Really great story

This caught my attention right from the start. It is set on the Australian coast near Melbourne where Pippa and Gabe are raising their two daughters. They live near a cliff known as a suicide spot. Charismatic Gabe has already talked numerous people out of jumping when a woman, Amanda, shows up. Next thing Pippa sees out her window is that Amanda has gone over the edge. But she sees Gabe's hands and it looks like he may have pushed her.

Pippa later finds out that Amanda was the wife of Gabe's former boss, Max, who fired him after Gabe made a serious mistake. And Pippa had told Gabe that she had cheated on him with Max.

The story alternates between Pippa and Amanda, both in current and past times. The chapters are clearly labeled, so there is no confusion.

Pippa and Gabe's seemingly perfect life turns out to not be so perfect. As the story unfolds, you get a very different sense of who they are. It leads to a really great ending.

Mental illness is a big issue and it is handled beautifully. I especially liked the part at the end that had one character say that there was a part where the mental illness ended and free will began. The illness did not lie to her or covered up mistakes and say they were for her sake. For anyone who has dealt with mental illness or addiction this will resonate.

Highly recommended.

I want to tell everyone to read this book and feel sorry that they have to wait a few months still for the US release! A great read, per usual with Sally’s books. I love a good thriller that keeps me guessing and on the edge of my seat, and this is exactly that.

Sally Hepworth's books never disappoint. The Soulmate is a well-paced book with an exciting setting. Hepworth does an excellent job of describing the unique setting and developing the characters. This is a book that you'll want to read in a short span of time. Thanks for the advance review copy.

I usually don’t do thrillers but this one really intrigued me so I decided to give it a shot and boy am I glad I did. The story follows Pippa, Gabe, Max and Amanda and their marriages and the event that takes place at The Drop, a famous suicide spot behind Gabe and Pippa’s house. The story switches between Pippa’s and Amanda’s POV as well as 3 timelines (then, now, after).

We first learn about both marriages and their backgrounds which helps understand the way each character is behaving. I loved how every time we were in the now timeline, we just got more questions and then we would switch to the then timeline and slowly get a tiny piece of answer or we’d be set up for the next questions. Every time I thought I had it figured out there would be twists and turns that made me reconsider my whole theory. The story was fast paced and even though it took a little bit for me to get into it, once the information started unraveling I was hooked and done and could not put it down.

The way I got attached to the characters changed along the way (thanks to the answers we were getting) and went from loving a character to hating it to understanding another one. My favourite character, who also had the best development and growth, was Pippa. She went from bring loyal to a fault, to questioning herself and Gabe, to opening her eyes to her situation and accepting and doing what’s best for herself.

Overall, I thought the intrigue was good and was delivered in a way to keep us on our toes. The pace was perfect and the ending was perfectly delivered.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this gifted arc in exchange for a fair and honest review. The Soulmate grabbed me right from the start. Married couple Gabe and Pippa needed a change in life so buying a cottage in a beautiful coastal town overlooking a mighty cliff seemed like a brilliant idea.
Soon they realize the drawback of being near that cliff, it’s a popular spot where people go to tragically end their lives.
However, Gabe is the type of charismatic guy who draws people in and this innate ability of his is what he uses to talk people off the ledge. It’s almost like his calling in life to do this and he and his wife start to think he will always be successful at it until one night he isn’t.
Turns out Gabe has a connection to the jumper and the question is did she jump or was she pushed?
Gabe and Pippa seem to have the perfect marriage with their perfect house and two perfect little daughters. But nothing is as it seems.
As we read we learn more about their marriage from Pippa’s POV and all the trials and tribulations they’ve had. Pippa has stuck by Gabe’s side through all the ups and downs because he is her soulmate after all. However, when do you decide enough is enough? That’s the ultimate question Pippa must face.

This book intrigued me from start to finish! It features dual POVs with Pippa and a surprise POV. It was a thrilling ride devouring this book and a complex story was woven together by the author. There’s a lot to unravel with this book and I enjoyed the journey.

I love Hepworth. She’s a master storyteller who particularly excels at writing relationships. The Soulmate was, at first glance, an entire book about relationships which is why I’m surprised I didn’t enjoy it more. Don’t get me wrong - I still tore through this book - but I really disliked the two main female characters. The basic plot line itself is intriguing - a couple moves to a house on a cliff that is known as a suicide hotspot and the husband gallantly saves potential jumpers. One day, not only does he not save the jumper, it appears as though he helped her fall - or was it all a trick of the eyes? I have been reading and loving so many books lately with overly strong females (Lessons in Chemistry, The Change, The Violence, etc.) that I’m taken aback when the female character(s) I’m supposed to root for are so helpless and naive. It’s obnoxious and frustrating that I’m expected to fall for their hopeless puppy love stories when every action from their partner is more infuriating than the last. This was definitely the case with Pippa and I tired of her almost instantly. Amanda wasn’t as overt in her helplessness but she was still far from a strong heroine. I kept waiting for the other show to drop with her, for her relationship with Max to finally click and make sense, but it never did.

In the end, I don’t think the book is about relationships at all but maybe who we as individuals become when we are in a relationship. How our perceptions and behaviors change, how strongly we are influenced by who we want to be and who we want the other person to be, and how all of this can far from reality.

The Soulmate wasn’t a top Hepworth read for me but I still read it fairly quickly and enjoyed it well enough. It’s hard when the author is so talented that even a good book seems slightly lackluster compared to her other novels.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favorite Sally Hepworth books! I loved the premise of this book and kept reading to see what would happen next....kept you on your toes and full of surprise twists.

I enjoyed this entertaining psychological thriller. Author Sally Hepworth sets up the mood just right, then executes the story perfectly. The lovely cottage by the sea with a cliff nearby was a great backdrop for this mystery.
I can’t say too much more in order to avoid spoilers, but as the story flows we read the alternating POV’s of two of the main characters. The characters involved are well fleshed out and seem like they could be real people. I also found that the author did a nice job at portraying how mental illness can affect a marriage.

I find so many psychological thrillers like this focus on the fact that you never really truly know a person. So often people show us what they want us to see instead of what is reality. Author Sally Hepworth does a great job at portraying the dynamics of married life and at how things can quickly spiral out of control if you’re living in denial. As the story went along several bombs were dropped that I did not see coming. The way the author goes back and forth from the two main characters POV’s added to the tension throughout the book and had me on the edge of my seat while reading.

I recommend The Soulmate if you enjoy a twisty thriller centered around family, married life and how far you would go to protect the ones you love. Lastly, I love the cover and the eye-catching vibrant blue.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review*

So far, the best Sally Hepworth book I have read! Compelling - kept me second guessing myself. The twists and turns took the story to an unexpected conclusion - great job!

I was hooked on the first two pages and could not put this book down. My favorite Sally Hepworth book yet! There was never a point in the story where I thought I had figured out the ending and that’s why I had a hard time focusing on anything other than finishing this book. The characters are so well developed and aren’t exactly what you get from first impressions. The story builds slowly and isn’t outrageous, the plot is believable! I also really appreciate a book that ties everything up neatly for me in the end so I’m not left wondering what the author left unsaid.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this in advance!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of “The Soulmate.” This book drew me in with the description paragraph and didn’t let me go throughout. I raced through this in less than a day because I couldn’t put it down. I’m always nervous with books like that about the ending, but I was very pleased with it. Overall a solid read with many twists and turns.

I was so excited to see another Sally Hepworth book on NetGalley as I had just finished "The Mother-in-Law". This was a really intriguing book with a very interesting premise. Pippa has some secrets like everyone, but she knows her husband Gabe is hiding something dark. The other narrator, Amanda, shows us that things aren't always what they seem. There were a lot of twists and turns in this book that made me second guess the true goodness of the characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this! I will definitely be buying it for our library.

This was told by 2 characters in the past and present. That worked for me (usually doesn't), and I liked the setting. However, it was a little lack luster and a little slow (or it was slow, because of it lacking some oomph). Ultimately, just an okay read.

Sally Hepworth never disappoints! This marriage mystery sucked me right into the story! I was second guessing every character’s innocence until the very last page.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced read!

This was my first Sally Hepworth novel and it was a good read for me. The last thriller I read was hard to get through, so I have not read another book in this genre until recently. When running out of books to read, I downloaded this from my que and was glad I did. I loved the development of the characters and the puzzle pieces of the story as it unfolded. I had suspicions of Gabe from the beginning but didn’t see some of the twists coming until they played out. I’ll be looking forward to diving more into Sally Hepworth’s work.

Another excellent domestic thriller from Sally Hepworth! All of the characters have detailed backstories and the plot touches on many issues - marriage, mental health, murder, and more. Told in alternating chapters from the point of view of the two female main characters, I wasn't sure about the "ghost narrator" device at first, but it worked with the story. This is a fast-paced, quick read. The ending was maybe a little too tidy, which kept it from being a five-star read, but very enjoyable.

Thank you to #partner St. Martins for our copy of The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth.

This books is available on April 4, 2023

Rating: 4 star
Genre: Thriller

Thoughts: This book was twisty and layered, that’s for sure! Each character was complex, which added to the mystery of the story. The book felt like a puzzle you kept trying to piece together, it definitely held my attention.

In true Sally Hepworth fashion this book is a page turner that will keep you invested in the dual perspectives, dual timelines, and crackling suspense. This is a true study of love and marriage, analyzed from many angles over time. Hepworth spears into the heart of marital trust and loyalty, poignantly examining the concept of soulmates.

With every little revelation I was increasingly on the edge of my seat in anticipation for what would come next. Prepare to be stunned with how tangled this web gets as the novel progresses.

I have to say that there’s a real heaviness with this book and it led me to take breaks in reading which I have never had to do with the author’s previous works. That being said, I enjoyed the book and recommend it to readers of domestic suspense. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. Look for this on April 4, 2023.

I love Sally Hepworth, but unfortunately this one did not leave a mark for me. It took me 4 months to get through due to lack of wanting to pick it up. THE GOOD SISTER is one of my favorite books of all time. I love how Hepworth creates complicated family relationships with drama and hidden secrets. However, in this story, I never really fell in love with the characters as in her other stories. I wasn’t really rooting anyone on, and therefore became quickly bored. I did enjoy the unique use of Amanda as one of the points of view. I enjoyed the quick chapters. I will continue reading Hepworths books as they come out; this one just was not my favorite.

This is a really good story. Pippa and Gabe, devoted and in love, move to a house near the sea. They come with their two daughters to make a new beginning. It seems the ideal place; a beautiful home, a devoted family, What could be more perfect? Except, soon enough they find that the beautiful scenic cliffside next to their perfect home is a popular jumping point for those wishing to end their life. And Gabe, handsome and charismatic, becomes a rescuer, talking down those who wish to jump to the tangled waves below. Except suddenly he cannot save someone, as she chooses instead to plummet to her death anyway. What happens next is a tangled web of deceit and lies when it comes to light that Gabe had known the woman, Amanda, from a previous life.
An interesting narrative of 'then' and 'now', the reader is lead through the various perspectives of Pippa, and Amanda, the woman who plunged to her death. We learn of shady business dealings and what a person would do to keep a loved one safe. Devotion and fidelity become sacrificial, and strangely, it is the outlying marriage of the victim I found most interesting. Amanda's point of view, prior to her death and after, are what really snagged my continued interest in this story. I found both she and her husband Max, to be compelling characters, and the ending was a true twist of fate. Nicely done!
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and especially Sally Hepworth for allowing me early access to this awesome domestic thriller!