When it comes to domestic suspense, Sally Hepworth is the queen, but this one wasn’t my favorite of hers. The synopsis grabbed my attention from the get-go, but it also brought to mind two important questions: 1) What is so special about Gabe that he is able to talk people out of jumping off of a cliff? And 2) What parents in their right minds would raise their family next to a cliff that is a well known spot for committing suicide?

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, though. This story, told through the POVs of Gabe’s wife (Pippa) and the woman he was unable to talk down from the ledge (Amanda), had so many hidden secrets, and I was really glad nothing was revealed too soon. While the storyline held my attention for the majority of the book, the end seemed to kind of fizzle out. Overall, I thought it was a pretty good book, other than a few unrealistic scenarios and the underwhelming end.

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of this book to review.*

This is my second Sally Hepworth book and it's very clear they are all pretty different. I was hooked in the beginning, then lost interest a bit, but pulled through at the end and it really got interesting! I enjoyed it, but I wish it held me captive through the middle part!

DNFed about 30 pages in. I was expecting so much more from this book. Sally's books are usually a hit for me but this was a dud.

Pippa and Gabe have been living for a couple of years in a lovely cottage in a small coastal town. It’s a highly desirable, tranquil spot — but it sits on a cliff high above a rocky shoreline. And desperate people have discovered that the cliff is a perfect place to end their lives. However, in the short time they’ve lived there, Gabe has been able to persuade every person who’s come there to walk away.

Then one night, he doesn’t succeed. A woman jumps to her death. Pippa and Gabe are both horribly shaken. But when Pippa finds out Gabe knew the woman, it prompts questions and doubts. Because while she and Gabe are incredibly in love with each other, their married life has not been easy. Gabe has been unstable at times. Now, Pippa can’t escape the questions: Did Gabe lie? Did the woman jump, or was she pushed?

The Soulmate is another gripping domestic thriller from Sally Hepworth. I’ve enjoyed all her books, and this one had some good twists. The plot insistently presses forward, with secrets gradually revealed, and readers aren’t sure whom to believe, much like Pippa. The ending is satisfying but also bittersweet. Recommend.

What a wild ride! I had a hard time putting this book down. This was my first Sally Hepworth book, and I truly enjoyed it!

We follow Pippa and Gabe while they are living in their coastal cliff side home with their small family. Over the years, Gabe has been able to talk several people down from taking their lives (via jumping off the cliff near their home). Unfortunately, Pippa witnesses Gabe’s attempt at saving a woman fail…as she was there one minute and gone the next. Pippa panics, and believes that Gabe *might* have pushed her…

Thanks so much to Netgalley for the ARC! I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a fast paced thriller!

The Soulmate starts with a woman close to the edge of a cliff, it’s thought that she’s going to jump off, ending her life. Puppy and Gabe, crazy in love, have moved with their family to a lovely house. The only problem is, it sits right on the edge of a cliff and is a well known suicide spot. Gabe has fortunately been able to stop seven people from ending their lives, but isn’t able to stop this woman. After the jump, tons of questions arise. Who was the woman? Did they know her? Is Gabe lying… is Pippa? Can Pippa trust Gabe?

This is a hard book to review, I liked some elements and really didn’t like others. The story itself is good, easy to follow and kept me engaged and interested. It had a couple of good twists I didn’t see coming. I would say this is more of a domestic thriller. The characters are extremely unlikeable. I know stranger things have happened, but the story and the characters feelings did feel unrealistic at times. I didn’t like any character except Amanda, and I really liked how we read her POV, it was different and made sense in the end, it was a good perspective and way to explain different aspects of the plot. I really struggled with Pippa and her love for Gabe, Pippa was so frustrating because she was so naive, forgave Gabe way too easily and at one point says he’s too far gone for help which was just an eye roll. Gabs was so awful, but so was Pippa. I just couldn’t buy the soulmate aspect of their relationship because they both did horrible things to each other. I did like the ending, and I liked Amanda’s relationship with Max in a way, except for the not saying I love you, I just again, couldn’t buy that. Their story was sad, but I liked the ending. Not sure if I’ll read another from this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyed this much more than the other Hepworth books I've read in the past. This book was twisty and entertaining, but didn't go much deeper.

Well, this sure was an interesting read! A unique story about a couple who buy their dream home on a cliffside with beautiful views. Gabe and Pippa are happily married with two little girls, they are soulmates The cliff is well known for people jumping off and committing suicide, and Gabe has a knack for talking people out of jumping and rescuing them. Then one night woman does jump, and Gabe is left standing by the cliff alone. What happened that Gabe isn't talking about with Pippa? Who was this woman? So many questions and so many twists and turns in this mystery/suspense novel. I really enjoyed the writing, story (very detailed) and strong character development. From the very beginning to the twisty end, this book held my attention and had me wondering what was going to happen. This is the first book I've read by Sally Hepworth and I can't wait to read some of her older books. I read the kindle version of this book and liked it so much that I purchased the Audible version, so when I couldn't read, I could listen. Excellent narration by Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry. I highly recommend either version.

I received the advanced readers copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for my Honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. A very special Thank You to St. Martin's Press, via NetGalley.

Another good book from Sally Hepworth. This one explores relationships, fidelity, marriage, dysfunction, mental illness, all with twists and turns - centered around the question - Is it suicide or murder? The setting is basically a beautiful but dangerous Australian cliff, with a beautiful dream house on one side and the extraordinary Australian ocean on the other. The characters are well written - a family with complex layers and friends with there own complexity. Well written with two points of view- I loved that Hepworth included the point of view of the main character as well as, toward the end of the story, the dead women. Enjoyable read if you love drama saturated with mystery!

Quick and Dirty
-domestic thriller
-an obsessive love story
-mental health representation
-binge-worthy read

Musings
I opened my Kindle not long after boarding the 10hr flight and tried reading my current histfic. I immediately lost interest (gasp!!!) and thought about finding some music to listen to, but I remembered I hadn’t read the May book for @socalstoryswappers. So, I searched my Kindle library for The Soulmate and five hours later I was done. One sitting, no breaks, no stopping me. Needless to say, this one is very binge-able, so beware! Was the story perfect? Nope. But it was entertaining, which spells a great vacay read in my humble opinion. I love a good domestic thriller, and this scratched that itch for sure. The mental health representation was overall good, and the way the author illustrated the impact of mental health on a family, including extended family, is highly commendable. The blind love was a bit hard to stomach at times, so there were definitely a few eye rolls. I loved that there were several twists, all of varying degrees of twistedness. And as we discussed at book club, Hepworth is a master at slipping big moments in under the radar, which results in some re-reading of more than one sentence or two. Overall, this was solid and I recommend it to anyone looking for the perfect vacay read for summer.

This is a good domestic thriller with plenty of twists you don't see coming. I enjoyed the short chapters changing from different points of view and it was paced perfectly to hold my interest. I will be looking for more books from Sally Hepworth in the future. My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

I have enjoyed Sally's previous books but it has been a mixed bag. The Mother In Law and The Good Sister have been my favorite. Absolutely riveting.

For whatever reason this one fell flat for me. The writing is excellent and the plot was good. A solid fast paced read, but I failed to connect to the story. I will likely give this another try on Audiobook format and see if I connect better that way.

Actual rating: 3.5 out of 5

I enjoyed reading The Soulmate. It was entertaining from beginning to end and I wanted to know what had happened at the cliff. The storytelling could get confusing though. There are two couples: Gabe and Pippa and Max and Amanda. The story itself is narrated by Pippa in the now and in the then, while intertwining with Amanda telling her narration in the before and the after. It was Amanda's 'after' that lost it for me. Everything else could have been believable, but a narration from the dead?

I still look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Sally Hepworth for a copy of "The Soulmate" in exchange of an honest review.

This was a pretty good book. It was told from different perspectives including from a character who is dead for part of it. It goes back and forth in time to tell the story. It was exciting and moved along quickly. However the only thing that bugged me was some of the coincidences in the book between the characters - I thought it was a bit too much.

But overall I enjoyed the book.

Sally Hepworth once again presents a twisty domestic thriller. Pippa and Gabe left the city behind and bought their dream home on the coast. The only catch is it is literally on a cliff. And people sometimes come to jump off that cliff. Gabe, a stay-at-home dad, has a talent for talking people away from the edge. It happens often enough, that when they notice a woman on the cliff's edge, Pippa and Gabe spring to action. Pippa wrangles the kids inside and Gabe slowly approaches the potential jumper. From the kitchen window Pippa watches as the woman is there one moment, talking to Gabe, and the next, she is gone. If this is not devastating enough, Pippa soon learns that Gabe new the victim. What follows is a slow unraveling of secrets and lies.
Hepworth got creative in this new book-she multiple points of view, including that of the victim, and alternates between the past and the present-while staying true to her slow-burn style of storytelling. Another quick, enjoyable read from a reliable author.

It will forever put me in awe to see the way that Hepworth balances a mystery and the emotional rollercoaster that life is for everyone. She is the only thriller author that I have read that has completely wrapped me up into a book mentally, as well as emotionally. I absolutely loved the way that this mystery slowly unfolded each chapter, revealing more and more of the puzzle to us. It was perfectly paced and the ending was very satisfying.

I mean honestly can you ever go wrong with a Sally Hepworth book? Another psychological page-turner from a fabulous story-teller! I love a dark, twisty suspense as a beach read. This one definitely will be a hit and I am guessing to a streaming service soon!

Quick thoughts on this one.

I liked the dual POV and timeline and the talk of mental health which I thought was done well.

Short quick chapters made it really easy to get through the book faster.

This was just a big group of unlikeable and unreliable characters which added to the suspense but overall I felt a little disappointed with the ending. I was expecting more out of it, but it ended up being more about the family drama than anything.

This was my first from Hepworth and I will definitely give her other books a try!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review

Married couple Gabe and Pippa moved to a home near a cliff popular for its suicide count. Since then, Gabe was able to save a number of those who attempted, with the exception of the last one, a woman with ties to the couple. Doubts and feelings of betrayal then begin to unravel as secrets get to be exposed.

I appreciated that this explored the effects of mental illness in a married couple’s life and their families which I believe was handled sensitively. I also enjoyed how this was told from Pippa and the dead woman’s points of view in alternating timelines slowly revealing their connections which I somehow predicted and proved to be a bit anti-climactic. I loved how Hepworth tied together the ending, though.

This one was my gateway Sally Hepworth and it turned out to be more domestic and less thriller for my liking. I guess my expectations weren’t properly managed and that’s on me. I’m still going to try her other books for sure.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and the author for my copy. All opinions are honest and my own.

I really enjoyed this one. Sally Hepworth has become an auto-read author for me…she writes it, I definitely want to read it. The storyline was unique and I enjoyed the format of the book. Would recommend!