There are two couples, with ties to one another, that could be vying for best soulmates. Gabe and Pippa are the Australian parents of two young girls. They live in their dream home on the cliffs just above the ocean, where Gabe has made a name for himself as a sort of suicide whisperer. The cliff behind their house is a famous suicide spot, nicknamed the "Drop," and Gabe has spent hours talking many potential jumpers out of taking that drastic move. Pippa (the breadwinner of the family) and Gabe (the stay-at-home dad) have made it through some very tough times and are now a supportive team based on a common ideal of loyalty.

Max and Amanda are a somewhat older couple who have never had children but have built a strong foundation on their common goals and values. Max is an uber-wealthy tech company owner while Amanda manages the domestic side of his life flawlessly. Their bond is less emotional than that of Pippa and Gabe, but it is no less strong, based as it is upon a common ideal of fidelity.

The two couples' stories collide when Gabe and Pippa see a woman at the Drop. Gabe goes out to help and, for the first time, is unable to save her. When the police arrive to begin an investigation, Gabe's story doesn't fit with what Pippa thought she saw out of the window. Thus begins a trip for the reader into the past. Hepworth moves us through time, providing glimpses into how Gabe and Pippa, and Max and Amanda, became more than just married couples, but also soulmates. Given to us in small doses, the couples' stories intertwine keeping us turning the pages as we attempt to figure out what the characters' relationships are and how they led to the fate of the woman at the Drop. All four characters are extremely well developed. In spite of mistakes each has made, Hepworth makes us care for them all and wish for the best for each.

The plot is quite complex, told from the perspectives of Pippa and Amanda…past, present, and near future. There is a strong sense of closure as the book draws to a close, both for the characters and for the reader. The tragedy of what happened on the cliff that day, and how each of the four characters is complicit, makes sense in a surprisingly comforting manner. The writing is very strong. In addition to a twisty and engaging plot and fully developed characters, Hepworth has given us beautiful and evocative writing about the location.

Because of the relationships that drive the plot, there is a bit of romance in this novel. However, the romance feeds the plot, rather than vice-versa, moving the book out of the realm of romance into that of a mystery/suspense novel. In the audio version, Amanda's and Pippa's characters are voiced by two different readers, and this helps to differentiate them as the book moves through time and perspective. The narrators bring each of the women's personalities to life, adding to the experience of listening to the book.

This is the first book by Sally Hepworth that I've read, although she has written many. I will definitely be looking for her in the future as well as reading some of her earlier novels.

H

The Soulmate
Pub Date: April 4, 2023
eARC: Netgalley, St Martins Press
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Soulmate is a fast-paced domestic thriller. The various twists and turns kept me guessing and I loved that I didn’t figure it all out before the reveals started to come.

Gabe and Pippa live in a small coastal town in their dream home but it’s set on a big cliff where people over the years have gone to end their life. Since moving in, Gabe has been able to talk people out of their decision to jump until he can’t. Pippa thinks she sees him with his arms outstretched, was he reaching for her, did he push her? Everything starts to unravel when she realizes he’s hid that he knew the jumper. Pippa starts to wonder what else her husband has been hiding from her.

This book kept me guessing until the end. It is a good story with well developed characters and a lot of mystery.

This book was very engaging, with super short chapters that make you keep reading "just a few more minutes". The premise of this really intrigued me, and I really enjoyed Hepworth's novel, The Good Sister. Comparatively, I did not enjoy this as much, but I still liked it. I think overall, the plot, along with its twists. ended up missing the mark for me a bit. There isn't much that's shocking or particularly interesting about the main plot points. However, it was super quick, and I had a good time with it. It just seems a bit forgettable compared to other suspense novels I've read.

This story follows the points of view from two women. It goes back and forth from past and present, which seems to be the current trend in many books these days. The author does a good job keeping the storyline moving and interest flowing. There were a few twists I did not expect, but it was not anything that wowed me. It was a decent book. I give it a solid 4 🌟.

This was a great thriller! This was my first book that I read by Sally Hempworth, and I was not disappointed! The portrayal of marriage and secrets was very nicely done!

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth is a tale of the tribulations of marriage when love, power, and mental health issues collide. Everybody has a secret that they want to keep, but what at what cost?
Gabe and Pippa live with their toddler girls in a cottage up on a cliff by the seaside. The cliff by their house is unfortunately a known location for suicide jumpers. Gabe, with his charm and charisma, has found a new purpose in his life in talking potential jumpers off the ledge. Gabe has a history of mental health struggles, and Pippa worries about Gabe’s reaction when the inevitable happens, and there is a jumper that he cannot talk off the cliff. 
Max and Amanda are an extremely wealthy married couple. Their marriage is a marriage of convenience, and they both provide each other with stability and loyalty. Until one day, Amanda commits suicide. 
Amanda is the one Gabe couldn’t talk off the cliff. But Pippa questions if Gabe is telling the truth about what happened up on the cliff side that evening. Amanda’s husband has the wealth and power to get even, and Pippa is terrified for her young girls and their family. Will Pippa's family be safe? Did Gabe push Amanda off the cliff?
The Soulmate is told from multiple viewpoints and multiple timelines, but Sally Hepworth helps the reader keep everything straight by clearly labeling the narrator and timing of each chapter. Amanda narrates both before and after her suicide, and has more of an “all seeing” viewpoint after her death. This definitely enhances the story. The alternating narrators and viewpoints ratchet up the tension thought out the story, as Sally comes to a crucial part of the story and then will switch narrators, keeping you propulsively turning pages. 
Thank you to Sally Hepworth and St. Martin's press for the advance copy!

My first by this author but I’ve already bought a few of hers! I liked the point of views that went back and forth. I was surprised by the ending. I recommend to my friends for someone who is looking for an addictive thriller.

This is a story with alternating storyline short chapters that had me turning pages well into the night. Sally Hepworth artfully crafted this marital suspense and drama. I highly recommend for anyone looking for a quick and engaging read that has twists with several chapters and an ending you won’t see coming! Thank you to NetGalley ARC for the gift of this book. 5/5 glowing stars!

Ok so this was definitely after sleeping on it a 3.5 book.

LIKES:
1) quick read
2) mildly easy to follow. At one point I got confused and thought the story was going in a different direction but then quickly got corrected
3) so many layers, I was guess and trying to make connections the entire time!
4) mental illness and neurodivergent characters- I really did enjoy that this was a part of the story…

DISLIKES:
1) so after reading so other reviews I now understand why I was feeling off about the rep of mental illness in this book. The misdiagnosed adhd was brought up so flippantly. This lead to more weird (trying not to spoil) things to occur. I’m not sure if this author has experience with bipolar, but I feel that those of us that due, needed the topic to be address with more care.

I really enjoyed another one of Sally Hepworths gripping , thrillers . This book kept me on the edge of the seat! I liked the perceptive we had one of the characters who was dead as well .
I could not book this book down !

Sally Hepworth is one of my favorite authors. Her stories are always entertaining.

From the opening scene, The Soulmate had me.

Pippa and Gabe live in a coastal cottage with their two daughters. From the beginning, you know something is not right. Their home is on a cliff and sadly, this has become a great place for people to commit suicide. Thankfully, Gabe has been able to help several people from jumping just by talking to them. When the book begins, a woman is by the cliff. As always, Gabe grabs a jacket and goes out there to talk to her and hopefully help her not jump. However, this time things don't work out and she dies.

As traumatizing as this situation is for Pipa, it becomes worse when it's revealed that Gabe knew the victim and that Pipa knew her husband.

The book is narrated by Pippa and by Amanda, the dead woman. Both characters unraveled the past and make sense of the present.

I listened to the audio and it was fantastic thanks to Barrie Kreinik, and Jessica Douglas-Henry.

Engrossing and atmospheric with a side of ghostly made this book another winner by Sally Hepworth.

Cliffhanger: No

4.5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5 Stars

A thrilling page turner about Gabe and Pipa, a couple who move to a home outside of Melbourne with the perfect view of a well know spot along the cliffs, The Drop-a place where people go to jump to their death. Gabe quickly becomes the small town hero, saving people from jumping and talking them off the ledge…until one day he doesn’t. His wife Pipa becomes suspicious when she looks out the window the night of the accident seeing something that doesn’t sit right.

This book is 🔥 DRAMA 🔥. No one can be trusted, with lies and deception this book its about murder, family, secrets and marriage.

This book had me hooked from the start! I loved the characters yet knew some of them could not be trusted. With short chapters I had to know how it ended and each page kept me guessing. The story is told my Pipa and Amanda (the women who jumps) both with perspectives before and after the accident, which I thought was an interesting take on story telling. There was so much in the story as they both questioned loyalty and fidelity in their marriages and how far they would go for the ones they love. I didn’t see the big twist coming and the ending was great! What a wild ride yet beautiful story

Content Warning: suicide and mental health

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for the ARC copy.

My first book by this author and it won’t be my last! The story kept my attention throughout the book and I enjoyed the twists! I liked how the couple had layers to their secrets that kept getting revealed. I would highly recommend this book for others to read!

The audiobook was such a pleasure to listen to. Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry are both riveting. Unfortunately, this novel wasn’t for me. It leaned a little more domestic than suspense.

The Soulmate grabs hold of you from the start and doesn't let go until the surprise ending. Wow, what a book! Gabe and Pippa have bought a cottage on a cliff that looks out over the beach. Their 2 daughters love the house and location to the beach, but have been warned to stay back from the cliff. Gabe had a fence put in to make the boundaries clear for the girls. If Gabe and Pippa had known about The Drop as it's called, Pippa would've never agreed to buy the cottage. It turns out that suicidal people walk up here and jump off the cliff when they want to end their lives. Since living here, Gabe has saved 7 people from committing suicide by talking them off the ledge. He's become somewhat famous for it and there was even an article in the paper about him. The article talked about the amazing ability Gabe has to connect with people and save them from making a huge mistake.

After dinner one night, Pippa and Gabe are washing dishes when they notice a woman walking towards the cliff. Gabe rushes out to work his magic while Pippa watches while finishing the clean up. Pippa sees the woman step away from the cliff and she can tell Gabe is talking to her from his arm motions. The woman seems upset and throws her arms up above her head in anger it seems. Gabe keeps talking to her. As Pippa finishes loading the dishwasher she looks up and sees Gabe's arm stretched out in front of him, but the woman is gone!! Did she leave? Did she jump? Why are Gabe's arms in that position? He wouldn't have pushed her, would he? Gabe collapses onto the ground as Pippa runs out. He's distraught. The woman was upset that her husband had cheated on her with another woman and told Gabe she wanted to die. Gabe tried to reach for her as she jumped but was unable to save her.

The police are called and arrive to find the woman's body below. Gabe tells them what happened and they try to console him knowing that he can't save them all. The police know of Gabe and his amazing ability to save people from doing the unthinkable. Pippa's parents and sister are there to help the girls get to bed and have a normal evening even though chaos has occurred outside. It seems to be a case of a very unhappy woman who just discovered her husband was cheating. Is that all It was? Would it make a difference if Gabe knew the woman? When Pippa finds out Gabe knew the victim she's not sure what to think. She feels like this was her fault and is not sure what to do with that.

Gabe and Pippa don't tell the police that they knew the victim. They hope it will never be found out. How long can you really keep a secret like this? When the police notify the husband about his wife jumping from a cliff, he can't believe it! There's no way that Amanda would kill herself he pleads. Max is sure that his wife was not suicidal, but they tell him that she told a witness that she was upset about her husband cheating on her. She had seen a video. Max told the police she would never do something so horrible as his brother had committed suicide when they were teenagers. She knew how devastated Max was over this. Max used to be Gabe's boss before he was fired and Gabe knew Amanda from work functions and dinners. Did she really kill herself or was she pushed? Why would Gabe want to push her? Gabe is a good man, isn't he?

Sally Hepworth does a masterful job of keeping the reader on edge throughout the entire book by telling the story from various POV's. You see what Pippa, Gabe, Amanda, and Max are thinking both before and after the incident. This book will have you staying up late, getting up early, and reading whenever possible as you simply can't put it down. If you love a good thriller this is the book you must read! I loved The Soulmate and look forward to Sally Hepworth's next book. I'd like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of The Soulmate in exchange for a fair review. #TheSoulmateSallyHepworth

So many questions surrounding the one person that didn’t walk away from the cliffs. Was it Murder or suicide? You will keep trying to guess while reading this story. You won’t see the coming.

Our new favorite spot to read! ☀️

Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my E-ARC!

Another great thriller from Sally Hepworth! This one drew me in so much I was reading it during night feeds! Normally reading will put me to sleep when I’m up with baby girl.

The plot was unique and there was a good pace of reveals to keep you invested. And of course I loved the short chapters!

Sally Hepworth books will continue to be at the top of my TBR

Thank you to Sally, St. Martin’s, and Netgalley for an advance copy of The Soulmate.

Pippa and Gabe have been through some issues and come out on the other side intact. They have moved out of the city into a beautiful house on a cliffside where they’ve made their fresh start. Unfortunately, that cliffside is also a popular suicide spot known as The Drop.

Gabe has a new hobby of talking people off the ledge - literally. He’s personable and comforting, and always knows what to say to keep people from jumping until the authorities show up. Except for this one. When Pippa watches from the window as Gabe fails for the first time, she is devastated for him. But then it comes out that Gabe knew her, and Pippa starts to question whether Gabe tried to save her or just let her jump.

This was damn near a 5 star read for me, which is practically unheard of in a thriller. From the first page I was hooked and only put it down when real life came calling.

I like domestic thrillers in which overall the couple is very happy and do trust each other. Even though Pippa questioned what actually happened between Gabe and the woman who jumped, her trust in him felt quite unwavering as though even if something sinister did happen that there was a perfectly logical explanation and that she would stand by him. I feel like those are the domestic thrillers that are most relatable, as I would more or less need to catch my husband in the act to believe that he would do something awful and not tell me about it.

The Soulmate was a creeping, building suspense book, but it also moved quickly. It was no trouble at all for me to tear through chapters despite the slow burn to get to the resolution. With a dual-POV one of those POVs being unconventional and surprising, it will be hard to stop flipping the pages in this one.

Before reading The Soulmate, I was expecting a thrilling whodunit. What I actually read was the tragic fallout from a toxic relationship.

The dual POV of Pippa and Amanda (the woman who died at the cliffs) is both maddening and effective.Sally Hepworth does an amazing job of creating truly unhinged characters in the most ideal of settings. The Soulmate is no exception. It is hard to believe that this sleepy, coastal town is the stage for Gabe’s web of lies and deceit while Pippa runs herself ragged cleaning up after him.

I finished The Soulmate in under 24 hours and it has taken me about a month to get my thoughts together as this story truly affected me. My biggest takeaway from The Soulmate is that this story is not for the faint of heart and the ending is sheer tragedy. While I was shocked by some of the relationships between characters, it is important to note the ripple effect of ones actions when held unaccountable for too long.

For readers who are looking for my depth with their mysteries/thrillers, I highly recommend checking out The Soulmate.