Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth

40 reviews

booked_with_meg's review

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, and Murder

greatexpectations77's review

challenging 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

4.25

I liked the way that this story spilled out. I appreciated that it didn't dig too deep into

the assault scene

- that was something that I was nervous about. I appreciated a close look into everyday kleptomania, and I thought the discussion about abuse being all in the victim's head was really interesting. I hope it helps friends identify when folks in their lives need help and validation.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Mass/school shootings, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, and Death of parent

Minor: Child abuse and Medical content

kelly_e's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

3.0

Title: The Younger Wife
Author: Sally Hepworth
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3.00
Pub Date: April 5, 2022

T H R E E • W O R D S

Psychological • Dynamic • Lacking

📖 S Y N O P S I S

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?

💭 T H O U G H T S

I've been slowly making my way through Sally Hepworth's backlist over the past few years, and next up was The Younger Wife. I'll preface my review by saying I was way less interested in this one than some of her other books, and my gut ended up being on point.

What I like:
• the prologue. It created so much tension, intrigue and suspicion. I needed to find out how it would all play out.
• multiple perspectives. I thought this structure suited the storyline perfectly, giving glimpses into each woman's life.
• the heavier topics. This one takes on A LOT and Hepworth does so in a sensitive manner, which I appreciated.

What I didn't like:
• the characters. The fact that the women all come across as unreliable and each of the male characters comes across in a good light didn't work for me at all.
• the ending. Underwhelming and predictable. Also some loose ends.

Despite hooking my interest in the beginning and containing some serious topics, my attention quickly waned as the story progressed. By the end, it just felt like a meh and forgettable read. With that said, I look forward to continuing in exploration of Sally's books.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of family drama
• readers who like books that read like a soap opera

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Perhaps the very worst people still had some good in them. And perhaps the very best had some bad." 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Abortion, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Murder

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

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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

clkauffman's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated

2.75

A dysfunctional family drama that follows three women in the life of Stephen, a doctor - his two daughters, each with a bad habit, and his new, younger wife, following a murder at their wedding. But for the life of me, I can't remember the ending or who died 2 months later, which is saying something. Wouldn't call this one a thriller.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse

bree_mck's review

dark emotional inspiring 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, and Death of parent

nvosten's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Dementia, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Rape

gracemwigley's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Abortion

kimveach's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

My actual rating for this book is 3.5, but I rounded it to 4.  I enjoyed the characters and the story, but there were a ridiculous number of issues in this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

jordannecoote's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Originally I thought this book would be like a trash novel of a young woman marrying an older man somewhat like a sugar daddy, however it is very different to what I thought, I wouldn’t say it is terrible but it should have like trigger warnings on it for people experiencing or have experienced certain elements of what is mentioned throughout. I would rate 3/5, has some good elements although predictable. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting