Member Reviews
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth will take you on a journey of secrets, betrayal and the effects on a marriage. Gabe and Pippa’s dream home is located on a cliff, unfortunately the cliff is well known for those lost souls that feel the only way out of their lives is to jump. But Gabe has found himself to be the cliff whisperer, he has literally talked people down from the edge, until he doesn’t. This victim is different, because he knows her. As the victim’s name is released, and Pippa and others find out who she is and how Gabe knows her, questions start to spiral, did she jump or was she pushed? Would Gabe ever tell the truth about what happened, even when Pippa realizes he withheld some vital information to the police? When secrets are revealed, even the perfect marriage can fall apart at the seams.
The story is narrated by two characters, Pippa and Amanda. The stories were well written and easy to follow along, keeping the reader engaged in both the past, present and a little bit of purgatory. These characters are very complex, and honestly not very likeable. There is a lot going on in these marriages, and most of it is not good. There are infidelities, lies, secrets, addiction, mental illness, and death. It’s all sort of dark, and does get into the nitty gritty of the effects these issues have on a marriage.
I enjoyed this novel. It was fast paced and easy to read chapters that will keep you engaged until the twists at the end. I would like to thank Netgalley, St Martin’s Press and Sally Hepworth for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited to read Sally Hepworth’s latest novel and it was worth the wait. This is one of those stories where all the main characters have secrets—even those who seem the nicest.
What kind of family decides to buy a cottage that looks out over a cliff that is a popular suicide point? Evidently the Gerard family, who felt the location had more beauty and peacefulness to offset the sordid history of the place.
Eventually Gabe Gerard becomes known for his ability to save individuals from jumping to their death and he is written about in the local paper. But one day, a woman comes to the cliff and Gabe fails to keep her from falling to her death.
The woman was not just any woman. She was someone with a connection to the Gerard family. I loved the point of view the dead woman gives to the story. Each of the characters has something to hide and as the story progresses readers see what a tangled web they have made together.
I was hooked from the start and the story moved at a brisk pace. The ending was one I could not have predicted. Loved it!
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy. I’m happy to recommend this and give my honest review.
Like other of Sally Hepworth’s books, this is not as much of a thriller as it appears, but has some elements of suspense. There is a lot more to it than a typical thriller, and I really enjoyed it!
*
Synopsis: Gabe and Pippa live with their two kids in their dream house on a cliff in a seaside town, until one day a woman shows up and despite Gabe’s efforts to save her, she jumps off the cliff, committing suicide. Except Pippa thinks she saw something else.
*
More than anything else, this was a treatise into the importance of mental health, of all kinds - suicidal thoughts obviously, but also bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, psychosis, and so on. There’s a lot of positive messages that I found really powerful, how it all came together.
*
As far as the suspense, it did require some suspense of disbelief, but I really liked it! I really liked the alternating POVs, the alternating timelines, and I even really liked the POV (after she died) of the woman who jumped, which I did not expect. And when you finally find out the reason for the title, it’s so touching.
*
Definitely recommend!
4/5⭐️
Solid thriller/mystery. I enjoyed the coastal Australian setting and liked the two POVs with two separate timelines. This coupled with short chapters really made the story move along nicely. I am also a big fan of family dynamics and drama in thriller and really enjoyed how this one didn’t play into the hysterical/crazy woman plot.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!
This story is as it’s core about two women in different types of marriages. One ends up dead and there are alternating POVs and timelines. I really liked the POV of the character who died in the beginning and how she slowly shed light on everything that happened. That being said, this felt like it dragged a bit at times. While the author explicitly stated a character didn’t do things because of their mental illness, it certainly felt that way at times. A good book and an easy beach read
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked this book and the storyline was incredibly original! It’s about a family that lives in a house near a cliff that is notorious for people committing suicide. I don’t want to give to much away because there are lots of twists that will make your head spin and I’d hate to spoil the fun for future readers! If you like psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators, be sure to check this book out!
3 stars
I have read a few Sally Hepworth books now and this one was just ok. It was an ok domestic story for me. It follows a husband and wife and their two children who live in a house on a cliff that is a prime suicide location. Gabe has made it his mission to try to talk people out of committing suicide until there is one woman who happens to be his former boss's wife and to Gabe's wife Pippa it looks like he pushed her off the cliff.
I found both Gabe and Pippa to be unlikable for different reasons, Gabe because he just wasn't a good guy, and Pippa because she needed to gain a little bit of a backbone.
I didn't like the mental health portrayal in this book as if having a mental issue makes you completely unhinged or something it is such a nasty narrative and really needs to stop being used as a plot device, This book was just very middle of the road for me and
Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I wouldn't expect any less from Sally Hepworth than a twisty, turny, edge-of-my-seat book and I was not disappointed.
The character development was well done showing growth in some of the characters and how they dealt with challenges. There were a number of surprise developments along the way and the book was neatly wrapped up by the end.
This author is definitely at the top of favorites' list.
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth
Happy Pub Week to The Soulmate! Thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an ARC
We follow Gabe and Pippa’s marriage- they have a dream house in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house has a popular spot for people to end their lives. Gabe always come to the rescue and has saved countless lives, until he doesn’t. We follow this story through Pippa’s POV. We get to read from a secondary POV as well which I think adds amazing context to the story.
I absolutely enjoyed this reading! Not a 5 star but very close to it. There were some parts that were a bit too unbelievable for me BUT still such an enjoyable read. Short chapters, who can complain? The twist near the end, actually surprised me! And the ending- didn’t see that one coming. I think I might have shed a tear. Sally Hepworth didn’t disappoint.
This book was amazing, I loved all the twists and turns! I feel like she did a good job with the mental illness aspect of this book without using it as a crutch. Sally Hepworth is now one of my favorite authors and I will always read her books! Off to add the rest of her backlog of books to my expanding TBR!
4 stars!
"The Soulmate" by Sally Hepworth is an awesome mystery/thriller that's sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Things are not as they appear as the past mixes with the present to tell the interwoven stories of two couples, Gabe and Pippa, and Max and Amanda. From the very first chapter, the stage is set with a terrific atmosphere, intriguing but shady characters, and a premise that promises more to come with the turn of each page. I could not put this novel down! There are so many twists and turns that I just *had to* keep reading. This is a fast-paced, engrossing read that will leave you unable to stop until all of its secrets have been revealed. The family drama intermingles with mystery and suspense to create one heck of a tale. I was not let down in the slightest. I am putting all of Sally Hepworth's novels on my TBR!
Thank you to NetGalley, Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.
THE SOULMATE
Sally Hepworth, Author Mystery/Thriller
Release Date: April 4, 2023
https://bit.ly/40BMFAv
When it comes to light that Gabe and Pippa’s dream home is famous for being the place where people wishing to commit suicide by jumping, things take a turn for the worse. Especially when Gabe is unable to save the last person who comes to the spot.
This was a book that I could not stop reading once I started it. It shows suicide from all perspectives and examines mental illness and the process for making a diagnosis and treatment plan. It kept me guessing until the very end which always makes it a 5 out of 5 stars read for me.
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth is a suspense thriller of marriage, betrayal and secrets. There’s a cliff known as the Drop which has become a popular suicide spot. There’s a cottage that sits on that cliff. It’s the home of Gabe and Pippa Gerard. As people come to the cliff with the intent to end their lives, Gabe comes to the rescue to talk them back. Until one night, he doesn’t. Questions begin to swirl in Pippa’s head as to what happened, what did she see and is there more to Gabe’s story than he’s telling. But would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate, lie? As the investigation into the victim’s death begins, Pippa begins to see cracks in their perfect façade and Gabe begins to act more and more erratically. What will Pippa do when she discovers that Gabe is hiding deeper and darker secrets?
Sally Hepworth has a reputation for suspense thrillers. So when I got the opportunity to read her newest book, I jumped at the chance. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in this story. With short, quick 87 chapters, the story was choppy and disjointed. Switching between Pippa and the victim, and past and present, the story didn’t give enough time to truly get invested. I didn’t like Pippa or Gabe or their perfect façade. At one point, Pippa discovers Gabe’s indiscretion and she accepts it? Really? Just like that? “Ok, I forgive you.” Some women may eventually get there but for Pippa, it was almost instantaneously. I also didn’t enjoy how long it took to identify who was who in the story. I had to guess who was a daughter, a sister, etc. Overall, I did not enjoy The Soulmate. However, I will give Ms. Hepworth’s previous works a chance.
The Soulmate is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook
Sally Hepworth writes a great thriller full of plot twists that keeps you engaged. You can easily read The Soulmate in a day which I almost did!
Gabe and Pippa’s dream home is on the edge of a cliff. These cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Gabe has come to their rescue time and time again until one night he can't save the latest jumper. Turns out Gabe knew the victim and now Pippa is doubting if she jumped or if she was pushed?!
At the heart of the story is two different marriages: Pippa + Gabe and Max + Amanda. Pippa and Amanda act as the narrators. With flashbacks into the past, they give us insight into the lies, secrets and betrayals they've faced in their marriages which has ultimately lead them to present day. Nothing is as it seems. They have each worked hard to achieve the outward appearance of their "perfect" marriages while hiding the internal struggles. They both don't know whether or not to trust their husbands.
The ending was heartbreaking but perfect and I encourage you (if you haven't already) to add this to your TBR! -g
Many thanks to @stmartinspress + @netgalley for the e-book ARC in exchange for our honest review. The Soulmate is out NOW!
What I liked:
▪️Dual POV with multiple timelines
▪️The marriages (their differences & similarities)
▪️short chapters
▪️ALL the twists
What I didn’t like:
▪️n/a
I preface this to say that this is one of my favorite authors. I have read everything by her and with The Soulmate she does not disappoint! The Soulmate hits everything- a marriage with secrets, mental health issues, general mysteries built within the story and mysterious twists that you will not see coming.
Pippa and Gabe Gerard have been married for years and you should know that all is not quite what it seems. They are living their best life in a dream home on the coast, so what if there's a cliff outside their home that seems to attract people who want to end their lives? Gabe has actually talked several people literally off the ledge and saved their lives.
Amanda and Max are the other couple in this story who also have some secrets to hide from the world. This story is told from several points of view and time shifts from past to present so that you will more fully understand the background. This was a twisty tale of betrayal, secrets and lies.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and awaiting the next! Shout out to Netgalley for an advanced copy!
Absolutely loved this book! The pacing was awesome. The twists were sprinkled in at the right times - just when I thought I'd guess what was coming next, there was a surprise. I just love her writing! Gorgeous book cover!
So.. this book. WHEW!
It is written from the perspective of two narrators, Amanda and Pippa. And also in a dual timeline, from before the incident (the events leading up to it) to the aftermath.
The story begins with Gabe (Pippa's husband) trying to save someone who has come to the cliff, which is a popular spot for people who want to end their lives. While he is normally good at talking people out of this, this time he isn't successful.
The aftermath of this one suicide brings forth many dark secrets and truths.
And boy, was there dark secrets and truths!
This is the type of suspense book that you will binge read in a day. The chapters are short and contain so much info that it makes you want to keep reading and reading.
I enjoyed Amanda's chapters more so than Pippa's, just because I felt like Amanda's chapters had more insight into the incident, what lead up to it and the aftermath, Pippa tried to save Gabe in many ways and in doing so, it made her a super annoying character (in my opinion).
The best part to me was the ending, because everything came full circle and the book ends with a neat little bow. So I do suggest that everyone reads this book ASAP! You won't regret it :)
It's hard to write a review without giving away too much of the novel, but I see why she titled the book The Soulmate.
This is my first Sally Hempworth novel and she now has a new fan! I picked up The Younger Wife and it's been sitting on my desk for a while but now I want to binge this after reading The Soulmate.
Pippa and Gabe have moved to a new home overlooking a cliff. It has wonderful views but it is known as the spot where people like to end their lives. They have even saved a few lives. But, there was one that they could not save. And Pippa is now beginning to wonder if Gabe had anything to do with this lady’s death. Did he push her or did she truly jump?
I flew through this book. It is intense and very addicting. I had several plots rolling through my mind as I was listening. I also found Gabe very entertaining. He is a changeling and the way I perceived him at the beginning is not the way he actually turned out. Same for Pippa. They were not as they seemed.
Now, I will say, I was not a big fan of how this book ended. And this is why I gave it a 4 star and not a 5 star. The ending just didn’t fit. But boy did I enjoy the ride getting there!
The narrators, Barrie Kreinik; Jessica Douglas-Henry, we’re amazing! I love it when there is a tag team. Just makes the story more real!
Need a book which changes on a dime…THIS IS IT ! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤!
I love Sally Hepworth books, every one is unique and different in their own way but fantastic. This story was twisty, dark, disturbing and kept me at the edge of my seat from start to finish. I loved it!
Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this complimentary audiobook.
https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/
A gripping psychological thriller with a depressing, yet hopeful ending! I loved the multiple perspectives.