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A review by onmalsshelf
The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
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