Another hit from Sally Hepworth. Her novels unravel as the story progresses, and The Soulmate is not different. The main characters seem to have it together, but hints at trouble in the pasts let the reader know that all has not always been well.

Unlike some of Hepworth's previous works, I was able to put together where the narrative was headed early on but enjoyed the ride nonetheless. I enjoy the layers of the story, the past and present and differing viewpoints that tell the whole story. I would not rate this as my most favorite of her works, but I remain a fan and Hepworth remains an auto-read for me.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this book. It might be my favorite Sally Hepworth now (although The Mother-In-Law is hard to top). I love the unique timeline structure of this book. I loved the mystery surrounding Amanda’s death and the little nuggets of suspicion that are dropped a long the way. This book is the perfect example of a book where you could keep saying “just one more chapter” until you’ve suddenly read the whole thing in one sitting (transparency here…I did take 2 days to finish it! Sleep got the best of me.) This book explores love, infidelity, marriage and the part mental illness can plan in all those. And that ending…you just have to read this one!

Read if you like:
▫️domestic suspense
▫️when marriages aren’t what they seem
▫️interesting timelines

I thought this was a really good thriller. It held my attention and I enjoyed reading to find out what happened. I thought the alternating timelines and POVs added to the story. I didn't feel like there were any huge twists but I didn't mind - it was just an easy going, fun thriller, although maybe with the lack of twists, it might be considered more a drama than a thriller? If you are a huge thriller fan, this might not hold up but since I read a lot of romances, I thought this was a nice change of pace!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

Sometimes I read a psychological suspense novel that I don't really enjoy because none of the characters are likeable. However, that was not the case with The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth. The characters and situations she portrayed were relatable and believable. Even though the setting was Australia, it could certainly have taken place in many other locations. The mental illness theme was skillfully woven into the story. I enjoyed the alternating voices, one of which was that of a deceased character. The best part was the twist I didn't see coming! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy to read and review.

This book seemed like a mess to me. I haven't enjoyed Hepworth as much as I used to. It just feels like the stories are a jumble of twists and characters. This book starts off GREAT- I'm intrigued by a couple that lives near a cliff and has to constantly call the police because it's a place people love to use to end their lives. Husband Gabe is the whisperer, though- he will often go out and talk to the person on the cliff until the police arrive. Until.. he's unable to talk one person off the cliff. And the secrets surrounding this person involve both Gabe and Pippa and both fear they'll be prosecuted for this person's death. The book pops back and forth from past to present to tell the story and I normally like this story vehicle. It just didn't work here.
Pippa seemed preening and clingy and Gabe was 'just so perfect' but also terribly imperfect and Hepworth worked in turns that made me squint in confusion at the end of each chapter.
I listened to an audio arc and the narrators Barrie Kreinik; Jessica Douglas-Henry did a great job- loved both voices.

You know how people say if someone wrote a grocery shopping list they would read it? That is exactly how I feel about Sally Hepworth. The Soulmate is a story that gripped me from the first chapter and didn’t let go until the very last page. It definitely would have been a one sitting read if life did not get in the way. The way the dual points of view come into play, including from one character who has passed away, was done so well that I never found myself confused about who I was reading about or what timeline it was (as some of the story is written of the past).
Highly recommend this read, especially to get out of what was about to be a huge reading slump for me!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Pippa and Gabe Gerard live in Cliff House near Melbourne. They are the parents of 4-year-old Freya and Asha.

Cliff House has a reputation as it situated on a place known as The Drop. Quite often, people have gone there to jump to their death. However, Gabe has been able to talk many people down with his caring way and save them from death. But, tonight when Pippa sees someone at the cliff’s edge, Gabe runs out and Pippa calls the police. But this time Gabe is unsuccessful and the person jumps. What Pippa saw when the person jumped stuns her because she can’t process whether the person actually jumped or was pushed. Gabe is devastated by it saying he wished he could have saved them.

Pippa works as a wills and estate planning lawyer and Gabe is a stay-at-home father. He is outgoing and dearly loves the girls. He helps out at their school and is friendly to everyone.

When the name of the person who jumped is revealed, Pippa is terrified and she and Gabe work hard to get through a recent problem in their marriage.

At times, this a difficult story to keep up with. The chapters are told between now and then by two of the characters. As I started each chapter, I had to take a few seconds to figure out who is talking and when. That’s a bit disconcerting. The story felt a bit unreal and while the author put together an interesting plot, it just didn’t seem quite believable to me. But I have read other books by this author and know that her books are good. Therefore, I am giving this book 4 stars.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

In Sally Hepworth’s latest domestic drama, two women deal with an act of suicide.
Gabe and Pippa’s dream home is at the edge of a cliff. This cliff off a sleepy town is a popular spot for suicide. Most times, Gabe can talk them down before the police can arrive. But one night he can’t save the woman trying to end her life. Pipa finds out that Gabe knew the victim Amanda and didn’t tell the cops. As a lawyer Pipa doesn’t know what to do. Does love or the law win?
The story itself makes you question what people are actually thinking and doing. While you are presented with one thing, we second guess what our narrators are telling us. Can they be trusted? Do they truly understand the people they are describing and talking about? The ambiguity of the characters and their actions spur this domestic thriller.
My favorite part is that Amanda narrates her story from beyond. This gives an interesting insight as the story unfolds. Meanwhile, her story is also told in the past as Hepworth bounces from the past to the present for both women. Some of the past drags on but when Hepworth drops an important tidbit, it’s a shocker that changes how the reader perceives the present.
Overall, this is an enjoyable book.

The Soulmate is a twisty, gripping domestic suspense about Gabe and Pippa who bought their dream house that backs up to a cliff. The cliff is notoriously called “The Drop” due to people coming to jump from the ledge.

Gabe has been able to successfully talk 7 strangers from off the ledge and failed one woman. Pippa is surprised to learn the identity of the woman is Gabe’s former boss’s wife. Gabe doesn’t tell the police that he knew her and Pippa doesn’t tell the police that it looks like Gabe pushed her.

The story is told in Pippa’s and Amanda’s (the deceased woman) POVs. It was interesting and engaging about marriage, mental health, trust and betrayals. I didn’t love the ending but I mostly enjoyed this thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC. The Soulmate is out now.

This was the twistiest thriller! The setting is absolutely one of the characters. I loved the multiple timelines and multiple points of view. Just when I thought I understood what was going on, a big twist was around the corner. I don't read a lot of thrillers because I'm always disappointed by figuring out the twist before the intended time. However, I'm always on my toes until the very end with Sally Hepworth's novels.

This was such a good one! I’ve read The Younger Wife and The Good Sister by this author and really liked them! When I saw she was coming out with a new one, I had to check it out! The book really reels you in and was such a good pace the entire time! I felt interested and drawn in from the start all the way through. I thought this was written great, but I did not like the twist at the end! I did find this one addicting, when I wasn’t reading it - I was thinking about it!! Thank you so much @sallyhepworth @netgalley @stmartinspress for this advanced reader copy! This one hit shelves April 4th! Be sure you check it out soon!

Thank you to Sally Hepworth, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I hate narratives that jump around in time while also switching POV. Those narratives make the worst audiobooks, because if you're distracted for even a moment, you might miss a switch and become confused.

However, this story could not have been told well without a nonlinear chronology. Hepworth uses it to reveal twists brilliantly, to gradually increase the tension and the stakes. I still don't like it, but it's hard to be mad when it's done so well.

I also want to take issue with Amanda's omniscient POV--it felt like cheating somehow--but it was also well utilized. You don't realize how well until the final chapters; without Amanda's POV, we couldn't have understood or sympathized with Max.

I can't decide how to feel about Pippa. On one hand, she seems too stupid to live. On the other, as Pippa herself describes, Gabe was a storm of charm, energy, beauty, and vulnerability that swept her up and carried her like a piece of debris caught in a tornado. She felt like a shade of beige made interesting only by the refractive glow of his neon. And his good did much to mask his bad; he was a good father, and at times he was a good husband and person in general, but his self-centeredness and entitlement, coupled with his mental illness, made him toxic.

I want to judge Pippa for not realizing that sooner--the way they met raised all kinds of red flags for me--but I hesitate because.... No, you know what, I'm judging her. (view spoiler) She was so emotionally needy, her self-esteem and -respect so low, that she was a prime target for someone like Gabe. He gave her a little attention, and she worshiped him for it. She was the perfect enabler for him.

And her stupid, well-intentioned family--they were concerned enough to pick up their lives and move when Pippa did, but they never said anything? There's not wanting to meddle, then there's turning a blind eye. Moving is kind of a big deal, you'd think they'd want to try an honest conversation before it came to that. Were they that afraid of confrontation? What did the mom's mother-in-law do to the mom to make her so afraid of interjecting?

But all that was exactly the point of the book. A portrait of how circumstance and perspective could cloud reality and objectivity, could obscure the obvious.

No, for all I wanted to dislike this book, I have to admit I think it was well and effectively written.

Thank you for the advanced copy of The Soulmate from Netgalley. This is my voluntary review.

I loved this suspenseful women's fiction story. Everything looks ideal on the outside. But when their life reboot turns tragic, the family fault lines grow and crack open. Issues they thought they'd put to rest, reemerge, bringing with them new lies, mistrust, and betrayal.

Told in dual first-person points of view, the story from the present to the past seamlessly, slowly revealing how they all came to be at the cliff's edge. You will think you know who the title is about, but don't be too sure.

The twist at the end will keep you thinking about this for a long time to come.

An unputdownable page turner. Told in the POV's of two wives. Pippa, wife of Gabe and Amanda, wife of Max. One of them is dead. The POV's are told in before the death and after the death. It was a great way to write it because you are never really sure about the "why" it happened until the very end. The book is suspenseful and does have some dark terror in the story. It is amazing how just a lack of communication or a little lie can change the course of people's lives. It touches on the darkness and paranoia of bipolar disease. It also touches on the fact that if you really love someone you tend to overlook or not see their short comings. This is a great read and I highly recommend it.
Thanks to #netgalley, #stmartinspress and @sallyhepworth for an ARC of this great book.

Sally does it again with a fast paced, exciting and mysterious book. I love how she weaves character stories together until you come to the truth of the story. This one touched on a lot of interesting storylines such as marriage, suicide and mental health. I was unsure how things were going to wrap up and I love that about her books where you are constantly shifting your mindset.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC of The Soulmate. Told through alternating perspectives of a wife and mother of two girls, and a suicide victim, this is a twisted tale of 2 couples whose lives are intertwined in complex and multiple ways. A setting near a cliff where people come to commit suicide plays heavily into a story of deceptions, misunderstandings, and compelling characters. Definitely a page turner with twists and revelations that will satisfy fans of suspense and thrillers. Kudos to Sally Hepworth for another intriguing tale.

Rounding up to 3.5 stars –

“They forget the most important thing about loyalty: Sometimes it’s warranted. . . sometimes it’s not.”

The first half of this book really held my attention, but the second didn’t keep it. The overall plot and characters were very interesting, and I thoroughly enjoyed the pace and shorter chapters. I was left with wanting more even with the twist at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank St. Martin's for providing a copy of this book to review. If you are looking for a thrilling read that will keep you on the edge of your seat? Look no further than Sally Hepworth's book, The Soulmate. I couldn't put it down and had to read it in its entirety, sacrificing a good night's sleep in the process.

The story starts with the mysterious death of a woman, leaving readers questioning whether it was a tragic accident or something more sinister. Written from multiple points of view and in two timelines, Hepworth expertly weaves a captivating tale that will leave you guessing until the very end.

With a rating of 4.5 out of 5, I can confidently say that this book is a must-read for anyone who loves a good thriller. But be warned, once you start reading, you won't want to stop until you reach the satisfying conclusion. Don't miss out on this incredible book - I know I'll be eagerly waiting for Hepworth's next masterpiece.

🌊 A R C • R E V I E W 🌊
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Title: The Soulmate
Author: Sally Hepworth
Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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I'm a huge fan of Sally Hepworth, so I was super stoked to get an eARC and ALC of this one. 
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This had one of my most favorite formats - being told in dual points of view and also in a dual timeline - before/after a certain situation. The “After” for one of the characters was very unique to the story and i liked that a lot! This story is woven with so many twists and turns that I didnt see coming that I actually found myself actually saying "no fucking way" multiple times. Each revelation was timed perfectly to add the right amount of wow factor. The Souldmate also deals with a ton of different topics such as mental health, suicide, marraige, faithfulness, lies/secrets, domestic/family drama and more that you really find yourself invested in the story. I felt like I kept wanting to dig deeper and deeper into these characters lives to see what else they were hiding. 
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I had a hard time putting this one down and finished it quickly. The many twists, unlikeable characters with many secrets and short chapters really kept this one exciting. I didnt think the ending was anything incredible like some of her other books (though never in a million years could I have ever figured out that ending - definitely didnt see that coming), but it was interetsting enough for me to enjoy. I'm back and forth as to how I feel about the mental illness representation. I can asy without a doubt, Hepworth nailed the characteristics of one of these main diagnoses. However, I felt like at a certain point when it was blantantly obvious what was going on, that it felt like it was brushed under the rug almost; maybe that was the point? But whatever, I digress...
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Listneing to this one while reading was a blast. Looking for a new audiobook?! Look no further - this one was really very good. I love going between the audio and reading (and then doing both at the same time) but I must say I followed along with the audio no problem from the start. This is the perfect thriller to listen too!!! The two narractors playing the two main characters were awesome.
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Overall, I enjoyed this one and definitely recommend to all thriller lovers, especially those who love Sally Hepworth! Huge thank you to @sallyhepworth, @netgalley @macmillinaudio and @stmartinspress for the eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review. The sooulmate released this week, be sure to check it out!
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#netgalleyreview #netgalley #earc #electronicadvancedreaderscopy #alc #advancedlistenerscopy #audiobook #manipulation #mentalillness #marraige #domesticdrama #familydrama #twistsgalore #dualtimelines #dualperspectives #thesoulmate #sallyhepworth #macmillinaudio #stmartinspress

♡︎ ♡︎ ♡︎

𝐀 𝐑 𝐂 • 𝐑 𝐄 𝐕 𝐈 𝐄 𝐖

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞
𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐩𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 𝟓/𝟓

If I was not a busy SAHM, I would have devoured this book in one sitting! I was eating up every word the author wrote.

I do not normally read thrillers, so when I got this book I didn’t know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by every twist and turn this book takes you on! The different POVs really helps you get to know each individual character through the females’ POV.

If you are looking for a domestic thriller, this is your book. It didn’t scare me like I thought it might. I was searching for answers behind every page! I was on the journey with the character.

I LOVE THIS BOOK.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this book unexpectedly a few days before it released! I’m happy I got to review this eARC for you and Sally Hepworth! What a lovely experience.

♡︎ ♡︎ ♡︎