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melissa_b_67's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Dementia, and Alcohol
Moderate: Body shaming, Mental illness, and Death of parent
pookiee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
this is a nicely unique domestic thriller in that it doesn’t hinge entirely on its reveals. each of the 3 women’s personal lives and are interesting to read about as well, as they heal from their traumas. a better, and more serious, Big Little Lies.
brownie points for being set in Australia (I like reading about faraway countries) and mentioning COVID (never stops feeling crazy)
brownie points for being set in Australia (I like reading about faraway countries) and mentioning COVID (never stops feeling crazy)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Dementia, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Moderate: Miscarriage, Rape, and Death of parent
Minor: Body shaming, Pedophilia, Vomit, and Pandemic/Epidemic
the eating disorder is binge eating disorderamandasbookreview'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
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