This was a great read from start to finish. I loved when I find a book that can still surprise me. Every time I thought I was figuring out the story, another layer was added or something else I wasn’t expecting was revealed. This was my first book by this author though I’ve heard of her before. I’ll definitely be checking out her other books.

So this one was not quite it for me, BUT I think that's a me problem. This book has tons of great reviews on Goodreads and there were several things I did enjoy about it, I just think I'm not personally super big on domestic suspense.

The Soulmate has a super fun dual POV/dual timelines thing going on, and that allows for a slow reveal of clue after clue until the reader finally gets to learn exactly what happened on the night Gabe failed to save someone from going over the cliffside to their death. For me though, the reveals weren't very exciting and I found myself not really liking any of the characters (or disliking them either, which I would be okay with, I just want to feel SOMETHING about the characters I read about).

So overall, not my fav, but if you like this kind of thing, give it a try! The writing is still superb and the plot was well thought out, it just wasn't the plot for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing a digital copy of The Soulmate in exchange for an honest review. The Soulmate hits shelves April 4, 2023!

3.25 stars

Sally Hepworth is an auto-read author for me. I will read absolutely anything she writes. Even her books that I have rated 3 stars have been more enjoyable than many other books I have rated 4 stars or above. Unfortunately, this book falls into the "3 stars but as enjoyable as some 4 star books" rating category for me.

I enjoyed The Soulmate.

<spoiler> However, it is missing the development of a true emotional connection between husband & wife and uncle & nephew to justify the ending. The conclusion happens out of nowhere and seems unbelievable as nothing throughout the story even implies the distraught husband cared for his late wife or his nephew. His actions seem very dramatic at the end. </spoiler>

If those emotional connections would have been more thoroughly developed, this would have been a 5 star read for me. But since those relationships are such a key part of this story and its ending, I can only rate this 3 stars. I will continue to read anything Sally Hepworth writes, and I hope her next novel is similar to The Mother-in-Law or The Good Sister in regards to fully developed emotional connections.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-galley in exchange for my honest review.

This was a classic Sally Hepworth. An underlying mystery with drama woven in. I started to get a little annoyed with how much Pippa talks about her husband being attractive, but was hooked otherwise. Fans of Sally Hepworth will love this one.

3.5 stars

I just love Sally Hepworth’s writing style, but this book was just a little too depressing for me. This didn’t feel like a psychological thriller, it felt more like a domestic drama that is messed up. I just felt awful the whole time and I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. Then the ending was even more sad and depressing.

I did like the mystery elements, but at times there were too many and it made my brain hurt to follow all of them.

I know not every book will have the same feel to them, but I always get bummed when they are not the same. I will definitely be reading her next book.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

The Soulmate

Definition: A person ideally suited to another as a close friend or romantic partner. ~ Oxford dictionary

In my mind, a person who you love unconditionally and would never hurt, either intentionally or not.

Does anyone really have a soulmate? Or is it a misnomer? Having just read The Soulmate, I’m not sure. Phippa, a lawyer who works from home, and her husband Gabe have moved to a small area away from Melbourne to live a quieter life. But is that the real reason? Maybe not. They now live cliffside in small seaside town a few hours away from Melbourne, in Portsea.

They have two young daughters, aged four who aren’t twins. You will find out why exactly as you read. It was a special adoption which will be an eye opener that left me wondering about being someon's soulmate

Pippin trulyloves Gabe and feels he’s her soulmate. But is he really? The second daughter is adopted. From an affair Gabe had. Soulmate?

This novel will take you through the highs and lows of their marriage and will serve you twists and turns with every turn of the page.

I quite enjoyed The Soulmate. It is written in the past and the present of two women and will having you sure what the mystery is, only to find out it isn’t. I recommend reading.

I thank Netgalley and Martin’s Press for allowing me opportunity to preview a vey good mystery.

This book kept me invested from the beginning. I couldn’t put it down, I had to know what was going on! Sally is such an amazing writer and she sure made sure she kept that up with The Soulmate! Definitely a 4 star read!

I love Hepworth, I always will, and this is no exception. Her books are like popcorn to me - easy to pick up, easily digestible, and I can eat the entire bowl (book) in one sitting without even realizing.

What a great set up! A cottage on a cliff where Gabe and Pippa live their dream life with their two children. A beautiful home, a great life filled with laughter and love. But the Cliffs are also known as a spot where people have chosen to take their own lives. Gabe has been successful with talking a few people "down from the ledge" and it's all been great until a woman arrives one night with a secret to tell - and she dies.

Pippa and the mystery woman chime in with their memories of the events that transpired leaving the reader transfixed and guess up to the last minute! If you like domestic thrillers, the soulmate is for you! #StMartinsPress

What a fun read! I really enjoyed the characters, plot, the mystery! It made me back up and read other books by Sally Hepworth! I will happily be purchasing and recommending to our patrons this book for our patrons!

I devoured this book and found myself reading late into the night to find out why the mysterious woman plunged to her death off the cliff near Gabe and Pippa’s home. Who was she? Why did she jump? Gabe had talked others “off the ledge” on prior occasions, so why had this woman gone over the edge after he spoke to her? What could he have said that would cause this woman to take her life? Could Gabe have pushed her? Why in the world would he do something like that? And so the mystery begins.

I loved that the book was told from different points of view so you could get into the minds of each of the characters and this mystery unwinds. If you love a twisty psychological thriller, I think you will really enjoy this book. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this excellent book by Sally Hepworth!

This book had so many twists and kept me wanting to read more. The storyline was a unique one and I appreciated the short chapters that would alternate between two characters and between two different times (“now” and “then”).

The author did a great job with keeping me in suspense and giving me just enough detail to be intrigued but not giving away the answers early in. This was my first Sally Hepworth book and looking forward to reading her others!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

T̤̈ḧ̤ë̤ S̤̈ö̤ṳ̈l̤̈m̤̈ä̤ẗ̤ë̤
By Sally Hepworth
Release Date 04/04/2023

From the book 📖
There’s a cottage on a cliff. Gabe and Pippa’s dream home in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house hides something sinister. The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Night after night, Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge. Until he doesn’t.
When Pippa discovers, Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral...Did the victim jump? Was she pushed?

My Review: 👩🏻‍💻🧑🏻‍💼
The back of the book blurb doesn’t do this thriller justice. It’s written very well. As a long-time fan of Sally’s books, you don’t realize what this book is indeed building up to until around 50-100 pages, and then it’s just fast page turning from there.
I’m not going to delve too deep since there are still 5 months until it’s released. Pippa is a lawyer, and she’s successful, kind, and somewhat naive but very smart. Her husband, Gabe, is a SAHD for their girls. Recently on their hillside cliff, someone committed suicide, and Gabe has ties to the individual.
Pippa can’t shake the feeling that it may not have been an accident. One thing my grandma always said is if your gut is leading you, go with it. 🚩🚩🚩red flags are real!!!
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️s

#sallyhepworth #thesoulmate #stmartinpress #bookstagrammer #igreads #arcbooksrule #netgalleyreader #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #thrillerreads #pageturner #psychologicalthriller

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for this arc.

Pippa and Gabe Gerard live in a beautiful coastal area. Near their home is a cliff called The Drop, a popular suicide spot.
Gabe has made a name for himself by literally talking people off the edge. One night, a woman shows up to The Drop and Gabe goes out to talk to her while Pippa calls the police and watches through the window. One second the woman is on the cliff talking to Gabe, and the next second she's gone. Did Pippa imagine it, or did Gabe push the woman?

From Pippa and the woman's perspectives, along two different timelines, we learn about lots of juicy marital and family secrets and uncover what really happened leading up to that night at The Drop.

Sally Hepworth did a fantastic job of creating these characters and giving them life. Even the side characters become dear to the reader. The plot lines and perspectives were easy to follow, which I appreciated.

At times I found this going kind of slow, and I found myself wondering where things were leading, but that feeling was tempered by perfectly timed nuggets of the truth. I could never have guessed what was to come, and the last 10-15% of this book sealed the deal, making this a fantastic read.

This book was so thrilling, and I was and still am absolutely obsessed with it! Can we just talk about how absolutely perfect the cover is as well? The plot twists in this book were amazing and it was one heck of a ride! If domestic drama is your thing, then this is the book for you!

4.5 stars! Wow! This book was so so good! I read it at lightening speed because I could not put it down. The ending had me speechless. I was just amazed at how much it really closed out the story for me. I am a big Sally Hepworth fan, so I really did not know much about this book going into it. I am so so glad that I didn’t know anything about it because I think it made a bigger impact. Just read this book. You will be so so glad that you did.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

When a woman apparently jumps from a popular suicide spot, the wife of the man who was trying to talk her down wonders about what she saw. It becomes clear in a tight spiral of twists that the couple and the jumper were connected. Multiple perspectives add intricate layers to the telling. Fans of unreliable narrators will enjoy this.

My sincerest thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Why didn’t I like Pippa and Gabe? The writing is superb, and there are parts that are incredibly funny (like Pippa’s meeting with clients about their will and burial choices). But the story had many situations that left me asking why did they lie about that. The story has a great premise, but it all seemed too contrived, and the self-blaming was a bit much. I’ve liked other SH books, but how this story executed just didn’t work for me.

The Soulmate, Sally Hepworth
I think I've read every one of Sally Hepworth's books and I just love these domestic thrillers. They grab you right from the start and keep you guessing and turning pages right until the very end.
Gabe and Pippa live in a beautiful beach house with great views and an enormous cliff. Unfortunately all too often, Gabe and Pippa witness people going to the cliff to commit suicide and Gabe is always there to talk them down from the ledge....until one time he's not. Amanda falls to her death, or wait...was she pushed by Gabe? Did Pippa see what she thought she saw??
The book alternates between past and present and different points of view, telling the story from all angles.
While the story was interesting and there were surprises right up until the very end, I can't say I loved this book. It became too "businessy" for me and I started to lose interest.
I truly love Sally Hepworth, but this just wasn't one of my favorites by her.
🌟🌟🌟

Sally Hepworth's The Soulmate is a twisty, domestic thriller that will keep you turning pages from the start. Told from two points of view, the narrative masterfully weaves between the present and past, leaving you guessing until the end.

Pippa and Gabe have moved in to their dream house overlooking the ocean. What they don't know is that their view of the sea comes with another more somber view, a popular place for suicides. Gabe quickly establishes a local reputation for talking each soul off the edge of the cliff. But when a woman arrives one rainy evening and Gabe fails to save her, secrets that had long been buried rear their ugly heads. And no one will be the same afterwards.

Hepworth deftly doles out clues among twists and turns that leave the reader hooked. An up-all-night kind of read!