Ok, I will admit, I started this book thinking I knew the ending. Boy was I wrong. Hepworth had so many twists and turns I had no idea where the book was going to end up. I loved the surprises. In fact, I might venture to say Hepworth might be the author who has surprised me the most with unpredictability. Definitely worth picking up if you are a thriller fan.
One of my minor criticisms is that in the first half of the book the idea of Pippa’s soulmate description of her and Gabe is a bit unbelievable. In the second half, it is no longer the focus and the book improves immensely.

I found this book to be enticing very early on. The before and after dialogue was simply to follow. All the characters had a charm and features to both feel distrust for but care about also. I hated to have the book end and have already recommended it to others,

Sally Hepworth is a master story teller. She weaves tension and drama, and passion and suspense so seamlessly throughout the book. My "go-to" genre is romance/rom-com... which SH is not. BUT I never miss a chance to read her work and am rarely (if ever) disappointed. The push/pull, will they/won't they keeps me entertained and on the edge of my seat. I like how Hepworth's characters are strong women and a poor decision or unwitting mistake doesn't change that. The Soulmate is a story of love and questionable choices. It's the heartbreaking reality of mental illness and the impact it can have on everyone around. Definitely a must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book had a hold on me and I just couldn’t let it go. It’s emotional, all-consuming, and I loved every minute of it. The author noted that this book is “an unconventional murderous love story” and I couldnt agree more.

It’s a very character-driven story and they are all fully fleshed-out. The lines between good and evil are blurred, with many of the characters relatably flawed. The story largely functions in this grey area through the in-depth look into the characters’ lives and impulses. We are taken along on their journey towards growth and realization. The relationships are complex; the connections and revelations that come to light are delightful. And there are lines of humor that had me laughing out loud, offering comedic relief between all the darker moments.

There are multiple perspectives simultaneously coalescing to create the bigger picture. The plot is thought-provoking and it touches on many important themes. I found myself constantly asking what I would do in certain situations. This story really brings to light the idea that we shouldn’t make assumptions or judgements because we never truly know everything that’s going on in a person’s life.

I thought the representation of mental illness was done tastefully and respectfully. We get to see how mental illnesses can affect a person’s work, home, and social life, as well as the nuances of misdiagnoses and misunderstandings. I really appreciate the acknowledgement that a person is not defined by their illness and their illness cannot be used as a reason or excuse for violence. In the media (movies in particular), caricatures of the stereotypically worst-case symptoms are often used as a plot device and it really gives a bad rep for the many individuals who, in reality, suffer on a spectrum. Personally, I don’t agree with exaggerating mental illness as a way to heighten the dramatic effect, and this can be a sensitive topic for readers, so I was pleased that this story stuck to a more clinical context.

Recently I’ve been reading a lot of mystery-thrillers and have noticed the use of tropes for plotting that can be repetitive or too predictable - but not with this one. I was really trying hard to guess what was going to happen next and I never could figure it out. I loved being truly surprised, especially when those surprises were so plausible that I couldn’t believe I didn't see it coming. So many times I was left wondering how I was still being shocked. This was such a fun experience and kept me turning the pages.

This book wholly deserves all five stars! I can’t wait to hear everyone else’s thoughts. I feel like this is going to be a story that everyone will be talking about. It’s an exciting ride that will absorb you and leave you hanging onto every word.

When I read about a cliff behind a cottage that was known for people jumping off to their untimely demise, I said, “Sign me up (to read it)!” But I was soon disappointed to find this was just the background of the cliff and not really where the story was focused. The story instead was about a woman who suspected her husband was up to no good. And, without giving spoilers, there are secrets in the tale, but not the kind that get me excited.

I didn’t care for either of the narrators (duo timelines were OK, though). But the story just didn’t go the way I had hoped and also some of the dialogue and scenes seemed unbelievable (wait til you read the way the main characters met).

This was a fast read. I read it in two days, so all in all, not bad! Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan for allowing me to read this ARC!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Sally Hepworth, and NetGalley for gifting me an advance reader's copy of The Soulmate!

Sally Hepworth's novels are always on my list of books to read due to the suspense and family drama. The Soulmate has a great cover and premise.

Here is the setup: Gabe and Pippa have moved into a home in a coastal town on the side of a cliff in Melbourne. They are so excited about the opportunity to raise their children in this town. However, there is an unusual place near their home called "The Spot" where people are jumping off a cliff to end their lives. Gabe has been getting local attention due to his ability to save people from "The Spot." However, one day an unusual thing happens where Pippa sees Gabe out near the cliff and begins to have some questions. A woman has died and her death is ruled a suicide but when Pippa finds out that her husband knew the victim, she goes on a deep dive to find out what really happened.

This story kept me on the toes as I anxiously read to find out what was really happening in this story!

The overall storyline and premise of the book were good, but it left much to be desired.

Pippa and Gabe moved to a new house on a seaside cliff. They learned quickly that the location was less than ideal because it was a popular spot for people wanting to commit suicide. Gabe is a stay at home dad who was always home and able to meet the few people who came to jump. Gabe has talked the previous people out of wanting to jump, until one day Amanda shows up.

The book is told in alternating views between Amanda and Pippa. There are a few twists, but overall nothing huge. I was hoping for a major twist or a major thriller and it just wasn't there. In addition, the characters were bland and hard to connect with. There was also a lot of repetition so many times where I just skimmed because things had already been said or described.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy.

There is not a book of Sally's I would not read. She is so very talented. It feels like I have it figured out then I am shocked by the end. It makes me realize what people do when they are crazy in love!

5*. I highly recommend this book. This fast paced psychological thriller begins with the apparent suicide of an unknown woman behind the house of Pippa, her husband, Gabe, and their two little girls. The cliff behind their house is known as a suicide spot. Most recently, Pippa’s husband has made a local reputation of being the suicide whisperer and talking several would be jumpers off the cliff, literally. When the couple spots a woman on the cliff who appears to be a would be jumper, Gabe rushes out to speak to her. While Pippa watches out the window, Gabe takes some unusual actions that are not recommended when talking to suicide victims. After being momentarily distracted and looking back, Pippa realizes the woman has jumped and her husband appears devastated. Although the cops appear to believe it to be a suicide, Pippa has some lingering doubts about what she saw. The story that unfolds after the apparent suicide is a twisty thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. The story is told from the alternating view points of Pippa and Amanda, and is set in both the present and the past. It’s an engaging mechanism that works well for this story. Once you get started on this book, you will have a hard time putting it down until the very end.

This was definitely a different read. I found myself enjoying it though. Family drama, suspense, and work drama all tied into one complicated story. It also focused on life questions and dealt with the tough issue of suicide and tough family issues such as infidelity and many more. It is going to take me a while to process this one.

My new approach to disliking books by authors I have previously loved is to simply blame all of their latest releases on Covid. Sally Hepworth has been a go-to-gal for me and I’m the first to tell people they read her books wrong if they don’t’ like them. But not really, though, because I am nothing but kind and forgiving ; ) Really I blame the marketing. Her stuff is always released under the moniker of “thriller” or “domestic suspense” – which I guess is sorta true, but I have found once I get invested in the families she writes about I often forget there’s been a superbadawful that will eventually be explained.

Unfortunately that wasn’t the case with The Soulmate. I always love Hepworth’s characters and I immediately didn’t like either Pippa or Gabe. And the entire premise that there’s some “suicide death leap” (utilized by an absolute bevy of people every year because the hubbo has made a name for himself for being able to stop from taking their final leap since the couple moved in) that (1) hasn’t been secured in some fashion either by fencing or at least by some seriously bright lighting and surveillance to act as a deterrent or (2) that you would willingly move there (no matter what your finances) with two small children thinking they wouldn’t plummet to their own deaths just because you said stay back??? Well . . . . .WHO DOES THAT?!?!?!?!

“The Spot” most certainly was NOT a perfect place to raise their daughters as the blurb states. And the twist??? Meh. Not great, Bob. All that being said, this sucker is currently sitting at a 4.29 on Goodreads so I’m obviously the wrongreader here and your mileage most definitely may vary.

2.5 Stars.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

I could not put this book down! The multiple povs helped put the story together and built on the suspense! A must read!

Normally I love everything by this author, but this one didn't do it for me. It started out awesome, I thought the premise was intriguing and I got through the first 50% or so very quickly. Then it seemed to drag in the middle and I felt like everyone was just talking in circles until BAM THE ENDING. I also thought there was one loose thread from the beginning that never got resolved. Don't leave me hanging!
I'm very meh on this whole thing and probably wouldn't recommend it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC!

Gabe and Pippa Gerard moved to cliffside home with their two young daughters. At first it seemed like an idyllic location, but they quickly learn that it’s a popular spot for people who want to commit suicide. The first several times they see someone perilously close to the edge, Gabe uses his natural charm to talk them out of their plans. Then comes the time he doesn’t. The problem is, he knows the woman who jumped, but fails to tell police about the connection, knowing it won’t look good for him.

The novel goes back and forth in time and is told from the point of view of Pippa and the woman who died (Amanda tells her story before and after her death). Telling the story this way allows for details to come out slowly, and the reader is left wondering if Amanda actually jumped or if Gabe helped in some way.

I thought this was a fast, fun read. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES APRIL 4, 2023.

Hepworth is a go to author for me. She always has engagingly flawed characters that you like anyway. And a fast paced plot that keeps you guessing. This is another winner for her .
Thanks for letting me review this book to Netgalley and the publisher

This is a great story, the charachters are well-developed and most of all, the story telling got me hooked from page one. The multiple POV and the jump in time adds up to the tension and the turns were unexpected.

The "not so good" thing for me was one of the main point (how they find de USB). I know, if we're believing in soulmates and the afterlife, a lot of luck are expected too. But still, I'm not convinced about that kind of luck.

Despite that, I cry a bit at the end, I love how the author wraped everything in those final pages. I had a really good time reading this book.

This was probably a 3.5, but it just didn't quite have the omph I was looking for. I liked the format and the different POVs. The characters were also well-drawn, the twist just didn't feel quite twisty enough.

We’re going back and forth and read the events from two POVs including Pippa and Amanda ( dead woman)! Their perspectives give us enough information about secrets, lies they kept about their marriages. Nothing as it seems and get ready to expect the unexpected!

My first Sally Hepworth, and I must say I'm a fan! I breezed through this book, and it was the perfect amount of mystery and drama. While the end wasn't a huge shock, I loved the backstory we got on both Amanda/Max's and Pippa/Gabe's relationships - I especially found Gabe's character super compelling. Would recommend for fans of "marriage and murder" books, as Hepworth herself says.

This story follows Pippa and Gabe, who live in their dream home near a cliffside with their two young daughters. There’s one problem though. The cliffside is a popular jump spot for suicidal people. Gabe has successfully been able to talk some people out of jumping to their death, for which he has become somewhat of a local hero. Except one night, he has an encounter with a woman that ends with her falling to her death. Pippa witnessed the last moment before the woman fell and was perplexed with Gabe’s stance and outstretched arms, which seemingly appeared to suggest maybe he did not help, but had a more sinister involvement. She tries to shake the feeling and the death was ruled a suicide. However, Pippa soon learns this woman was not a stranger to Gabe and so begins the quest for the truth, no matter how dark and secretive that truth may be.

I love a good domestic thriller. The synopsis on this book captured my attention and I couldn’t wait to dive in. I’ve read some of her other novels and have really enjoyed them. This one was so-so for me. While there were some twists and turns in this plot, most felt rather predictable or not as thrilling as I was hoping for. The story jumped between past and preset across a few different POVs, so it took some work to track and manage. The character development was pretty surface level, so I didn’t find myself feeling connected to any of the characters. It was a fairly quick read, it just wasn’t super memorable or exciting. I would give it a 3.5 rating. It appears I am in the minority based on the many stellar reviews, so I’d recommend picking it up and judging for yourself.

Thank you to NetGalley + St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. Currently the pub date is 4/4/2023, so make sure you pre-order or grab a copy when it’s released.