Sally Hepworth is so good at building suspense. It was a slow start, but I knew it would pick up and that the suspense would build and have me turning the pages to find out how it ended. I liked the format of the different times frames and the different points of view. It was interesting to have Amanda's "after" point of view the most to me. I don't want to say too much so that the book is able to work it's suspenseful magic, but I will see there was a twist at the end I didn't see coming that I thought was a great addition to the overall story!

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth
A huge thank you to @stmartinspress for the opportunity to read this #eARC! The release date is April 4, 2023 so go ahead and place your preorder for this right meow!

*minor spoilers ahead*

Pippa and Gabe have just moved to their dream home on a cliff on the outskirts of Melbourne to start fresh. On the surface it seems like they have the perfect marriage but through the eyes of an omniscient dead narrator and Pippa, it becomes clear that Gabe is not the flawless and doting husband, father, and hero he appears and that their marriage has been quite rocky. When a woman jumps off the cliff at The Drop an investigation begins that blows open the doors to their life and puts a huge strain on the family and their marriage. Will they survive the tension or will this be the final push?

This story had a firm grip on me from the first page. I love Sally Hepworth’s narrative style - hook you with an interesting premise and then spoon feed you information with only as much as you have to know at any given time. The clues were there too many of the bombshells dropped at the end and they were tied up in a very satisfying way. The only thing I struggled with at all was the time jumps. They’re completely necessary but I did find myself flipping back a few times to ensure I had taken the proper perspective. I love that Pippa went after what was best for her in the end and I’m so glad Gabe didn’t get a damn thing. 😂

I highly recommend this for those who love a domestic thriller/mystery.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 - 4.5/5

I flew through this one! I am a HUGE Hepworth fan and this one didn’t disappoint! While I didn’t love it as much as her others, I still enjoyed the twists and turns and trying to figure out the background of why Gabe was the way that he was. There were times where the plot felt redundant, but overall I enjoyed!

Wow, this one had me hooked from the beginning! The majority of it was consumed on a three hour plane ride, and less than 24 hours after I had it finished. I loved the way Sally Hepworth described this thriller in her Author Acknowledgements: A murderous love story: an exploration of the bad and good sides of marriage. What we bring to is. What it brings out in us.

Sally does an amazing job of tying together a domestic thriller with the right amount of plot twists to keep you turning the page at a rapid pace to find out where the story will go next. Secrets and lies haunt two different couples in the story that tears at the seams of what you originally believe to be normal relationships. It was exactly what I was looking for in a thriller! This was only my second novel by Sally, and certainly not my last!

What stopped me from going the full 5 stars was the concept of a character having a POV while in a state of purgatory. While it made sense with the overall ending, it just felt odd as the story progressed to have the story told from the view of someone no longer living.

Overall Rating: 4.5 stars
Trigger Warnings: Suicide, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, Infidelity

Pippa and Gabe have been married for 7 years, with 2 young daughters. They have moved to a small coastal town in Australia to their dream house. This house is on the cliffs, near the sea and unfortunately as they soon find out they have a front row view of a popular suicide spot on the cliffs called the drop. Pippin is a lawyer who works from home, while Gabe takes care of her daughters. At the start of the book we get the idea that something bad happened in their life prompting the move.

As it turns out, Gabe becomes a local hero for his ability to talk people attempting suicide away from the ledge and saving their lives. However, eventually their is a woman he can’t save, and the circumstances are somewhat suspicious from the start.

Overall, I thought that this book was ok but not great. Pros: lots of twisty turns and well developed characters. Cons: plot dragged and meanderd (especially in the middle) and I thought the ending was very hard to believe. I think a lot of suspense readers will enjoy this book, but it just not my cup of tea.

Thank you the Netgalley and St.Martins press for providing me with an eARC of this book to read and review.

Can you imagine living in a beautiful place only to have it tainted by a cliff where people go to die? Well, that is what Pippa and Gabe do. They buy a house for themselves and their girls, and it is beautiful. Yet, Gabe finds himself talking people off of the cliff quite often. so when a person Gabe talks to ends up jumping, of course, we will see Gabe spiral a bit. Yet, there are other things in play with this one, and as our story continues between Pippa (now), Pippa (then), Amanda (now), and Amanda (then), we learn that there is more to this than what meets the eye. Everything comes full circle, and I was a bit surprised at a few revealings that came about. This author has a way of pulling you in and leaving you wanting more.

Alternating POV books can be hard for me to follow at times however this was not the case with this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book was suspenseful, frustrating, sad, but overall kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters were well done. Pippa is an angel from the heavens above. The chapters were quick reads and kept the book moving so I never got bored or fell into a slump.

Gabe and Pippa Gerard have just moved into their dream house: a cliffside cottage in a sleepy coastal town outside Melbourne. But the house’s perfect façade hides something more sinister: The Spot, where the tall cliffs have become a popular place for those wishing to end their lives. After talking someone down from the ledge, Gabe becomes a local hero, saving person after person… until one night, he doesn’t. And Pippa sees Gabe the moment after it happened, standing alone at the cliff’s edge, arms outstretched, palms facing out.

The death is ruled a suicide— Gabe said it was a stranger devastated over her husband’s infidelity. But when Pippa discovers that Gabe knew the victim, she has more questions than answers. Plus, the woman’s husband swears she wouldn’t have jumped. Why would Gabe lie about not knowing her? Why would she have been at The Spot, if not to jump? And did she really jump… or was she pushed?

My review:
This is my favorite Sally Hepworth book so far! The dual POV worked well for this story -- bonus points for the uniqueness of Amanda's POV! -- even though the timeline shifts were sometimes a little confusing.
The best thing about this one was how the title actually exemplified the entire storyline, especially the ending! How, really, can you tell if someone's your soulmate?
On the negative side, I do think the last twist - how everything is interrelated - was a bit on the suspension-of-disbelief side. But I completely enjoyed this book nonetheless. Excellent writing and character development!

I enjoyed this book. I find that I am really digging suspense here lately. First of all Pippa is a saint. I would not have stuck around after all of Gabriel shenanigans. This one will leave you feeling frustrated, mad, surprised, sad, and on the edge of your seat. I did like that we got Amanda's POV even as she was a ghost and observing everything. I did think that there was more to the story with Max. I will say that I didn't see that ending coming. If you really like suspenseful books that puts you through it, then this one is for you.

My first Sally Hepworth read so I didn’t know what to expect other than knowing she writes popular domestic thrillers. I finished it in a day so there’s no denying that it was a very bingeable read. There are a total of four different timelines for two different characters, both housewives with a connection to each other. Despite the many timelines, I didn’t find it all that difficult to keep up. This also has very short chapters, so it was easy to read and went by fast, but I admittedly felt a tad bored at times. I normally love a twisty domestic thriller but this one was pretty mild on the thriller part, definitely more of a mystery. It actually felt like a soap opera almost, so take with that what you will. There were some nice moments but nothing altogether too shocking. If you really pay attention, it’s not too hard to piece everything together. There was one aspect I really liked and it had to do with a character’s mental illness. Hepworth made a point to mention something and I loved that. I did find the whole book to be slightly underwhelming, especially the ending, but that was possibly my fault for going in with high expectations. Overall, a very fast, easy read that tackles tough subjects like mental illness, infidelity, and the lengths one will go to for the ones they love. I have a feeling people are going to love this one, especially those who love multiple timelines and character POV.

3.5 ⭐️

This was fun and a pageturner but not memorable. I've not read this author before but would pick up another one of her books for a good beach read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this book! The chapters are short, which I really like as it keeps the story moving along. It’s told in alternating POV, with both being in the past and present. I found that interesting but still easy to follow the plot and not get lost. The writing is succinct. Overall, this is very good. I would probably rate it higher had I read it at a different time. I started this right as school was starting, and with two kids in activities, it’s been hard to read. However, I kept coming back because it held my interest and I needed to find out how it would end!

3.5 stars.

Gabe and Pippa Gerard just bought their dream home, cliffside, in a town outside Melbourne. However, this cliff is referred to as ‘The Spot’ and it’s the spot where people come to end their lives. Gabe becomes a local hero as he continues to talk person after person off the edge… until he doesn’t.

Sally Hepworth is easily becoming one of my favourite thriller authors. While this wasn’t my favourite of hers, I still enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down.

This story is told from the POV of Pippa and Amanda, before and after the suicide. Short chapters and multiple POV make this domestic thriller such an easy read. What I love about Sally’s writing is that nothing is ever what it seems and The Soulmate was no different. It had just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing about what truly happened, and an ending I didn’t see coming. I also really enjoyed the mental health aspect to this one.

Thank you to NetGallery and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC!

Full review on Goodreads

I gave this book a 2/5. And that’s being very generous. As to not give any spoilers, I found the writing to be very repetitive! Yes we get it, Bethany wants to be Eliza’s friend. Don’t have to tell us that every, single, chapter! And what in the world is that ending!?!? A build up to what? Ended in 2 chapters with no questions answered. Like, I wanted some big twist and kept waiting and waiting but, nothing! I probably won’t be reading this author again. Rather short book and took me a week to read it. I should’ve known then.

Sally Hepworth does it again! I could not put this book down. It kept me on my toes and had twist after twist.

The characters are all great and Sally's story telling is amazing! Highly recommend picking up this book, you will not be able to stop reading it!

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth has solidified her as one of my favorite authors! She truly only gets better with time!

I love the slow, dark style of Hepworth’s writing. She manages to always keep me on my toes. In fact, just when I think I have to plot figured out, she throws a curve ball. It is so addicting I usually finish her books rather quickly. However, as an avid reader, I cannot ask for more.

The Soulmate was a true five star read for me! It is perfect for a book club or partner read as there is so much to analyze and examine. It forces us to ask how far are we willing to go to keep and protect the ones we love. Devotion and adoration truly are powerful things.

Trigger Warning- the following topics are depicted:
Suicide
ADHD
Bipolar Disorder
Infidelity

Special thanks to NetGalley.com and St. Martin’s Press for allowing my to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

This is a nicely twisty family drama with an interesting setting and a satisfying resolution. Enjoyable read!

The Soulmate is an excellent thriller. I couldn’t put it down. Max and Amanda are married and the one thing she asks for is fidelity. He owns a huge company that employed Gabe. The story begins with a lady showing up at the Drop, a popular jumping spot near Gabe's house. The police investigate the suicide and the truth about the world these people live in begins to unravel. Pippa is Gabe's spouse who has put up with a lot during her marriage. This is a great read.

📚 Book Review 📚 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

Book will be released April 2023

When Gabe and Pippa moved into a cottage overlooking a popular cliff they had no idea that Gabe would become a hero for talking people into not taking their lives……until he doesn’t and Pippa questions whether she saw him push the victim. When the victim is identified, Pippa is shocked to learn that they know her! Why all the lies and what secrets will be revealed?!

Oh my 😱 ….what a riveting story with and ending you won’t guess!! Told from 2 perspectives Pippa and Amanda along with then/now/before/after, this book gives you the details you crave at just the right time! You will fly through this never wanting it to end! Brilliantly done!!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC ❤️

Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen next, the very next chapter would prove me wrong. So I eventually stopped guessing and enjoyed the ride, haha. Very fun and twisty!