ronnieb's review against another edition
- 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
2.5
This was a 2.5 that I am rounding up to a 3. I do not have much to say that is not a spoiler so brief non-spoiler thoughts: I think this book is fine and is quick enough of a read but there are not many special or shocking moments.
I had a big issue with this book and it surrounded the character of Rachel. We find out that Rachel was the victim of a sexual assault in her past. The way the book seems to handle her moving past this is she finally sees a hot guy and he “fixes” her. The is slightly more nuisance going on admittedly but it just left such a bad taste in my mouth at the way the whole storyline plays out.
I also thought the final reveals of the book were just so underwhelming and this was just very baseline. There is nothing wrong with that and I have read many books that end similarly but I think those were just more fun than this. A fix I thought would have been more fun was to have our 3 main leads come together and set up Stephen in some sort of way. While that would be a bit “soapy” and OTT I think it would have led to a much more fun ending than the abrupt one we got.
I also thought the POV of Tully was useless for the main narrative of this novel. It felt very much like its own B story that never really plays into the main narrative outside of our main characters sharing their trauma or flaws and coming together because of it.
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Death of parent and Dementia
Minor: Rape
mmoroukian's review
- 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
Moderate: Rape, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Murder
laura_vee's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, and Eating disorder
Minor: Miscarriage
maggielane12's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, and Rape
greatexpectations77's review
- 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
Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Colonisation, Dementia, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Rape, Sexual assault, Death, Blood, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse and Medical content
kelly_e's review against another edition
- 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
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."
Graphic: Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Dementia, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Eating disorder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Addiction, Infertility, Pregnancy, Rape, Miscarriage, Violence, and Abortion
Minor: Murder
cayleybp's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, and Dementia
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Rape
melissa_b_67's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Bullying, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Dementia, Alcohol, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Mental illness, Body shaming, and Death of parent
carlytenille's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Death, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Rape, Alcohol, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse
ree333's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Minor: Rape, Violence, Gaslighting, and Domestic abuse