miscarriage, eating disorders and various mental health issues throughout.
Overall it was an engaging read, made all the more fun by the group of booksta friends I read it with. Our daily chats were so much fun, however the ending left us all a little underwhelmed with it feeling rushed and some character details missing which would have helped tie it together.
It is a contemporary family drama with a domestic thriller woven in which I found totally captivating and had me wanting to keep reading to try and unravel the mystery.
Each chapter is told from a different female characters perspective who each has their own trauma to overcome, seemingly a secondary storyline from the main one at times.
I would suggest a Trigger Warning for this book as it contains themes of domestic abuse, gaslighting, rape, miscarriage, eating disorders and various mental health issues throughout.
Overall it was an engaging read, made all the more fun by the group of booksta friends I read it with. Our daily chats were so much fun, however the ending left us all a little underwhelmed with it feeling rushed and some character details missing which would have helped tie it together.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, and Gaslighting
kerrygetsliterary's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
brookerachel's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’ve seen so many mixed reviews on this. And while I agree that I’m over the unreliable female narrator, I enjoyed reading this. It was a quick, gripping read. Predictable and unrealistic (like they’ve all been lying to each other for years, and now are like “eh might as well tell the truth”) with overdone tropes, but I still enjoyed it while I was reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
amandasbookreview's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you, NetGalley, Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book. It was released on April 5th, 2022!
“It was amazing how she could suddently breathe when surrounded by butter, sugar, and eggs. The methodical nature of baking provided an equilibrium of sorts, an opportunity to process her feelings. And lately, she had a lot of feelings.”
THE YOUNGER WIFE
Boy, do I love a good Sally Hepworth novel. I have read, The Mother-in-Law, The Mother’s Promise, The Good Sister, and now The Younger Wife! The book begins with a wedding and an unknown narrator. The groom is older, the bride a bit younger, the ex-wife is present and has dementia, and the groom’s adult daughters are not happy about their father marrying a woman their age. What could go wrong? Then, the scream. Someone is hurt. But who?– and more importantly, who is the perpetrator? Then novel flashes back to Tully and Rachel meeting their father’s new girlfriend, Heather. She has secrets of her own, but not as many as her new boyfriend, Stephen. His daughters are nice but not exactly accepting of her. Both daughters have severe anxiety. Tully can’t help but shoplift and with all the stress, it is getting out of control. Rachel has been through some traumatic events and stress eats when her world spins out of control. Everyone’s secrets start coming out but only ones are darker and more dangerous…
One thing that Sally Hepworth just excels at is characters. Her books are always filled with dynamic and complex characters. And the wit!! There could be a serious scene and one character will drop the wittiest comment and while I should be concerned, instead I am laughing. —which is totally ok! And I think I need to talk about Darcy and the unlimited cake-related puns he used. When I say unlimited, I mean they just kept coming and now I plan to use them at my earliest convenience! Darcy is definitely my favorite character in this whole book. So I suggest a spin-off about him and Rachel. Pretty please?!
So there is one thing that people don’t fully grasp when it comes to Sally Hepworth novels. They can have moments of suspense, but mostly, revolve around family drama. A lot of the scenarios are really realistic as well as the character’s reactions to those scenarios. In this book, there are several trigger warnings: rape, domestic abuse, gaslighting, eating disorder, OCD, and anxiety. While this is a slow-burn storyline, it is worth it for the amazing characters. I got to admit, the ending wasn’t the strongest, but it makes for some good book discussions. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
One thing that Sally Hepworth just excels at is characters. Her books are always filled with dynamic and complex characters. And the wit!! There could be a serious scene and one character will drop the wittiest comment and while I should be concerned, instead I am laughing. —which is totally ok! And I think I need to talk about Darcy and the unlimited cake-related puns he used. When I say unlimited, I mean they just kept coming and now I plan to use them at my earliest convenience! Darcy is definitely my favorite character in this whole book. So I suggest a spin-off about him and Rachel. Pretty please?!
So there is one thing that people don’t fully grasp when it comes to Sally Hepworth novels. They can have moments of suspense, but mostly, revolve around family drama. A lot of the scenarios are really realistic as well as the character’s reactions to those scenarios. In this book, there are several trigger warnings: rape, domestic abuse, gaslighting, eating disorder, OCD, and anxiety. While this is a slow-burn storyline, it is worth it for the amazing characters. I got to admit, the ending wasn’t the strongest, but it makes for some good book discussions. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Dementia, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
bookwormsandcoffeestains's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse and Sexual assault
Minor: Miscarriage
opinionsofawolf's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Fatphobia
janjanjukebox's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth 352 pages, 9 hours and 19 minutes narrated by Barrie Kreinik, Caroline Lee, Jessica Douglas-Henry, and Zoe Carides
Genre: Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Family
Featuring: Melbourne, Australia; May-December Romance, Adult Children, Wedding, Who-Done-It, Sex off camera, Assault - off camera, Dual Timelines, Multiple POVs
Rating as a movie: PG-13 for adult content
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My thoughts: 14% - It's slower than usual, even for a domestic suspense.
90% - This book really takes off during chapters 5-7. I would have read it straight through but I need to spend some time with my family. I can't wait to go to bed.
90% - This book really takes off during chapters 5-7. I would have read it straight through but I need to spend some time with my family. I can't wait to go to bed.
This wasn't much of a Mystery Thriller in my book. It was a good Domestic Suspense. I pretty much had it figured out early on and I was almost right. I didn't care in the end because the unexpected side stories were really good. I knew this book was 4 stars around 40% and I held that view till the end. I loved the story the author gave at the end about what inspired her to write this story, it's often the best part of her books but it did not affect my rating. She even admitted some of her stories have been disappointing, I'm happy to report this was not one of them and I'm sure she was speaking of her earlier work anyway.
Recommend to others?: Maybe. If you enjoy domestic suspense read this book, if you need a psychological or crime thriller you may want to skip this one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Dementia, Gaslighting, and Classism
onmalsshelf's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Thank you St. Martins Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I know Sally sometimes reads one star reviews off of Goodreads on her Instagram so if that happens, well…hi.
This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022 after how much I loved her 2021 release, The Good Sister (5 stars from me). Sadly, this was a MESS and hit me with some characterizations that did not sit well with me.
Did she just try to pull a trope out of a bag, but accidentally pulled out several and decided to go with trying to make all of them work because that’s what it seemed like.
I probably should’ve DNFed because I was getting some weird vibes just after chapter one. However, I kept going against my better judgement because I trusted her to being it back around to something I could love.
Mainly, if you: are a survivor of abuse or know of someone who is please take care of yourself while reading. Gaslighting of abuse victims abound in this one.
Second, if you have a loved one who currently has or had dementia or Alzheimer’s - just go ahead and take this one off your TBR because the way that was portrayed and used as a plot device here was disgusting. Pam deserves better than how she was portrayed.
This was predictable from the start. Throughout the book and especially the ending and the following epilogue, the perpetuation of the narrative that the things weren’t real/were being imagined? Disgusting. A slap in the face to the reader and victims.
Other things I’m so done with: the unstable female trope by way of either alcohol or gaslighting to make her seem unstable. To that point, so many plot points with the three POVs (Tully, Rachel, and Heather) were mishandled. Sally really decided to choose the ‘unreliable/crazy female narrator’ with every single female in this one.
I know this is a domestic suspense/mystery/drama, but it really seemed like a mediocre man tried to write women in a way to appease the good ole men’s club.
There are a lot of triggers since she attempted so many different tropes.
Just take care of yourself while reading this one and give your loved one with dementia a hug.
I know Sally sometimes reads one star reviews off of Goodreads on her Instagram so if that happens, well…hi.
This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022 after how much I loved her 2021 release, The Good Sister (5 stars from me). Sadly, this was a MESS and hit me with some characterizations that did not sit well with me.
Did she just try to pull a trope out of a bag, but accidentally pulled out several and decided to go with trying to make all of them work because that’s what it seemed like.
I probably should’ve DNFed because I was getting some weird vibes just after chapter one. However, I kept going against my better judgement because I trusted her to being it back around to something I could love.
Mainly, if you: are a survivor of abuse or know of someone who is please take care of yourself while reading. Gaslighting of abuse victims abound in this one.
Second, if you have a loved one who currently has or had dementia or Alzheimer’s - just go ahead and take this one off your TBR because the way that was portrayed and used as a plot device here was disgusting. Pam deserves better than how she was portrayed.
This was predictable from the start. Throughout the book and especially the ending and the following epilogue, the perpetuation of the narrative that the things weren’t real/were being imagined? Disgusting. A slap in the face to the reader and victims.
Other things I’m so done with: the unstable female trope by way of either alcohol or gaslighting to make her seem unstable. To that point, so many plot points with the three POVs (Tully, Rachel, and Heather) were mishandled. Sally really decided to choose the ‘unreliable/crazy female narrator’ with every single female in this one.
I know this is a domestic suspense/mystery/drama, but it really seemed like a mediocre man tried to write women in a way to appease the good ole men’s club.
There are a lot of triggers since she attempted so many different tropes.
Just take care of yourself while reading this one and give your loved one with dementia a hug.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Dementia, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
stephsbooktalk's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Sally Hepworth and St Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book.
This was my first Sally Hepworth book so I wasn't sure what to expect. I am not sure if Sally does this in all her books but I really love the 3 different point of views/storylines - Heather, Tully & Rachel .
Sisters Rachel & Tully each have their own complicated lives while dealing with their mother, Pamela who has Alzheimer's and their dad (Stephen) who is a doctor who is suddenly engaged to a younger woman. Rachel has always been the beautiful & growing up the boys always were after her until suddenly she had no interest. Tully is married to Sonny with two boys who on paper seems to have a perfect life but her life is far from perfect. A bad investment deal turns into them losing their savings & Tully is a kleptomaniac. Heather is an interior designer whom is younger than both Rachel & Tully who essentially is an orphan. She falls for Stephen who is still a married to Pamela.
Things began not to add up when Heather was experiencing unexplained injuries that seem to occur when she would drink. Even when she would hardly drink, somehow Stephen would twist things around to make her think that she was crazy. Things really took a twist when Rachel was giving a hot water bottle that contained not just a couple dollars in but almost $100k with two names written down - Tully & a woman by the name of FIona Arthur. Stephen denied not knowing who Fiona was which of course turned out to be a lie.
I thought the book flowed great & really kept me on my toes and left me wanting more. And like most thrillers everyone was a suspect.
Where it fell flat for me is that we really didn't get a conclusion on whether or not Stephen really was abusive to any of his wives or was he just a master manipulator? Maybe that is part of the reading where we are left up to our own interpretation but I just don't do well with open ended endings. Especially for a thriller, I need it wrapped up in a pretty bow. I also did not get the point of bringing in Fiona Arthur with the exception of her being his first wife & that he "hurt" her and yet he was still her love of her life? I just thought she would play a bigger role than what she really was.
I was though really happy that Rachel has begun to work through her relationships with men & seems to have found a perfect match in Darcy (I was waiting for him to somehow be involved in the mystery). Tully was such a complex mess and I loved her. I don't think I have ever read a character quite like her before. I was so proud of her development by the end of the book and love that her husband stuck with her through it.
CW: alcoholism, gaslighting, domestic/physical abuse, miscarriage, rape
I am rating this a 3.5 as I just was wanting more from the ending.
This was my first Sally Hepworth book so I wasn't sure what to expect. I am not sure if Sally does this in all her books but I really love the 3 different point of views/storylines - Heather, Tully & Rachel .
Sisters Rachel & Tully each have their own complicated lives while dealing with their mother, Pamela who has Alzheimer's and their dad (Stephen) who is a doctor who is suddenly engaged to a younger woman. Rachel has always been the beautiful & growing up the boys always were after her until suddenly she had no interest. Tully is married to Sonny with two boys who on paper seems to have a perfect life but her life is far from perfect. A bad investment deal turns into them losing their savings & Tully is a kleptomaniac. Heather is an interior designer whom is younger than both Rachel & Tully who essentially is an orphan. She falls for Stephen who is still a married to Pamela.
Things began not to add up when Heather was experiencing unexplained injuries that seem to occur when she would drink. Even when she would hardly drink, somehow Stephen would twist things around to make her think that she was crazy. Things really took a twist when Rachel was giving a hot water bottle that contained not just a couple dollars in but almost $100k with two names written down - Tully & a woman by the name of FIona Arthur. Stephen denied not knowing who Fiona was which of course turned out to be a lie.
I thought the book flowed great & really kept me on my toes and left me wanting more. And like most thrillers everyone was a suspect.
Where it fell flat for me is that we really didn't get a conclusion on whether or not Stephen really was abusive to any of his wives or was he just a master manipulator? Maybe that is part of the reading where we are left up to our own interpretation but I just don't do well with open ended endings. Especially for a thriller, I need it wrapped up in a pretty bow. I also did not get the point of bringing in Fiona Arthur with the exception of her being his first wife & that he "hurt" her and yet he was still her love of her life? I just thought she would play a bigger role than what she really was.
I was though really happy that Rachel has begun to work through her relationships with men & seems to have found a perfect match in Darcy (I was waiting for him to somehow be involved in the mystery). Tully was such a complex mess and I loved her. I don't think I have ever read a character quite like her before. I was so proud of her development by the end of the book and love that her husband stuck with her through it.
CW: alcoholism, gaslighting, domestic/physical abuse, miscarriage, rape
I am rating this a 3.5 as I just was wanting more from the ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Miscarriage and Medical content