The Younger Wife

2.75/5

Rachel and Tully aren’t sure what to make of their father’s new fiancée. It’s uncomfortable on multiple levels. First, Stephen Aston is still married to their mother, Pam. Second, Stephen’s fiancée is the same age as Rachel and younger than Tully. Stephen assures them that it will all work out. Pam is in a nursing home with dementia and won’t even realize the divorce is happening. As the wedding gets closer, all the women begin discovering secrets of the family and become determined to unveil the truth before the marriage license is signed.

I’m not sure what to make of this. The Younger Wife began as a standard psychological thriller that I was expecting from Hepworth. As I read on, I was getting more frustrated by how much the women were being gaslighted and how their mental health was portrayed. They all seemed helpless and in need of a man to save them. While I appreciate partnership and open discussions about mental health, this didn’t really hit the mark for me.

Hepworth definitely succeeded at an ambiguous ending, but that frustrated me too. After an entire book of women being gaslighted and questioning their own realities, the reader also is left confused on what was reality. I suppose this is indicative of real life in that there are not always clear cut answers. If you want a family drama with surprising twists, this could be for you. Just be aware you will be left feeling confused and unsure of which narrative to trust.